Customer Reviews

Suffer

5 star:		(50)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Perfection. Snotty. Furious. High-minded. Vitriolic. Probably kick-started thousands of bands. And what perfect f^(king cover @rt. The lyrics to this hit you like a brick to the back of the head, but a brick that you have come to love and cherish.

"The masses are obsequious, contented in their sleep. The vortex of their minds ensconced within the murky deep."

"I don't know if the billions will survive but I'll believe in God when 1 and 1 are 5."

Awesome. Hells yes. Right before they started reinventing themselves on NO CONTROL and making the world's definitive hardcore album: "Against the Grain"... Before it all, there was this. Takes me back to high school, sitting in my mom's basement, listening to BR and consulting a dictionary for the big words.

I don't know you, punk- and I don't care how bad you may think BR have become over the course of the 90's (I stand by most of their releases): we can all put aside our differences and agree that this album is one of those rarities that makes life worthwhile.

This CD is basically the So-Cal skate-punk blueprint and probably the best Bad Religion CD ever, period. Every track is loud, angry, straight-ahead, and catchy as heck. The most surprising thing, though, is that the subject matter of a lot of these songs seems almost more pertinent today than it was in 1988, in songs like "You Are the Government", "1000 More Fools", "What Can You Do?". Take a listen and hear for yourself...

Always caring more about song craft than aggression, Bad Religion basically created So-Cal melodic punk/hardcore and without them, bands like AFI and Pennywise would simply not exist. Their sound, at the time, was totally unique. They managed to incorporate melodies and pop sensibilities with hyper-intelligent sociopolitical lyrics and blistering hardcore tempos. The result was divine, and it is shown in all its glory on Suffer, the best and quintessential Bad Religion record.

The album starts off with "You are (the government)" and doesn't slow down from there. Tracks like "1000 more fools", "Suffer", "When?", and "Do what you want" will keep you coming back to Suffer for more. Bad Religion (and this album), as suggested in my title, are what I like to call the perfect median between pop-punk and hardcore. If you like Black Flag and Minor Threat, you'll like this (unless you're a die-hard hardcore fan and don't like anything more melodic and "softer" than the aforementioned). At the same time, if you like Millencolin, NOFX, and other 90s pop-punk bands, you'll like this (unless you really, really like that "funny" punk or songs about girls). Personally, I can't stand any 90s pop-punk, but I'd assume that Suffer is something that a fan of it will like. This album can put lyrics like, "I don't know if the billions will survive, but, I'll believe in God when 1 and 1 are 5" and "The masses of humanity will always have to suffer" into fast, hard, but very intelligent and melodic songs. This is an extremely accessible album, but, at the same time, never gets old. At first listen, the songs tend to all sound the same (a problem with practically all Bad Religion albums), but after you listen to it more, it really grows on you and you'll become addicted (to satisfy the addiction, you should definitely pick up No Control, their 2nd best).

If you're hesitant to buy this album, try downloading "When?" and "Suffer" (the song). I believe that these two songs best represent what the rest of album sounds like, so if you really dig those songs, you've got to get Suffer. If you really like Suffer, buy No Control (BR's 2nd best).

Buy Suffer now. You won't regret it.

Amazing album. Groundbreaking punk rock. Greg Graffin is a lyrical genius. The amount Bad Religion improved from How Could Hell Be Any Worse to Suffer is astounding. Every track is like an orgasm for the ears, but my personal favorites are You Are the Government, 1000 More Fools, How Much is Enough, When, Best For You, Suffer, and Do What You Want. Some mentally inferior classmates of mine always ask me how I know all these big words, and I think NOFX sums it up best: "I bought Suffer, and then I bought a thesaurus" While some bands may sound pretentious and arrogant using such a range of vocabulary in addition to their strong political statements, but Bad Religion pulls it off perfectly. Read for yourself:

Hey sit down and listen and they'll tell you when you're wrong.

Eradicate but vindicate as "progress" creeps along.

Puritan work ethic maintains its subconscious edge

As Old Glory maintains your consciousness.

I heard them say that the meek shall reign on earth,

Phantasmal myriads of sane bucolic birth.

I've seen the rapture in a starving baby's eyes,

Inchoate beatitude, the Lord of the Flies.

And that's just from 2 tracks. Trust me, Suffer is well worth your money. If you buy one Bad Religion CD, let this be it.

