Suicide – Why Be Blue

An unfairly maligned album. Suicide grow into their own form of sophistication, creating subtler melodic effects ('Universe') as well as hitting harder with equipment upgrades (the drum machine, in particular, thumps considerably harder) and well controlled waves of delay, phasing and distortion. The songs are well made, well performed and present a futuristic vision of classic popular music. In a decade of plentiful electronic acts, Suicide remained resolutely themselves: hypnotic, bitter-sweet electronic rock n' roll.

Vega's solo work from around this period is fantastic, for those who want a more diverse set of tunes. Given free reign to go outside the bounds of what 'Suicide' was, they are interesting addendums to these albums.

Stripped off of Rev's synth and hiss, leaving very little for Vega to growl along to, "Why Be Blue?" sadly discloses the meta-legendary Suicide in their full frontal mediocrity. The ideas might be there somewhere (the only remotely good song here is "Cheat-Cheat") but these are audibly marred on the final product, sounding so uninspired it hurts - and anyone insisting otherwise is downright desperate in their pointless defense, just because this is Suicide. Well, here it most certainly is. If the record's aim (starting with the very album title) was to mock or annoy, then it's a "success" but only at sounding ever so appalling - standing shoulder-to-shoulder with Gary Numan's worst ("Machine And Soul", released around the same time).

From the title song through to the closing "Mujo", Vega's trademark growls and gutsy blues singing desperately let rip over Rev's cheap plastic electro templates, sheer bad karaoke fest. For techno-awares Suicide were ever since they made their first bleep, the year 1992 should have been more ideal a revelation - but Suicide kept insisting on "raw power" instead, but failed at it miserably. The title "Why Bother?" would have been more suitable.

Thankfully, the duo repaired the damage, returning in 2002 with their much much bolder creation that is "American Supreme".

Remastered, Remixed, Ruined
It pains me to say this, being a huge fan, but Martin's remix of this album is absolutely dreadful. It sounds to me like he didn't have access to the multi-track master tapes and has simply distorted every track so that they have become virtually unlistenable. I couldn't believe my ears when I first heard it!
Now, the original album may have been Suicide's most 'poppy' record and I know that Martin wanted to give it a more "Suicide feel", but this remix has only served to bury Alan's vocals and the original tunes in masses of unnecessary distortion and mugginess. Imagine listening to the original version at the bottom of a swimming pool without headphones, and you'll come close! Someone at Mute should have had the stones to say "Martin, leave it alone!". The only benefit to this whole release is the superb bonus disc. Even the 'artwork' is dire.
Stick to the original version.

In my opinion, better than the famous self-titled album. I mean sure that appears in EVERY mainstream mags lists of top x amount of greatest whatevers and EVERY hipster-doofus' iPod, but this is the real shit. Suicide's attempt at cheesy 80's pop is a swirling miasma of woozy beats and synth shimmies, all on top of Alan Vega's soothingly grotesque vocals. Sure he's sinister on cuts like the famous Frankie Teardrop, but think about it, his hero is Elvis. Elvis is at heart the first subversive pop-star: join the dots people. At the end of the day whats more daring, a group submitting a release that confirms their "hardcore" street image, or a release that subverts that image? Its one thing to confuse and offend the squares, quite another to do the same, to the "punks". The original "no-wave" band transforming into just another mindless "new-wave" band. Subversive art at its finest, which, if i'm not mistaken was their intention all along. And its catchy! Extraordinary.