Alan Vega’s First Two Iconic Solo Albums Streaming For The First-Time Ever Today via The Vega Vault Project and Sacred Bones - Listen/Share Here
Alan Vega, Collision Drive, Alongside Companion Piece Alan Vega Deluxe Edition Out Today-- Collection Includes Remastered Audio From All Original Tapes, Unheard Demos, Unseen Photos & Reimagined Artwork
Alan Vega Deluxe Edition Album Artwork Designed by Jared Artaud and Michael Handis
The Vega Vault Project and Sacred Bones Records continue to uncover Alan Vega’s robust collection of work left behind by the influential visual artist, musician and poet. Today for the first time ever, Vega’s highly influential 1980 debut S/T solo album, in addition to its follow up, Collision Drive are available across streaming platforms. Remastered from the original tapes, the two albums have been faithfully re-released by Sacred Bones Records, preserving the raw intensity of Vega’s original recordings while making them newly accessible to listeners worldwide.
The Vega Vault Project and Sacred Bones have meticulously assembled these packages and the series also offers a companion piece Alan Vega Deluxe Edition which is also available today as a limited deluxe double LP and includes unheard demos, unseen photos and new artwork. All three albums contain unseen photos and new album artwork (including Vega's original track sheets from his 1978 Suicide / The Clash Tour Notebook).
Alan Vega Deluxe Edition's previously unheard demos were discovered by The Vega Vault Project's Liz Lamere and Jared Artaud. The tapes were then transferred by engineer Ted Young and mastered by Josh Bonati. The demos offer a rare glimpse into Vega’s creative process behind his cult classic. All three albums feature new album artwork designed by Artaud and Michael Handis, exclusive to these pressings. The companion piece sheds new light on Vega’s process and vision during this pivotal era, making it a must-have for collectors and longtime fans.
Listen / Share / Buy Alan Vega, Alan Vega Deluxe Edition, Collision Drive
Alan Vega 1980, Courtesy of Saturn Strip, LTD By Curtis Knapp
More About Alan Vega and Collision Drive:
Alan Vega was released in 1980 at the same period Suicide released their second album, Suicide: Alan Vega and Martin Rev. Vega wanted to dig deeper into the roots of his own sonic identity, fueled by rockabilly, early rock n roll, and his enduring love for Elvis Presley. Filling the gaps between recording with Suicide, and fleshing out the songs he was writing on his own, Vega committed to producing his own songs and started performing solo shows live to develop his sound.
At the time, Vega met Phil Hawk, a young Texan artist who had tracked him down at a party at the Drawing Center in New York, after seeing him perform with a boombox at Max’s Kansas City. Vega was immediately struck by Hawk’s look, and described him as a “blonde Elvis” and was intrigued by his raw, intuitive playing style. Vega had been experimenting with sound and tape manipulation for years but needed a guitar player. Vega instantly saw the potential that could match the vision he had for a stripped down, minimal is maximal rock n roll record.
As with his visual art, Vega layered sound in a minimalist, dynamic and intentional way. Vega deconstructed the drums. He recorded each drum part individually combining electronic and acoustic sounds played live. He directed Hawk on specific guitar riffs he wanted to hear until he got the sound he was looking for. Vega performed all other music parts, and arranged and produced all the music himself. The result was a fiercely singular album built from raw materials and deeply rooted in Vega’s artistic vision.
Alan Vega includes the timeless anthem “Jukebox Babe” with its jiving rhythm and minimalist swagger. “Kung Foo Cowboy” takes on a southern twist, strongly leaning into the blues, while the golden pop shine of “Ice Drummer” rings in melodic yet plaintive vocals, marching drums and a tasteful harmonica solo.
Vega’s debut set off a ripple effect in New York’s music scene, carving a unique place in the underground canon from the 80s on. Mark Ronson, Jim Jarmusch, LCD Soundsystem, Trent Reznor, Bruce Springsteen, The Flaming Lips, Billy Idol and countless others have cited Vega and his solo work as an influence on their sound. Read more about Alan Vega here.
