Big Black was an American punk rock band from Evanston, Illinois, active from 1981 to 1987. Founded by singer and guitarist Steve Albini, the band's initial lineup also included guitarist Santiago Durango and bassist Jeff Pezzati, both of Naked Raygun. In 1985 Pezzati was replaced by Dave Riley (1960-2019), who played on Big Black's two full-length studio albums, Atomizer (1986) and Songs About Fucking (1987).
Big Black's aggressive and abrasive music was characterized by distinctively clanky guitars and the use of a drum machine rather than a drum kit, elements that foreshadowed industrial rock. The band's lyrics flouted commonly held taboos and dealt frankly— and often explicitly— with politically and culturally loaded topics including murder, rape, child sexual abuse, arson, racism, and misogyny.
Following Big Black's breakup, Albini formed and fronted Rapeman from 1987 to 1989 and Shellac from 1992 onward. He also began work as a recording engineer, working with artists such as Slint, The Pixies, The Breeders, Pegboy, Urge Overkill, The Jesus Lizard, The Wedding Present, Superchunk, PJ Harvey, Nirvana and Nina Nastasia.
Durango, meanwhile, continued to play music during his law school years, releasing two EPs on Touch and Go as Arsenal and recording with Boss Hog. He then became a practicing lawyer, with clients including Touch and Go Records and Cynthia Plaster Caster. Riley was briefly a member of Bull but was incapacitated by a stroke in 1995, which was initially erroneously reported as a suicide attempt. Having lost the ability to walk, he maintains a blog about his experiences titled "Worthless Goddamn Cripple". In 2004 he participated in a musical project called Miasma of Funk, releasing the album Groove on the Mania! He has also published a book titled Blurry and Disconnected: Tales of Sink-or-Swim Nihilism.
Links To Peel[]
Peel was a big fan of the group and nominated their 1987 album, Songs About Fucking, as one of his favourite albums of all time in lists for Jocks Choice and The Guardian's Top 20 Albums. The album track 'L Dopa' was included by Peel in the Peelenium 1987.
Peel regretted not seeing Big Black perform live and mentioned this on Peeling Back The Years 5 (Transcript):
"I went to see the Butthole Surfers play in Hammersmith a few weeks ago, and it was the week after Big Black had played and everybody who saw Big Black said they were absolutely apocalyptic, but I missed them and they’ve now broken up and that is something I shall regret, genuinely regret, like not having seen the Smiths play live."
After the demise of Big Black, band leader Steve Albini was a continuing presence on Peel's shows over many years, both as a musician and as a producer of numerous artists played by the DJ.
Festive Fifty Entries[]
- 1987 Festive Fifty: Colombian Necktie #18
- 1987 Festive Fifty: L Dopa #42
Peelenium[]
- Peelenium 1987: L Dopa
Sessions[]
Big Black - Peel Session 1987
The session is available on Peel Session (1988, vinyl 7", King Dick)
1. Recorded: Unknown. Broadcast: 06 May 1987. Repeated: 19 May 1987, 25 November 1987
- Dead Billy / Ugly American / Newmangenerator / L Dopa
Other Shows Played[]
Big Black - Colombian Necktie
Big Black - L Dopa-0
- 1986
- 10 June 1986: Kerosene (LP - Atomizer) Homestead
- 18 June 1986 (VPRO): Strange Things (LP - Atomizer) Homestead
- 21 June 1986 (BFBS): Kerosene (album - Atomizer) Homestead
- June 1986 (Radio Bremen): Kerosene (album - Atomizer) Homestead
- 02 July 1986: Stinking Drunk (LP - Atomizer) Homestead
- 02 July 1986 (VPRO): Stinking Drunk (LP - Atomizer) Homestead
- 12 July 1986 (BFBS): Strange Things (LP - Atomizer) Homestead
- October 1986 (Radio Bremen): Kerosene (album - Atomizer) Homestead
- 1987
- 10 February 1987: Pigeon Kill (LP - The Hammer Party) Homestead
- 03 March 1987: Texas (LP - The Hammer Party) Homestead
- 16 June 1987: Heartbeat (EP) Blast First
- 16 June 1987: Pete, King Of The Detectives (12" - Headache) Blast First
