Dave Riley
Dave Riley | |
---|---|
Birth name | David Michael Riley |
Born | July 30, 1960 |
Origin | Detroit |
Died | December 24, 2019 Arivaca, Arizona | (aged 59)
Genres | Punk rock |
Instrument(s) | Bass guitar |
Labels | Wasteland, Homestead, Blast First, Touch and Go, Compulsive, Top Scrap Recordings |
David Michael Riley (July 30, 1960 – December 24, 2019)
Early life
Growing up, Riley was a misfit and often bullied, the target of what he later called "insidious crap perpetrated by imperceptive emotional retards."[2] As a teenager he was in a car accident that permanently disfigured his face, causing a speech disorder.[2][3]
Career
In Detroit, Riley worked as a
Riley joined Big Black the week of Racer-X's release in April 1985, while also keeping his day job as a litigation
After a falling out with Homestead and its distributor, Dutch East India Trading, Big Black signed to
By late 1986 Riley was in college and both Albini and Durango had to keep day jobs, limiting the band's touring opportunities.[11] When Durango chose to enter law school, the band decided to keep going until his schooling began in the fall of 1987 and then disband.[5][13] They were now enjoying increased press, radio airplay, record sales, and concert fees, but Riley later said "Big Black was never about that. For Big Black to make any money, it wouldn't have been Big Black anymore."[3][14] A final tour, from June to August 1987, took the band to Europe (including performing at the Pukkelpop festival in Belgium), the United Kingdom, Australia, and across the United States, ending with their final show at Seattle's Georgetown Steam Plant where they smashed their instruments onstage.[5][15] Big Black's second studio album, Songs About Fucking, was released shortly after their breakup and became their best-selling record, with an initial pressing of 8,000 copies.[5][15]
Riley worked with other bands in subsequent years: He produced Chicago hardcore punk band Rights of the Accused's 1987 album Dillinger's Alley with Iain Burgess; sang gang vocals on the song "Red" on Flour's self-titled 1988 album; produced Spongetunnel's 1989 EP (1989); played bass, piano, and additional percussion on two tracks on Algebra Suicide's 1990 album Alpha Cue; and played bass on Bull's "Tinbox" single (1992).
Disability and writing
Riley had a
Big Black reunited for a short performance on September 9, 2006, at Touch and Go Records' 25th Anniversary festival.[18][19] Albini did not invite Riley to participate, later saying that "We haven't kept close contact post-Big Black, but it's been close enough to know that he wasn't in a condition to play. I didn't want to put him in an awkward position of trying to play, but not being able to do it."[3] Instead, they called upon original bassist Jeff Pezzati and played four songs from his tenure with the band.[19][20]
Later years and death
In 2015 Riley and Brown retired to a small ranch near
Discography
- recording engineer
- Funkadelic – The Electric Spanking of War Babies (studio album, 1981): recording engineer
- Savage Beliefs – The Moral Efficiency of Savage Beliefs (EP, 1983): bass guitar
- Savage Beliefs – The Middle of America Compilation (various artists compilation, 1984): bass guitar on "Shake Your Neighbor's Hand", drums and vocals on "Double Standard"
- Big Black – "Rema-Rema" (single, 1985): bass guitar
- Big Black – "Il Duce" (single, 1985): bass guitar
- End Result – Ward (EP, 1985): producer, saxophone
- Big Black – Atomizer (studio album, 1986): bass guitar
- Big Black – God's Favorite Dog (various artists compilation, 1986): bass guitar on "Every Man for Himself" and "Crack Up"
- Big Black – Sound of Impact (live album, 1987): bass guitar
- Big Black – Happiness Is Dry Pants (various artists compilation, 1987): bass guitar on "Burning Indian Wife"
- Big Black – Headache (EP, 1987): bass guitar
- Big Black – "Heartbeat" (single, 1987): bass guitar
- Big Black – "He's a Whore" / "The Model"(single, 1987): bass guitar
- Big Black – Songs About Fucking (studio album, 1987): bass guitar
- Rights of the Accused – Dillinger's Alley (studio album, 1987): producer
- Big Black – The Rich Man's Eight Track Tape (compilation album, 1987): bass guitar
- Flour – Flour (studio album, 1988): gang vocals on "Red"
- Spongetunnel – 1989 (EP, 1989): producer
- Algebra Suicide – Alpha Cue (studio album, 1990): bass guitar, piano, and additional percussion on "Summer Virus Night" and "What Rubs Up to You"
- Big Black – Pigpile (video album/live album, 1992): bass guitar
- Big Black – "In My House" (single, 1992): bass guitar
- Bull – "Tinbox" (single, 1992): bass guitar
- Miasma of Funk – The Glory of Destruction (various artists compilation, 1997): recording engineer and drum programming on "The Law of Averages"
- Miasma of Funk – Groove on the Mania! (studio album, 2004)
- Savage Beliefs – Big Big Sky (compilation album, 2015): bass guitar
References
- ^ a b c d Arcand, Rob (2019-12-25). "Big Black Bassist Dave Riley Dead at 59". spin.com. Spin. Retrieved 2020-03-22.
- ^ ISBN 0-316-78753-1.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p Grow, Kory (2019-12-26). "Dave Riley, Bassist for Noise Rockers Big Black, Dead at 59". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 2020-03-22.
- ^ a b c d Azerrad, p. 329.
- ^ Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-03-20.
- ^ Azerrad, pp. 328–330.
- ^ Azerrad, pp. 334–335.
- ^ Azerrad, pp. 330–332.
- ^ a b Azerrad, p. 334.
- ^ Azerrad, pp. 334–337.
- ^ a b c d e f g Azerrad, p. 338.
- ^ Deitz, Will (2008). "Steve Albini". imposemagazine.com. Impose. Retrieved 2020-03-22.
- ^ Azerrad, p. 339.
- ^ Azerrad, p. 340.
- ^ a b Azerrad, p. 341.
- ISBN 0-9777353-0-3.
- ^ Riley, Dave. "Worthless Goddamn Cripple". Archived from the original on 2010-02-27. Retrieved 2010-03-25.
- ^ Paul, Aubin (2006-06-29). "Big Black added to Touch and Go 25th Anniversary". Punknews.org. Retrieved 2010-03-27.
- ^ The Boston Phoenix. Archived from the originalon 2008-11-10. Retrieved 2010-03-27.
- ^ Lapatine, Scott (2006-09-11). "Big Black Live at Touch & Go's 25th Anniversary". Stereogum. Retrieved 2010-03-27.