Suicide

Album cover was cooler than any of the music. Tried to respect the experimentation aspect considering this was the 70's, but still not a fan. || I Would've given it a 2 but 'girl' and especially 'frankie teardrop' felt like something you would play on loop to drive someone mad. Certainly started to...

I award this album no stars and may god have mercy on your soul

At least it's better than dylan

The first note of the first song had me intrigued but it quickly got really bad after that. This seems to be a pattern with bands I haven't heard of on this list. Anyway, this whole album was awful. "Girl" might be the worst song I've ever heard. "Frankie Teardrop" was kind of interesting but still terrible. Unnecessary screaming everywhere.

I give 5 stars to anyone who was able to get through this album. This was a tough listen and I usually like the weird shit. I get that it was probably ground-breaking when it came out because I really back in 1977 but I can't see how anyone can get any pleasure from listening to this.

Music That Makes You Feel Feral But In A Good Way

My kids’ imaginary band, “Electric Cheeseball”, is better than this.

This album is so ridiculously ahead of its time. It honestly blew me away. The music builds gradually allowing the listener to hear the layers of distorted and electronic music. The vocal delivery seems punk and spoken word influenced.

My Spotify friends probably think I'm a serial killer. All of them are out here vibing to their "summer vibes" playlist - Avril Lavigne, Harry Styles, whatever, and I've been on a 30 minute long binge of SUICIDE - SUICIDE. Look man, I understand that music taste is subjective but I seriously can't imagine anyone willingly listening to this in their free time. What enjoyment can you get from a guy mumbling random words from the bottom of a well over the Pac-Man theme song. "Frankie Teardrop" is the worst song I've ever heard in my life. I bet they really felt like they made art with that one. Yeah, let's sing about a guy killing his wife and then make goat sex noises for 3 minutes. It was supposed to be unnerving, but the only emotion I felt was annoyance. I think a Youtube comment I saw put it the best: "It’s like a bad horror movie that has a trash story and only relies on jumpscares lol" Do not check the Wikipedia page for "Johnny (Suicide song)". Currently listening to "10 hours of nails on chalkboard" to cleanse my ears.

I'm listening to the debut album by Suicide from 1977. I believe the album is called Suicide as well. I've been reading about this album and listening to the first song. So far it's right up my alley. "Musically, Suicide has been described as synth-punk, electronic rock, and synth-pop, while also being labeled electronic and minimalist." It's scratching the itch this morning. It's fun to hear some of the origins of the music I really enjoy. It's alien and pulsating and the words are spoken. Why have I never heard of this music? It goes to show that there will be always new music to discover in life. This doesn't sound like music that came out the same year Star Wars was released. It sounds very fresh and clearly the blueprint for a lot of the music I've loved over the years. I'm all in on this.

Made me want to throw the rope up. Does exactly what it says on the tin 👍🏾

Man, that first track was awesome. The second track was... Well, it was good too. Kinda experimental acid rock bust still good. Then the whole thing went off the rails. Every track to the end of the record was worse than the one that proceeded it. Half-baked song ideas with repetitive sentence fragments thrown on top of them masquerading as "experimental" when, in fact, they were just banged out with no actual craftsmanship applied. Two stars. One for each track that was actually half decent.

Wow. This is... awful. The synth is annoying. The screaming is jarring. I mean, I totally get why this was ground-breaking for 1977, but it is just... annoying. I almost had to stop it at least twice, wondering if I wanted to continue. Yuck.

1977!? Are you freaking kidding me? 1977! So far ahead of its time! Pretty sure I didn't appreciate Suicide the first time I heard them, but they've really grown on me. Very much an acquired taste - I bet there are a thousand horrified one star reviews! 🤣 Fave track - "Ghost Rider" or "Cheree" for more casual listening, "Frankie Teardrop" for a listening experience that breaks into your house and tools you up with a lead pipe.

Wow. Weird. But goddamn if it isn't tightly wound and experimenting in the right places.