- 17 June 1987: Grinder (Headache 12") Blast First
- 22 June 1987: My Disco (12" - Headache) Blast First
- 29 June 1987: Heartbeat (7") Blast First
- 01 July 1987: Pete, King Of All Detectives (12" - Headache) Blast First
- 10 July 1987 (Radio Bremen): My Disco (12" - Headache) Blast First
- 13 July 1987: Burning Indian Wife (v/a 7" - Happiness Is Dry Pants) Chemical Imbalance
- 22 July 1987: Pete, King Of All Detectives (12" - Headache) Blast First
- 31 July 1987 (BFBS): Burning Indian Wife (v/a 7" - Happiness Is Dry Pants) Chemical Imbalance
- 04 August 1987: Heartbeat (7") Touch And Go
- 19 August 1987: He's A Whore (7" - He's A Whore / The Model) Blast First
- 21 August 1987 (BFBS): Heartbeat (7") Touch And Go
- 26 August 1987: The Strong (LP - Sound Of Impact) Not
- August 1987 (Rockradio): Deep Six - ("bootleg" album - You got it all, Dad! We're Gonna hit! (Sound Of Impact.)) Blast First (NOT 2 [BUT 1])
- 1987 (Rockradio): Black 'N' White (LP - Sound Of Impact) (Not - NOT 2 BUT 1)
- 01 September 1987: He's A Whore
- 02 September 1987: Kill The Cow (LP - Sound Of Impact) Not
- 04 September 1987 (BFBS) (Peel 068 (BFBS)): 'The Model (7"-He's A Whore)' (Blast First)
- 04 September 1987 (Radio Bremen): The Model (7" - He's A Whore / The Model) Blast First
- 04 September 1987 (Radio Bremen): He's A Whore (7" - He's A Whore / The Model) Blast First
- 04 September 1987 (Radio Bremen): The Strong (album - Sound Of Impact) Not
- 07 September 1987: 'Black And White' ('Official Bootleg')
- 08 September 1987: L Dopa (LP – Songs About Fucking) Blast First
- 09 September 1987: Colombian Necktie (LP - Songs About Fucking) Touch And Go
- 11 September 1987 (BFBS) (Peel 068 (BFBS)): 'He's A Whore (7")' (Blast First)
- September 1987 (BBC World Service): Ergot (album - Songs About F...ing)
- 14 September 1987: The Power Of Independent Trucking (LP - Songs About Fucking) Blast First (Peel calls the album, Songs About Knitting)
- 15 September 1987: Bad Penny (LP - Songs About Fucking) Blast First
- 18 September 1987 (BFBS) (Peel 069 (BFBS)): 'L Dopa (LP-Songs About Fucking)' (Blast First) (JP: "I shall always regret that I never saw any of their final gigs: really stupid of me not to go. They were on in Leeds, my name was on the door, and I was sitting at home about five o'clock in the evening, and I thought, no, I'll just stay in and get an Indian takeaway and watch the television instead. And I should not have done that.")
- 21 September 1987: Pavement Saw (LP - Songs About Fucking) Blast First
- 22 September 1987: People Like That? (album - Sound Of Impact) Not NOT 2 (BUT 1)
- 23 September 1987: Hey There Big Truck (LP - Sound Of Impact) Not
- 24 September 1987 (BBC World Service): The Power Of Independent Trucking (album "Songs About F...ing" ) Blast First
- 25 September 1987 (BFBS) (Peel 069 (BFBS)): 'Bad Penny (LP-Songs About Fucking)' (Blast First)
- 27 September 1987 (BFBS): Black 'N' White (LP - Sound Of Impact) Not
- 29 September 1987: Il Duce (12" - Big Money) Homestead
- 30 September 1987: Dead Billy (Live) (v/a LP - Head Over Ears (A Debris Compilation)) Play Hard
- 04 October 1987 (BFBS): The Power Of Independent Trucking (LP - Songs About Fucking) Touch And Go
- 05 October 1987: Colombian Necktie (LP - Songs About Fucking) Touch And Go
- 11 October 1987 (BFBS): Colombian Necktie (LP - Songs About Fucking) Touch And Go
- 14 October 1987: Happy Otter (LP - Songs About Fucking) Blast First
- 19 October 1987: The Power Of Independent Trucking (LP - Songs About Fucking) Touch And Go
- 03 November 1987 / The Peel Tapes Vol.5 / HO John Peel 3 1987: Racer-X (12") Homestead HMS 007
- 08 November 1987 (BFBS): Unknown (v/a LP - Head Over Ears (A Debris Compilation)) Play Hard
- 11 November 1987: The Ugly American (12" - Racer-X) Homestead
- 15 November 1988 (BFBS): Sleep! (12” EP – Racer-X) Homestead
- 09 December 1987: Kerosene (LP - Atomizer) Blast First
