Ongoing History Daily: Why call an album Suck It and See?
The Arctic Monkeys have always been somewhat contrarian when it comes to naming their albums. The first record, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not, doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue. Favourite Worst Nightmare from 2007 is okay and so is Humbug from 2009. But Suck It and See?
To be fair, that wasn’t their first choice. One suggestion was Thunder Suckle Fuzz Canyon, named after one of Alex Turner’s guitar pedals. Another suggestion was The Blondo-O-Sonic Shimmer Trap, but who could remember that?
Then someone said “Hey! Let’s call it Thriller!” That was funny for about ten seconds. In the end, it was decided upon Suck It and See–which has had the album banned or stickered by some American retailers. Too rude, you see.
The phrase is visable in Stanley Kubrick’s film “A Clockwork Orange” when Alex and his Droogs meet in the lobby of the building where Alex lives. There is a Roman or Greek inspired fresco of sorts in the background which has been vandalized to include numerous phalluses with cheeky phrases like “if it moves kiss it” and “suck it and see”. Considering the film is from 1971, and is a cultural phenomenon, I’m more of the belief that the band lifted it from the film, rather than just stumbling upon the term from British slang. My two cents.
Wow. And I’ve seen this movie a hundred times. I did not know that.