This is the debut album from the New York-based band Suicide which is composed of vocalist Alan Vega and instrumentalist Martin Rev. The music is described as synth-punk, no wave, electronic rock, synth-pop and minimalist. The music is basically a repetitive rhythm, a few synthesizers sounding like an organ, xylophone or some other instrument and lyrics which are minimal, repetitive and sometimes screamed. The one thing this music does do is create an atmosphere which is very eerie and haunting. Hypnotic is also a good descriptor. This album is considered an electronic music landmark and was highly influential to a lot of artists...I hear that. By the way, this album and music totally work for me. To experience this album and music, it really needs to be listened to. How can I convince anyone that repetitive drums with random noises and screams is great music? Maybe I will. "Ghost Rider" starts out like electronic music and punk had a baby with a driving beat, amped up synthesizer and Alan Vega using very few lyrics in a very repetitive way and in a lot a ways felt like trying to translate a Wiliam Gibson novel (aka cyberpunk) into music. Early 90's Trent Reznor and Nine Inch Nails were listening. "Cheree" has a Kraftwerk-Autobahn-type synthesizer sound, is a love song and adds a nice xylophone to the chorus. It is very hypnotic and somehow, it works. "Frankie Teardrop" may be the scariest song I've ever heard. It starts with a repetitive synth-sound which sounds like it's stuck. The song is about Frankie who has a family, loses his job, gets a gun and very bad things happen after that. It's a 10-minute long song with the last four minutes being bloodcurling screams and random and weird synthesizer sounds. Bruce Springsteen based a song on his "Nebraska " album on this song and Henry Rollins described it as the most intense song he's ever heard. I'd agree. This album is not for everyone but it is highly influential and definitely an artistic achievement.

Spectacular. Original. Menacing.

The initial opening of Ghost Rider had me thinking this could be good, but fast went downhill from there. I did wonder if this could be one of those "so bad it's good" albums, guess that depends if your an experimental synth-punk sadist or not.

I hit play and through the first song felt like someone slipped something into my drink. Then the second song. Then the third song? Every song filled with sinister echo and fuzz forcing me forward with an incessant, demanding beat. So this is what we’re doing?! What to think about this? I didn’t dislike it. The grooves are interesting. The runtime is a manageable 32 minutes. This album is blazing trails today - hard to believe it has been around since 1977! I can see why I should listen to this before I die. But do I like it? I started a second listen and was surprisingly into this. After the first listen I doubted I’d ever want to hear this again. Now after the second I’m tempted to play it again right away and I’m not entirely sure why… I can’t get this off my mind. This is one of the most unique things I’ve heard in a while. Or ever. I think I love it.

kinda weird idk

If only there was some sort of suicide prevention hotline that could have been called to stop this abomination from being made. RIP mum .

Wow! Best of all 450 albums I already received in this list. Is what the late 70s and big part the 80s really felt like, not the 'back to the 80s' party bullshit but ununemployement, street mess, nuclear threat. The fascinating, repetitive rhythm in Cheree. The Velvet underground like song Johnny. And then the minimal, paranoid, manic songs Girl and Frankie Teardrop, pure beauty. Guess average will be low as you can't sing along or dance or have sex on it. But for those who also rated it with 5 stars: do listen to the Minny Pops album Drastic Measures, Drastic Movements and Young Marble Giants album Colossal Youth and more happiness is coming too you!

This is one of my favorite albums. It's raw. And i think it rocks. Except for Frankie tear drop wtf Alan.

From the first few seconds I already liked it. We'll see how the rest is. Old school electronic combined with punk. Very cool album! Added to my collection.

Influential album, yadda yadda. Yeah, we all know this by now - but.. One noteworthy feature of this album is "Frankie Teardrop" - a demented little song of around ten minutes long - and probably one of the toughest listens from the album I've listened so far. Frankie kills his six month old baby and his wife with a gun at minute four. At that point - you have another six minutes of the song. At my many attempts over the years to get through the song, this was probably the first time I made it. Happy not to do it again. Which brings one to the point that this is a seminal record - nary a rudimentary drum machine - some occasional guitar and Alan Vega's echo-laden screaming and singing - a ghostly ethereal soundtrack from hell - truly one of the ballsiest and toughest punk album out there. Scarier than Iggy Pop on a drug binge - it's like what the Doors in a fever dream after a night in hell might sound like. Great great stuff, but a tough listen.