Without a doubt Bad Religion's best effort. Everything about it is perfect. The melodys, guitar tone, and especially the lyrics. I still find myself drifting off into thought when I play it. I listen to it almost everyday and it's yet to get old...and I've had it for a good while. I'm not even that big a punk fan and it has earned a spot in my top favorite albums of all time.

This is the first installment of the revamped Bad Religion after a 2 or 3 year hiatus. It's combined the early sounds of HOW COULD HELL BE ANY WORSE? and the later more melodic BACK TO THE KNOWN. Many people say that this is the best Bad Religion record and most of their 90's worked sucked. I disagree entirely, this is a band just starting to get it's stride, and it in no way compares to the musicianship of GENERATOR or STRANGER THAN FICTION. But all in all this is an incredible album, especially if you are a big fan of punk rock (which I am not), this along with the first ramones LP, Sex Pistols: NEVER MIND THE BOLLOCKS, the OPIV LP, DAMAGED by Black Flag, and anything by the Dead Kennedys. This is one of those albums that you can't be a punk rocker and not own.

1. You Are (The Government) 9/10
2. 1000 More Fools (10/10)
3. How Much Is Enough? (9/10)
4. When? (8/10)
5. Give You Nothing (9/10)
6. Land of Competition (8/10)
7. Forbidden Beat (10/10) One of the best BR songs ever.
8. Best for You (10/10)
9. Suffer (9/10)
10. Delirium of Disorder (9/10)
11. Part II (The Numbers Game) (8/10)
12. What Can You Do? (10/10) Very melodic, fastpaced, perfect.
13. Do What You Want (10/10) Short & sweet. The first BR song that I ever listened to, it got me hooked.
14. Part IV (The Index Fossil) (10/10)
15. Pessimistic Lines (10/10)

Bad Religion is known for being one of, if not the, most influential punk band(s) of the 90s punk revival. And this album is pretty much the reason why.

The amount of improvement in Bad Religion's musical talent from their first record, "How Could Hell be Any Worse?" (which is also excellent, check it out!) is astonishing. Greg Graffin developed his singing a lot, and that's the most noticable difference. Graffin's songwriting talent is astonishing, and with lyrics like this:

"There's a loser in the house, and a puppet on the stool,

And a crowded way of life, and a black reflecting pool,

And as the people bend, the moral fabric dies,

The country can't pretend to ignore its people's cries."

- You Are (The Government)

he's bound to make you think (and bring out the dictionary more often than not). As you can probably tell from the lyrics, Suffer is very politically oriented (as Bad Religion tends to be}, dealing with a whole range of ideas that I'm too lazy to list. So on the whole, the lyrics are pure genious, as is Greg Graffin.

The guitars, bass, and drums are great too, and evidently helped bring in the modern underground punk sound of today. Catchy riffs and fast beats make it very easy to listen to over and over again, especially songs like "1,000 More Fools", "Forbidden Beat", "Pessimistic Lines", and "You Are (the government)".

Bad Religion is an incredibly adept and talented band, and Suffer more than proves it. If you're interested in punk at all, you owe it to yourself to pick this one up.

This is the best album by Bad Religion and it is my favorite cd out of all the cds I own. I have most of BR's albums and this is the most unbelievable thing I have ever heard. It's lyrics are powerful and the beat is fast paced and it is an awesome album for any rock fan, not just punk. If you are only going to buy one Bad Religion album (which would be a major mistake) buy this one because it is the best. No Control is similar and also excellent but it isn't as good as Suffer.

"Suffer" is one of the greatest punk albums ever made. Period. Greg's vocals, wow, what can I say. The man can f***ing sing. The lyrics are incredibly powerful, and mostly about self-reliance and thinking for yourself. The title track is the best song. Next, and a very close second, is my favorite BR song: "You Are (The Government)." This song is really short, but very powerful. "You are the government, you are jurisprudence, you are the volition, you are jurisdiction, and I make a difference too." The third best song for me is "Do What You Want." I love the lyrics - "Do what you want, but don't do it around me . . . Do what you must, do all you can. Break all the f***ing rules and go to hell with Superman and die like a champion ya hey!" This album is so great that I have owned several copies over the years - I listen to it so much that I keep wearing it out. Do yourself a favor and buy "Suffer" right now.

Bad Religion has gone through three phases: thrashing growling hardcore, to fast paced punk with intelligent lyrics, to still good but a little too hokey. Suffer is the landmark of them all. If you are a punk, rocknroll, hell, any kinda fan, get this cd. each track is a smack to the mind and ear, everything Bad Religion has is at its best in this album.