M.I.A. Murder in a Foreign Place

Murder In A Foreign Place was recorded in late 1983-early 1984 at JEL Studio in Newport Beach, California. Engineered by Bill Trousdale and produced by M.I.A., it was released on Alternative Tentacles (Virus 35) in June 1984. Likely the band’s best-selling album, it was repressed several times in the 1980s with blue swapped out for red, as well as other red pressings.

On August 23, 2024, a 40th Anniversary Special Edition of Murder in a Foreign Place was released jointly on Modern CIty Records (MCR#18) and Alternative Tentacles (Virus 523) with 8 bonus tracks from the era.

GET THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION - US ALTERNATIVE TENTACLES

GET THE 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION - EU MODERN CITY

TRACK LISTING

  1. Modern Way

  2. Small Man In A Big World

  3. All I Know

  4. What’s Your Problem

  5. Boredom Is The Reason

  6. Who Will Survive

  7. Used To Know Me

  8. Murder In A Foreign Place

  9. Las Vegas

  10. Reality Is Killing Me

  11. There Is No Love

40TH ANNIVERSARY BONUS TRACKS

  1. Help Me Up *

  2. . Reality is Killing Me *

  3. . Hatin’ Life *

  4. Modern Way *

  5. Murder in a Foreign Place *

  6. Boredom is the Reason *

  7. Hatin’ Life **

  8. Help Me Up **

    *GreenCarton Demo

    **JEL basic tracks

Mike and Paul navigating to the next city. Note the paper tour map taped to the roof of the van with the route drawn on with a marker.

Nick in the basement sleeping quarters of a club, possibly The Anthrax in Stamford, CT.

Mike, Lars and Paul on the streets of Manhattan. Dream Girls was showing across the street.

Mike and Lars making friends in Baltimore — our mixtape we brought for the road with Grandmaster Flash and other Sugarhill artists was an icebreaker.