Big fuzzy all-encompassing synth is right up my alley so this album felt like something I could really sink into and let swallow me up. Suicide seems more like an artistic experiment in music than a straight up and down band you throw on to groove too. I feel like its definitely an act you had to see live to truly appreciate. Yes Frankie Teardrop is pretty unlistenable but I would say pretty damn successful at conveying the feeling and putting you in the headspace of a family killer who’s in hell. “Cheree” is dark and sweet and I loved it. Gonna plug my favorite podcast here too, No Dogs in Space. Great punk history show that does deep dive series on a bunch of early punk bands including Suicide. Check it out for these dudes wild story.

Never heard of this, but it's been great. Dig the electronic components.

Love this, great organ sounds and atmosphere.

A really enjoyable and interesting experimental synth album with legitimately innovative and pleasing tracks like "Cheree" and frightening tracks essential yet you must only listen to once like "Girl" or "Frankie Teardrop." Sounds a lot like a more advanced and sophisticated Silver Apples. As an art piece, I'd enjoy the whole experience. On repeated listens, I might skip a few. But really, the album is so short that even just skipping "Frankie Teardrop", the 21-minute remainder flies by, especially with how the subtle changes in each song keep each track interesting. Let's hear it for Frankie.

A classic- not for everyday listening but when I'm in the mood there is nothing else like it.

SHOUTOUT TO THIS WEBSITE FOR JUST FORGETTING THE MULTIPLE PARAGRAPHS I HAD WRITTEN AND CLICKED 'SAVE' ON MULTIPLE TIMES HONESTLY, IM GLAD IN A WAY IT FORGOT, THIS ALBUM DOESN'T DESERVE IT. THIS STUPID ANGSTY ALBUM WITH THE PHONE SEX RAMBLINGS IN 'GIRL' AND THE 10 MINUTE WAGESLAVE DRAMA THAT IS 'FRANKIE TEARDROP', EACH SET TO A SERIES OF 5 SECOND LOOPS ALL PULLED FROM MK ULTRA'S GREATEST HITS. I THOUGHT THEY USED TO BULLY PEOPLE FOR THIS KIND OF BEHAVIOUR IN THE 70S

No. Just no. Nothing surprising here except for its inclusion on this list. Not brutal enough in execution be actually dangerous, not comprehensive enough to seem like anything more than a demo released before completion, and not lyrically deep enough to be more than high-school level nihilism rants. Maybe at the time it was revolutionary, but here it just seems boring and uninspired.

This is brutalist architecture in musical form. And just like brutalist architecture in Building form, it might be trying to say something, but it sucks and nobody likes it.

Hear me out. This album is the centre of all modern popular music. With only two ingredients, the 50s slapback reverb vocals look back to the start and the metronome keyboards look forward to the electronic future. Either that or it is just the coolest.

Okay, so like, The Velvet Underground but more fucked up and with lots of screaming. I can vibe with that.

If you don't like this album, then you really have no business on this journey. This is experimental, different, and incredible.

In my opinion this is one of the truly great albums to come out of the New York punk scene. Originally bought a UK version back in the 1970s with slightly different track listing, after reading a ridiculously dismissive review in a HiFi magazine. It's a really fine debut album, and I think every track is great, but particularly Frankie Teardrop and Ghost Rider. More recent re-releases of this album include Keep Your Dreams. All excellent stuff and pretty infuential on later synth bands.

Really enjoyed this. Thoughtful with really experimental elements. Minimalist until the screaming kicks in. Clearly an influence on many sounds that followed.

Now this is more like it. To be fair I have come across this before in other charts and polls but it's so up my street it's untrue. My family are pleading with me to turn Frankie Teardrop off but I love the screaming. There were other albums and bands before them that tried to experiment (Velvet Underground for instance) but I've always been a sucka for an early synth.

