Suffer (album)
Encyclopedia
Suffer is the third album by American punk rock
band Bad Religion
, released on the California
n independent record label
Epitaph Records
on September 8, 1988. It was the first album that was both released and distributed by the label. Following the release of the EP
Back to the Known
(1985), Bad Religion went on a temporary hiatus, then reunited with its original members and went to work on its first full-length studio album in five years.
Although Suffer was not charted in Billboard
, it has been cited by some critics as one of the most important punk rock albums of all time. After its release, Suffer quickly became Epitaph Records
' best seller and was the label's best-selling album for a number of years, until the release of The Offspring
's 1994 highly acclaimed album Smash. A plethora of third-wave punk bands cite this album as a major inspiration; NOFX
's Fat Mike has called it "the record that changed everything."
in 1980 by vocalist Greg Graffin
and guitarist Brett Gurewitz
. The pair hired Jay Bentley
on bass and Jay Ziskrout
on drums and began writing songs. In 1981, the band released their eponymous debut EP
on the newly-formed label, Epitaph Records
, which was and continues to be managed and owned by Gurewitz. Later that year, the band their first full-length album, How Could Hell Be Any Worse?
, gaining the band a sizable following. During the recording of that album, Ziskrout left the band and was replaced by Pete Finestone
. After experiencing more lineup changes and releasing their second album, Into the Unknown (1983), to lukewarm response, Bad Religion called it quits in 1984.
In 1984, Greg Hetson
of Circle Jerks
fame, who had played the guitar solo for "Part III" on How Could Hell Be Any Worse?, teamed up with Graffin on the song "Running Fast" for the soundtrack
of the film Desperate Teenage Lovedolls
. Soon after, Graffin reassembled Bad Religion with Hetson replacing Gurewitz, who had gone into rehab for his drug problem. Bad Religion returned to a somewhat mellower, rock and roll
version of their original sound with the EP Back to the Known
(1985), but disbanded temporarily soon after.
By 1987, Gurewitz had cleaned up his drug issues and struggled to find some kind of employment. After taking some vocational courses and a raft of odd jobs, he became a studio engineer and owner of a recording studio. Gurewitz noted, "I really enjoyed, still enjoy, being a recording engineer, but I had a terrible time trying to make any money. And my hours were horrible. I just knew I wanted to be in music. Then, in 1987, Bad Religion said, 'Hey man, why don't we get the group back together?". After Bad Religion finally reunited, they began writing new material and entered Westbeach Recorders
in April 1988 to record their next album. According to Gurewitz, the album took eight days for the band to record and mix.
During recording sessions, the band even demoed a revamped version of "Fuck Armageddon...This Is Hell", a track previously released on How Could Hell Be Any Worse?
. Whether they intended to include the song on Suffer is unknown and most unlikely.
Members of L7
(whose released their first album
on Epitaph the same year) played on the record. Donita Sparks
and Suzi Gardner
played guitar on "Best for You" and Jennifer Finch
sang back-up vocals on "Part II (The Numbers Game)".
In a fan poll, "Do What You Want" was cited as one of the best Bad Religion
songs of all time, along with "American Jesus" and "Along The Way." Rancid
's Tim Armstrong
has said that "What Can You Do?" is his favorite Bad Religion track.
In 2006, Suffer was ranked as the top punk album of 1988 on Sputnikmusic. The album was also named the 99th most influential rock album of all time by Kerrang!
magazine. As of May 2010, it is #2550 on Rate Your Music
's Top Albums of All Time list and #49 on their Best Albums of 1988 ranking.
's Surfer EP, which depicted a surfer on fire.
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
band Bad Religion
Bad Religion
Bad Religion is a punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles in 1979. Their current line-up consists of Greg Graffin , Brett Gurewitz , Jay Bentley , Greg Hetson , Brian Baker and Brooks Wackerman . Gurewitz is also the founder of the label Epitaph Records, which has released almost all of the...
, released on the California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
n independent record label
Independent record label
An independent record label is a record label operating without the funding of or outside the organizations of the major record labels. A great number of bands and musical acts begin on independent labels.-Overview:...
Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
on September 8, 1988. It was the first album that was both released and distributed by the label. Following the release of the EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
Back to the Known
Back to the Known
- Trivia :* Track 3, "Bad Religion", is actually a remake of the song from their 1981 self-titled EP.* A recent fan poll cited "Along The Way" as one of the band's best songs.- Credits :* Greg Graffin – vocals, production* Greg Hetson – electric guitar...
