Big Black - Passing Complexion

[OldSchoolChinny]

I think Neitzer Ebb went on first at this show. I met/skated with Barney a couple if times in the 80's but never had the gumption to ask him about it...:-/

[OldSchoolChinny]

I love how Albini wraps his guitar strap around his waist-I've tried that and it's actually pretty effective!

[AJtheory]

steve albini is eddie deezen on meth

[kowtpr187]

there is something fucking nostalgic about this and I was probably only 5 yrs old when this concert took place.

[PantsMenace]

he's wearing a die kreuzen shirt <3!

[Oddell]

incredible

[youknowyourrite1]

those peavey t-40's are fucking boat anchors.. no lie.

[missrejectedgirl]

this sounds even better than the recorded version! so fucking catchy!

[marion333able]

awesome!!!

[lefteyedflounder]

my moms dead that must have been ur own mom loser.

[lefteyedflounder]

this dude was awesome in napoleon dynamite!!!!

[kowtpr187]

@lefteyedflounder your mom was awesome in my bedroom last night!

[Tralfaz666]

sick band... I'm glad I got to see them...

[nirvanamkp]

this is great. this is the first time i listened to this band. i first heard of them because steve albini produced nirvanas inutero so i figured id try em out. great band. deffinitly going on the ipod.

[TyghtAlso]

@nirvanamkp Yes,that was one of the great things about grunge-The Influences-it was,appropriately,a sort of thrift store of influences.

Everything from The Rezillos & The Replacements to Tom Petty to Neil Young,from Big Black,Black Sab and Black flag.Once grunge became a poppy parody kids everywhere reached back into the influences of it and bands that might be forgotten now were "born again".

[Scrotemeister]

@TyghtAlso This has fuck all to do with grunge.

[TyghtAlso]

@Scrotemeister I was making the point that they were a massive influence on grunge.

[TyghtAlso]

@TyghtAlso Massive influence on lots of grunge bands("Atomizer" and "Songs about fucking" albums particularly) and the lead singer(Steve) partially produced\engineered Nirvana's "In Utero" album so...I can't agree.

[bklyndude77]

the master of controlled chaos

[Polyfusia]

Tight guitar slinking by Santiago Durango here.

[theleslieq]

Life changing...saw them at Oberlin w/SY....word

[headHunter241]

If anyone's wondering how to do the noise part, just play harmonics on the 12th fret of the d, g, and b strings.

Also, you need a shitload of distortion.

[shrouds]

D KREUZEN

[MsMiguel70]

My favorite Big Black song/weapon. Fuckin rocks.

[QueenTubby37]

one the best punk bands all time..Braap!

[blank5317]

The Smiths, Big Black, and Nirvana. I'm not saying you need nothing else, but . . .

[vanuaturocks]

@blank5317 How did you manage to throw The Smiths into that sentance?

[EyesOfTheSouthSTi]

@blank5317 I got Buzzov*en, Black Flag, Big Black, Scratch Acid, Nirvana, Mudhoney, Melvins, Mastodon, shit I got alot of bands.

[deathmetaldouglas69]

At 2:23 Dave Riley proves he is a bass guitar god. I almost bought a Peavey T-40 for that reason alone.

[mpkpkm]

Fucking young punx-try B.B.!!!! Albini always said-Big Black is the punk rock band...But it's not so nice like Rancid...So-fuck you,sorryasses-1,2 fu.BB 4ever!

[giorgiomichello]

Of a time and place and yet of every time and place--fuck me, I'd like to see Roland kick Carl Palmer's fucking ass...too bad they never met.

[pistwhiteboy]

This is so fucking good

[herkyjerky42]

holy fucking shit best video on the internet

[farkasgyorgy]

the real punks!!!!!!!!

[oiyabastard]

@farkasgyorgy indeed

[h748syb]

this loop goes round in my head for days everytime i listen to this tune. epic.

[karatebankrobber]

@h748syb I know what you mean, %101.

[jeffscottd]

Mem. wkend.. playing Big Black VINYL VERY loudly. my neighbors hate me. F@%& the bourgeois! Go Flyers!

[mobius64]

1 2 F U !

[BojanglesUdon]

this is nerd rage in its purest, most vitriolic form. hot damn

[beslum]

very influential band

[Cleverconveyence]

@knightgame1979 I can totally see Big Black having influenced A Place To Bury Strangers. Have you heard of them?

[Cleverconveyence]

Holy shit.

[dinosaurjr420]

perfection

[fiddelerselbow]

Big Black is fucking awesome.

