Description
Book SynopsisBy June 1993, when Washington, D.C.'s Fugazi released their third full-length album
In on the Kill Taker, the quartet was reaching a thunderous peak in popularity and influence. With two EPs (combined into the classic CD
13 songs) and two albums (1990's genre-defining
Repeater and 1991's impressionistic follow-up
Steady Diet of Nothing) inside of five years, Fugazi was on creative roll, astounding increasingly large audiences as they toured, blasting fist-pumping anthems and jammy noise-workouts that roared into every open underground heart. When the album debuted on the now-SoundScan-driven charts, Fugazi had never been more in the public eye. Few knew how difficult it had been to make this popular breakthrough. Disappointed with the sound of the self-produced
Steady Diet, the band recorded with legendary engineer Steve Albini, only to scrap the sessions and record at home in D.C. with Ted Niceley, their brilliant, under-known producer. Inadvertentl
Trade ReviewWritten with a fan’s loving attitude and a journalist’s eye for puncturing false narratives, this entry in the 33 ? series is a great primer for those new to Fugazi as well as an illuminating read for those who wore out their Kill Taker cassettes long ago. * Pitchfork *
Table of ContentsForeword
Rob Sheffield Introduction A Brief History of Four Musicians Interlude: A Comment on Ritual, or How Fugazi Wrote Songs "Steady Diet of No Reverb" The Albino Demo "Facet Squared" “Public Witness Program" "Returning the Screw" Interlude: The Sleeve "Smallpox Champion" "Rend It" "23 Beats Off" "Sweet and Low" "Cassavetes" Interlude: Punk vs. the Pop Charts "Great Cop" "Walken's Syndrome" Two Finales Interlude: Live Afterword Acknowledgements Bibliography
