Suicide : No Compromise

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Summary: Do you love what you do enough to risk your life?
Review: This is yet another great book from S.A.F. that tells the story of one of the most confrontational and ignored musicial acts in history. The name of the group alone will frighten most people! Alan Vega and Martin Rev may have not started Suicide as anything other than a form of self-expression in 1970. But the reaction they got was often one of violence on the part of the people in attendance at their shows. Was it the lyricial content? Was it the stark vocal/keyboard/drum machine line-up with no guitars or a drumset that bothered the "rock" crowds they played for? "Why"is never truly answered by this book because it really can't be! The groups biggest fans were too often out-numbered by the Naysayers in the early days of Suicide. But there were fans, and many times those fans were in bands MUCH more popular. It is nice that people such as Elvis Costello, members of The Clash, Michael Stipe of R.E.M., Bruce Springsteen, Iggy Pop, Henry Rolins, etc.,etc.,etc. all sing their praises. Many of the acts mentioned are featured in their own quotes in this book. Suicide played several tours with some of the acts and earned the respect of many of them in the process. Suicide was not ahead of the times, they were FAR-REMOVED from the times! The next time some "shock rock" band is refered to as "confrontational", remember Suicide and then see how the other act measures up. Do you love what you do enough to risk your life??? Alan Vega and Martin Rev did and still do!!!