[TheSodiumhaze]

I think Steve is sooooooooooo cute! Both then and now!

[zuniga6412]

Just a bunch of noise.

[AlxFitz]

then the subject never came up. I think steves a nice guy but hes never equalled nig black.

[Misternirvana]

1, 2, FUCK YOU BAHAHAHAHA

[HamburgerMartyr]

sknng sknng vroom vroom

[Tralfaz666]

SO glad I got to see these guys a few times

[msnikish1]

@Tralfaz666 ya i'm fuckin glad too , you fuckin asswipe

[janeandbela]

So thankful someone filmed this back then!!!!!

[66420192]

I personally have a man-crush on steven albini... <_<

[Lefty001]

@66420192 He is pretty fuckin' cool.

[margenat]

FUCKING AWESOME !!!

[mrfike]

Truly one of the greatest bands ever, what awesome guitars. I got to see them live in 87 in Ann Arbor, and this song was one of the high points, I've been a follwer ever since, Shellac too. Thanks for posting!!!

[subhumanmaster]

i remember hearing bad penny that made me like big black but this song made me think goddamn this band is awesome

[jaramillaso]

1, 2 FUCK YOU!!!

SUPERB!!!

[kunluv]

this is defenitley their most insightful song

[jonesmh123]

i have il duce on a 7 inch, they didnt include it on a cd so i dont know how someone would upload it. i stick to vinyl for the most part fuck digital

[ants4rocket]

It was on "The Wailing Ultimate" compilation on Homestead Rec.s so I guess it was UL'd that way - or maybe from a 7" .

[rubengiuliani1986]

that's the meanest feedback in history

[SimplyShadow]

dam that son uv a bitch can play the guitar.

[AlmaNebula]

hey, to the one who may corncerns, don't be fascist and put red thumb to nomocore cuz he post in spanish...it's a global website

[stevewarrior1]

Heey to the one who may corncerns, learn fucking english.

[AlmaNebula]

I don't think so, moron...I don't know a language called "fucking english"... is the language of you and your hillbilly family?

[jamjargod]

has anyone got a copy of "Il Duce" theat they can upload, you would not belive how long iv been looking to hear that song, along with the bside big money

[ChicagoRock1]

Smokn'!

[ThaDeeStylee]

Yeah man... you can tell that riff is basically the same chord yeah yeah yeahs used on Y Control... they put their own twist on its progression though. These guys remind me of The Refused, as far as attitude goes. Good shit, 5 stars.

[iruegas5994]

this is nuts!! but i like

[nomocore]

BIG BLACK gran banda" passing complexion" es uno de mis temas favoritos la raja el detalle de la polera de die kreuzen (otra gran bnada)ke lleva albini mortal veneno!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MacklinReed]

I like the Die Kreuzen t-shirt.

2 bands that really give the midwest some credibility.

[DrRazorblade]

yeah yeah yeah borrows sounds from them seems like

[geoPhaze]

first, the yeah yeah yeah's, more than kinda suck. Second, all bands borrow sounds, seriously think about it.... no one has discovered some new type of sound, no new keys, no new scales.... it is all stealing, music works cause there is a limited set of building blocks to use. That is why noise/experiemental music is so hard to for most to listen to, no rules.

[geoPhaze]

also, this was in the late 80's or early 90's, that is steve albini, not a god, but a boundary breaker.

[pieroroi]

why someone should discover something new instead of doind something good?

[geoPhaze]

well, probably they should do both... but seriously good is so damn subjective... Steve Vai is good but I would rather have my ears epoxied shut than listen to it.

[officernarc]

but you're forgetting the fact that regardless of how off-beat big black is, it's still taking those avant-garde concepts and placing them within a rock format.

[geoPhaze]

not sure how I am forgetting that...but ok, sure it is true. Not really sure how that follows either as I was stating that nothing is new, so that is sorta implied that the concepts that are "new" here are just borrowed and repackaged, all good though.

[agenttk421]

this is the sonic equivalent of getting fucked with a chainsaw, it hurts so fucking good.

[DrummerBoone]

I love the waist belt guitar straps... freaking great... haha

[Madhatte1973]

Big Black = totally underrated

[jonnyjaywick]

dave riley - bass god

[bzkay]

God this is fucking awesome.

[AuronShinobi]

This sounds unreal. First I've heard from BB, its good stuff.

[p3pp3rj0n3s]

i was there at the gig, 1993, we got lost, but the black!!!!!!!!!!!! oh gosh

[BILLTHEDEDGI]

this is from Pigpile, which was a 1987 gig. they had broken up by '93.

