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Rating: One of the masterpieces of the 80s.
The work that consecrated Steve Albini as one of the leading figures of the American underground rock scene. After refining his aim with a series of EPs released in the previous years, the Chicago nerd hits the target in 1986, giving birth to this fundamental record, a godsend for various musical genres of the following years, from noise to industrial to math-rock (of which Albini himself, unsurprisingly, would become a superb exponent with the memorable "At Action Park" by Shellac, his third band). He dismissed his friend, bassist Jeff Pezzati, vocalist of fellow Chicagoans Naked Raygun, bringing in Dave Riley in his place, while retaining his trusty guitarist Santiago Durango. Albini presents his peculiar interpretation of hardcore: Albini's hardcore is cacophonous (hence the noise), mechanical (due to the use of one of the most vicious drum machines of the decade, and Ministry thanks...), geometric (hence the seeds of math...).
The overall effect is extremely dark, obsessive, unpleasant, inhuman, barbaric, extremist, frantic, chilling, shocking. The central triptych alone would be enough to send the record to glory: "Kerosene", "Bad Houses" and "Stinking Drunk" go straight for the gut. The former (probably the pinnacle of Albini's entire production) could serve as the soundtrack for 'Taxi Driver': you can almost see Travis Bickle loitering, bored, with his hands in his pockets and a menacing glare, through the city streets ("Never anything to do in this town..."), before the bloodbath. Albini literally tears apart the guitar riff and disjointedly reassembles it, so that the engine of the track is a sort of zombie riff, on the verge of derailing into the piercing screech of the chorus ("Set me on fire...") and ultimately culminates in the most deafening chaos. Albini's voice is passive, suffering, weak, yet occasionally capable of sudden outbreaks. "Bad Houses" is instead the more "relaxed" track on the album, a piece well-suited for certain grey, dreary, desolate days: here, the wall of sound surprisingly acquires melancholic shades that coalesce into a sublime, sorrowful, and disheartened poetry of the everyday.
After this touching exploration of youthful spleen, we return to the world of serial killers with one of the most distressing and terrifying tracks in the history of rock, "Stinking Drunk". The intro is textbook: the drum machine sets up a tense rhythm; then comes a dizzying bassline; followed by Albini's shrill and deformed guitar; finally, Durango's grim escalating chords (combined with a disarming vocal) imbue the track with spasmodic tension, before it dissolves into a puddle of liquefied chords. Then, midway, comes Steve's guitar showcase, recomposing the initial riff "in real-time" before reigniting the final assault ("Go! Get Drunk!"). The other tracks are certainly no less: "Jordan, Minnesota" is relentless with its cruel stop'n'go pattern; "Passing Complexion" leverages the most perverse guitar effect imaginable and structurally appears closer to the techno world than to rock; "Bazooka Joe" is a barrage of cannon shots, proceeding by inertia, with a dizzying central interlude.
These are all tracks that demonstrate how Albini's music is based on the genius and innovative exploitation of stylistic patterns borrowed from more traditional rock, only to be subjected to a sadistic genetic mutation process: Albini is the mad surgeon of rock music. To end on a high note, there's "Cables", a track much less oppressive than the previous ones, capable of somewhat anticipating what Steve would achieve a couple of years later with Rapeman.
Tracklist Lyrics and Samples
01 Jordan, Minnesota (03:22)
This is Jordan, we do what we like
This is Jordan, we do what we like
Stay with me, my five year old
Stay with me, play hide and seek
Stay with me, my five year old
This is Jordan, we do what we like
And this will stay with you until you die
And this will stay with you until you die
And I will stay with you until you die
And this is Jordan, we do what we like
And this will stay with you until you die
And this will stay with you until you die
This will stay with you until you die
And I will stay with you until you die
Suck daddy, suck daddy, suck daddy
02 Passing Complexion (03:06)
She was his
She would take his children
Black and white
Right to her own breast
There were times
When he could mix
With ordinary white company
Though?? the subject never came up
No one would notice
He had what they call passing complexion
He had what they call passing complexion
He had what they call passing complexion
He had what they call passing complexion
He'd been white, he'd been black
They asked him, black like that?
Yeah!
04 Kerosene (06:07)
I was born in this town
live here my whole life
probably come to die in this town
live here my whole life
never anything to do in this town
live here my whole life
never anything to do in this town
probably learn to die in this town
live here my whole life
nothing to do
sit around at home
sit around at home
nothing to do
stare at the walls
stare at each other
wait til we die
stare at each other
wait til we die
probably come to die in this town
live here my whole life
theres Kerosene around
something to do
theres Kerosene around X2
she's something to do
theres Kerosene around
find something to do
theres Kerosene around
shes somethind to do
theres Kerosene
set me on fire...Kerosene X4
KEROSENE
SET ME ON FIRE
(false end)
Kerosene around
shes something
Kerosene around
now what do we do
theres Kerosene
now what do we do
jump Kerosene
now what do we do
Kerosene around
jump Kerosene
never anything to do in this town
never anythng but jump Kerosene
set me on fire Kerosene x4
SETMEONFIRE
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