Bad Religion: Suffer

Bad Religion: Suffer

1988

Epitaph Records

Format I Own it on: Compact Disc

Track Listing: 1. You Are (The Government)  2. 1000 More Fools  3. How Much Is Enough?  4. When?  5. Give You Nothing  6. Land of Competition  7. Forbidden Beat  8. Best for You  9. Suffer  10. Delirium of Disorder  11. Part II (The Numbers Game)  12. What Can You Do?  13. Do What You Want  14. Part IV (The Index Fossil)  15. Pessimistic Lines 

Bad Religion's comeback album, released in 1988 after a brief split-up.  Although. I didn't actually hear this until the '90's. 

This record laid out the groundwork for 90's punk so successfully that it's hard for me to believe it came out in the 80's.  Never before had a hardcore album sounded so well put-together and well...respectable....The band sounds so suddenly mature and melodic,  Greg Graffin's vocals lose their boyishness, and the famous "oozin' ahhhs" are finally in full bloom. The high level of intelligence and precise musicianship on display were an indication that hardcore had finally grown up....

Oh yea, I haven't mentioned the songs yet... an endless (well, if you can consider 20-something minutes endless) parade of high-velocity no-bullshit punk ... The chorus of "Do What You Want" is still one of punk's most "fuck yea!" moments..."1000 Fools" crystallizes the 90's "Epitaph records" sound, and "What Can You Do?" is their first proper pop song...

I've listened to this album a million times and it never loses even a fraction of its power.  This was a new beginning for the band and Bad Religion really made the most of it. They've hardly made a wrong move since...Mostly likely due to the fact that they've barely strayed from the formula firmly established here.. and why should they? It works so well and it's endlessly mutable.

Let's take a look back at the year 1988, the same year "Suffer" was released...

One-third of Yellowstone Nation Park is destroyed during a series of wild fires, pictured above is one of  the victims...

The masses of humanity have to suffer the release of Bobby McFerrin's "Don't Worry, Be Happy."

A Nightmare on Elm Street Part IV (The Index Fossil)  is released in theaters...

Okay, enough silliness...let's listen to "Do What You Want" by Bad Religion...Enjoy...