Customer Reviews

Hammer Party

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Big Black were unquestionably one of the finest independent rock bands of the '80s. They were loud, crushing, intense and best of all, uncompromising, not giving a flying fudge how they came off to anyone else. Hence, this caused extreme, uninhibited, great art. At the same time, lyrically, the band was like a well-oiled machine that took people's false perceptions of America, chewed them up and spit them out, exposing its dark side for all to see. For virgins of the band, "The Hammer Party" is a fine place to start. Many feel that the first EP, "Lungs" is not the band's best by a long shot, but I still love the quirky charms of this ameturish first record. "Steelworker" and "Dead Billy" are Big Black classics worth a listen. The next EP featured might be the best one the band ever churned out, "Bulldozer." There is no denying the brillance of tracks like "Cables" and "Pigeon Kill" which mock white trash mentalities and combine social commentary with crushing pounding riffs. Finally, the CD also includes the "Racer X" EP, which includes the humorous title track based on the evil twin of "Speed Racer" and a lyrically quintessential song, "The Ugly American." Throughout this disc, one may hear hints of industrial music, but this is mainly due to the use of a drum machine, which was an integral part of the band's assault. This music is bleak, depressing, and ugly (also great if you are angry), but hey, that was the point. Big Black knew what they wanted to do and they accomplished it well.

Whether or not you believed Albini's rants or whether or not you despised him is really secondary to one thing---he and Big Black affected you one way or another. You could not listen to a Big Black record and not come away thinking "what the hell was that?" And to some degree that was the point. Big Black was a machine of distruction with one goal in mind---piss people off. If you liked it then great--if you didn't then who the expletive cares. Albini and co. were probably more punk than 99% of the bands of their time who claimed they were punk and lets face facts--most punks probably did'nt get Big Black anyhow. Sure at times they sounded like an audio parody of a John Waters movie but most of the time Albini's twisted version of middle America sounded very disturbing and to this day no one has equaled it.

I was first intrigued by the mystique surrounding Steve Albini,and his place on the musical map.That is how i came to Big Black,and The Hammer Party.
This album is blunt and unapologetic,and if one wants to apply the punk tag to anything this is the kind of album it fits like a glove.If you cant stand to be reminded of the sometimes cruel realities that occur in our world it may be an idea to approach this album with caution.Yes it paints disturbing pictures,and bangs them into your skull like a drill,but it has an addictive quality,that makes you want to go back and interpret the songs for yourself.As Steve Albini says the records there we hope you like it.Standout mention from my perspective goes to the RacerX Ep section ,it is infectious right from the title song.
I also believe that it is a collection of songs that fit into any time in music's landscape,mostly because it really is alternative.I would recommend Hammer Party,then you will understand what it is that i have been stumbling along trying to put into words.

pop music has become digital and sweet lately, but am i ready for the alternative? hell yes! this album is amazing! sure it's a lot rougher than their later work, but it's still genius. some of the guitar sounds are even more amazing and mysterious (check out the guitar on "i can be killed," it sounds like a keyboard!) than the later big black, especially on the first six tracks which are the most primal and raw. maybe it's a little hard to listen to, but i love how the honesty and purity shines through in the barely competent production. plus, this album rocks harder than most albums you own. this album is proof that it doesn't take a big recording budget to make a great album, and that anyone with their heart in it can make great music. this album is a daily inspiration to me.

If you ask people like Martin Atkins, or En Esch to talk about their record collections they always list hammer party. anyone who is into industrial should add this album to their shelves right next to their Kraftwerk and Clock DVA.

After spinning "Songs About F*cking" about 50 times you may be seething to own every lovely Big Black gem ever created, but damn, this diamond's pretty rough. Complaining about how digital and sweet pop music has become is fair enough, but are you ready for the alternative? Here it is: a totally unpolished, unbalanced low-tech marvel. You can almost hear Steve Albini finding out what works and what doesn't on each track, leaving you wishing that he could have re-done all this later after he learned how to rock. The liner notes are almost as cool as the CD itself. You might groove on this piece of Big Black's history, but it's not exactly an awe-inspiring piece of music.

Honestly, each ep contained on this cd should be reviewed seperately but taken as a whole, as Big Black's early material, it is pretty impressive and an interesting diversion from the typical "loud, fast and sloppy" punk and hardcore sound a like bands that were the competition. Songs like "Cables", "Pigeon Kill", "Dead Billy" and "Seth" up the ante to the later brilliance that would be Big Black. Since each song was deliberately constructed, Big Black got labelled as "math rock" (a meaningless rock critic term if you ask me). Many bands at the time were dealing with politically incorrect subjects but Big Black is actually good music (though not something you'd sing to yourself). Industrial/metal/noise bands would "borrow" some of the ideas contained here. And yes, Albini is not nearly as scary as he sounds but if you are into Big Black, you've probably guessed that already.

This is a very innovative album which showcases Steve Albini's developing individual guitar sound; This is not the throbbing power-house of an album that their later releases were, and the signature touch and go churning bass is lacking here as well...however, the power of this album is in the lyrics, and the music will grow on you after a few listens at a very loud volume. I can't quite say why, but this album and this band have touched me deeper than most others.

although the lungs ep is perty weak (except for the kick@$$ "steelworker", this is definitive hardcore. steve albini, to me, is a genius in the music world, but in real life... nevertheless, he is 100% real and his work still stands strong over a decade later

Big Black were like the musical equivalent of tourette's, screaming every ugly thought they had as if theit lives depended upon them spitting it out. This shows them in their early stages (or tics and the occasional swear-word). Lungs, their first EP is so musically slight as to be insignificant, far too skinny-tie bullshìt, but has great psychotic redneck ranting. Bulldozer and Racer X more than compensate. They kick your lard-clad booty mis-shapen.