America, America is Killing Its Youth
July 17, 2016 10:54 AM   Subscribe

Henry Rollins reports that Alan Vega, vocalist for legendary proto-punk band Suicide, has died.
With profound sadness and a stillness that only news like this can bring, we regret to inform you that the great artist and creative force, Alan Vega has passed away. Alan passed peacefully in his sleep last night, July 16. He was 78 years of age

Suicide provided the template for countless electronic artists, combining keyboards, drum machines, and dark lyrics on songs like "Frankie Teardrop", as well as their confrontational live shows. An example is the widely bootlegged 23 Minutes over Brussels performance, opening for Elvis Costello, and ending in a riot.

The influence of Suicide can't begin to be measured. Artists as diverse as Bruce Springsteen (who claims "Frankie Teardrop" inspired his song "State Trooper"), Al Jourgenson, Jenny Beth (who has covered Suicide's "Dream Baby Dream" with her band Savages) and Ric Ocasek, who produced Suicide's second album, and some of Vega's solo albums.

Vega was also known for his art, focusing primarily around crosses and light sculptures.

He is survived by his wife, and 17 year old son Dante.
posted by SansPoint (50 comments total) 32 users marked this as a favorite
 
He is one of those figures that was at the edges of my awareness, and now reading about him today he sounds like an amazing character.

Also, fwiw, I know of about five 17-year olds named Dante living in Brooklyn.
posted by maggiemaggie at 11:06 AM on July 17, 2016 [1 favorite]


As someone pointed out on my facebook feed, Alan Vega would have been 22 in 1960, and he is a link from the beats to the hippies to the punks.
posted by maggiemaggie at 11:10 AM on July 17, 2016 [9 favorites]


Many, many moons ago I found the "red star" album lurking in a pile of records my bosses were giving away. I took it home, had my mind blown, and came into work the next day demanding why anybody would give that away. Both bosses had multiple copies, it turns out, and had decided to spread the gospel. That was a good place to work.

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posted by queensissy at 11:13 AM on July 17, 2016 [10 favorites]


78! That means he was 40 when they recorded the first Suicide album. Late-bloomers take note.

One of the New Yorkiest of them all. Interestingly I can't find any reference to him working with Lou Reed, perhaps neither of them could share lyricwriting with the other.

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posted by rhizome at 11:14 AM on July 17, 2016 [17 favorites]


Dream Baby Dream
posted by maggiemaggie at 11:22 AM on July 17, 2016 [2 favorites]


I saw Suzanne Vega in concert years ago, and she told a story about relaxing backstage after a show, and a couple of kids sneaked back to talk to her, and one of them asked "Are you related to Alan Vega?" And she said "No, not that I know of." And he asked "Why not?"
posted by GenjiandProust at 11:22 AM on July 17, 2016 [16 favorites]


A short film about Alan Vega - from 2010
posted by maggiemaggie at 11:24 AM on July 17, 2016


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posted by Joey Michaels at 11:27 AM on July 17, 2016


Here's an interview where Alan says he only talked to Lou Reed once, and it was on the phone.
posted by rhizome at 11:33 AM on July 17, 2016 [1 favorite]


My friend put Frankie Teardrop on a set of mix CDs she made me when we were in high school. I still remember how unsettling it was to listen to, more than ten years later. I may not ever listen to that song again, but I won't forget the way it made me feel. Takes some talent to do that.

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posted by ActionPopulated at 11:33 AM on July 17, 2016 [3 favorites]


Rollins' tribute to Vega on his weekly radio show is tonight at 8pm Pacific (link has archives from past shows).
posted by Brian B. at 11:52 AM on July 17, 2016 [2 favorites]


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posted by spinifex23 at 11:52 AM on July 17, 2016


"Frankie Teardrop" is one of darkest songs ever written. Springsteen, actually, is reportedly a big fan of Suicide and Vega.

RIP.
posted by jonmc at 12:06 PM on July 17, 2016


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posted by dougzilla at 12:30 PM on July 17, 2016


Goddamit, 2016. Just stop already.
Loved Suicide.

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posted by Thorzdad at 12:32 PM on July 17, 2016 [1 favorite]


I only became aware of Suicide in the late 90's, partly because I was always mixing them up with Television for some reason, and looked like one of those New York bands that magazines loved but I didn't. When I actually heard them I loved it and I realized that Sigue Sigue Sputnik had completely them ripped off, which made me enjoy it more.

If you haven't checked them out it's not the same as Television.
posted by bongo_x at 12:46 PM on July 17, 2016 [4 favorites]


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posted by drezdn at 12:53 PM on July 17, 2016


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posted by Halloween Jack at 1:04 PM on July 17, 2016


Today we are all Frankies.

RIP.
posted by Pink Frost at 1:11 PM on July 17, 2016


2016. You're fucking relentless.

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posted by mondo dentro at 1:11 PM on July 17, 2016 [2 favorites]


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posted by cotton dress sock at 1:17 PM on July 17, 2016


. goddam
posted by Golem XIV at 1:20 PM on July 17, 2016


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posted by interrupt at 1:38 PM on July 17, 2016


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posted by Lyme Drop at 2:10 PM on July 17, 2016


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posted by talos at 2:23 PM on July 17, 2016


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posted by acb at 2:33 PM on July 17, 2016


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posted by A Priest at 2:38 PM on July 17, 2016


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posted by droplet at 3:04 PM on July 17, 2016


I was lucky enough to see Suicide play at Moogfest 2011. Alan Vega was slow, and it look like he was hobbling about the stage, but it was one of the most powerful and brilliant performances I'd ever seen.

