Live

Video released in 1986 on Atavistic

This was recorded in October of 1985 in Detroit, with a busted video camera, so the picture looks like shit (you can read Albini bitching about it in cDc 84). Sound is pretty good, even though it gets a little muddled at times. Probably borderline B+/A-.

reviews:

...since I don't actually own a VCR, and have never watched MTV, my experience with the video form has been pretty limited. But after a blow-out weekend just spent watching about ten hours of the crap, I've come to coupla conclusions. One, is that the TV monitor sound is fuckin' great. So greatly limited by the mechanics of the setup, bass response is eliminated, high volume is impossible, and what you get is this incredible, highly condensed, trebly blast that greatly distorts the band's real intent and throws technology right out the window, in turn creating a whole new audibility outlook. In this age of sophisticated sound, it's really pleasing to hear something so helplessly non-conformist. I'm sure this will be dealt with in our lifetime, so enjoy this shit before technology rears it's ugly head to "fix" everything up. Second, it's a heckuva a dull affair to watch through the eyes of some dump shit camera man as he stares at band shitting through their full set for 45 minutes or more. Being a trio, where each member's gotta be concerned with holding up their third, Big Black are especially prey to this lack of excitement factor. Some of the color processing and variable speed film fuck-arounds add interest, but this's a bit inferior to the Sonic Youth video also on Atavistic and quite a step below either a record, or an actual gig. This one does have one tremendous moment though, when our man-tit hero TKA (from the OFFENSE newsletter) jumps on stage during the version of "Rema-Rema" and moons Albini, showing off his famed "Ivo" tattoo. 'Twas well worth the wait.
--Jimmy, Forced Exposure 10