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.
Ugly American
Big Black Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I hate what I am
I am the ugly American
I hate what I am
I take a picture of your founding father
I hate a picture of your local color
I take a picture of your founding father
We're so ugly, we're so ugly
We're so ugly
I am the ugly American
I am the ugly American
I am the ugly American
I hate what you are
Take a picture of your declasse
Take a picture and you only say
Take a picture of your ugly country
Take a picture and you only say
I am the ugly American
I am the ugly American
I am the ugly American
I hate what you are
Take a picture of your declasse
Take a picture of your declasse
Take a picture and you only say
Take a picture and you only say
We're so ugly, we're so ugly
We're so ugly
I am the ugly American
I know what I am
I am the ugly American
I am what I am
Say you're cultured 'cause you had a king?
Your little boys sleep with their sisters
I am the ugly American
I know what I am
I am the ugly American
I love what I am
The song "The Ugly American" by Big Black is a scathing criticism of American culture and its tendency towards cultural imperialism. The lyrics depict an individual who is ashamed of their American identity, yet also proud of it in a strange paradoxical way. The repeated line "I am the ugly American, I hate what I am" emphasizes this conflicting emotion, as the singer despises their nationality but also cannot help but feel attached to it.
The song also touches on themes of tourism, cultural appropriation, and political superiority. The lines "I take a picture of your founding father, I take a picture of your local color" exemplify the narrow mindedness and lack of true cultural appreciation that can often be associated with tourism. The reference to the "ugly country" highlights the idea that the singer sees other nations as inferior to the United States, despite being ashamed of their own cultural identity. The line "Say you're cultured 'cause you had a king? Your little boys sleep with their sisters" is a particularly biting commentary on cultural imperialism, as it implies that Americans view their own culture as superior and are quick to condemn other cultures without truly understanding them.
Overall, "The Ugly American" is a powerful critique of American culture, and serves as a reminder to constantly examine and challenge our own beliefs and biases.
Line by Line Meaning
I am the ugly American
I am a stereotypical representation of the arrogant and ignorant American traveler who exhibits undue ethnocentrism and discontent with foreign cultures.
I hate what I am
I despise my own disposition and behavior towards other nations, as well as the image that I project on my country.
I take a picture of your founding father
I capture an image of your nation's political leaders and heroes, but fail to appreciate their significance and cultural context.
I hate a picture of your local color
I disdain the aesthetic and cultural aspects of your country that don't conform to my own standards of beauty and taste.
We're so ugly, we're so ugly
We as a nation exhibit a repugnant and divisive character that undermines our attempts at diplomacy and international relations.
I hate what you are
I hold a discriminatory and prejudiced view of your nation and its people, without considering their history and individuality.
Take a picture of your declasse
Capture an image of your lower classes, who I view as inferior and uneducated.
Take a picture and you only say
I solely use these pictures as evidence to support my bias, rather than seeking to truly understand the nuances of your nation's culture.
Take a picture of your ugly country
I label your nation and its people as 'ugly', without recognizing the beauty and potential that it holds within its borders.
We're so ugly, we're so ugly
Our national identity is tarnished by our own ugly attitudes, and we fail to see the value and uniqueness of other cultures.
I know what I am
I am aware of my own flaws and prejudices, but refuse to change my behavior or attempt to learn from other cultures.
I am what I am
I accept my own stubborn worldview and arrogance towards other nations, without considering the damage that it may cause to international relations.
Say you're cultured 'cause you had a king?
I mock your nations' attempts at preserving cultural history and tradition, without understanding the importance of these traditions in your identity and history.
Your little boys sleep with their sisters
I stereotype and judge your nation's family values and social norms, without truly understanding the complexities of your society.
I love what I am
I am proud of my own national identity, but fail to see how a willingness to respect and learn from other cultures can make us a stronger and more unified global community.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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