Letter from Steve Albini to Nirvana.

[Melb_shredder]

I don't know if you guys have read this/ seen this yet, but I thought it was interesting. Not sure how legit it is, but it's apparently a letter from Albini to nirvana before recording In Utero. I thought it was interesting so say the least.

As much as I want to agree with his mentality, and to some degree, I do, I also think that his ideology doesn't really work beyond the realm of the styles of bands he has worked with. E.g his own ideas would be like the EXACT opposite of the mentality during Metallica's Black Album recording. And both In Utero and The Black Album are great in their own realms.

http://m.imgur.com/a/p0tKn

 

[psycle_1]

Very nice. Thanks for sharing!

 

[~BURNY~]

I like the guy and his work but he's a bit of of an integrist at times.

It's interesting when you know the label (and or the band) got the last word when they decided to remix In Utero because it didn't "sound expensive" enough. Albini got beyond pissed but the result is interesting in my book.

Also the Fugazi album he's talking about (In on the Kill Taker) ended up being re-recorded by someone else if I'm not mistaken.

PJ Harvey also ended up redoing some of the songs from "Rid Of Me" because she hated the production then, a few years prior to that. That album is huge classic though.

 

[egan.]

I like the guy and his work but he's a bit of of an integrist at times.

It's interesting when you know the label (and or the band) got the last word when they decided to remix In Utero because it didn't "sound expensive" enough. Albini got beyond pissed but the result is interesting in my book.

Also the Fugazi album he's talking about (In on the Kill Taker) ended up being re-recorded by someone else if I'm not mistaken.

PJ Harvey also ended up redoing some of the songs from "Rid Of Me" because she hated the production then, a few years prior to that. That album is huge classic though.

My first thoughts were of the fact that the Fugazi record he mentions got scrapped and re-recorded with Don Z. It's worth noting that that's not a band that has ever had a super polished record (but some great ones IMHO!).
Anyway, I really respect Albini and a lot of his ideals but TBH I'm often let down by the theory in practice. He's also so absolutist it's absurd at times.
The jab at mix engineers is both a cheap shot and demonstrably false. Also, calling points "ethically indefensible" is pretty absurd as it simply means that the producer or engineer is rewarded proportionate to a records success.

 

[Manicompression]

1 Fugazi needs to make a new record.

2 It think the combination of Albinis recording plus Scott Litts mixes is better than the original Albini mixes of this record.

3 I suspect if Albini were doing the lords work and making bands like Attack Attack sound like proficient musicians he would feel differently about points. Since he more or less just makes really really good live recordings, I think his attitude is fair.

4 I wonder if he would admit that being able to do the Page and Plant record was a direct result of working with Nirvana, despite his claims that he wasnt interested in ladder climbing through working with them

5 I am a sucker for Nirvana lore and this was still a cool read. Thanks for posting

 

[egan.]

1 Fugazi needs to make a new record.

2 It think the combination of Albinis recording plus Scott Litts mixes is better than the original Albini mixes of this record.

3 I suspect if Albini were doing the lords work and making bands like Attack Attack sound like proficient musicians he would feel differently about points. Since he more or less just makes really really good live recordings, I think his attitude is fair.

4 I wonder if he would admit that being able to do the Page and Plant record was a direct result of working with Nirvana, despite his claims that he wasnt interested in ladder climbing through working with them

5 I am a sucker for Nirvana lore and this was still a cool read. Thanks for posting

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. Maybe. I guess my thought is that a guy willing to take $100k for 2 weeks work shouldn't act holier than thou towards dudes that take an upfront amount and additional funds proportionate to sales. Some grocery stores profit share with bag boys. Even a strict documentarian makes choices that affect a records success.
4. Good point.
5. Yes. If nothing else this is a cool artifact from a time when hyper-moralistic DIY'ers were thrust to the forefront of the industry in both fame and earnings.

 

[Manicompression]

Right on. Its true most of these guys have either been militant to the point of silly at times or just gone on to become somewhat contradictory figures to anyone paying attention.

Fugazis' whole anti moshing thing was kind of hilarious, as is the fact that hes currently allowing Urban Outfitters to sell Minor Threat t-shirts for $28 a pop.