(1985), Bad Religion went on a temporary hiatus, then reunited with its original members and went to work on its first full-length studio album in five years.
Although Suffer was not charted in Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
, it has been cited by some critics as one of the most important punk rock albums of all time. After its release, Suffer quickly became Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
' best seller and was the label's best-selling album for a number of years, until the release of The Offspring
The Offspring
The Offspring is an American punk rock band from Huntington Beach, California, formed in 1984. Known as Manic Subsidal until 1986, the band consists of lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist Dexter Holland, lead guitarist Kevin "Noodles" Wasserman, bassist Greg K. and drummer Pete Parada...
's 1994 highly acclaimed album Smash. A plethora of third-wave punk bands cite this album as a major inspiration; NOFX
NOFX
NOFX is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California .The band was formed in 1983 by vocalist/bassist Fat Mike and guitarist Eric Melvin. Drummer Erik Sandin joined NOFX shortly after. In 1991 El Hefe joined to play lead guitar and trumpet, rounding out the current line-up...
's Fat Mike has called it "the record that changed everything."
Background
Bad Religion was formed in Southern CaliforniaSouthern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
in 1980 by vocalist Greg Graffin
Greg Graffin
Gregory Walter Graffin, Ph.D. is an American punk rock musician, college professor, and author. He is most recognized as the lead vocalist and songwriter of the noted Los Angeles band Bad Religion, which he co-founded in 1979 and is the band's only constant member, even though it now features two...
and guitarist Brett Gurewitz
Brett Gurewitz
Brett W. Gurewitz , nicknamed Mr. Brett, is the guitarist and a songwriter of Bad Religion. He is also the owner of the music label Epitaph Records and sister-labels ANTI-, Burning Heart Records, Fat Possum Records, and Hellcat Records...
. The pair hired Jay Bentley
Jay Bentley
Jay Dee Bentley is the bassist and co-founding member of the punk rock group Bad Religion. He has played with the band through its whole existence with a small break between 1983 and 1985.-Bad Religion:...
on bass and Jay Ziskrout
Jay Ziskrout
Jay Ziskrout was the first drummer for Bad Religion, forming the group with schoolmate Brett Gurewitz in 1979 when he was 17 years old. He performed on Bad Religion's self-titled EP and eight tracks on their debut full-length album How Could Hell Be Any Worse?...
on drums and began writing songs. In 1981, the band released their eponymous debut EP
Bad Religion (EP)
- Credits :* Greg Graffin - Vocals* Brett Gurewitz - Guitar* Jay Bentley - Bass* Jay Ziskrout - Drums...
on the newly-formed label, Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records
Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record...
, which was and continues to be managed and owned by Gurewitz. Later that year, the band their first full-length album, How Could Hell Be Any Worse?
How Could Hell Be Any Worse?
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? is the first full-length album released by influential punk band Bad Religion, which was released on June 1, 1981. Released months after the release of their self-titled EP, it was financed by a $1,000 loan by guitarist Brett Gurewitz's father. Its success surprised the...
, gaining the band a sizable following. During the recording of that album, Ziskrout left the band and was replaced by Pete Finestone
Pete Finestone
Pete Finestone was the second drummer of the punk rock band Bad Religion. He played in the band in 1981-1982 and again from 1984 to 1991....
. After experiencing more lineup changes and releasing their second album, Into the Unknown (1983), to lukewarm response, Bad Religion called it quits in 1984.
In 1984, Greg Hetson
Greg Hetson
Greg Hetson is an American guitarist. He was born in Brooklyn, New York and has lived in Los Angeles, California since he was 2 years old...
of Circle Jerks
Circle Jerks
The Circle Jerks are an American hardcore punk band, formed in 1980 in Los Angeles, California. It was formed by Black Flag's original singer, Keith Morris, and future Bad Religion guitarist Greg Hetson. They were among the preeminent hardcore punk bands of the L.A. scene in the late 1970s.The band...
fame, who had played the guitar solo for "Part III" on How Could Hell Be Any Worse?, teamed up with Graffin on the song "Running Fast" for the soundtrack
Desperate Teenage Lovedolls (soundtrack)
Desperate Teenage Lovedolls: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack is an album of music from the film Desperate Teenage Lovedolls. The soundtrack was originally released on Gasatanka Records in 1984, re-issued by SST Records in 1987 and re-released again in an expanded edition on CD by Sympathy For...
of the film Desperate Teenage Lovedolls
Desperate Teenage Lovedolls (film)
Desperate Teenage Lovedolls is a 1984 low budget underground film, shot on super-8 film by David Markey, about a rock band of teenage runaways and their misadventures. The film was released on DVD in 2003...