In 1981 Vega followed his debut with Collision Drive which was recorded within the same year and in the same NYC studio as his self-titled. The album expands Vega’s palette with a grittier, more layered, and unfiltered energy. Here his lyrics channel universal themes deeply rooted in his fascination with street life, science fiction, politics, comics, love and the mysteries of the universe. It’s a record that pulses with feeling and rebellion, displaying the full spectrum of human experience and Vega’s evolving vision.
“Alan was a master of minimalism who never stopped reinventing himself,” says Jared Artaud, co-producer and creative director of The Vega Vault Project. “His first two solo albums were the result of a clear, uncompromising vision, executed in a way that broke from expectations. Alan embraced risk and experimentation, tapping into his rock ’n’ roll roots and reintroducing the guitar into his music, built around simple, driving rock ’n’ roll rhythms. He chose to produce the albums himself, without the involvement of his frequent collaborator Ric Ocasek, who had initially wanted to produce Vega’s solo records. Alan followed his own vision and set out to capture the sounds he was hearing in his head. Moving away from Suicide’s signature sound, he made a deliberate shift toward something distinctly different: stripped-down rock ’n’ roll. The lyrical genius and unparalleled vocal style remained fully intact, but sonically he was moving in a different galaxy, while staying completely true to himself. Then a year later he said f*k it and got a hard rock band to back him up for 'Collision Drive'.”
"Alan’s music thrived on interpretation. He believed the meaning of his songs belonged to the listener. His lyrics painted emotional and conceptual landscapes but he resisted explaining them. He always wanted the listener to bring their own experiences, imaginations, and emotions into what listening to his music and words meant to them, and ultimately that openness is part of its power,” recalls Vega's longtime collaborator, wife and The Vega Vault Project leader and co-producer, Liz Lamere.
From the fiery political fury of “Viet Vet” to the proto punk mantra of “Ghost Rider,” Collision Drive pulses with tension, urgency, and uncompromising vision. The phrase “more more more, more for the poor” hits in full force on “Outlaw,” a classic Vega cry for justice, survival, and human spirit that is said to have inspired Billy Idol’s iconic “more more more” in “Rebel Yell.”
Alan Vega and Collision Drive are declarations of artistic independence and freedom from one of New York’s most influential and uncompromising artists. Vega was relentlessly innovative, continuously paving new ground. These updated editions recapture his raw, electrifying work as the two remain cult cornerstones of outsider rock and a touchstone in the evolution of art-punk and experimental pop. Read more about Collision Drive here.
Alan Vega Album Artwork Designed by Jared Artaud and Michael Handis
Alan Vega Tracklist:
01 - Jukebox Babe
02 - Kung Foo Cowboy
03 - Fireball
04 - Love Cry
05 - Speedway
06 - Ice Drummer (Official Music Video)*
07 - Bye Bye Bayou
08 - Lonely
Physical Variants: Sacred Bones Exclusive Variant - Silver & Magenta Galaxy vinyl (BE), Black (LP), Indie Retail Variant - Magenta vinyl (C3), Rough Trade Exclusive - Silver & Magenta Half/Half vinyl (RT), 8 Track
Alan Vega Deluxe Edition Tracklist:
01 - Jukebox Babe
02 - Kung Foo Cowboy
03 - Fireball
04 - Love Cry
05 - Speedway
06 - Ice Drummer
07 - Bye Bye Bayou
08 - Lonely
09 - Ice Drummer (Demo)
10 - Fireball (Demo)
11 - Speedway (Demo)
12 - Love Cry (Demo)
13 - Kung Foo Cowboy (Demo)
14 - Lonely (Demo)
15 - Bye Bye Bayou (Demo)
Physical Variants: Sacred Bones Exclusive Variant - Magenta w/ Black Splatter (BE), Indie Retail Variant - Ice blue (C3), CD
Collision Drive Album Artwork Designed by Jared Artaud and Michael Handis
Collision Drive Tracklist:
01 - Magdalena 82
02 - Be Bop A Lula
03 - Outlaw
04 - Raver
05 - Ghost Rider
06 - I Believe
07 - Magdalena 83
08 - Rebel
09 - Viet Vet
Physical Variants: Sacred Bones Exclusive Variant - Silver & Red Galaxy vinyl (BE), Black (LP), Indie Retail Variant - Red (C3), Rough Trade Exclusive - Silver & Red Half/Half vinyl (RT), CD, 8 Track
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