Kurts letter in the original Incesticide liner notes reminds me of the Brian Posehn bit about dragging the mattress under his car, but only in hindsight. When I was 16 I thought it seemed appropriate. http://www.comedycentral.com/video-clips/80a33g/comedy-central-presents-dragging-a-mattress

 

[bryan_kilco]

Kurts letter in the original Incesticide liner notes

I can't recall this. I did own the cassette back in the day.

 

[JoeMeek12397]

Interesting letter.

How did you guys feel about the room sound on In Utero? I always thought the drums sounded cool.

 

[bryan_kilco]

Interesting letter.

How did you guys feel about the room sound on In Utero? I always thought the drums sounded cool.

A bit too boomy for my tastes. I loved the piss out of Nevermind's drums though.

 

[JoeMeek12397]

A bit too boomy for my tastes. I loved the piss out of Nevermind's drums though.

I can see what you're talking about, there's just something very original about those sounds to me. They go against most of the other drum sounds from that time and that snare sounds so fucking fat. That being said, I really do like Nevermind's sound though too.

 

[JoeMeek12397]

I don't know if this is legit, or if this is even him, but according to "Ross Hogarth" the Nevermind kick is the Heart Kick? What do you guys think?

"i am gonna go outside the curve here
i started using the wendl jr in the late 80's when it came out
roger burned all my original drum sounds from mellencamp and i have these still somewhere with my wendl
i actually have to say it worked
it did what it needed to do in the day better than any ams dmx triggered from the sync head and delayed
and it had at least some semblance of velocity
ok
yes
if you knew how to record great you never use samples but when i got a record to mix and the drums sounded like ass
it was very helpful
i also had an atari 1020 ? running hybrid arts software
anything in its day that could turn shit to shineloa was useful
In 1985 the sn on mellencamps scarecrow is a fire repeller hit with a hammer sampled into the atari
the sample blended with the real drums
i think it still sounds cool today and
the purist police have yet to show up at my doorstep ...
i loved my wendl and it worked
Nirvana Nevermind ..that kik is the heart kik from a wendl ..fact ...
rented to andy wallace by ross garfield the drum doctor because he rented out wendl's, including renting mine on occasion
i guess Nevermind sucks now cause its got a sample on the kik drum ... "

 

[Pxz]

wendl?

 

[JoeMeek12397]

wendl?

Yeah, have you heard any talk about Andy using Wendel? BTW Here's the link http://prorecordingworkshop.lefora.com/2012/08/07/wendel/

 

[C_F_H_13]

WARNING HUGE SIMPLIFICATION AHEAD.

All I got from this letter was that Albini doesn't like to work hard, and thus doesn't expect to be paid well.

 

[Line666]

Just to add fuel to the fire.

I think Albini inspired a generation of talentless no hopers with rich parents to throw expensive microphones at things with absolutely no technique or ability and a huge sense of undue entitlement about being the salvations of the puritanical record industry.

 

[drew_drummer]

Everyone is a cunt.

 

[MotherEel]

Just to add fuel to the fire.

I think Albini inspired a generation of talentless no hopers with rich parents to throw expensive microphones at things with absolutely no technique or ability and a huge sense of undue entitlement about being the salvations of the puritanical record industry.

You could say that about heaps of people and things... Metallica inspired a whole bunch of talentless no hopers to make shitty Black album style music.

 

[mva801]

My first thoughts were of the fact that the Fugazi record he mentions got scrapped and re-recorded with Don Z. It's worth noting that that's not a band that has ever had a super polished record (but some great ones IMHO!).
Anyway, I really respect Albini and a lot of his ideals but TBH I'm often let down by the theory in practice. He's also so absolutist it's absurd at times.
The jab at mix engineers is both a cheap shot and demonstrably false. Also, calling points "ethically indefensible" is pretty absurd as it simply means that the producer or engineer is rewarded proportionate to a records success.

I think this pretty much sums it up. I understand and respect his attitude towards the way labels make records, but you know what, sometimes that process and an outside voice can make an improvement. We all know Albini is a weirdo with a super punk rock type approach to recording. But he is busy as a motherfucker, and he records Neurosis. So I'm not mad at him.

He's doing his thing the fucking way he wants to do it. He makes it almost exclusively about the band, their performance, and the room they're in. I wish more people would adopt at least a little bit of his insistence that things really come from that angle.

 

[Machinated]

Fair play to him that he has his values and can make a living out of it. There's a bazillion other producers bands can choose to work with if they don't like his style.

Certainly not my way of working but its good that people have their individual quirks.