Big Black “The Model” 1987. I’m spinning this cover of Kraftwerk’s “Das Model” (from their 1978 LP Die Mensch-Maschine) in honor of Kraftwerk co-founder Florian Schneider, who died April 30th (that news released yesterday). “Das Model” is an infectiously boppy synthpop track that hit #1 in the UK and #7 in Germany (in ‘82) and went to #39 on the US dance charts (in ‘78). Big Black’s version of “The Model” is just as infectious but super-harsh, noisy industrial and awesome. It appeared on Big Black’s 1987 album Songs About Fucking. The flip side of this double A-side 7″ appeared on Songs About Fucking as a bonus track: a cover of Cheap Trick’s “He’s a Whore” from their 1977 debut Cheap Trick, a punky aggressive song (for Cheap Trick, anyway). Big Black’s version of “He’s a Whore” is of course way more aggressive and I like it a lot more than the original, especially the dark and growling vocals.