GHOST RIDERS

Suicide: Alan Vega (vocals); Martin Rev (various instruments). Recorded at the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1981. Includes liner notes by David Fricke. The ROIR label, which specializes in little-known classics (probably because of the label's former policy of releasing material on cassette only), has recently begun to reissue most of its classic treasure trove of recorded material on compact disc. From Television, to obscure dub, to this live release by legendary New York avant-noise band Suicide, every release is a must-have. This live recording of Suicide (taken from a 1981 tenth anniversary show in Minneapolis) demonstrates what a powerhouse of a band two men, a microphone and one cheesy keyboard could be. Singer Alan Vega sometimes whispers his way through classics such as "Sweet White Lady" and the title track, and sometimes wails like a lost soul wandering parched in a post-apocalyptic city, while Martin Rev's white-noise drone thunders like a cross between an air raid siren and a Farfisa organ. There's also a great cover of ? and the Mysterians' "96 Tears," that almost makes the original sound tepid. A lost classic, not for the timid.