UNBELIEVABLE! Such a unique sound! Love it. Standouts: Frankie Teardrop, Cheree, Ghost Rider, Rocket USA, Girl, Johnny, Che, I Remember. Cheree Remix 4.5/5

Unsettling, desolate, sexual, political, sparse. This album is a landmark. The vibe of the droning keyboards, synths, and drum machine and the off kilter crooning, leads to something other worldly. It is very punk in its attitude, it’s minimalistic and it’s edgy. I imagine there are many who would pick this up and hate it because of how eerie and unnerving it can be, but also because of the simplicity of the lyrics. But it is rarely about the lyrics. The lyrics are just enough to convey the framework for a song, as is the case with Frankie Teardrop, but it’s the playing and the mood that is created that really tell the story. This is always a fascinating one to come back to and get completely blown away by again.

Possibly the greatest album ever made. So minimal and yet layered. The songs are simple and effective. Frankie Teardrop is harrowing, and the 1970s' version of Sister Ray. Cheree adds a little light amongst the shade. Fabulous.

10/10 one of my all-time favorite punk albums (shit’s so punk it’s practically post-punk)

A simple formula but an effective one. I can't even imagine how intense a Suicide show at CBGB's would have felt like back in the day. These guys were fucking crazy for going the direction they went with electronic music and I admire their bravery. Only thing that I can think of that preceded them in this regard was maybe Silver Apples, but that wasn't nearly as abrasive. I am addicted to their stripped down sound. It is the genesis if so much that I love. Such an efficiency of sound, nothing is more punk than this.

First two are classics so no need to write about them. Cheree precursors about a dozen Spiritualized songs which I love. Such a singular sound, 45 years later basically nothing else sounds quite like it. People not getting this, or just not liking this, is totally understandable, but it absolutely should not be dismissed. Also it's not on here but Dream Baby Dream is an absolute stunner, and far less confrontational than anything here, it's very gentle.

At a complete loss for words. Who gave the whacked-out commies a synthesizer and a drum machine? Is it Post-Punk? Synth-Punk? Bloody madness? Either way, I really dig it. It gets a bit repetitive at times, but then when you pay attention to the lyrics things regain that fresh sense of “wtf is this?” Nothing. I repeat, NOTHING will prepare you for the sonic surprise attack awaiting you in “Frankie Teardrop”, which contains what is possibly the most blood-curdling scream ever put to wax. Just listen to it and see what I mean. Standout Songs: “Ghost Rider” “Rocket USA” “Franke Teardrop”

Wild!

Super Gucci.

Essential

El nombre de Alan Vega me suena, así que no llego a esta banda tan desconcertado. Ya desde el primer tema los imagino como un proyecto explosivo, bailable, que me recuerda a muchos posteriores (haciendo un salto temporal, Sleaford Mods o, en mi país, Mueran Humanos). Darkie, sexy, seguramente fueron visionarios sin saberlo. Gran hallazgo para mis oídos, con la salvedad graciosa de que al buscar el nombre de la banda en YouTube, me apareció una advertencia de cuidado por autolesión.

Made me run over to the 1001 album website to check that Devo are on there (they are)

Effective concept, if not too effective as it seems like it's a listen once and never again haha.

-The electronic drumbeats really keep the intensity going through the album -"Frankie Teardrop" is very Alice Cooper-esque. Or maybe Alice Cooper is very "Frankie Teardrop"-esque. Also the scream when Frankie kills himself is pretty crazy. (Spoiler alert)

I was really into this until the screaming.

A dude moaning over a shitty loop. This is like the banana duct tape to the wall.

It lives up to its name 1.5/5

Suicide is right. Oh my god if this is the worst album in the world I wouldn’t be surprised. The one ☝️ okay thing is that it was only a half hour. One more second and I would have taken the artist literally. Good god.

How on earth is this a bucket list kinda album? Thats like saying you have to ride in a 2CV once in your lifetime to appreciate a modern Audi. Waste of time. I'd rather listen to DJ Ötzi at this point.

I don't care if it's supposed to be disgusting, it's still disgusting.

Exactly the sort of grinding repetitive synth noise that I love. Happy with this find. Although I was not quite prepared for the trauma of Frankie Teardrop. Lovely coincidence that the song and album features on the Bruce Springsteen biopic Deliver Me From Nowhere which I watched later in the day on a flight.