- 22 December 1987: 'L Dopa (LP-Songs About Fucking)' (Touch & Go) (JP: 'From the LP with the perfectly shocking title.') FF #42
- 29 December 1987: 'Colombian Necktie (LP-Songs About Fucking)' (Touch And Go) FF #18
- 1988
- 04 January 1988: Big Payback (v/a album - The Middle Of America Compilation) H.I.D. Productions, Ltd. H.I.D. 001
- 08 January 1988 (BFBS) (Peel 078 (BFBS)): 'Kerosene (LP-Atomizer)' (Blast First)
- 11 January 1988: Pete, King Of All Detectives (12" - Headache) Blast First
- 12 January 1988: Every Man For Himself (v/a album - Gods Favorite Dog) Touch And Go
- 30 January 1988 (BFBS): Big Payback (v/a album - The Middle Of America Compilation) H.I.D. Productions, Ltd. H.I.D. 001
- 09 April 1988 (Radio Bremen): Hunter's Safety (Tommy Bartlett Dies In Pain) (v/a album - The Middle Of America Compilation) H.I.D. Productions
- 19 July 1988: Pete, King Of All Detectives (12" - Headache) Blast First
- 30 July 1988 (BFBS): Pete, King Of All Detectives (12" - Headache) Blast First
- 18 October 1988: Sleep! (12” EP – Racer-X) Homestead
- 19 November 1988 (BFBS): Big Money
- 1989
- 15 February 1989: Precious Thing (album - Songs About Fucking) Blast First
- 20 February 1989: Colombian Necktie (album - Songs About Fucking) Blast First
- 10 April 1989: Every Man For Himself (v/a album - Gods Favorite Dog) Touch And Go
- 03 May 1989 (BFBS): Every Man For Himself (v/a album - Gods Favorite Dog) Touch And Go
- 10 July 1989: The Power Of Independent Trucking (album - Songs About Fucking) Blast First
- 11 July 1989: 'Ergot' (LP-Songs About Fucking) (Blast First)
- 18 July 1989 (Radio Bremen): Bad Penny (album - Songs About Fucking) Touch And Go
- 29 July 1989 (BFBS): 'Ergot' (LP-Songs About Fucking) (Blast First)
- 02 August 1989: Colombian Necktie (album - Songs About Fucking) Blast First
- 14 August 1989: Kerosene (album - Atomizer) Blast First
- 19 August 1989 (BFBS) / Peel 113 (BFBS): Passing Complexion (LP - Atomizer) Blast First
- 09 September 1989 (BFBS) (Peel 116 (BFBS): 'Stinking Drunk (LP-Atomizer)' (Blast First)
- 01 November 1989: He's A Whore (v/a LP - Nothing Short Of Total War (Part One)) Blast First
- 1990
- 16 August 1990: 'Kerosene (LP-Atomizer)' (Blast First)
- 1991
- 10 February 1991: The Strong (Album: Sound Of Impact) ('The Strong' is a live version of 'Ready Men')
- 06 July 1991: The Model (7" - He's A Whore / The Model) Blast First
- 26 October 1991: Columbian Necktie (album - Songs About Fucking) Blast First
- 1992
- 08 February 1992: L Dopa (album - Songs About Fucking) Blast First
- 14 March 1992: Il Duce (single) Homestead
- 24 April 1992: The Power Of Independent Trucking (LP – Songs About Fucking) Blast First
- 08 November 1992 (BFBS): Crack Up (LP - Gods Favorite Dog) Touch and Go
- 14 November 1992: Pavement Saw (LP - Pigpile) Touch And Go
- 27 November 1992: Live In A Hole (12" EP - Lungs) Ruthless
- 1993
- 02 January 1993: 'Things To Do Today (CD-It's Toasted)' (Touch And Go)
- 15 January 1993: 'My Disco' (LP 'It's Toasted' (promo only sampler)) Touch And Go
- 26 March 1993: L Dopa (album Songs About Fucking) Blast First - BFFP 19CD
- 09 April 1993: My Disco (12" - Headache) Touch And Go T&G#20
- 1996
- 08 December 1996: ‘L Dopa (LP - Songs About Fucking )’ Blast First
- 28 December 1996: 'The Power Of Independent Trucking (LP-Songs About Fucking)' (Blast First) (JP: 'I've just realised what's happened. Somebody's done something in the studio, and I've had to set it back to where it was supposed to be before, which is why that was going so slowly, but I do know how to counteract that, and we'll do so immediately. So that was Big Black, playing far too slowly.')
- 1997
- 15 February 1997: ‘Kitty Empire (LP – Songs About Fucking)’ Blast First
- 1999
- 21 December 1999: 'L Dopa (LP-Songs About Fucking)' (Blast First) Peelenium 1987
- 2000
- 08 August 2000: 'Shotgun' (EP 'Racer-X') Homestead
- 2001
- 07 August 2001: Steelworker (LP - It's Toasted) Touch and Go