Steve Albini, one of the best known producers and engineers of indie/punk/alternative rock, passed away yesterday of a heart attack. Probably best known for producing Nirvana’s In Utero, he brought a no-nonsense, organic, and occasionally cantankerous approach to the sessions. He also produced The Pixies, Superchunk, PJ Harvey, Page-Plant, and in more recent years Cloud Nothings and Ty Segall. These names barely scratch the surface of the artists he’s worked with. He was opinionated and efficient, and took the rare stance of believing that producers should not get royalty points on the releases they worked on; an admirable trait, especially for a guy with that resume.
He wasn’t only a producer. It was hard to walk into a music venue in the ‘90s and not see a Shellac poster for an upcoming show, and his Big Black “He’s a Whore” 7”, complete with the Cheap Trick `77 mock-cover was everywhere (at least to Cheap Trick fans).
JP & The Tucos’ drummer/producer/engineer Gabriel Doman often sends me videos of Albini’s recording techniques and we quickly apply them to our own demos and albums. “Should we try the Albini method here?” Gabriel might ask, microphone in hand, after we’ve dialed in a guitar tone. “Yup.”
PITCHFORK published an extensive obituary today, so we’ll leave the details to them. But we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention this gem, never officially released, but often rumored to be coming soon…..
CHEAP TRICK - The Steve Albini IN COLOR:
Rest in peace, Steve Albini. Thanks for so many of the great albums that have been the soundtrack of our lives.
Jeremy Porter lives near Detroit and fronts the rock and roll band Jeremy Porter And The Tucos. Follow them on Facebook to read his road blog about their adventures on the dive-bar circuit.
www.thetucos.com
www.facebook.com/jeremyportermusic
www.rockandrollrestrooms.com
Twitter: @jeremyportermi | Instagram: @onetogive & @jeremyportermusic