. Soon after, Graffin reassembled Bad Religion with Hetson replacing Gurewitz, who had gone into rehab for his drug problem. Bad Religion returned to a somewhat mellower, rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
version of their original sound with the EP Back to the Known
Back to the Known
- Trivia :* Track 3, "Bad Religion", is actually a remake of the song from their 1981 self-titled EP.* A recent fan poll cited "Along The Way" as one of the band's best songs.- Credits :* Greg Graffin – vocals, production* Greg Hetson – electric guitar...
(1985), but disbanded temporarily soon after.
By 1987, Gurewitz had cleaned up his drug issues and struggled to find some kind of employment. After taking some vocational courses and a raft of odd jobs, he became a studio engineer and owner of a recording studio. Gurewitz noted, "I really enjoyed, still enjoy, being a recording engineer, but I had a terrible time trying to make any money. And my hours were horrible. I just knew I wanted to be in music. Then, in 1987, Bad Religion said, 'Hey man, why don't we get the group back together?". After Bad Religion finally reunited, they began writing new material and entered Westbeach Recorders
Westbeach Recorders
Westbeach Recorders is a recording studio in Hollywood, California famous for recording punk rock groups, such as Bad Religion, NOFX, Rancid, The Offspring and Pennywise. It was established in 1985 by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz and re-located to Hollywood, California in February 1987 and...
in April 1988 to record their next album. According to Gurewitz, the album took eight days for the band to record and mix.
During recording sessions, the band even demoed a revamped version of "Fuck Armageddon...This Is Hell", a track previously released on How Could Hell Be Any Worse?
How Could Hell Be Any Worse?
How Could Hell Be Any Worse? is the first full-length album released by influential punk band Bad Religion, which was released on June 1, 1981. Released months after the release of their self-titled EP, it was financed by a $1,000 loan by guitarist Brett Gurewitz's father. Its success surprised the...
. Whether they intended to include the song on Suffer is unknown and most unlikely.
Members of L7
L7 (band)
L7 was an American rock band from Los Angeles, that was active from 1985 to 2000. Due to their sound and image, they are often associated with the grunge movement of the late 1980s and early 1990s.-History:...
(whose released their first album
L7 (album)
L7 is the eponymous debut album by Los Angeles band L7. Recorded in 1987 and released in 1988, the album demonstrates the band's punk rock origins, although there are traces of the heavier grunge sound that would dominate their later work....
on Epitaph the same year) played on the record. Donita Sparks
Donita Sparks
Donita Sparks is a vocalist, guitarist and song-writer in Los Angeles, California. In addition to performing with her most recent band Donita Sparks and The Stellar Moments, she is also the co-founder, along with Suzi Gardner, of grunge band L7...
and Suzi Gardner
Suzi Gardner
Suzanne "Suzi" Gardner is an American musician most notable for being a guitarist and vocalist of L7, an all-female grunge band in the 1990s. Before playing with L7, Suzi wrote for LA Weekly. She co-founded the group together with Donita Sparks...
played guitar on "Best for You" and Jennifer Finch
Jennifer Finch
Jennifer Finch , born August 5, 1966, is an American photographer and musician, notable for her involvement in the all-female punk rock group L7.-Music:...
sang back-up vocals on "Part II (The Numbers Game)".
Reception and legacy
The album received the following reviews:- Alternative PressAlternative Press (music magazine)Alternative Press is an American music magazine based in Cleveland, Ohio. It generally provides readers with band interviews, photos, information on upcoming releases, and music charts. It was founded in 1985 by Mike Shea, who is the current president....
(3/02March 2002March 2002: January – February – March – April – May – June – July – August – September – October – November – December- March 1, 2002 :*Space Shuttle mission STS-109 is launched at...
