They sought and found little mainstream success, but the group's piledriver drum machines and brutal, slashing electric guitars were widely influential, especially for industrial rock. Albini's snide, malevolent singing and provocative lyrics garnered much attention.
Albini made a name for himself for his controversial "Tired of Ugly Fat?" column in the Chicago zine Matter, as well as irregular contributions to Forced Exposure. At the time, the band consisted of Albini and his drum machine, a Roland TR-606. (All of Big Black's recordings credit "Roland" as if "he" were a member of the band.)
The Lungs EP, the first effort to appear under the Big Black name, was recorded by Albini in his dorm room at Northwestern University. Intended primarily to recruit members to fill out the band, Lungs was released by Ruthless Records. The record is infamous for the variety of inserts, which included a lyric sheet in most copies, plus extras like condoms, dollar bills, stickers, concert tickets, photographs, silverware, razor blades, bloody bandages, and squirt guns. Heavily influenced by Public Image Limited and Killing Joke, Albini describes the amateurish Lungs as one of his few artistic regrets.
In 1983 Jeff Pezzati and Santiago Durango, both of Naked Raygun, joined the band on bass and guitar, respectively. They recorded two EPs together, switching to Homestead Records, and soon after Pezzati left the band. He was replaced by Dave Riley.
Riley was a longtime funk fan and had worked at a Detroit recording studio frequented by Sly Stone and George Clinton. His bass guitar work with Big Black was, to a degree, influenced by funk — not to suggest that he played like Bootsy Collins or Larry Graham, but he did bring a sinuous quality to the music. Even before Riley joined, there was evidence of an interest in funk: Big Black had already covered James Brown's The Payback.
The band made a name for itself nationally with its first album Atomizer, which featured more controversial lyrics by Albini, and strong contributions by Durango and Riley to the songs and arrangement — a working scheme the band had settled on because it took advantage of each member's strengths. Some listeners did not understand that their songs were either social commentary or sarcastic jokes (often both), and assumed that the band was sexist and racist. Albini responded to these accusations by making his lyrics even more offensive than before. Albini has stated that irritating "squares" was no challenge, but he took specific glee in offending "hipsters".
Albini drew much lyrical inspiration from misadventures and escapades he observed during his teen years in rural Missoula, Montana: for example, Cables was inspired by acquaintances who would visit a slaughterhouse to watch cattle get killed.
In 1987 the band switched labels again, this time to the cult Chicago-based indie label Touch and Go Records, when the band became disenchanted with Homestead Records after the label illegally released promotional-only copies of some limited-edition recordings. Big Black then released the Headache EP, which bore a sticker reading, "Not as good as Atomizer, so don't get your hopes up, cheese!" This was not a gimmick; the band truly thought Headache was inferior, and wanted to warn fans.
Shortly after, Durango announced that he was leaving the band to attend law school. Never expecting to make a career out of Big Black, the band realized this would be a good time to stop, not wanting to turn into the Rolling Stones. They broke up, and then released one final album, Songs About Fucking
Steve Albini went on to become a successful recording engineer (he dislikes the term "producer") for bands like Pixies, Nirvana, The Jesus Lizard, The Auteurs, Slint, Membranes, PJ Harvey, and many others, in addition to playing in Rapeman and Shellac.
The band are mentioned in the 1988 the Dead Milkmen song, Sri Lanka Sex Hotel, in the line: "Let's play Big Black at 3 a.m., And tell the neighbours they can all get fucked".
Dave Riley suffered a stroke in 1993 and was left paraplegic. He started a blog and wrote a book.
Santiago Durango released two EPs as Arsenal on Touch and Go, and is still a practicing lawyer. In his first case he helped recover Cynthia Plaster Caster's bronze casts of the genitalia of various rock and roll artists, including that of Jimi Hendrix. He handled some litigation for Touch and Go, and is currently an appellate defender.
Touch and Go acquired the rights to the Big Black back catalog, and reissued these (by this time) hard-to-acquire classics.
Big Black have been posthumously successful, with Q Magazine's August 2007 issue naming Songs About Fucking as the fifth loudest album of all time, just ahead of the Who's Live at Leeds and Public Enemy's It Takes a Nation of Millions to Hold Us Back.
Big Black briefly reunited to play a few songs at Touch and Go Records 25th anniversary celebration on 9 September 2006. The line up was Steve Albini, Santiago Durango and Jeff Pezzati. They played Cables, Dead Billy, Pigeon Kill and Racer X in that order.
"I know what you're all thinking... 'what was all the fuss about?'" Albini said onstage that night. He later said that the reunion would not have happened but for the Touch & Go anniversary, and said the record label is "the most important thing to happen in music in my lifetime." Pezzati and Durango nodded in assent.
Big Black's career is chronicled in Our Band Could Be Your Life, a study of several important American underground rock groups.
In December 2019, longtime bassist Dave Riley passed away from throat and lung cancer. He was 59.
Cables
Big Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Guess I just needed the bang
We walk in the beef, and then we pull on the rope
And then the, then the hammer comes down
Cables
Cables
Cables
So I guess they know
I'm not no company man
But I can pull on a rope, I can kill a cow
Fast as any other fucker can
Cables
Cables
Cables
In these lyrics to the song "Cables" by Big Black, the singer appears to be describing a violent situation. They mention walking into "the beef," which could potentially refer to a butcher shop or slaughterhouse, where they then pull on a rope and use a hammer. The repetition of the word "cables" throughout the song seems to indicate that these cables may play a significant role in whatever violent act is taking place.
The singer's motivation for being in this situation is unclear, but they express a sense of detachment from it. They state that they don't know why they are there, but that they "just needed the bang." This could suggest a desire for excitement or adrenaline, but it also creates a sense of ambiguity and uncertainty around the situation.
The final lines of the song suggest that the singer may be in some sort of working-class job, but that they are not necessarily a "company man." Instead, they seem to take pride in their ability to pull on a rope and get the job done as quickly as anyone else. Overall, the lyrics of "Cables" create a sense of tension and violence, while also playing with themes of identity and belonging.
Line by Line Meaning
Well, I don't know why we come here
I am unsure of the reason why we frequently visit this place
Guess I just needed the bang
Perhaps I am drawn to the thrill or excitement this place provides
We walk in the beef, and then we pull on the rope
We enter the arena and begin pulling on the rope attached to a large animal
And then the, then the hammer comes down
Eventually, the animal is subdued or killed
Cables
Repeated emphasis on the need for cables, perhaps referring to the equipment used in animal handling or slaughter
Cables
Continued emphasis on the importance of cables in this context
Cables
Final emphasis on the need for cables
So I guess they know
It is likely that those present are aware of my nonconformity or lack of affiliation with a particular company
I'm not no company man
I have no ties or loyalty to a particular corporation or organization
But I can pull on a rope, I can kill a cow
Despite not having a formal affiliation, I am skilled in the practice of handling livestock and conducting slaughter
Fast as any other fucker can
In fact, I may be just as or more skilled than my peers in this activity
Cables
A final reference to the need for cables in this violent setting
Cables
Once again emphasizing the importance of cables in this context
Cables
A final note on the necessity of cables for these activities
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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