Day After Day #126: Kerosene

Day After Day is an ambitious attempt to write about a song every day in 2024 (starting on Jan. 4).

Kerosene (1986)

I don't usually make these posts timely, but it made sense today with the news that Steve Albini died last night of a heart attack at the age of 61. Albini was a legendary audio engineer/producer out of Chicago who recorded legendary albums by Pixies, PJ Harvey, Nirvana, Brainiac, Mclusky, Helmet, Boss Hog, Low, Superchunk and many, many more. Before that, he was a performer, fronting the bands Big Black and Shellac, which is about to release a new album and had just announced a tour.

Albini was a prickly sort, especially in his younger days, but he had softened a bit in recent years and has apologized for some of his controversial choices. He is best known for his workmanlike approach to record production and his refusal to take royalties from the albums he worked on, a decision that cost him millions just from Nirvana's In Utero alone (the 1993 album has sold 15 million copies). 

Albini formed the punk act Big Black in 1981 while a student at Northwestern University. The band was industrial before industrial was a thing: Abrasive, clanky guitars, a drum machine and lyrical content that was not for the faint of heart. The band sang about murder, rape, arson, racism, child abuse, but from a detached point of view, condemning satirically rather than condoning, although not all listeners may have been able to tell the difference. Big Black was proudly anti-corporate rock and DIY all the way; they didn't owe anybody anything. 

Afte releasing a few EPs and building up a fanbase through constant touring, Big Black released their debut album Atomizer in 1986 on Homestead Records. Albini was joined by Santiago Durango on abrasive guitars while Dave Riley played bass and of course, there was Roland the drum machine. The album features the band's best known song, "Kerosene," which starts out with clanging guitars before erupting into a punishing groove. Albini sings as a denizen of a small Midwest town (like the one in Montana he grew up in) who's got nothing to do but set things on fire and have sex.

"Nothing to do, sit around at home/Stare at each other and wait til we die/Stare at each other wait til we die/Probably come to die in this town/Live here my whole life/There's kerosene around, something to do/There's kerosene around, she's something to do/There's kerosene around, she's something to do/There's kerosene around, we'll find something to do/Kerosene around, she's something to do/Kerosene around, set me on fire/Set me on fire, kerosene."

Life's so pointless in his nothing town that the protagonist might as well set himself on fire. It's something to do. It's 6 minutes of unforgiving guitar scraping awesomeness. "Kerosene" was later covered by Pitchshifter, Lamb of God and St. Vincent (see below).

Atomizer created enough buzz that the band secured European distribution and toured over there. A falling out with the label led to a deal with Touch and Go Records, where they released an EP and the 1987 album Songs About Fucking before breaking up. Albini went on to form the unfortunately named band Rapeman and then Shellac, which stayed together from 1992 up until his death. 

Albini bought his studio Electrical Audio in 1995 and recorded albums for just about anyone, including artists as varied as Robert Plant and Jimmy Page, Bush, Joanna Newsom and Ty Segall. He also played in the World Series of Poker and won a few tournaments. Even as much as he didn't care about popularity, Albini's legend will live on through the amazing body of work he left behind.