Suicide Albums (5)
'Attempted: Live at Max's Kansas City 1980'
Release Date 3/16/2004
Tracks 12
Label Sympathy for the Record Industry
See Album Tracklist and Review
What The Critics Say
When the word "document" is used to describe a reissue or some recently excavated live material, it's usually code for "completists only." That's the case with Attempted, which documents a January 1980 performance at Max's Kansas City. Suicide's studio albums have never been known for high fidelity or intricacy, so it's not as if one can expect to hear a live recording with some warm bottom end and crisp, pliable instrumentation. This sounds like it was recorded by an audience member who was too apprehensive to get front and center. Who could blame this person? Alan Vega gives one of the performances that his reputation was built on, jumping from relaxed to rabid in half a moment's notice. Martin Rev's machines sound too distant most of the time, but that won't be an issue for the duo's devout followers. This might as well be considered the antithesis of The Delicate Sound of Thunder. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Is American Supreme -- the first Suicide album in a decade -- an update, a return to form? Yes and no. Those who hang on Alan Vega's every streetwise grunt and growl will doubtlessly be pleased as punch with the results, as will anyone who hasn't heard any music that has been recorded since 1990. Perhaps the strangest twist about this record is how much of it sounds more crude and antiquated than the duo's first two albums, which were released over 20 years prior to this one. Those two albums did what few groups had done prior, and this one recycles hip-hop and dance beats that were recycled many times over by the mid-'90s. The opening "Television Executions" is the worst culprit, using turntable scratches and a bounding late-'80s funk groove that the Red Hot Chili Peppers would scoff at. It would be expecting far too much for Vega and Martin Rev to deliver something as revolutionary as those first two albums. A more realistic hope would be for this album to not be an embarrassment. Thankfully, due to Vega's sharp-as-ever observations (he still sounds ornery and underfed), they narrowly escape that pitfall. ~ Andy Kellman, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Zero Hour compiles live performances Suicide gave in New York City and Berlin in the late '70s and early '80s. Although these live takes aren't drastically different from the studio versions, the icy intensity of the music makes Zero Hour a must-hear for dedicated Suicide fans. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Originally a cassette-only release, this live recording at Walker Arts Center in Minneapolis marked Rev and Vega's tenth anniversary. And while not as deliberately offensive as some of their earlier live gigs (the impossible-to-locate 23 Minutes Over Brussels), this is a compelling, interesting document of their ever-evolving stage show. Not as transcendent as their debut album, but well worth the effort. [Ghost Riders was reissued on CD by the French Danceteria label in 1990 and ROIR in 1991.] ~ John Dougan, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
The unwitting godfathers of industrial noise-squall return after a long absence to reclaim their throne on A Way of Life. Produced by Ric Ocasek, Suicide's Alan Vega and Martin Rev pick up exactly where they left off, crafting beautifully ominous drone-rock founded on pulsing sequences, dramatic vocals, and dense atmospherics. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
