Two Nuns & a Pack Mule

If you're looking for something that is raw, underproduced and benefits from that stripped-down production, Rapeman's "Two Nun's And A Pack Mule" is something worth punishing your eardrums with. And with a huge grin on your face no less!Steve Albini's very brief incarnation as a part of this group is a bridge between his work with Big Black and Shellac. Compared to Big Black before it Rapeman is a much more primitive experiment. Real drums, tuned-down vocals and extremely overdriven guitar and bass lends a very raw and visceral sound. It may not be as good as Big Black but it was a turning point that led to Albini's next band, Shellac, and the legendary "At Action Park".And it is a great listen! From the opening line of "Why don't you snuff it, man, you plant-eating..." from "Steak & Black Onions" (yummers) you find yourself hooked into the snide and hilarious commentary and the music itself. From the benefits of having a unified eyebrow to characters such as a lizard-like human, a puny person with an attitude ("...just wait 'til I start Nautilus"), a "Chinee" hooked on opium (same person, perhaps?), the goal of human conception and birth in outer space as a part of the space program to a woman who has literally ______ her brains out, it's very funny! Keep a listen for the Beastie Boys shout-out and the track-length Sonic Youth parody!Vegetarians, feminists, the "Chinee" and other "politically correct" groups of people who are too uptight for their own good will not like this one bit. There's always that stuff on "easy-listening radio" for those fools. For the rest of us who find all of that just a bunch of crap this is right up our alley.Oh, and forget Filter! Rapeman was there first and the evidence is in the form of the included "Budd" EP. The opening "Budd" track serves as a dark and brooding dirge dedicated to the late corrupt congresscritter known as "Budd Dwyer" who blew his brains out live on daytime television in Pennsylvania (carried live on Pittsburgh's WPXI-TV at the time). The rest of the Budd" EP serves as a great piece of history of Rapeman playing live.Get this if you feel that "punk" music nowadays has lost its soul. Solid stuff! And do check out Big Black and Shellac as well.

With a name like Rapeman you know right out the gate you're in for some hardcore content. Rapeman was a short lived project from engineer extraordinaire and masterful musician Steve Albini following the end of the legendary Big Black. Two Nuns and a Pack Mule is essentially a bridge between Big Black and Albini's current band Shellac. You get the pulverizing screeching noise rock with time signature changes showing the shift towards Shellac's math rock sound. The result is very compelling and intriguing in the development of Albini as a musician. The abrupt pauses and time signature change ups punctuate the already confrontational noise rock sound. One track that I particularly enjoyed was "Kim Gordon's Panties" which shows the humor of the band and musically evokes a Sonic Youth feel.It's ironic that Rapeman were (and presumably still are) considered misogynist given that Albini has advocated support for feminists causes. Unfortunately people see the band name and draw conclusions before seeing what they were all about. For those not in the know, the name Rapeman came from a Japanese comic book. Albini found the comic so bizarre and it left such an impression on him that they went with the name. At no point have I read anything that suggests they were trying to make light of rape. I think this band is a classic example of 'dont judge a book by its cover'If you're a fan of Big Black, Shellac, or noisey albums in general I'd recommend picking this one up.

Wow, I was so happy to find a copy of this album, probably because of the unfortunatename of the band, but if you can look beyond that, this is perhaps Albini's best work. A gentle balance of cacaphony, hints of melody, noise and silence, light and shade. Man, this is true Renaissance stuff going on. Also, this album introduced me to ZZ Top's "Just Got Paid".Package was well shipped and this was an original shrink wrap like back in the day, when I was in my 20s and a menace to the world....

Awesome album and the vinyl sounds great. Loved this album as a teen and was happy to have it again. Highly recommend it!

It must have been around '87. I'd been too ignorant up untill that year to pick up Big Black (I was very much into AC/DC and Black Flag) But when I did, i became a born-again 'noisy' immediately. The Atomizer-album was awesome and realy made a mark in the history of music and guitar-playing. However, since we tend to realize things a bit late here in the Netherlands (where I live) Big Black broke up just about the time i was discovering the greatness of the band.However, pretty soon I got my chance at a Rapeman-gig in Nijmegen (NLD). and boy, what a gig that was. The sheer exitement, the brutality of the sound, the In-Your-face-delivery of the band, all added up to an inspiring concert. Despite of the "I realy hate women"-kind alike statements by Steve. The power that oozed out of the PA-system gave me a great feeling. My girlfriend and I just got so excited...Great night!Two Nuns....just brings that kind of exitement across and takes me back to what must have one of the greatest nights of my life. The same pounding drums, thrusting bass and wise-[guy]-attitude...There's simply not much production going on on this album...and therefore its a great token of how powerfull honest straight and true rock and roll can sound like...Oh shoot, just listen and buy the darn thing...

Still shocking after all these years: And not so much for the grease monkey with a degree bitterness to the lyrics (my favorite, if you must know, being Steve Albini's gender-bent rant in "Trouser Minnow," when he plays a sorority girl gone way too desperate and promiscuous). No, it's the shriek of the guitar--and I'd use the term "metallic" if said term wasn't so freighted with everything Albini pretty much disliked -- that still blows us away. This is my favorite Albini project, the Ur-"noise as beauty" landmark that sandblasted everything else. Abrasive and gorgeous.

genial

"Rapeman" war ein Bandprojekt des 1962 geborenen amerikanischen Musikers Steve (Stephen Frank) Albini, das er ins Leben rief, nachdem sich seine deutlich erfolgreichere Band "Big Black" nach zwei Longplayern und ein paar EPs 1987 aufgelöst hatte. David Wm. Sims und Rey Washam (beide ehemalige Mitglieder von Scratch Acid) ergänzten das Trio. Die Band schuf nur ein Album und eine EP, die auf dieser 44:54 Minuten langen CD mit 14 Tracks beide enthalten sind. 1989 erschien noch eine (hier nicht enthaltene) Single, bevor die Band sich auflöste. Aufgrund ihres Namens (benannt nach einem japanischen Manga, dessen Hauptperson Vergewaltigung als Mittel zur Durchsetzung von Gerechtigkeit einsetzte) hatten sie ein Imageproblem. Bei Konzerten der Band kam es oft zu Protesten, die Band mache sich über Vergewaltigungen und Gewalt gegen Frauen lustig und heiße sie gut. Albini nennt diese Kritik idiotisch und argumentiert, die Punk-Szene stehe dem Feminismus generell positiv gegenüber.Musikalisch erwarten einen kaum Überraschungen, wie Albinis Vorgängerband handelt es sich zumeist um krachig-lärmige Aufnahmen mit Schreigesang, in denen die melodiöse Seite manchmal etwas zu kurz kommt. Es gibt aber auch Ausnahmen, wie das sich eher schleichend entwickelnde, siebeneinhalb -minütige "Budd". Albini verlagerte den Schwerpunkt seiner Arbeit aufs Produzieren von Bands (Nirvana, Pixies, Breeders, PJ Harvey, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, 18th Dye uvm.) und gründete 1992 "Shellac", die noch immer existieren.

レイプマン名義最初で最後のアルバムアルバム初心者は必聴！

je me suis offert cet album de Steve Albini après avoir lu que K.Cobain était fan de ce groupe dans les années 80.Rapeman ne m'a pas trop surpris, ayant déjà découvert Shellac, du même Steve Albini au début des années 2000.très bon

Saw this band with Dinosaur Jr and the Band of Susans back in 1988 in Bedford UK, blinding gig my knees are still trembling and ears still ringing (tinnitus?) .Albini true to his form captures how the band sound live and then some, nothing like them before, nothing like them after. Though Jesus Lizard came close?