BIG RIG "Expansive Heart + Demo"

Excerpt taken from the Lookout Records catalog:

"Originally released in 1994, this EP was recorded by a short-lived San Francisco bay are supergroup of sorts that featured vocalist Jesse Michaels’ (Common Rider, Classics Of Love) return to music after the seminal punk/ska band Operation Ivy broke up in 1989. Big Rig also included members of Screw 32 and Pitch Black. These four songs are unique melodic punk with Jesse’s trademark vocal style. This record has become a sought-after classic because of its memorable music, emotional power and passionate lyrics. Original packaging artwork by Jesse Michaels."

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BIG RIG wasn't around for long. We only recorded one 7"/CD EP and a demo. The band started with me on guitar and two friends from high school, Brandon Riggen on drums and Doug Sangalang on guitar. We soon got Jeremy Goody, who would later play keyboard for Pitch Black, on bass and Jesse Michaels on vocals. In 1994, Lookout Records put out the "Expansive Heart" EP:

Track List:
1. Expansive Heart
2.Will Alone
3. New Fist
4. Persistance

Liner notes in the insert of the vinyl release of "Expansive Heart" say, "BIG RIG was a short term musical project. We played for a couple of months this year (1993) and then went onto other things. We decided to put out this record simply because we developed a liking for some of our songs and thought it would suck if nobody heard them."

Before we had decided to make it a "short term musical project" we recorded a demo in 1993:
On the demo are different versions for three of the songs that would wind up on "Expansive Heart" and three songs that have never been released before now.

Track List:
1. Escape From The Freezing Ice Hut
2. Our Secret Hours
3. Mr. Down and Out
4. Will Alone
5. Expansive Heart
6. New Fist

Click below to download the demo. The last track I've included in this download is a work in progress that never got finished. Its added here for posterity. The sound quality for the work in progress and the demo version of "New Fist" has some crackle, but they were transferred from an old cassette tape.

Click to download the BIG RIG "Demo"