Big Black: Songs About Fucking 12″ (remastered)

Description

Remastered by Steve Albini & Bob Weston at Chicago Mastering

Big Blackwas started by Steve Albini in 1982 while he was living in Evanston, Illinois, and attending Northwestern University. Contrary to popular belief,Big Blackwas not Steves first band. Prior to formingBig Black, Steve was in a band called Just Ducky, in Montana and a band called Small Irregular Pieces of Aluminum, in Chicago.Lungs, the firstBig Blackrelease, was recorded by Steve in 1982 on a borrowed 4-track. He played everything on the EP himself except the sax bleating courtesy of pal John Bohnen and the drums courtesy of Roland.Lungs, was originally issued on the Chicago label Ruthless Records.Soon after, Steve recruited Jeff Pezzati (Naked Raygun) to help him out on bass. Santiago Durango, another founding member of Naked Raygun, joined them on guitar. In 1983, together with live drummer Pat Byrne, they recorded theBulldozerEP. It was initially released in a limited galvanized metal album jacket on Fever Records.By 1984, the band did some touring and signed a deal with Homestead Records. They recorded one more time with Jeff Pezzati on bass, which resulted in their Homestead debut, theRacer XEP, and the start of theIl Duce7″. After that, Jeff returned full time to Naked Raygun, and he was replaced with Dave Riley.In 1985, the new trio recordedBig Blacksfirst full length,Atomizeras well as finishing and releasing theIl Duce7″. 1986 saw the release ofAtomizer, as well as the release theHammer Partyalbum which was a compilation of theLungsEP and theBulldozerEP.Shortly after those releases, freed from their Homestead deal,Big Blacksigned with Touch and Go and recorded theHeadacheEP andHeartbeat7 in the summer of 1986. The first limited pressing of theHeadacheEP (released in 1987) boasted artwork that would make any of todays black metal bands foam gleefully at the mouth.1987 was a very full year forBig Black. TheHeadacheEP andHeartbeat7 were released. They recorded and released the 7 of “The Model/Hes A Whore,” as well as their second full length album,Songs About Fucking. They toured extensively (forBig Black). And they broke up. To quote the album insert inSongs About Fucking: Hey, breaking up is an idea that has occurred to far too few groups. Sometimes to the wrong ones.When they broke up, Santiago Durango decided to go to law school and is now a lawyer. While in law school, he released two EPs on Touch and Go as Arsenal. Steve Albini went on to form Rapeman, and then Shellac. He also owns and operates Electrical Audio recording studio in Chicago.Big Black’ssecond and final full-length –Songs About Fucking– has beenremastered by Steve Albini and Bob Weston at Chicago Masteringand isreissued here on vinyl with an accompanying MP3 album download.”The viciousness, baiting, and cynicism of Songs About Fucking is a reaction to every placid, politically correct, safe gesture we’re bombarded with daily. The iconic front cover image, making the unutterable visually appealing, fits perfectly – Hollywood and the ad companies can keep making beautiful shit; Big Black made the inverse.” – Jason Crock, Pitchfork