When Suicidal Tendencies formed in Venice in 1982, they ravaged southern California with a completely unique brand of visceral street punk rage. The original latino hardcore band, their 1983 self-titled debut was magnificently well-rounded, complete with hilarious, poignant lyrics, excellent song writing, and fantastic musicianship. Mike Muir and the band articulated teenage angst as clearly as anyone before or since, creating a definitive album for the ages. Fast-forward 10 years. It's 1993, and Mike Muir was prevented to reprint copies of Suicidal Tendencies’ debut, as its original label, wasn’t willing to give him rights over the material, so the band re-recorded it as a whole, re-recorded two more songs from Join the Army, slapped in an outtake and released this. Mike Muir's sense of humour is out of this world. The lyrics are full of critique and fine sarcasm. The vocal delivery is absolutely convincing, hardcorish, but not senseless shouting, there are lots of memorable passages here, the songs are full of hooks, also musically and vocally speaking. Lyrically my point is clear, it's sheer brilliance.
The remade songs sound cleaner, more even-tempered, and the guitar solos stick out as slightly more lavish. But what good does that do when you've lost the genuine frustration and anger that inspired the original material? These songs deal almost exclusively with teenage issues. The well-known track, "Institutionalized", satirizes parents who don't listen to their children. When Mike Muir's voice cracked during the original chorus, it fit perfectly within the context of the song. The new version sounds comparatively slick. And, coming from a 28-year-old rock star, it just doesn't seem quite as authentic. Without question, it's great music. But if you want to hear it what makes it so spectacular, be sure to check out their classic debut album.
Ripped from the 1993 CD to FLAC
1. Suicide's an Alternative 2:25
2. Two-Sided Politics 1:02
3. Subliminal 2:48
4. I Shot the Devil 1:50
5. Won't Fall in Love Today 0:51
6. Institutionalized 3:30
7. War Inside My Head 3:29
8. Don't Give Me Your Nothin' 4:03
9. Memories of Tomorrow 0:54
10. Possessed 2:01
11. I Saw Your Mommy 4:51
12. Fascist Pig 1:12
13. A Little Each Day 3:52
14. I Want More 2:09
15. Suicidal Failure 2:39
a worthy post, good job AJ :)
ReplyDeleteThank you 🙏 WDM.
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