The group Steve Albini called a “wedding band”
The world of contemporary rock would be a completely different place without the efforts of Steve Albini. In many ways, he is the definitive Generation X artist, a musician and producer-extraordinaire who has innovated and influenced in equal measure. From his original sonic efforts to bringing those by the likes of Pixies and Nirvana to life, several of the genre’s modern hallmarks have been established through his paradigm.
One of the most distinctive aspects of Albini’s oeuvre is its darkness. From screeching, almost unlistenable guitar parts to his seething lyrics and vocal delivery, he distilled the jaded fury of his generation in the 1980s with Big Black. He would later crank his efforts up a few notches for the post-Cold War era in Shellac.
Elsewhere, he also augmented the sounds of many of the pioneers of the American underground as a producer, earning him fans across the board. The most prominent were undoubtedly Nirvana, who enlisted him to bring their third and final studio album, In Utero, to life in 1993. By far the darkest, most unsettling record the band recorded, the convergence of Kurt Cobain and Albini was a perfect match, with the former facilitating the heavier side of the trio.
Naturally, as Albini’s sonic world is so dark, it makes sense that his view of life in general is a little cynical. He’s delivered many notable moments in his time where he’s taken down the work of others and criticised the likes of religion and streaming sites. However, the most enlightening part of this outspoken nature is his critiques of other musicians, wherein he offers more insight into his mindset.
One band there’s no real surprise that Albini hates is Steely Dan, a musically antithetical outfit to his punk spirit, despite the black comedy that both are adept at. In early 2023, he launched a Twitter diatribe against the ‘Do It Again’ band. “I will always be the kind of punk that shits on Steely Dan,” he wrote. “Christ, the amount of human effort wasted to sound like an SNL band warm up”.
Continuing, Albini described their work as “made solely for the purpose of letting the wedding band stretch out a little,” and then criticised Walter Becker and Donald Fagen’s notorious perfectionism.
“Two types of perfectionist: One will prepare, revise and rehearse carefully, with intent, honing an idea to a keen edge, ready to cut the cloth of execution,” the Shellac leader said. “The other makes other people responsible by saying, ‘do it again,’ until by chance they are satisfied, then take credit.”
Listen to Steely Dan’s ‘Do It Again’ below.
