Unfortunately, it has taken me a few days to get to this, but it is important to finally write this - because on Tuesday (7th May) the music world lost another giant, Steve Albini, at the age of just 61.
Although maybe not a household name for many, if you were listening to anything labelled 'alternative' coming out of the UK and US from the late 80s onwards, there's a good chance it might have Albini's mark stamped across it.
Originally from Pasadena, Albini made a name for himself first as a musician in 80s punk and hardcore bands like Big Black and later Shellac, before getting behind the desk to work on others' music. Disliking the term record producer, he preferred to be labelled as a recording engineer, he famously refused to get involved with taking artist royalties and instead insisted on just taking a flat fee for his work.
Shellac: Dude Incredible (audio only)
He thought that more traditional record producers ended up destroying records, so tried to leave artistic control to those he was working with, instead focusing on getting the best sounds for them. By 2018, he estimated he had worked on several thousand records - this list is just a sample of some of the ones you may know.
Urge Overkill: Strange, I (1986)
Pixies: Surfer Rosa (1988)
The Breeders: Pod (1990)
The Wedding Present: Seamonsters (1991)
Nirvana: In Utero (1993)
PJ Harvey: Rid Of Me (1993)
Bush: Razorblade Suitcase (1996)
Jimmy Page & Robert Plant: Walking Into Clarksdale (1998)
The Breeders: Hellbound (Official music video - a bit of a hazy version)
In Utero
He had dismissed Nirvana as they became successful, referring to them somewhat dismissively as "REM with a fuzzbox". When they approached him to work on the follow up to smash hit Nevermind, he claimed he took it on out of sympathy. His work was not all that well received, with the bass and vocals deemed too low in the mix. Bob Ludwig and Scott Litt would eventually be bought to remix some of it, but the album still retains Albini's original presence.
Nirvana: All Apologies (audio only - original Steve Albini mix)
Death and legacy
Albini had spent most of his adult life living in a Chicago suburb, and it was there, at his Electronic Audio studio, that he died of a heart attack on Tuesday. Shellac had been about to release their first album in a decade and go on tour.
His musical peers were quick to eulogise at his passing.
Legendary Chicago venue, the Metro posted, "We're deeply saddened to hear of Steve Albini's passing and keep his family in our hearts. Thank you for all that you contributed to punk rock in our town and the reverberations of creativity you bought forth, felt the world over."
On working with him in the 1990s, guitar legend Jimmy Page said, "I had a strong connection with Steve, we all did on that album, and he came with such pedigree and experience as one of the world's leading mixers and audio engineers..... Steve had worked with NIRVANA on their third album and also with the likes of PIXIES and BUSH. He had an impressive CV and leaves a real legacy. RIP, Steve."
PJ Harvey wrote on Instagram, “Meeting Steve Albini and working with him changed the course of my life. He taught me so much about music, and life. Steve was a great friend – wise, kind and generous. I am so grateful. My thoughts are with him and his family and friends as we suffer his loss.”
PJ Harvey: 50ft Queenie (Official music video - from Rid Of Me album)
Bob Mould said, "Thank you for building the magnificent sound cathedral called Electrical Audio. Thank you for the constant reminders of how to navigate our music business. Thank you for the empanadas and our conversations. My deepest condolences to Heather, the Electrical staff, and the Shellac folks."
Comedian and actor Fred Armisen paid tribute to his friend: "I love Steve so much. We said it more often to each other in recent years. I’m so glad I got to tell him. He was so funny, all the time... I always loved hearing him say 'I don’t care.' He was such a good friend to me, endlessly. I admired his work ethic and his warmth. And his opinions on national flags. On everything."
Sonic Youth frontman Thurston Moore wrote a long tribute letter published in Brooklyn Vegan.
"Like the music he adored and devoted his life to – punk and experimental action, suspect and resistant to any semblance of exploitation – Steve Albini was a person of passion and contradiction.... He was an artist, a musician, a recording engineer, a high functioning decoder allowing for a plethora of poker winnings and pool table mastery. He loved the clean, solid, stylish simplicity of a classic Zippo lighter.... Yesterday’s news was a shock, heartbreaking, we will truly miss him here."
You can read the full letter here.
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