Suicide Minimalistic pulsing synths and drums, oddly enunciated vocals, 50s rock’n’roll influences, atmospheric moodiness? Yes please! I’d not heard of this, and I assumed it was more in the style of thrashy US punk, but it's way, way more interesting than that, a kind of nihilistic, brilliant mash up of Gene Vincent, Kraftwerk and Velvet Underground, feeling well ahead of its time for 1977. I feel its remiss of me not to have heard of it, reading about how influential it has been - Radiohead, New Order, Depeche Mode, Human League, Soft Cell, LCD Soundsystem and loads of others, and you can certainly hear the mood of Bruce’s State Trooper. Ghost Rider is a superb opener, the relentless pulse is great, carrying on with the nagging Rocket USA, with the farfisa giving an oxymoronic homeliness against the foreboding, reminding me a bit of Public Service Broadcasting. Cheree has a feel of If I Gave You a Party. Johnny is another great track, the 50s bassline against the drum machine and the drawled vocals an excellent combination. Girl shows their knack for a minimal instrumental hook with the bass and the organ riff, and is another great song. Frankie Teardrop is obviously the centrepiece at 10 minutes long, and definitely has a kinship with State Trooper, and is an epic, slowly, drawn out bit of droning dissonance, a spookily excellent song. Che has an element of Low/Eno to it in its more ambient synth style, and throws in a nicely discordant final not I was thinking a 4, but I gave Per Ubu a 5, and this feels just as influential an interesting, and it is a fantastic album, so 5. As a side note, of the last 5 albums we’ve had from 1977 I’ve given four 5s and one 4s - The Idiot, Exodus, The Stranger, this and Peter Gabriel with the 4. Looking back through the list, 1977 might be the strongest year for albums ☠️☠️☠️☠️☠️ Playlist submission: Ghost Rider

M.I.A. sampled "Ghost Rider" in "BORN FREE"! It was cool to hear the original and make the connection. The album sounds minimal but somehow still dense and heavy - the synths are raw and you can almost hear where the loops end and start again. Overall, I ended up really enjoying it. The themes of social isolation, decay, and suicide still feel relevant today, and it echoed a lot of things I've been feeling lately.

Genius. Terrifying. Deep. Magnificent shards of noise, inner city life, electric rock and roll and futurism.

I'm very confused. I don't think I've ever liked and hated an album so much at the same time. The repetition, which I know is intentional, irritates me. The singing makes me extremely uncomfortable at times (listening to Girl was torture for me, and all the screaming in Frankie Teardrop was kind of painful too). At the same time, dare I say I really like the overall minimalistic electronic sound and the discomfort some of the songs bring me? I wasn't around when this was released, but I can imagine this being very creative and original for 1977. I didn't "like" this album. I even want to rate it a 1 or 2 because of how much I hated at times, as most people in this page, whose reactions I understand. However, I think it perfectly accomplished what it was meant to, which I'm pretty sure included making the listener weirdly uncomfortable. Maybe that was part of the punk spirit in here. And I'm generally not a big fan of punk music. I'm glad I wasn't lead by my gut reaction and actually tried to get through this with an open mind, because the more I think about it, the more I believe this is a great album. Not all music has to be made to be enjoyed the same way; this should be true especially for more experimental albums like this, that aim to cause different reactions. I don't think I'll want to listen to the Suicide debut album again in a while, but it definetly belongs on the list of "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".

Any time you get a late 70s post punk album with a sub-3⭐️ average on here, you know it’s going to at least be interesting, and probably be really good. Surprise surprise this is both. Weird as hell! Had me going “what on earth??” a few times. A worthwhile listen.

not as fucked up as i was expecting but i still wouldn’t admit that i listen to this to anyone outside the nerdiest music enjoyers ever

Maybe it was the reviews or maybe it’s the name Suicide, but I thought this was going to be an unlistenable racket. Either way, this might have benefited from my lowered expectations because I ended up liking it. (Still, Suicide as a band name - bit try-hard, right?)

Frankie Teardrop Twenty year old Frankie He's married, he's got a kid And he's working in a factory He's working from seven to five He's just trying to survive Well, let's hear it for Frankie

Striking.

This band solidified that I find proto-punk very interesting. This felt like a weird meditation experience. Definitely enjoyed it!

