If you read the link to the Electrical board someone posted Albini said it wasn't a planned interview, the guy just came up to him and said can i ask you a few questions.

Good point. He might be more responsible for bringing down the "scene", that he is referring to, than SY!

While this is probably true, he sure did give hella long answers to some of the questions!!

Albini will record for anyone (including Bush). He doesn't insist on having his name put on any sleeve, and only charges flat rates (he made $10,000 for In Utero). He's got some weird ideas, not all of which I agree with, but he's always stuck to whatever these ideas are since day one.

People come to him asking for his services, not the other way around. I can see how one may feel as if he's contradicting himself...but not really. He takes advantage of this world he speaks against, they don't take advantage of him.

Two sides to every coin. This just happens to be a coin that doesn't matter too much either way.

This reminds me of this.................. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Cge3SKUVIw

and this................. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDaqCzuudnU

Sonic youth / Steve Albini have had some light hearted banter between them over the years. I wouldn't take it too seriously!

ps . Steve Albini does like Sonic Youth records, even a couple of their major label ones......... http://www.sonicyouth.com/history/reviews/index.html

^ hahaha great first vid...

"this song is called we're sonic youth and you're Steve Albini"

Albini's name on an album lends it a level of cultural legitimacy that it might not otherwise have. It's the same as if an up and coming rap artist gets RZA to produce his debut album or when a pop artist gets some hotshot dance producer to remix their latest single. More people are likely to take notice of it. Albini's name may not be a guaranteed passport to success but I'll bet that while he mightn't insist his name is credited on the albums he produces, the record companies that pay him now do. He's a brand name as much as he is a producer, if not more.

I wouldn't dispute that.

I also have a real problem with his thing about the band having day jobs. Shellac easily have a high enough profile for its members not to have to work 9-5. They choose not to tour, either out of laziness or (I suspect) because Albini makes far more as an in-demand, 'name' producer than he would on the road. I wouldn't be surprised if it's a case of the other members having to keep their day jobs, simply because Albini won't leave his. Either way, are bands like High on Fire, or Clutch any less 'indie' because they make a living touring, rather than through a regular day job? Albini's had this weird hard-on for some idealised blue-collar bullshit from the beginning. He should fuck off and become a miner and stop ruining Stooges albums.

"This is the Big Black reunion song!" *goes into White Cross*

....He says in the interview they're still friends, I think he explained himself quite thoroughly in a sense, but it would have been nice if he had been more specific about the problems he had with the band.. I'm guessing it has to do with Chuck D on Kool Thing (though he really doesn't do much at all) and then the Butch Vig superslick production of Dirty/Jet Set is probably the stuff that rubbed him the wrong way; I seem to remember Albini having a problem with Butch Vig and his production styles -- don't forget there are drum samples on Dirty, too. I think Albini saw it all as a bit slick and, I dunno, CREDIBILITY-HURTING, or something.

The thing is, though... Jet Set is probably their weirdest batch of songs ever! Even if it's "slick" -- that album's crazy! I think a lot of what they did was with good intentions, with good humor involved -- "CORPORATE GHOST"... also, fuck, they were making money off of making highly idiosynchratic, sometimes downright weird music... that's amazing. Isn't that the American dream? Albini was probably referencing SY doing Dirty and having Butch and trying to ride the grunge thing or whatever, but maybe not. Again, it's hard to comment when he himself wasn't specific.

Anyone remember when Albini slammed the Pixies a ton, and then later said he regretted it (he also later said Kim Deal is the greatest female songwriter of all time). He also regretted the stuff he said about the Jesus Lizard... with Albini, it's all about integrity, "sticking it to the corporates", ethics.. you know. I guess. That's the image he projects anyway.

As for Albini recording bands for cheap, I'm not sure -- Electrical Audio has really great rates, but they do have pretty flat rates. However, he said before that would record whole albums by bands in his house for $200 for a few days' worth of work -- mainly if he liked the band or whatever.

I dunno. It all seems so silly to me, him being 40+ years old and still caring so much about a punk spirit, and "the trouble with music" and all that, I mean the music "business" is something he isn't even a part of.

Either way, he's my favorite producer of all time, and one of my favorite musicians of all time. And I've always thought it'd be neat if SY and Albini would work together on an album. Doubt that'll ever happen now.

IMHO you are not doing nearly enough drugs ASP.

I'm withdrawling, actually. Day 3.

See, I knew it. WTF?

4 year habit.. time to kick the shit. Going insane. Anyways...

Maybe you will be sane once you kick. Then you will stop liking shite music. har har

Uh, right.

Either way, no amount of drugs would ever make me want to sit through a Radiohead album again.

The drugs were making you like Daft Punk rip offs. You would be better off with a Radiohead album.
Maybe now that you are sober you will shave your hair off.

With all those drugs, you didn't even notice you were listening to 128kbps mp3s!

And don't shave your hair, get glasses and become a Woody Allen type figure.

Shellac easily have a high enough profile for its members not to have to work 9-5.
rather than through a regular day job? Albini's had this weird hard-on for some idealised blue-collar bullshit from the beginning. He should fuck off and become a miner and stop ruining Stooges albums.

Very funny but he might be onto something. The reason 'labour' has been around so long and rock was better in the past is because their is a co- relation between rocking out and doing shitty work. Each other compliment each other. It also helps the brain work different parts of it, you come back more refreshed.

I scoff at blue collar shit just as much as you do but I do there is a spirit or an edge that comes with people who are giving it there all in all parts of your life.

Its kind like when people fast, when you do, it makes you feel better after. It has spiritual properties.