BIG BLACK - Pigpile LP

For those who missed our recent Instagram post… We rarely acknowledge the passing of our favourites but the death of Steve Albini hit too hard to not contribute. Like many have stated, Steve took a unique, sometimes incendiary but ultimately passionate stance on music and issues of importance.

As an impressionable 17 year old early '87 it was another legendary figure from my formative years, the one-and-only Steve "Pig" Morgan who demanded I buy 'Atomizer' when I answered his "Hey Richie, have you heard Big Black?" with a "nope".

Without hesitation - a foreign concept in these days of "the 6 songs i've heard are great and that LP is cheap but i'll go home and give it a listen" - I purchased Atomizer and 37 years later it still pulverizes with each listen.

"Pig" Morgan also pointed out Big Black would be playing in a few weeks time. It ended up being the night I got my drivers license, shortly after turning 18.

Witnessing what is, to this day, among the TOP 3 shows this old man has EVER seen, I apparently forgot I was parked beside a pillar in the underground carpark behind the Prince of Wales, putting a large, severe V dent in a side panel!

Meeting Steve a couple times in the 90s I was as nervous as I reckon I've ever been when meeting a music hero of mine (Rollins first time also comes to mind). Bruce Milne had said "Albini is coming into Au-Go-Go today" and he and Bob were gracious enough to sign my Shellac 45s.

Long time store followers know my kids have exceptional taste in music and we started the Shellac introduction over a year ago. The response was a strong positive. Time for Big Black methinks, plus Steve's lengthy engineering portfolio.

Big Black is one of the few band's whose live-versions can be better than the album versions. Steelworker and Dead Billy are a testament to this. A master show by a master band that nobody has been able to mimic or touch.

Raw, violent, demented in subject matter and with a piercing screech that will ruin your hearing.