Why Be Blue

great condition

Super Album.

For a band who started out as an innovative synth rock duo in the '70s this is truly a very poor album. It sounds like Depeche Mode's "A broken frame" or Pet Shop Boys' "Please" robbed of all good melodies. Even Alan Vega's unpredictable and manic vocals, which added so much energy and drive to their earlier albums, have gone into boring talk-singing. The best songs are the title tracks and "Flashy love", the rest is not memorable. "Why be blue" was released in 1992, but that's simply unbelievable, because the music sounds like being made in the early-'80s. Why did they release such a bland and uninspired album? I suppose they've run out of money. If you wanted to know what Suicide really is about, buy their self-titled debut album!

For those of you whom were disappointed by Suicide's "Why Be Blue?" album when it was released over a decade ago, you now have the chance to hear it again with a new twist. Martin Rev took the final master recording and processed it through an assortment of reverb, flanger and delay effects resulting in a very spacey, drugged out, hypnotic mix. Compare the versions of "Pump It" and "Universe" on this album to the original and you'll hear what I'm talking about.While it's still not one of their best releases (the title suggests a much more cheerful sound), this new remix gives the album a touch of Suicide's previous darker experimental edge which was sorely missing on Ric Ocasek's original mix. I'm just glad to see that it's at least back on the shelves of record stores after being out of print for over a decade, although it will be forever overshadowed by their first album.The album also comes with a live disc recorded back in 1989 for the die-hard fans out there. While the sound quality is lacking (which is the case with nearly all Suicide live shows), the energy of the concert makes up for it. It's a shame that the music is buried beneath the vocals because Martin Rev really dishes out some catchy songs on this one, some of which never made it to the studio. "Mambo Mambo" is pure Suicide sleaze at its finest. Unlike their early days, each song is met with cheers and praise, thus making Vega get a bit more frantic in his vocals. A great performance overall.So while the original studio album may not been that great, it now has two reasons worth checking it out a second time.

This is the least essential Suicide recording by a long-shot. Released after the magnificent "A way of life", "Why be Blue" was the greatest Suicide's disappointment so far. Cheesy tunes and weak melodies and a production that was too awful to be believed . They say that the album has been improved a little with this new remaster, but I wouldn't recommend it anyway. It's always been Suicide's weakest effort. Maybe their legendary reputation as the fathers of industrial/electronic music made them to rest on their laurels, but the truth is that this album constitutes an indelible stain on their career. If you don't believe me, just listen to it and compare it to the early releases by the band; there's simply no comparison to be made between them.Corny

I really like (love) this album.I bought it when it first came out. It didn't make much of an impression when compared to Suicide's discography at the time.Now, I really like it's sound. Maybe it's a little AOR, but it's SUICIDE (Rev-Vega) for pity's sake!Add it to your collection if you haven't done so.

What have they done to the original YBBlue... this one sounds sooo washed up. I can't listen to it. The original YBBlue was dark bubblegum and for a Suicide-Album too poppy (Suicide goes disco), but some of the tracks where cool and worked well. 3 stars for the live-cd.

I find this one really hard to comprehend, the debut was a classic, the 2nd and 3rd albums for me, whilst not as fantastic are also worthy additions.This is just a weird mix of synth pop, Country and Western vocal ticks buried in murk and a real lack of anything approaching a listenable song.I’m not suggesting the first three albums are easy listening but this is a failed attempt to try and keep the USP of the debut but add a modern pop sheen, alas it really doesn’t work.Play the dream sounds like my grandad singing a new order song........whilst in another room........The music on here sounded outdated in 1992 which is a real shame as the debut was so groundbreaking.This is probably the worse of their releases TBH but American Supreme isn’t far behind, don’t be fooled.Get the first three albums.....it’s all you need. If you’re on a budget the debut is everything you want.

The on-going work of Alan Vega (vocals) and Martin Rev (instruments) was continued with 1992's `Why Be Blue?', which followed 1977's `Suicide', 1980's `Suicide (The Second Album)', and 1988's `A Way of Life.' As with the other Blast First/Mute reissues, it comes in an expanded form - the second disc here being a live performance from Paris following the previous album - sadly `Rain of Ruin' wasn't played, but there is an amusing version of Vega's solo hit `Juke Box Baby', an alternate take on `Johnny', the always fantastic `Dream Baby Dream', and an epic `Night Time.' The best Suicide live stuff for me remains the second disc on the reissue of the debut album...The 10 track album `Why Be Blue?' is probably their poppiest album to date - poppier than the great second album, and not having the dark elements of the debut, or `A Way of Life', or the more recent post 9/11 dead letter, `American Supreme.' `Cheat Cheat' actually reminds me of Duran Duran, while `Why Be Blue?' shares a quality common with the poppier output of Cabaret Voltaire (e.g. `Crackdown' to `Groovy, Laidback, & Nasty'). At the time a lot of acts influenced by Suicide were around - Nine Inch Nails, Nitzer Ebb, Front 242, Sheep on Drugs, KMDFM - so this is probably their way of distinguishing themselves. I think Primal Scream's initial single from `Evil Heat' owes this a debt too!The rest of the album is similarly poppy, a hint of Baeleric dance music, and the notion that with this, their fourth relatively uncelebrated album, Suicide set the model for more modern dance music - the whole Romo/Electroclash thing is definitely here, and I can detect stuff like Fischerspooner, Goldfrapp, Richard X, and Ladytron. `Why Be Blue?' is probably the least obligatory Suicide album to own, but I think it's one that certainly warrants tracking down and investigating. What do you think?