Big Black-The Incredibly Corporate Whorish Big Black Interview Album (1987)

July 23, 2025

Artist: Big Black

Title: The Incredibly Corporate Whorish Big Black Interview Album

Side One Side Two

Label: Touch 'n' Go

Format: LP

Cat #: TG-LP-INT-1

Year of Release: 1987

Country and Year of Edition Issue: US 1987 Promo only

Listed Condition: VG+/VG

Sell Date: 7/18/25

Sell Price: $15.57

Discogs Last Sold: 5/17/25 NM/NM $23.26

Low: $14.95 NM/NM 1/14/20

Median: $25.00

Average: $26.78

High: $40.00 NM/NM like new

Current low price: $17.44 VG+/VG

Current Number on Sale at Discogs: 5

Have/Want: 128/147

Where: Chicago, IL

Time it took to sell: 10 years

Where and When Bought: promo

Gwiz-gau Letter Grade: A-

Sad To See It Go: No

One of those collection crown jewels that somehow dropped to 15 bucks over the years. I'm sure I opened up at 40 many years ago, but a dreaded 2" seam split in my notes made other people that actually wanted the record opt for "NM/NM" copies in the 25-40 range.

This was a promo that came before the "He's A Whore" single and ultimately the Songs About Fucking pre-announced swan song of 1987. I saw the band in Providence for the first and last time in this period right before breakup. The Boston show had Pussy Galore opening, but it was a strict 21+ when I was 17. Fortunately, despite the regular midnight headline start time, Providence would allow all ages to enter the warehouse duplex called the Living Room.

The highlight of this interview record is the verbose introduction of Byron Coley with faux British/transatlantic before the strains of "Mexican Shuffle" by Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass transition into an English as second language interview run with giggling young white collegiate male subjects. They answer with smarm, smirk and sneer primarily led by spokesman Steve Albini in his younger, less, shall we say, politically correct "mature" years. The future was so bright that 2 of the 3 are now prematurely deceased. Santiago Durango still practices law, and their drum machine, the Roland TR-606, will possibly outlast them all.

On side one they berate marriage, long haired rock critics, i-legal aliens, Texans and their Stetsons. A detailed history of crack manufacturing and an imagined Bootsy Collins and his introduction to it. Tobacco chaw brand and a lengthy talk about circumcision and penis size (their own and others). We learn Steve's is name "Skipper" and "Zeke/Ezekiel" depending on mood and "Alfalfa" or "Thor" make up the rest of the bands Penis names. Boston music writers are a reoccurring derisive tone. So derisive I can't even understand what they are they saying through their giggles. Herb Alpert comes back to signal the side is over.

More Herb Alpert, this time "Zorba The Greek," opens the second side of the record. We learn immediately of the love of the DeFranco Family. Not for a shared Italian American heritage, but for the song "Abracadabra." Steve's gun ownership and use philosophy is discussed. Firecracker use on stage and the perils and joys of fireworks in general are ruminated. The "meat" of Headache's alternative cover and what could have possibly happened to the cover "model" is discussed with more depth. Most ripped off? Bananarama, Larry Graham from Graham Central Station and Suicide. Albini chimes in Geezer, (Butler, duh), Duff (McKagan?), Bananarama and Sly Stone but corrects himself with Larry Graham. "Pitching woo," "Banned places in Chicago," more woo pitching. The best bands in terms of nastiness of sound? Head of David, Killdozer and Pussy Galore. People that "want to ram it down people's throats." Steve doesn't hate small town living but reflects upon it as ugly and sometimes nice like anywhere. We learn Albini has been locked up but never convicted of anything.

Middle class homeowner in America's second largest city with two hired stooges just about sums it.

FOR FURTHER REVIEW:

Shellac-The Rude Gesture (A Pictorial History) (1993)

Shellac-Terraform (1998)

Happiness Is Dry Pants (1987)

Ground Rule Double (1996)

The Lounge Axe Defense and Relocation Compact Disc (1996)

Urge Overkill-Strange I...(1986)

Tar-Play To Win b/w Mel's (1988)

Drunk Tank-Hayride with Mary Worth (1989)

Sixteen Tons-4 Songs (1989)

Tad-Loser b/w Cooking With Gas (1990)