[NAYNAYxXxXxXx]

Fuck, this guitar riff is psychotic. The entire song sounds frantic, or like some sort of blade whirring for a few minutes.

Brilliant.

[eFloodwater]

Since the first time I have heard Passing Complexion it reminds me of the them tune of Dallas. Played with a chainsaw, that is.

[eFloodwater]

Give me an 'e': theme tune

[L8NiteWorker]

Brilliant, one of my faves by them.

Thanks for posting!

And I couldn't agree more, modern 'rock' could learn a lot from this....

[milkmeat]

Thanks very, very much for posting. This is my favorite Big Black song.The guitar riff is violent and beautiful. Cheers!!

[badazzpresidents23]

one two, fuck you!!

[TyghtAlso]

I used to love it when they would shout "drum solo!"

and just let roland run for like two minutes.

[zippywaite]

@TyghtAlso

hahaha!  aw man thats fuckin awesome.

[AJtheory]

Actually he does it before halfway thru the video, and it's f***ing awesome...

I want to go do that

[AJtheory]

That marching/running-in-place that the guitarist does while he's playing toward the end is f***ing awesome

Great, VITAL song

[tmvnotmtv]

the original version of the song 'maps' from yeah yeah yeahs.. haha :p

[spectravision]

the music equivalent of a carpet bombing. enjoy at your own risk.

[degaulle30]

Puts modern supposedly heavy rockers to shame. It actually sounds like its from someone's nightmare. So inventive.

[celebratedsummer88]

singing saw blade tearing through sheet metal

[happy709]

Big Black's best!

Sickening evil filth.

Can't get much better can you?

[oatmealfight]

I imagine hell sounding exactly like this song.

This guitar tone is the evilest shit ever

[speedyakins]

pure fuckin chaos

[thame15]

steve Albini fucking genius,

The is the best song i have ever heard.

[deeplysarcastic]

unimpressive

[Khimkharmakan]

Never mind hell, this riff sounds like a steel drum on the album - if you know what I mean???!

[blondeonblonde1966]

doo doo dodoodod DEE DEE dee! lol

[Gone1984]

so fucking raw

[EDOGSMOM6]

my personal favorite!!!! and i love jerry lee lewis

[punkofiel]

oh...:):):):);0 vet!

[saberous33]

I say goddamn!

[fionamacginty]

I've realised that,after watching and listening to Pigpile(this song and cables in particular),that the reason big black are so unique,is because no matter how hard metallica and Bodom strive,Albini and co. have perfectly replicated the sound of HELL.

[hopscotchglamrock]

I wouldn't say this is the sound of hell... I'd say it's.... hmm. intelligence... complex and primal at once.

[DaDazey]

Nice said - It may still be hellish though.

[koreindian1]

That's pretty lame.

[spielratz]

Yes. Best hard gituar sound ever. Beats Slayer :-)

[joewhittles]

if anything this band is close to "heavy" as anything.

[Nickdonjuan]

Amazing. How is it that so much venal, absurd bland rubbish still get's released and recorded under the title "music"? Big Black weren't utterly perfect (who is?) but they pushed music forward, they attempted to make us evolve.

[happy709]

Couldn't have said it any better myself mate

[perdidoentraslacion]

great song

[pikecpokec]

amazing

[trainyardhero]

holy shit.

[thischarmingman84]

thank you.

this song is life.

fucking insane.

[fabiomandol]

one of the best songs ever

[ThunderPreacher]

Do not play this song on your car stereo when stuck in a traffic jam! Your head may explode and/or you may start hurting people around you! The heaviest song by Big Black? They are one of the underground icons of the eighties.

[lowend]

Hellz yeah!! Steve Albini and the boys!

[tagged123]

Amazing... this song has always blown me away

[BIGBLACK0118]

i party with big black bumpin in my stereo every weekend...

[siadbarrbar]

i guess its just built off the bassline and harmonic guitar part...with steve making noise

[siadbarrbar]

ive figured out the harmonic guitar part...but i cant quite hear what the chord part is..anyone know?

[BillSwansea]

Slide down the neck, strumming harmonics really fast and end on C.

[Inspector71]

Albini's guitar sounds like death incarnate in this song and I fucking love it.

[siadbarrbar]

whoa. this song sounds bad ass.

[adelmanjaro]

now where the fuck is kerosene and dead billy?

[SteveAFCLondon]

My thoughts exactly !!

[Khimkharmakan]

This is brilliant - wish I was there - thanks!