From: rob@lynx.msc.cornell.edu (Rob Vaughn)
Subject: REVIEW: Big Black - "Pig Pile Big Black Box"
Reply-To: news@lynx.msc.cornell.edu
Organization: Cornell-Materials-Science-Center
Date: Wed, 18 Nov 1992 15:34:50 GMT
Followup-To: rec.music.misc


Big Black "Pig Pile" Box Set
----------------------------

Average price is running about $28, $30 ppd.  Inside you'll find:

(1) clear vinyl 5" one-sided single with "In Our House."

Recording quality is pretty poor, and the song itself is nothing to squirm
over.  Truly collector material, no one is missing out on a great song or
something.  Someone earlier said that the same single is being sold with
the video alone.

(1) 12" vinyl copy of the live "Pig Pile" release.

Although the recording quality is so-so, it's better than the boots I've
heard.  Albini doesn't sing worth shit and the guitars don't pick up well
on the recording, but it's interesting to hear the reworkings of some of
the songs, and Albini's banter.  Again, this isn't anything really wonderful
and only real Big Black fans will need to buy it.  Beginners should just get
the "Rich Man's Eight-Track" and "Songs About Fucking" CDs.

The cover art is very much in the Big Black style of things, and is amusing
enough.

Read the etchings on the inside groove: side two says "Please increase
volume by +2dB" which I assume is Albini's joke on the slightly less-than-
great sound quality; side one says "The dearth of Jon Spencer?" which is a
way-out Sonic Youth joke based on the inside groove etching on the SST
version of _Confusion is Sex_ which says "The birth of Jon Spenser or
what?!"  The record itself is real, honest-to-god, see-through vinyl.
Two thumbs up for quality materials.

Reading the liner notes reminded me just how much I enjoyed them.  Albini
is back in style, and these alone are worth the price of the album.  He
write more frequently, maybe start his own magazine.

(1) Burgundy-red one-sided tee-shirt, large.

Nice color, says "Big Black" in that scrawl we all know and love, and it's
got a simple graphic of a hand holding a small sheet of breaking glass.
Okay shirt, no big thrill, I certainly wouldn't waste money on it if I saw
it in a store.

(1) Big folded 24" x 24" poster.

Same graphic as tee-shirt, rather simple, with a lot of dead space.  The
bottom shows all the album and single covers, including a _Racer X_ one
entirely different than the one I own.  Like said, I wouldn't waste money
on this in a store.

(1) VHS-format "Pig Pile" video.

Since I don't have a VHS VCR available I haven't been able to watch this,
but I'm sure it's at least interesting.  It's the same footage that the
album was mastered from, so if the sound quality is better than the album
I'll probably hook up my stereo and get it on tape.  There's video clips
between songs which sound interesting from the titles, and the tape itself
looks rather long (although I'm not sure if the entire length of the tape
is actually used.)  It comes in a nice plastic video-box and has the same
graphic as the album cover.

All of this comes in a big black box that has "Big Black" Tools-style logo
on the front.

-----------------------------

Personally, since I've always wanted a video and I would have bought the
album, this isn't such as bad deal for the price.  Overall, though, the
only thing of real value so far is the video, and I haven't watched that
yet.  I could easily live without the rest, but since the vid is probably
$20 this is a bargain if you can get your hands on one.  I have to admit
to being a little disappointed with the package, since I expected more
from Mr. Albini and the T&G folks.

This also heralds the re-release of the entire Big Black back catalog.
The _Racer X_ cover is different than the original Homestead one, due to
lost artwork.

For those that missed it the first time, be sure to at least scarf up the
"Big Money/Il Duce" single, which for years now has been one of my all-
time favorite 7" singles.  You won't be sorry.  My name is Benito, and I
like my job.

Rob

-- 

Rob Vaughn, Fugitive Systems Guy
Mat. Sci. Center Computing, Cornell University
rob@msc.cornell.edu - rob@crnlmsc2.bitnet