Big Black - Songs about Fucking
Big Black are most widely recognized as being an early Steve Albini project, who's better known for being a highly sought-after recording engineer (with credits including Nirvana, The Pixies, Helmet), an outspoken critic of the record industry, and is quite an influential musician in his own right. That being said, Songs about Fucking stands on its own merits as an important precursor to the 90s alternative music scene.
Songs about Fucking is an exercise in volatile but controlled violent minimalism. It's a hollow and nihilistic sound, at times reminiscent of a slightly more organic version of early industrial standard bearers such as Skinny Puppy or early Ministry crossed with the Minutemen, Sonic Youth, and The Pixies at their most abrasive. Yet underneath all the layers of jagged, jarring sheets of sound is a great pop album.
Noisy guitar textures from Albini and Santiago Durango rage against the backdrop of pummeling violence from a relentless rhythm section made up of bass player Dave Riley and a Roland drum machine; all the while Albini is ranting, raving, and foaming at the mouth through a bullhorn. The whole thing sounds like what would happen if you gave a group of Neanderthals with PHDs a bunch of bad drugs and crappy guitars. That may have some running for the door, but to me that sounds like a pretty good time.
Essential tracks: The Model, Bad Penny, Precious Thing, Fish Fry
