''Headache'' is the fourth EP by American

post-hardcore Post-hardcore is a punk rock music genre that maintains the aggression and intensity of hardcore punk but emphasizes a greater degree of creative expression. Like the term " post-punk", the term "post-hardcore" has been applied to a broad conste ...

band

Big Black Big Black was an American punk rock band from Evanston, Illinois, active from 1981 to 1987. Founded first as a solo project by singer and guitarist Steve Albini, the band became a trio with an initial lineup that included guitarist Santiago Dur ...

. The record generated some controversy due to a cover photograph of a

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suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

victim whose head was split in half; it only appeared on a very limited edition of the record and was later replaced with a drawing by Savage Pencil.''Selected Savage Pencil Bibliography, Exhibitions, Discography, Record Covers''
/ref> The identity of the dead man in the original album cover remains unknown. Original pressings bore a

sticker A sticker is a type of label: a piece of printed paper, plastic, vinyl, or other material with temporary or permanent pressure sensitive adhesive on one side. It can be used for decoration or for functional purposes, depending on the situation. ...

reading, "Warning! Not as good as '' Atomizer'', so don't get your hopes up, cheese!" as a frank communication from the members of Big Black to their fans that they did not regard the ''Headache'' EP to be as strong as the band's previous release. This also came at a time when

major labels "Big Three" music labels A record label or record company is a brand or trademark of music recordings and music videos, or the company that owns it. Sometimes, a record label is also a publishing company that manages such brands and t ...

were first starting to warn parents that albums contained " explicit lyrics", and while all of Big Black's records contained such lyrics, ''Headache's'' sticker was an

ironic Irony, in its broadest sense, is the juxtaposition of what, on the surface, appears to be the case with what is actually or expected to be the case. Originally a rhetorical device and literary technique, in modernity, modern times irony has a ...

dig at mainstream music. Copies of the sticker also appeared on the vinyl release of

Sonic Youth Sonic Youth were an American rock band formed in New York City in 1981. Founding members Kim Gordon (bass, vocals, guitar), Thurston Moore (lead guitar, vocals) and Lee Ranaldo (rhythm guitar, vocals) remained together for the entire history of ...

's '' Master=Dik'' EP as an independent music in-joke.

Track listing

#"My Disco" – 2:51 #"Grinder" – 2:22 #"Ready Men" – 3:50 #"Pete, King of all Detectives" – 2:40

Notes

External links

Headache/Heartbeat package
(Dementlieu, "ARBEIT MACHT FREI: Big Black Discography") - includes links to photos of limited cover 1987 EPs Big Black EPs Touch and Go Records EPs Blast First EPs {{1980s-punk-album-stub