Big Black Dome: Atomizer vs. Songs about fucking

[A Totem Pole]

Songs about Fucking sucked for me. Not one good song on that album, sans the Kraftwerk cover. I dunno man, maybe I have to listen to it over, but it just wasn't very good. I loved everything on Atomizer and Albini's future Rapeman stuff.

Dude, try again. "Fish Fry" and "Bad Penny" are incredible. Still bummed my friend Lindsey missed out on using "Bad Penny" as her derby name.

Not to mention motherfucking "L Dopa".

I like Atomizer better, though, as far as the poll is concerned.

[Wheel]

Songs about Fucking sucked for me. Not one good song on that album, sans the Kraftwerk cover. I dunno man, maybe I have to listen to it over, but it just wasn't very good. I loved everything on Atomizer and Albini's future Rapeman stuff.

Dude, try again. "Fish Fry" and "Bad Penny" are incredible. Still bummed my friend Lindsey missed out on using "Bad Penny" as her derby name.

Not to mention motherfucking "L Dopa".

I like Atomizer better, though, as far as the poll is concerned.

Why does no one talk about 'Colombian Necktie'? Am I alone in thinking that song is one of the best things BB wrote? That one being preceded by all those other great songs one side 1 made me cast my vote for Fucking. I also think the Kraftwerk cover is great.

[AnthonyCinder]

Atomizer has some songs that are better than any single song on Fucking .

But Songs About Fucking is a better album as a whole. Short of the Kraftwerk cover, I don't skip any songs (and I don't even skip the cover all the time).

I think i agree with this sentiment. Other than skipping "The Model," which i never do. But yeah, i think Fucking works better as a whole while Atomizer has "Kerosene," which crushes any song on SAF.

To clarify, I love their cover of "Model." It's just the only track I will skip once in a while, if I do skip any tracks at all on SAF.

This thread prompted me to listen to both albums today, back to back, and I'm sticking with my earlier sentiments.

Also, Songs About Fucking is one of the best albums to put on if you're pissed off as you drive home from work. It perfectly fits that mood.

[A Totem Pole]

Why does no one talk about 'Colombian Necktie'? Am I alone in thinking that song is one of the best things BB wrote?

That's actually my favorite song off of the album next to "L Dopa".

[RBoyer]

Buying "Atomizer" LP online right now. Have SAF (and "Hammer Party"), obviously need to round out my BB LPs after reading this thread.

Will be back w/a vote soon....

[TonyHeard]

I like Songs about Fucking more now that I've really listened to it. It grew on me. It's a good record with some good songs.

I'm not sure that I think Atomizer is better now.

[a leg plaster]

I like Songs about Fucking more now that I've really listened to it. It grew on me. It's a good record with some good songs.

I'm not sure that I think Atomizer is better now.

Listen to "Bad Houses." Listen to it over and over again until it comes together in all of its beauty. After all of this time that is my go to Big Black song.

[sunlore]

After Atomizer you go Fucking but where do you go after Fucking, where all the fat is cut? Logical conclusion of that band for me. Zero filler. I think Tiny is one of the better tracks. Bombastic Intro is fantastic right where it sits.

Also love that pretty green.

Fucking!

[milkandtaxes]

Songs About Fucking.

[Charlie D]

Anybody want to get into my time machine? OK, let's go.
Oh, look at this! It's Charlie's bedroom on December 25th, 1997. What the fuck is that on the wall? It looks like his brains! The splatter pattern indicates the blast came from over here by the... stereo? What? Wait a minute, what's this in the tape deck?
Why, it's Songs About Fucking!

First time I heard it. Goddamn. I think perhaps Atomizer didn't do it so much for me because by the time I got it, Songs About Fucking and Pigpile were already in heavy rotation and I had become acclimated to Big Black's sound.
Having said that, "Bad Houses" was another "holy shit" moment.
But, yeah, in my book, even stripping away nostalgia, it's Songs About Fucking, no waffles.

[thebigblackbirthdayparty]

Atomizer by a long shot. The riff on Passing Complexion is one of my favourite ever. Sounds like Steve is cutting through sheet metal

[SR-1]

Atomizer by a long shot. The riff on Passing Complexion is one of my favourite ever. Sounds like Steve is cutting through sheet metal

That was Sant. As a general rule of thumb I think you can tell the difference between who's playing which guitar part by how simple or complex they are.

forgive me

[AnthonyVillalobos]

I think I have already posted in this thread, but Songs About Fucking is by and far my favorite Big Black record. It's one of my favorite records period. It took numerous listens for it to click with me, but when it did it went fucking OFF in my head like I was wearing a blindfold the entire time that had just been dropped.


The Kraftwerk cover fits very well. I also like the record for what I'm sure everyone has tried by now: fucking while listening to it at full volume. My girl loves it when we're fucking, but when we're just hanging out listening to it she's actually able to pick out the lyrics and overall vibe of the record without having her legs tucked behind her head...it's a very weird record to her, but she still likes it.

And I'm happy she does, because it's going to get played all of the time regardless.

Songs About Fucking is a choice album and I'm actually kind of jealous that Big Black wrote it. Not saying I would've been able to come up with it, but the record is good enough that if I were to have a hand in the making of that album I'd hang my hat on it proudly for the rest of my life.

I'd be able to drink at a park all day, not do anything but creep people out, get yelled at by folks annoyed with my presence. All of that shit would just go in one ear and out the other while I'm thinking to myself "I helped make one of the best records ever, you fuck. Go on your way and take your stupid ass kids with you. I'm trying to enjoy my beer and do nothing."

[jimmy two hands]

Songs about Fucking is the first Big Black album I heard, so it had the most lasting impression on me. Still, I had to listen to both albums in a row to decide. Fucking, but only by a cunt-hair. Atomizer is fantastic.

[Somnambulist]

Atomizer. No contest.

Agreed. My favorite Big Black songs are on SaF, but Atomizer is nearly perfect. Passing Complexion, Fists of Love, and Jordan Minnesota are just so dense and bludgeoning.

[subprime]

Exactly even. Sign of good even albums.

[circle_ruler]

oops

[Rémy]

Songs about Fucking. Because it 's the only one I got.
I'm searching Atomizer but it's not the same when you're listening to the mp3's and when you're listening to the LP.

[plasticflame]

I've felt for a long time that while Atomizer has the better songs, Songs About Fucking has somewhat better sequencing. Songs feels really solid because of the changing intensity of the tracks, 'Trucking' is somewhat pummeling and has that guitar buzz all the way through, followed up by 'Model' which changes the pace and is driven by the bassline. There are also the similarities between the guitar lines of 'Trucking' and 'Ergot', lead-off tracks for sides A & B, which leads one to believe that the songs are where they are for a reason. Part of what makes everyone so happy about Atomizer seems to be the unwavering assault of side A; it's awesome, but, dynamically, it doesn't seem to breathe as much as Songs. In the end, though, the regardless of sequence, the songs on Atomizer (save one, and the live version of 'Cables', which I would have enjoyed more if I hadn't already owned Headache, since it felt like the end of the album was just trying to be filled*) are superior songs, and for me that will always win out.

*I recognize that I say this as someone who has put the same song, though different versions, on multiple recordings; I'm not keen on having done that still, but thems the breaks.

[subprime]

Songs about Fucking. Because it 's the only one I got.
I'm searching Atomizer but it's not the same when you're listening to the mp3's and when you're listening to the LP.

Ah fuck that. Unless youre listening to a 128 kb/s mp3 there isnt so much of a diff that it would negatively impact your ability to tell which you like more.