Suicidal Tendencies (album)

Untitled

Suicidal Tendencies is the self-titled debut album by the band Suicidal Tendencies, released in 1983 on Frontier Records (see 1983 in music). It became one of the best-selling hardcore rock albums at the time and launched the band into true success.

The album spawned "Institutionalized"; after two decades, it's still probably the group's best known song. The narrator describes how, despite his claims to the contrary, his overbearing parents suspect he's using drugs and verging on a nervous breakdown, and finally decide to send him to a mental institution. Critic Ira Robbins writes that "Half-sung, half-recited and built on repeated sudden tempo changes, 'Institutionalized' is a unique, devastating centerpiece. One of the era's quintessential expressions of teen dislocation, it converts generation gap misunderstandings into a complete communications breakdown, encapsulating all the punk sociology of such films as Repo Man and Suburbia in four minutes."[1]

The music video for "Institutionalized" was one of the first hardcore punk videos to receive substantial airplay on MTV, and the single was also used in the Emilio Estevez cult classic movie Repo Man and an episode for the hit TV show Miami Vice (which included a cameo appearance by the group).

"I Shot The Devil" was originally titled "I Shot Reagan". The band was allegedly persuaded by the FBI to change the name of the song.

The song "Memories of Tomorrow" was covered by Slayer for their Undisputed Attitude album, but wasn't added to the final release. The song "Institutionalized" was also covered by Senses Fail for the Tony Hawk's American Wasteland soundtrack.

The song "Institutionalized" will be featured in the game Guitar Hero II for the Playstation 2 and Xbox 360 as a playable song.

Track listing

All songs composed by Mike Muir except as indicated.

1. "Suicide's an Alternative / You'll Be Sorry" – 2:44
2. "Two Sided Politics" (Muir, Louiche Mayorga) – 1:03
3. "I Shot the Devil" – 1:51
4. "Subliminal" – 3:08
5. "Won't Fall in Love Today" (Muir, Mayorga) – 0:59
6. "Institutionalized" (Muir, Mayorga) – 3:49
7. "Memories of Tomorrow" (Muir, Mayorga) – 0:59
8. "Possessed" – 2:07
9. "I Saw Your Mommy..." (Muir, Mayorga) – 4:52
10. "Fascist Pig" – 1:17
11. "I Want More" (Muir, Mayorga) – 2:28
12. "Suicidal Failure" – 2:53

Credits

• Mike Muir – Vocals
• Grant Estes – Guitar
• Louiche Mayorga – Bass
• Amery Smith – Drums

• Glen E. Friedman – Album Photography & Design, Producer
• Randy Burns – Engineer
• Dee Zee – Art Mechanicals
• Marc Lewis & Dave Flynn – Roadies
• Mark Stern – Lyric Sheet Typesetting