, p. 96) - Included in AP's "Essential Punk Influences '02 Style" - "...Their definitive album....they'd never eclipse this fireball of creative energy." - Kerrang!Kerrang!Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
(p. 51) - "[With] sonorous, soaring vocal hooks. The melding of power and melody proved a statement of absolute power."
In a fan poll, "Do What You Want" was cited as one of the best Bad Religion
Bad Religion
Bad Religion is a punk rock band that formed in Los Angeles in 1979. Their current line-up consists of Greg Graffin , Brett Gurewitz , Jay Bentley , Greg Hetson , Brian Baker and Brooks Wackerman . Gurewitz is also the founder of the label Epitaph Records, which has released almost all of the...
songs of all time, along with "American Jesus" and "Along The Way." Rancid
Rancid (band)
Rancid is an American punk rock band formed in Berkeley, California in 1991. Founded by Tim Armstrong and Matt Freeman, both of whom previously played in the ska punk band Operation Ivy, Rancid is credited—along with Green Day and The Offspring—for reviving mainstream interest in punk rock in the...
's Tim Armstrong
Tim Armstrong
Timothy Lockwood Armstrong is an American musician, songwriter, and record producer, best known for his work with punk rock bands Rancid, Operation Ivy, Downfall, and the Transplants. He is also the owner and operator of Hellcat Records.-Personal life:Armstrong was born November 25, 1965 and was...
has said that "What Can You Do?" is his favorite Bad Religion track.
In 2006, Suffer was ranked as the top punk album of 1988 on Sputnikmusic. The album was also named the 99th most influential rock album of all time by Kerrang!
Kerrang!
Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
magazine. As of May 2010, it is #2550 on Rate Your Music
Rate Your Music
Rate Your Music is a metadata database where musical albums, EPs, singles, videos, bootlegs, and movies are rated and reviewed by users. This data is then used to generate recommendations for users and to create rated lists of albums...
's Top Albums of All Time list and #49 on their Best Albums of 1988 ranking.
Artwork
The album cover features a drawing of a teenager on fire wearing a t-shirt of Bad Religion's crossbuster logo, designed by Jerry Mahoney. The person on the cover has been taken by the band as a mascot, "Boy on Fire" is the name and can also be seen on Bad Religion accessories, including t-shirts. The cover art was also parodied for NOFXNOFX
NOFX is an American punk rock band from Los Angeles, California .The band was formed in 1983 by vocalist/bassist Fat Mike and guitarist Eric Melvin. Drummer Erik Sandin joined NOFX shortly after. In 1991 El Hefe joined to play lead guitar and trumpet, rounding out the current line-up...
's Surfer EP, which depicted a surfer on fire.
Accolades
The information regarding accolades attributed to Suffer is adapted from AcclaimedMusic.net.| Publication | Country | Accolade | Year | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Soundi | Finland Finland Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside... |
The 50 Best Albums of All Time + Top 10 by Decade | 1995 | 35 |
| Rock Hard Rock Hard (magazine) Rock Hard is a heavy metal magazine originally released in Germany. It was founded in 1983 by Holger Stratmann and is dedicated to all styles of rock and heavy metal. The magazine has independent offspring with the same name in France, Greece, Italy and Spain.... |
Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... |
Top 300 Albums | 2001 | 222 |
Track listing
Release history
| Label | Release Date | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Epitaph Records Epitaph Records Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record... |
September 8, 1988 | On the CD version, the inside cover features an image of a groupshot of the band behind CBGB CBGB CBGB was a music club at 315 Bowery at Bleecker Street in the borough of Manhattan in New York City.Founded by Hilly Kristal in 1973, it was originally intended to feature its namesake musical styles, but became a forum for American punk and New Wave bands like Ramones, Misfits, Television, the... . On the vinyl version, the same image appears on the back cover. The inside cover also features the lyrics written on the wall of an empty room where Greg Hetson Greg Hetson Greg Hetson is an American guitarist. He was born in Brooklyn, New York and has lived in Los Angeles, California since he was 2 years old... 