Big Black were an American rock band from Evanston, Illinois. Founded by the infamous Steve Albini in 1981, the group were an influential and significant player in the independent and underground music scenes of the decade with their unique brand of DIY material, which has been described at times as noise rock, punk and a precursor to industrial rock. The truth of this however can only be described as uniquely Big Black, never before or since has a band fashioned quite the same cocktail of abrasive sounds, and never before or since was there an album quite like
Songs About ***ing.
Well, there is the group's other album
Atomizer of course. As much as for some their lonely full length debut winds up feeling like the neglected masterpiece of the pair,
Songs About ***ing is
the Big Black album. The one with the cover art and title that demands attention, the one with the iconic, landmark status in 80's independent music that ensures it a place on all those critic's must hear album lists. It is well trodden ground that this is regarded as sleazy rock and roll at its finest, gentlemen. The beauty of all this, is that for once you can believe the hype.
Albini and Santiago Durango are in charge of guitars here, bassist Jeff Pezzati anchoring rhythms by way of one of the most important components of what makes Big Black sounds the way they do, a Roland TR-606 drum machine. Credited as "Roland" in the liner notes, the mechanical, piledriving rhythm section gives the album a sense of drive which is not unlike a brick to the head. Slicing in, out and around are Albini and Durango's distinctive guitars characterised by a sharp, metallic tone with virtually no low end, the soul of Big Black residing in these unique aural cleavings. The most impressive thing here by far is the remarkable demonstration of control over what could devolve into a pile of mush, dynamics utilised to their fullest with so much subtlety rewarded through relistening that it only seems natural that Albini would go on to become such a high profile producer as he did. His lyrics and vocal delivery with Big Black are sardonic in the best way, with a wonderful streak of black, transgressive humor.
Every track on
Songs About ***ing nails it. It is one of those rare albums which has an exceptional character and timeless reputation that could never have it accused of being generic, love it or hate it. The restrained production subtleties bring the group across as sounding monstrous and larger than life at times, although some accustomed to today's hardcore and heavy metal bands may take issue with this as not being direct, or "hard" enough. Admirers of Big Black will always vehemently disagree, though.
