Suicide to reissue A Way of Life for its 35th anniversary

Suicide‘s A Way of Life is being reissued. On May 26, the New York proto-punk’s Ric Ocasek-produced third album will get a remastered physical release on vinyl and CD for its 35th anniversary via Mute/BMG. Both feature previously unreleased tracks, including a live cover of Bruce Springsteen’s “Born in the USA” performed in Paris in 1988. Hear it below.

Martin Rev said in a press release, “The first session was scheduled for about 2PM. Ric [Ocasek] wasn’t there yet, only the engineers, so Alan and I just started to warm up and, in the process, started writing some new songs. The engineers decided among themselves to set the recorder rolling and when Ric came in an hour or two later ready to work, he asked the engineers if we had already sound checked. They said “yeah and they basically recorded the whole album”. Ric was amazed and started immediately to listen to what became the first mixes of A Way of Life.”

Read our recent Blood on the Tracks essay on the proto-industrial nightmare of Suicide’s “Frankie Teardrop.”

Suicide A Way of Life tracklist:

1. Wild In Blue (88′ Version – 2023 Remaster)
2. Surrender (88′ Version – 2023 Remaster)
3. Jukebox Baby 96 (88′ Version – 2023 Remaster)
4. Rain Of Ruin (88′ Version – 2023 Remaster)
5. Sufferin’ In Vain (88′ Version – 2023 Remaster)         
6. Dominic Christ (88′ Version – 2023 Remaster)
7. Love So Lovely (88′ Version – 2023 Remaster)
8. Devastation (88′ Version – 2023 Remaster)
9. Heat Beat (88′ Version – 2023 Remaster)
10. Born In The USA (Live in Paris 1988)*
11. Devastation (Live in Paris 1987)*
12. Dominic Christ (Early Studio Version)*
14. Cheree (Live in Paris 1988)*
*Previously unreleased