's SG Gibson SG At the launch of the SG in 1961, Gibson offered four variants of the SG; the SG Junior , the SG Special, the SG Standard, and the top-of-the-line SG Custom. However, Gibson's current core variants as of 2010 are the SG Standard and the SG Special... is towards the doorway while a pair of Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars Chuck Taylor All Stars, or Converse All Stars, also referred to as "Chuck Taylors", "Converses", "All Stars", "Chucks" or "Cons", are canvas and rubber shoes produced by Converse. They were first produced in 1917 as the "All Star," Converse's attempt to capture the basketball shoe market... and a leather jacket Leather jacket A leather jacket is a type of clothing—a jacket-length coat—usually worn on top of other apparel, and made from the tanned hide of various animals. The leather material is typically dyed black, or various shades of brown, but a wide range of colors is possible... are hanging on the door knob. The head of a Rickenbacker 4001 Rickenbacker 4001 The Rickenbacker 4001 is a bass guitar that was manufactured by Rickenbacker as a "deluxe model" of the 4000 between 1961 and 1981 before being replaced by an updated version, the Rickenbacker 4003... (which belonged to Jay Bentley Jay Bentley Jay Dee Bentley is the bassist and co-founding member of the punk rock group Bad Religion. He has played with the band through its whole existence with a small break between 1983 and 1985.-Bad Religion:... ) also emerges from the hole in the wall. Jay once said that the empty room used to be his bedroom at his mother's house. Also on the CD version, the back cover features the credits and the band members are listed next to the groupshot the band. |
| Epitaph Records Epitaph Records Epitaph Records is a Hollywood, California based independent record label owned by Bad Religion guitarist Brett Gurewitz. The label was originally "just a logo and a P.O. box" created in the 1980s for the purpose of selling Bad Religion records, but has evolved into a large independent record... |
April 6, 2004 | Remastered along with How Could Hell Be Any Worse? How Could Hell Be Any Worse? How Could Hell Be Any Worse? is the first full-length album released by influential punk band Bad Religion, which was released on June 1, 1981. Released months after the release of their self-titled EP, it was financed by a $1,000 loan by guitarist Brett Gurewitz's father. Its success surprised the... , No Control No Control (Bad Religion album) - Release history :- Notes/Trivia :* Track 2, "Big Bang" was featured on video game Tony Hawk's Underground.* Track 3, "No Control" quotes Scottish natural historian James Hutton, "no vestige of a beginning, no prospect of an end."... , Against the Grain Against the Grain (Bad Religion album) -Release history:-Personnel:* Greg Graffin – vocals* Brett Gurewitz – guitar, backing vocals* Greg Hetson – guitar* Jay Bentley – bass guitar, backing vocals* Pete Finestone – drums* The Legendary Starbolt – mixing... and Generator Generator (Bad Religion album) In October 2011, the album was ranked number three on Guitar World magazine's top ten list of guitar albums of 1992.-Track listing:#"Generator" - 3:21#"Too Much to Ask" - 2:45#"No Direction" - 3:14#"Tomorrow" - 1:56... . |
Personnel
- Greg GraffinGreg GraffinGregory Walter Graffin, Ph.D. is an American punk rock musician, college professor, and author. He is most recognized as the lead vocalist and songwriter of the noted Los Angeles band Bad Religion, which he co-founded in 1979 and is the band's only constant member, even though it now features two...
– vocals - Brett GurewitzBrett GurewitzBrett W. Gurewitz , nicknamed Mr. Brett, is the guitarist and a songwriter of Bad Religion. He is also the owner of the music label Epitaph Records and sister-labels ANTI-, Burning Heart Records, Fat Possum Records, and Hellcat Records...
– guitar - Greg HetsonGreg HetsonGreg Hetson is an American guitarist. He was born in Brooklyn, New York and has lived in Los Angeles, California since he was 2 years old...
– guitar - Jay BentleyJay BentleyJay Dee Bentley is the bassist and co-founding member of the punk rock group Bad Religion. He has played with the band through its whole existence with a small break between 1983 and 1985.-Bad Religion:...
– bass guitar - Pete FinestonePete FinestonePete Finestone was the second drummer of the punk rock band Bad Religion. He played in the band in 1981-1982 and again from 1984 to 1991....
– drums - Donnell Cameron – engineer
- Legendary StarboltBrett GurewitzBrett W. Gurewitz , nicknamed Mr. Brett, is the guitarist and a songwriter of Bad Religion. He is also the owner of the music label Epitaph Records and sister-labels ANTI-, Burning Heart Records, Fat Possum Records, and Hellcat Records...
– engineer - Jerry Mahoney – artwork