1982-1985/1986, 1986/1987, 1987
Touch & Go Records
Yep, that's correct, I'm reviewing all three records out of Big Black's discography up in this bitch. As they are one of my favorite bands of all time, it didn't feel right to pick and choose.
Born in staid Illinois and without a doubt the most confrontational, caustic and brutal indie band of their era (even amongst other pillars of '80s No-Wave/noise rock such as Sonic Youth, Swans and The Birthday Party), Big Black was both the launchpad of righteous DIY curmudgeon/recording engineer/guitarist Steve Albini and celebrated independent label Touch & Go, which went on to sign numerous excellent experiments in noisy terror such as the mighty Jesus Lizard and quieter but no less intriguing bands like Don Caballero, Polvo, Dirty Three and Slint.
With aluminum-bodied custom guitars tuned for scathing feedback and metal-on-metal clang, a drum machine (credited as "Roland") providing the jackhammer backbeat and lyrical topics focusing on white trash depravity and crime, Big Black were uglier than the audience of a monster truck rally. They were the sonic equivalent of a John Waters film or Lynch's Blue Velvet, skewering and exposing things you didn't want to look at, things you didn't want to know about, the shadowy aspects of seedy small town life and filthy trailer parks. They brought the cauterizing noise bath of artsier predecessors like Throbbing Gristle and Cabaret Voltaire to the masses, infusing a sense of songwriting and minimalist groove from post-punk bands such as Suicide, Wire, Gang of Four, Killing Joke and Naked Raygun (whose vocalist/bassist Jeff Pezzati and guitarist Santiago Durango ended up playing for Big Black) to make it even more direct and bludgeoning. The result is clearly not for the timid, and was extremely controversial at the time--Albini's pointedly offensive, epithet-filled rants got him labeled as racist and misogynist (which he isn't) and along with the brutally cathartic live antics (such as setting off bricks of firecrackers on stage) the band got booted out of several clubs. In spite of this, they managed to build a surprisingly large underground following.
The Hammer Party, Big Black's first record, is a collection of EP's--1982's Lungs, 1983's Bulldozer, and 1985's Racer-X. Lungs is actually the closest thing to a Albini solo record available--just him, his guitar, Roland and an 8-track in his living room, and the result is about as crude as you'd expect. Still it results in at least one excellent track and future staple, "Steelworker," and set the stage for the next two EP's with the full lineup of Pezzati, Durango, and Urge Overkill drummer Pat Byrne. Bulldozer was a more fully developed version of Lungs' sound, with redneck sagas "Cables" and "Texas" along with the neurotic "I'm A Mess" being the highlights. Racer-X broadened the band's visions a little, with a sleeker production quality and even some proto-math rock leanings like the track "Sleep!"
However, none of the three EP's can compare to their first proper LP, the landmark Atomizer (which was bundled with the EP Headache and "Heartbeat/Things To Do Today" single for The Rich Man's Eight Track Tape release). Losing Pezzati for new bassist Dave Riley only hardened the band's assault, as his funk-inflected basslines were an excellent counterpoint to Albini and Durango's even nastier guitarwork. The lyrical topics followed suit--"Jordan, Minnesota" is quite simply one of the most terrifying songs of all time, documenting the sordid tale of a Midwestern child prostitution ring from the molester's point of view. The equally brutal "Kerosene" depicts the trailer park pastime of being so bored and sick of everything that self-immolation becomes entertainment, and "Big Money" is a Swans-like rumination on the abuse of police authority. The (slightly) quieter "Bad Houses" is an interesting departure, and probably as reflective as Big Black ever got. While the bonus material is a slight step down from the heights of Atomizer, the punishing high-speed barrage "Ready Men" (to this day my favorite Big Black song) and the gruesome hitman vignette "Things To Do Today" are as good as anything else they did.
By 1987, Big Black was starting to erode due to internal struggles. Few bands had the balls to announce their breakup before releasing an album at the height of their popularity and a worldwide tour, but being beholden to none, Big Black did just that. And then dropped the (AWESOMELY TITLED) swansong Songs About Fucking, their biggest commercial success and to many a fan the band's best record (this reviewer prefers Atomizer by a slight margin). "The Power of Independent Trucking" kicks the album off with a bang, a furious assault of screeching guitars and thundering drum machine over a fuzzed-out Albini vocal. This is followed by an incrementally more sedate but still bitterly sarcastic and sleazy cover of Kraftwerk's "The Model" and the filth and fury continue with trademark asshole anthem "Bad Penny," psychopathic surf-rock "Columbian Necktie" and the venomous proto-industrial grind of "Precious Thing" and "Tiny, King of The Jews." By the time Cheap Trick's (one of Albini's favorite bands) "He's A Whore" is subjected to Big Black's sexual predator treatment, you'll want to hear the whole album again.
Big Black were defiantly unorthodox in their business dealings, hated the digital compact disc format, and released no videos on MTV, yet their recorded output will survive forever in the collections of lesser noise rock and industrial bands and for good fucking reason. Shocking and polarizing even today, their discography remains the widely emulated creme de la creme of noise rock and an essential touchstone for fans of independently made and independently minded music.
Translation:
If you already like mid-period industrial bands such as Ministry and Godflesh, or post-punk mainstays Gang of Four, Killing Joke and their modern progeny these albums are no-brainers. Otherwise, I would recommend Wire's Pink Flag, Killing Joke's 1979 debut, Naked Raygun's Jettison and maybe PiL's Second Edition as preparation for these.
-SJ
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