Big Black – Atomizer

"Atomizer" is long overdue for an unmastering, and a deluxe issue featuring bonus tracks, early demos and alternative versions is apparently in the works, according to insiders in the know at Touch and Go Records.

There are some surprises; for example, the original demo for "Kerosene" was in fact titled "Coleman Camp Stove Fuel." Sadly the Coleman camp put the kibosh on and would not approve the use. Santiago Durango's open garage door revealed an aging metal can of kerosene as inspiration; one can only imagine what would have happened if the metal can had contained varnish.

"Bazooka Joe" was first a long, slow dirge called "Boo Boo Man" before being tightened up into a demo titled "Calamity Jones." It might have stayed that way if Dave Riley had not one day replaced his bass strings with taut and tight strips of pink bubblegum. When Steve Albini discovered the discarded waxy papered comic on the floor of the basement closet that was the band's rehearsal space, the worm turned.

Many of the album's titles are revealed to be simple typographical errors due to their label Touch and Go's incompetence, eg "Fits of Love," "Stinky Drunk," and "Tables (Live)."

Other tracks have similarly obscure origins. "Big Money" was the name of an Illinois scratch off lottery ticket that netted Steve Albini $17, which would be about $50 today. He framed the ticket and it was ultimately displayed in his studio Electrical Eel Audio. The tune, or song if you will, was penned in tribute to the Illinois lottery.

Lastly, the deluxe reissue features an extensive interview with Roland, the band's long suffering drummer, originally published in Hit Parader magazine. Roland pulls no punches; apparently touring with Steve Albini was a nightmare, due to Steve's prodigious intake of fried pork rinds, rendering his flatulence a chemical weapon. While Roland had no nose, he knew what was up. According to Roland, Dave Riley and Santiago Durango were largely responsible, as they would egg Steve on to eat more and more rinds. They were immune to the fumes, having worked in their teens at a fish cannery, which was also the inspiration for "Tables (Live)."

Overall, if you're a fan of the bland you'll want to avoid the box set. If not, you'll want to buy it. Formats include digital, vinyl, the poor man's eight track tape, and eight track tape. Should be out in a year or two. Let's go!

Hey I got fists of live, too. But needless to say this is a great album, really an example of the Great Lakes underground sound of the 80s, where you can really feel the failing cities and abandoned industrial dystopia of that time and place.