Suicidal Tendencies (album)

Suicidal Tendencies
Studio album by Suicidal Tendencies
Released	July 5, 1983 (1983-07-05)
Recorded	Early 1983
Genre	Hardcore punk, crossover thrash
Length	28:17
Label	Frontier
Producer	Glen E. Friedman
Suicidal Tendencies chronology
Suicidal Tendencies (1983) Join the Army (1987)
Singles from Suicidal Tendencies
"Institutionalized" Released: 1983

Professional ratings
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Suicidal Tendencies is the eponymously-titled debut studio album by the American hardcore punk band Suicidal Tendencies. It was released on July 5, 1983 through Frontier Records. The album became one of the best-selling punk albums at the time and launched the band into its future success.

Album information

The album includes the song "Institutionalized", possibly the band's most famous song after two decades. In the song, the narrator describes how, despite his claims to the contrary, his overbearing parents suspect he is using drugs and verging on a nervous breakdown. The song ends with them finally deciding 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."

The music video for "Institutionalized" was one of the first skate punk videos to receive substantial airplay on MTV, and the single was also used in the Emilio Estevez film Repo Man (1984) and an episode of the television show Miami Vice (which also included a cameo appearance by the band). Slayer vocalist Tom Araya makes a guest appearance in the video.^{[citation needed]}

"Institutionalized" is referenced in the Sage Francis song "Slow Down Gandhi" in the line "It's death penalty vs. suicidal tendencies / All I wanted was a fucking Pepsi / Institution / Making you think you're crazy is a billion dollar industry." Limp Bizkit also referenced it in the song "Stuck" with the lines "All I wanted was a Pepsi, just one Pepsi. So far from suicidal but still I get them tendencies bringing back the memories that I really miss."^{[citation needed]}

"Institutionalized" is featured in the game Guitar Hero II for the PlayStation 2 and Xbox 360 as a playable song; a member of the most difficult tier, "Face Melters". It was also featured in the film Iron Man (2008).

"I Shot the Devil" was originally entitled "I Shot Reagan". The band is rumored to have been approached by the FBI to change the name of the song. The group eventually used the original title of the song on the lyrics sheet. It was also covered by the California hardcore punk band "Chotto Ghetto" on its extended play Shootin' Devils.

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

The song "I Saw Your Mommy" is featured on the soundtrack to the game Scarface: The World Is Yours for the PlayStation 2, Xbox, and PC.

In 1993, Muir and the later incarnation of the band re-recorded the entire album and released it as Still Cyco After All These Years, with (mostly) faithful recreations of the originals, plus two songs from Join the Army.

The song "Two Sided Politics" was covered by Bones Brigade on its album Older Than Shit, Heavier Than Time.

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Mike Muir, except where noted. 

Side one
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Suicide's an Alternative/You'll Be Sorry"	2:44
2.	"Two Sided Politics" (written by Muir, Louiche Mayorga)	1:03
3.	"I Shot the Devil"	1:51
4.	"Subliminal"	3:08
5.	"Won't Fall in Love Today" (written by Muir, Mayorga)	0:59
6.	"Institutionalized" (written by Muir, Mayorga)	3:49

Side two
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Memories of Tomorrow" (written by Muir, Mayorga)	0:57
2.	"Possessed"	2:07
3.	"I Saw Your Mommy"	4:52
4.	"Fascist Pig"	1:17
5.	"I Want More"	2:28
6.	"Suicidal Failure"	2:53
Total length:		28:17

Personnel

• Mike Muir – lead vocals
• Grant Estes – guitar
• Louiche Mayorga – bass, backing vocals
• Amery Smith – drums

Production

• Glen E. Friedman – producer, photography, design
• Randy Burns – engineer
• Dee Zee – art mechanicals
• Marc Lewis; Dave Flynn – roadies
• Mark Stern – lyric sheet typesetting

Reissues

Suicidal Tendencies has been reissued a number of times, with formats in different countries (see the table below).

Year	Country	Format	Label	Note
1983	United States	Cassette	Frontier FCX 1011
1983	United States	Vinyl	Frontier FLP 1011
1987	Europe	Vinyl	Virgin V 2495	Reissue; 33RPM
1987	Europe	CD	Virgin CDV 2495	Reissue
1990	United States	CD	Frontier FCD 1011	Reissue
1997	United States	Vinyl	Epitaph 80104-1	Reissue; Remastered
1997	United States	CD	Epitaph 80104-2	Reissue; Remastered
2008	United States	Vinyl (140 gr. Limited edition colored vinyl)	Frontier 31011-8	Remastered (25th Anniversary Edition)
2008	United States	CD	Frontier 31011-9	Remastered (25th Anniversary Edition)