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.
Grinder
Big Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I earn my keep with my tools
Fools, you fools, you fools, you fools
You will not touch my tools
I want to know what you do with my grinder
A man is known by his tools
I earn my keep with my tools
Fools, you fools, you fools, you fools
I want to know what you do with my grinder
The lyrics of Big Black’s ‘Grinder’ have a clear message about the value of one’s tools and the importance of protecting them. The repetition of the opening line “A man is known by his tools” highlights how one’s tools are a reflection of their identity and profession, which is further emphasized by the line “I earn my keep with my tools”. The repeated use of the word ‘fools’ could be seen as a warning to others not to interfere with his tools, as they are an essential part of his livelihood. The final line “I want to know what you do with my grinder” suggests a sense of suspicion and protectiveness over his tools, and an unwillingness to share them or let others use them without knowing exactly how they will be used.
Overall, ‘Grinder’ can be interpreted as a cautionary tale of the importance of valuing and protecting one’s tools, which are crucial not just to one’s livelihood but also to one’s sense of identity and self-worth.
Line by Line Meaning
A man is known by his tools
A person's work and skill are often judged based on the tools they use.
I earn my keep with my tools
My livelihood depends on the tools I use to do my work.
Fools, you fools, you fools, you fools
Those who do not understand the value of my tools are foolish.
You will not touch my tools
I am protective of my tools and do not want others to use them.
I want to know what you do with my grinder
I am curious about how others may use my specific tool, and it is important to me to have control over its usage.
A man is known by his tools
Reiteration of the fact that a person's work and skill are judged based on their tools.
I earn my keep with my tools
Reiteration of the fact that one's livelihood depends on the tools they use for work.
Fools, you fools, you fools, you fools
Reiteration that those who do not understand the value of tools are foolish.
You will not touch my tools
Reiteration of the importance of protecting and controlling use of one's tools.
I want to know what you do with my grinder
Reiteration of personal curiosity and control over the usage of one specific tool.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Alltoofinite
One of the most creative and important bands in American history that will never get any credit
@Zanix_IV
This was originally on Headache. Headache, along with Heartbeat and The Atomizer were all put onto a single compilation album; The Rich Man's Eight Track Tape.
@xabieszamudio3481
Dennis Reynolds theme song
@wilkesart
wicked tune
@nifefiter
I earn my keep with my tools.
@chrisdodson8118
Indeed, sir. 🙂
@wilkesart
thanks
@Whyt3wyrm
@wilkesart Someone with blue collar mentality with a twist of drunken belligerence.
@neets1437
Fucking awesome!
@wilkesart
wonder what they are singing about lol