Suicidal Tendencies Album: “Suicidal Tendencies”

Reguarding your Editoriol Reviews, per amazone.com's David Sprague on Suicidal Tendencies first album release, erroneously credits Rocky George and Mike Clark's guitar playing for being instrumental in part for the albums success. However, the original and actual guitar players on that album where bassist Louiche Mayorga and guitarist Grant Estes.

This is Suicidal's first album (released in 1983, the same year as Metallica's "Kill 'Em All"), and as one listens, one can hear why, 22 years later, Suicidal Tendencies is still respected as one of the best crossover bands that grew out of the incredible union of punk and thrash in the 1980's. On this album, Suicidal exhibits more punk attitude than metal, but the addition of phenomenal solos to scorching punk tunes like "Two-Sided Politics" makes for a highly entertaining album. Mike Muir's vocals can be a bit repetitive at times, but one would be hard pressed to find a more energetic and cathartic singer. One of this album's best features is its production; it was engineered by Randy Burns, notable for his work with Megadeth on 1986's "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?" album, and the overall sound is raw, abrasive, and punk-like while retaining a clarity beyond comparable bands at the time. This combination of low-fi DIY spirit and musical clarity allows all of the punk attitude to be dominant while letting all of the instruments have an equal share of the spotlight, none overpowering any other within the mix.

The best songs are "Suicide's An Alternative/You'll Be Sorry," "Two-Sided Politics," "I Shot the Devil," "Won't Fall In Love Today," "Institutionalized" (a true classic), "Memories of Tomorrow," "Fascist Pig," and "I Want More." Really, the only bad song is the last, as it seems to have been included on the album as filler. Also, the song "Subliminal," which addresses the subject of subliminal messages on television, contains funny and odd sound clips that continue underneath the instruments throughout the song.

Overall, an excellent and influential album.

Definately better than their "remake" attempt. Don't get the Still Psycho album, get the real deal. And don't just listen to the "two great songs" on this album. All of the songs are worth a listen. This is in your face song writing. Two Side Politics still was true well after it's creation (replace Reagan with Bush or Clinton or any future president). "I Want More" is very poinent and still true today. "Subliminal" was very key in its time when the government started experimenting with subliminal messages in their films. All great stuff. Get this and "Join Army". This is pure ST before they turned to straight Metal. Granted, they still have great albums and songs but it's got a different edge to it.

This has to be the best punk, most hardcore album ever made. From the psychotic cackling at the opening, to the nonstop assault of sound, to the most real lyrics about angst, aggression, and how f!@# up the world is, this album stands above all other punk/hardcore, especially the pop crap that's been mainlined into the teeny-bop mainstream. G.G. Allin's lyrics may be more evil and demented, the Dead Kennedys may be more political, but nobody else touches the musical rage of this CD. The later Suicidal albums are definitely disappointing in comparison, and sound like an attempt to go in a much slower and more studio direction.

If you want to hear real punk, get this CD.

If you like old-school hardcore punk like Black Flag, Dead Kennedys, Bad Brains, and Minor Threat, then you should definatly give this CD a look. This CD is about 20 years old now, but it sure doesn't show it. ST's lyrics are a depressing yet energetic look at how the goverment sucks, how they feel suicidal, how it sucks to be controlled and repressed, and basically how life can really suck sometimes. The things that ST sung about in this album still apply to today. Even audio-wise this CD sounds excellent. Anyone else who listens to older punk knows how some CDs really do show the limitations of their recording studios in their time. The best songs are "Institutionalized", "I Saw Your Mommy...", "I Want More", and "Suicidal Failure".