Win Butler and MGMT + More Pay Tribute to Alan Vega of Suicide

The death of Alan Vega of the minimalist electronic punk band Suicide on Saturday (July 16) has brought out tributes from across the rock community. MGMT and Win Butler of Arcade Fire uploaded covers of his songs, both of which are embedded below, and Pearl Jam performed one in concert.

MGMT went with "Goodbye Darling," a song that appeared on Vega's 1983 solo album, Saturn Strip. That record was produced by Ric Ocasek of the Cars and featured appearances by Al Jourgensen and Stephen George of Ministry.

Butler, using the DJ Windows 98 pseudonym, and Pearl Jam went with "Dream Baby Dream," a single Suicide released in 1979. While Butler's was in the studio, Pearl Jam delivered theirs in concert at Pemberton Valley in Pemberton, British Columbia, Canada.

In addition, Bruce Springsteen, who used "Dream Baby Dream" to close out nearly every concert on his 2005 tour and released a studio version on 2014's High Hopes, issued the following statement on his website. "Over here on E Street, we are saddened to hear of the passing of Alan Vega, one of the great revolutionary voices in rock and roll. The bravery and passion he showed throughout his career was deeply influential to me. I was lucky enough to get to know Alan slightly and he was always a generous and sweet spirit. The blunt force power of his greatest music both with Suicide and on his solo records can still shock and inspire today. There was simply no one else remotely like him."

Vega passed away at the age of 78. He spent the '70s in Suicide, a group comprised of him and Martin Rev that made innovative use of early synthesizers and drum machines. Their two studio albums were incredibly influential in the rise of electronic and industrial music. In 1980, he began a solo career that lasted until 2010's Sniper.

Listen to MGMT's Cover of "Goodbye Darling"

Listen to Win Butler's Cover of "Dream Baby Dream"

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