Station will be back in rotation, I think.

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posted by Cat Pie Hurts at 3:23 PM on July 17, 2016 [1 favorite]


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posted by threecheesetrees at 3:41 PM on July 17, 2016


Ω
posted by Smart Dalek at 3:44 PM on July 17, 2016


Inspirational music, the sound of singing electricity. One of the all time greats.
posted by porn in the woods at 3:57 PM on July 17, 2016


I first heard the first Suicide album a few days after I saw Patti Smith. Even though I considered myself a huge New York Punk aficionado, I had only heard of/seen pictures of them. That album was so powerful I could really only listen to it once (and I don't think I'll ever be able to listen to "Frankie Teardrop" again), but it stuck with me to this day. Finding out that Alan was almost 40 when he made that first Suicide album gives me some hope about my own artistic work.

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posted by pxe2000 at 4:04 PM on July 17, 2016 [2 favorites]


I don't want to insinuate myself into a space for much more earned grief; Suicide was always on the periphery of my music knowledge until now. But I just listened to Frankie Teardrop for the first time ever due to this thread, and Jesus Christ. Everything from the vocal line to the distorted drum machine hiss sounds absolutely chilling to someone listening to it in 2016, let alone what it would have sounded like to someone in 1977. Always thought punk had driving, insistent guitars for max power, but this track absolutely rubbishes that idea.

Alan Vega's passing would be a huge loss to those who knew him.
posted by Collaterly Sisters at 4:57 PM on July 17, 2016 [4 favorites]


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At least I'm happily surprised to see how much love he's getting on my social media feeds.

Also, as a big fan of Pan Sonic, I was stoked when they did the collab album in the late 90s, Endless. Didn't sound how I thought it would though and I mostly forgot about it, but now revisiting and it is pretty fucking great: a few sample tracks (they did a follow up together in '05 as well).
posted by p3t3 at 5:11 PM on July 17, 2016 [3 favorites]


I'm a big fan of Suicide's first two albums, and I find the lyrics (and riff) of Ghost Rider playing in my head pretty often these days. Alan Vega also did a cool collaboration with Alex Chilton called Cubist Blues, which got me to check out Big Star, now another favorite band of mine! Hard to think of two bands more musically different.

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posted by airish at 5:14 PM on July 17, 2016 [2 favorites]


Springsteen, actually, is reportedly a big fan of Suicide and Vega.


I think his cover of Dream Baby Dream is the best thing he's ever done. It often brings me to tears.

I also love Deadman, by Alan Vega and Mercury Rev, but it doesn't appear to be online.]

RIP. You were great.
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 5:46 PM on July 17, 2016 [3 favorites]


I had never heard of them but I dump a lot of random music onto my phone. One track that's come up a few times in the last few days is a live recording of a song introduced as "a group of the greatest musicians ever," - of course it's mislabeled so I can't find it on my phone - "Alan Vega, [someone else] and [someone else], the band Suicide." It's a great punk song that I keep hearing. So sorry to hear that their run is over.
posted by bendy at 6:14 PM on July 17, 2016


I'm bummed that I didn't even realize he was still alive.
posted by aspersioncast at 8:14 PM on July 17, 2016


Ah hell, what a loss.
I was just playing Cheree for friends last night.

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posted by gyusan at 8:54 PM on July 17, 2016


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posted by UbuRoivas at 10:36 PM on July 17, 2016


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posted by my-username at 12:46 AM on July 18, 2016


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posted by klausness at 1:22 AM on July 18, 2016


There was a time when it seemed that every band was covering a Suicide song. This was not necessarily a bad way to work out if their own stuff is worth listening to!

Suicide - Rocket USA
Loop
Head of David
Spiritualized

Sabres of Paradise made a song called Vega God, which sums up most people's feelings about Alan Vega.
posted by asok at 5:28 AM on July 18, 2016


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Wow, I never saw these guys live. Still a huge part of my soundtrack. I did see them once on Midnight Special, an episode Hosted by the Cars. I had no idea the Cars had such awesome eclectic taste. Many of my friends think of them (The Cars) as MOR sell outs but, they hold a special place for me.

On wings Mr. Vega, you made this planet a better place.
posted by evilDoug at 7:48 AM on July 18, 2016




RIP.

Two tracks that Alan Vega did in the late 90s:

Revolutionary Corps of Teenage Jesus/Alan Vega - Protection Rat

Revolutionary Corps Of The Teenage Jesus - Pay Tha' Wreck

Also, the influence on Springsteen is obvious (and totally acknowledged by Springsteen himself). Here's a demo of Born In The USA
posted by Len at 10:29 AM on July 18, 2016 [1 favorite]


Interesting interview with Rollins, Vega, and Rev in the Quietus.
posted by Existential Dread at 12:20 PM on July 18, 2016


Best exchange. Fuck yeah Alan:
Henry, I remember a quote from you describing touring with Black Flag as like ‘getting America in the teeth every night’.

AV: We had…

EL: He’s talking to Henry…

AV: Well, I’ll talk instead. Marty and I were on stage in some big club playing disco music and they had some big ball.
posted by Existential Dread at 12:21 PM on July 18, 2016


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posted by Kattullus at 12:38 PM on July 18, 2016


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