Definitely ahead of their time producing electronic music. Although they billed themselves as punk music their sound is synth heavy, before they were heavily used in the 80s. Definitely worth checking out.

Intressant, lät inte som att det skulle ha kommit ut 1977.

FRANKIE!!!!!!!

Really intriguing but it cross the line into utter bullshit

Started strong - went down hill. There's something really interesting going on here that I can't quite put my finger on, but I think it was somewhat ruined by the repetitive beat/synth, the same one in the majority of the tracks. I think if this had been mixed up a bit more I would have been more into it? I liked the harsh minimalist beats juxtaposed with the airy ethereal voice - but it went on a bit hey, even for a 30min record!

-damn this album is REALLY interesting. certainly not an easy listen but i just never knew what i was going to hear next -i heard Frankie Teardrop when i was younger and it terrified me, and Ghost Rider is an absolute fucking banger so there’s clearly a lot of talent here. 3.5 could grow to a 4 -Favorites are Ghost Rider, Johnny, and Frankie Teardrop

Difficult. Quite like the rockabilly underbelly. Quite like the sparse instrumentation. Not an easy listen but a fairly rewarding one. Can easily see it's influence on stuff like Nebraska.

I've heard this album only once before, a few years back, and I recall immensely disliking it at that time. So imagine my surprise that it's really not that bad, and in fact is even sort of...cool! Certainly a divisive listen, but undoubtedly ahead of its time. I really enjoyed the way the songs felt as though they were building, without really going anywhere. Parts of the album -- namely "Frankie Teardrop" -- are pretty disturbing, but the amount of tension they conjure up more than justify their inclusion. Overall, don't think this will become a regular listen for me, but you can't say it's not atmospheric!

Imagine really liking this band as an early teen and asking your parents for the album? My mom thought Kiss were devil music so I would have been sent to the loonie bin. Anywho…. This first 2 songs are sort of trancelike. Not that it puts me in a trance but it reminds me of trance music. I do like this, 3 songs in. It would then pass the album buying quota. This is what Lou Reed would sound like if he had so positivity in his voice. This is decent in a slow moving spaces out way. Be high when listening to this

Very progressive for 1977, especially with the use of synths and sounds to highlight the post-punk vibe

Ranged from fine to annoying. I'd give it two and a half, if I could.

This album probably influenced a lot of bands I love, however I just did not enjoy listening to this at all. Felt a lot longer than 32 mins in a very bad way

Second rate Bowie Berlin era electro pop

Vocals annoyed me

I get why it’s important but absolutely not for me

crud

I completely get why this is on the list as it is formative and deserves A listen, but having heard it, I am not sure I will ever return to it

Much more boring than you would expect given the band name and album name.

I'm not angry at this album, just disappointed.

Not my favorite

It’s as though the fellas from Suicide had 60% of their members out with the Flu but they had studio time booked and paid for so the well 40% recorded their tracks and brought along the synth players cousin to stand in on vocals and then the record company messed up and put it to tape and released it

The punk/psychedelic rock fusion album we didn’t ask for. Probably because it’s not as interesting a concept as it sounds.

65/1001 First listen. I don’t know what this is. I don’t want to know. It was off to a good start though. 4/10

nope

Not my cup of tea at all

Hmm, Girl was very unsettling. I dug some sounds and really felt grated by others.

Feeling rough and have fittingly had a rough 3 album trot. Saved a song: N RYM: N

Abrasive and aggressive nothing really to gain from this aside from that. Some sleazy melodies hidden in the mix but I think if you want to get an aggressive punk sound you can find it elsewhere. There is some progressive elements like the use of synths and electronic elements. I wish I had other kind things to say but this is how I'm feeling.

I was all in on the first track. The 2nd. track didn't lose me. After that everything went downhill. My problem isn't really the pounding and harsh synths, but the vocalist can absolutely go stuff himself. I have no idea what's rock inspired about the, uncalled for, amateur hour musical theater performance on "Frankie Teardrop", but the dude really needs to align the ambition with his ability.

Kind of a shame be cause most tracks have a good foundation, however never once is anything built upon or fortified. It's pretty bad