Some context: Suicidal Tendencies (also referred to as S.T. or simply Suicidal) are an American crossover thrash band founded in 1980 in Venice, California by vocalist Mike Muir, who is the only remaining original member of the band. Along with D.R.I., Corrosion of Conformity, and S.O.D., they are often credited as one of "the fathers of crossover thrash". Their current lineup includes Muir, guitarists Dean Pleasants and Jeff Pogan, bassist Ra Diaz and drummer Dave Lombardo. Notable former members of the band are lead guitarist Rocky George (now in Fishbone), rhythm guitarist Mike Clark (formerly of No Mercy, now in Waking the Dead), bassists Louiche Mayorga (now in Luicidal), Robert Trujillo (formerly or later of Infectious Grooves and Ozzy Osbourne, now in Metallica), Josh Paul (now in Daughtry) and Stephen "Thundercat" Bruner, and drummers Amery Smith (later of Uncle Slam and the Beastie Boys), Jimmy DeGrasso (formerly or later of Y&T, White Lion, Alice Cooper and Megadeth, now in Ratt), Brooks Wackerman (formerly or later of Infectious Grooves, Bad Religion and Tenacious D, now in Avenged Sevenfold) and David Hidalgo Jr. (now in Social Distortion and The Bronx).
With the line-up of Muir, Louiche Mayorga, George, and Herrera, the band released their second album, Join the Army, in 1987. The album was met with a mixed reaction from long-time fans due to its considerably more metal-oriented sound (an element brought to the table by Rocky George), as they were expecting another punk album. Nonetheless, Join the Army featured classic tracks such as the title track, "War Inside My Head" and "Possessed to Skate" (which featured a video, originally intended for an unsuccessful skateboard movie, which featured Timothy Leary). Shortly afterwards, the band made some major changes. Rocky George's metal influences (reflected in his Motorhead-esque songwriting contributions to Join the Army) began in turn influencing Muir, who replaced Keven Guercio as singer for Mike Clark's speed metal band No Mercy prior to this. Muir hired No Mercy's guitarist Mike Clark as a rhythm guitarist for Suicidal. Clark helped handle much of the band's songwriting, which progressed into a more thrash oriented musical direction. Then he fired Mayorga, who had been trying to keep the band in punk territory, and was replaced briefly by No Mercy bassist Ric Clayton, who was replaced by Bob Heathcote. Shortly after the band was picked up by Anthrax producer Mark Dodson and signed to the Columbia subsidiary Epic Records. The stylistic changes and signing to a major label outraged a few long-time fans, but Suicidal began to pick up more fans from the heavy metal community as well. The band's first release with Epic was How Will I Laugh Tomorrow When I Can't Even Smile Today, released in 1988. The album was almost completely stripped of the band's punk and hardcore roots, instead featuring a thrash-oriented sound with more complex song structures and a greater emphasis on instrumental skill than the band had ever shown previously. However, the album was considerably more melodic than most thrash metal albums, perhaps a lasting influence of the band's punk past. Singles and music videos were released for "Trip at the Brain" and the title track, which were successful and helped expand the bands audience. That same year the band was thanked by country musician Hank Williams Jr. at the 1988 CMA Awards. Williams' son was apparently a big fan of Suicidal.
Did they have any conflicts?
A:
Some context: Clemens was born in Dayton, Ohio, the fifth child of Bill and Bess (Lee) Clemens. He is of German descent, his great-grandfather Joseph Clemens having immigrated in the 1880s. Clemens's parents separated when he was an infant. His mother soon married Woody Booher, whom Clemens considers his father.
Clemens has appeared as himself in several movies and television episodes and has also occasionally acted in films. Perhaps best known was his appearance in the season three episode of The Simpsons ("Homer at the Bat") where he is hypnotized into thinking he is a chicken (he did his own clucking). Clemens has also made guest appearances as himself on the TV shows Hope & Faith, Spin City, Arli$$, and Saturday Night Live as well as the movie Anger Management, and makes a brief appearance in the movie Kingpin as the character Skidmark. He also is shown playing an actual game with the Houston Astros in the film Boyhood. He appeared in the 1994 movie Cobb as an unidentified pitcher for the Philadelphia A's. In 2003, he was part of an advertising campaign for Armour hot dogs with MLB players Ken Griffey Jr., Derek Jeter, and Sammy Sosa. Since 2005, Clemens has also appeared in many commercials for Texas-based supermarket chain H-E-B. In 2007, he appeared on a baseball-themed episode of MythBusters ("Baseball Myths"). He has also starred in a commercial for Cingular parodying his return from retirement. He was calling his wife, Debra Godfrey, and a dropped call resulted in his return to the Yankees. He released an early autobiography, Rocket Man: The Roger Clemens Story written with Peter Gammons, in 1987. Clemens is also the spokesperson for Champion car dealerships in South Texas. In April 2009, Clemens was the subject of an unauthorized biography by Jeff Pearlman, titled The Rocket that Fell to Earth-Roger Clemens and the Rage for Baseball Immortality, that focused on his childhood and early career and accused Mike Piazza of using steroids. On May 12, Clemens broke a long silence to denounce a heavily researched expose by four investigative reporters from the New York Daily News, called American Icon: The Fall of Roger Clemens and the Rise of Steroids in America's Pastime. Clemens went on ESPN's Mike and Mike show to call the book "garbage", but a review by Michiko Kakutani of The New York Times called the book "gripping" and compared it to the work of Bob Woodward.
who wrote that?
A:
Jeff Pearlman,