Steve Albini explains why he hates Steely Dan

[bluesblaster]

I never heard of the is fellow and dont really give a rats ass what he thinks. I like Steely Dan, maybe not everyone's cup of tea but it doesnt have to though does it? I dont care for rap but lots of other people seem to. Whatever moves you I guess.

 

[silky smoove]

It’s not the electric piano…it’s what you do with it. I don’t know about you, but the closest thing to a jazz chord I’ve heard in the blues is a 9 chord.

Sure, but that’s backwards to the sentiment Steve was commenting on. It’s not a question of extended chord voicings in blues, but rather the use of blues roots in Steely Dan tunes for which there are many examples in terms of form, licks, structure, etc. Similarly there’s plenty of blues played on an electric piano.

 

[lermgalieu]

Seems like a certain segment of the musician population is incapable of laughing at itself

 

[Carl Hillman]

"There’s some video where they talk about every song on an album, and each one begins with the not-bald one saying, 'this song is based on my deep love of the blues, just a very bluesy blues. Deep blues.' Then lays his jazz dork hands on the shaging electric piano…"

Someone should introduce Steve to Ray Charles’ music.

 

[Pdaddy1978]

The " Not bald one"..??
Ha ha ha ha........

 

[Chickenwheels]

Walter and Becker would probably have loved this, agreed in slight irony, and had a sly chuckle over someone finally crashing the Custerdome.

 

[Jaycat]

Artists and musicians are people whose job is to fiddle while Rome burns. What makes us deserving of respect? We deserve money maybe, if people are using our product, but respect? Nope.

I like that quote a lot. I hope you don't mind if I use it.

 

[WG Plum]

This thread is great for several reasons.

 

[badinage]

The kick to 'Hey Nineteen' is my favorite musical jump scare.

 

[Grinderman]

Steve starts with a point of view - he's someone who strives to preserve what a band does in a recording. That point of view drives everything he does. He doesn't play "contrarian", he disagrees with things that don't fit his point of view - things that don't make sense given what he's trying to do. If you understand this about him, his reactions to things make perfect sense - there is a rock solid logic behind how he approaches things, and his reactions are very predictable, if you understand that.

If you have a band and you love what you do, and want THAT on a recording, he IS your guy - there's nobody better at that than him. If you want to sound at all different from what you really are, he's NOT your guy. It really is that simple.

If he's recording you and you ask him what he thinks of the music he'll likely answer by saying, "I don't know, it's your record."

 

[Grinderman]

I was at the Pine Tar Extravaganza in Chicago almost 30 years ago and Steve Albini walked up to the urinal next to me dressed in an old school baseball uniform and some drunk dude approached him at that moment and said “OH MY GOD, STEVE ALBINI!!!! SAY SOMETHING COOL!!!”

A tag on the wall over the urinal in the men's bathroom in the Empty Bottle on Western Ave in Chicago in the '90s: "Steve Albini and Spike Lee have been seen at the same place at the same time."

 

[Grinderman]

Young Steve could be quite the prick.

There's was a popular 4/5 am bar a lot of us used to hang out at in Bucktown at Armitage and Hermitage called Marie's Riptide Lounge. I was there, Albini was there... Nirvana might have been there, David Yow, probably Nate Kato and Blackie from Urge Overkill... yeah, actually Ed Roeser was there for sure....

Anyway, Mike Mills from REM walks in the front door and Albini was standing nearby. Mills instantly recognized him and in a friendly and earnest way introduced himself to Albini, reaching out to shake his hand. Albini couldn't have seemed less interested or impressed; he shut him off cold.

Santiago Durango on the other hand has always been a nice guy.

 

[micguy]

27217786[/URL], member: 254972"]If he's recording you and you ask him what he thinks of the music he'll likely answer by saying, "I don't know, it's your record."

The best businesses realize that they only succeed when they give the customer what THEY want. That’s smart.

 

[FRoss6788]

Young Steve could be quite the prick.

There's was a popular 4/5 am bar a lot of us used to hang out at in Bucktown at Armitage and Hermitage called Marie's Riptide Lounge. I was there, Albini was there... Nirvana might have been there, David Yow, probably Nate Kato and Blackie from Urge Overkill... yeah, actually Ed Roeser was there for sure....

Anyway Mike Mills from REM walks in the front door and Albini was standing nearby. Mills instantly recognized him and in a friendly and earnest way introduced himself to Albini, reaching out to shake his hand. Albini couldn't have seemed less interested or impressed; he shut him off cold.

Santiago Durango on the other hand has always been a nice guy.

Perfect example of why I couldn't give a damn what that dude thinks of anything.

Mills- gentleman, Steve- trash...

 

[Grinderman]

Perfect example of why I couldn't give a damn what that dude thinks of anything.

Mills- gentleman, Steve- trash...

In his defense, I know we all did things way back we regret or wouldn't do now. He was also probably grumpy from insomnia. I think he mellowed or softened a lot in the last 30 something years; others who know him better than me have said the same. Being married, having a wife, tends to do that, even to a punk.

 

[Mister Magic]

I didn't click on the link because I'm not interested in reading it.

As much as I love Steely Dan, it doesn't offend me that anyone might dislike or even loathe them. I loathe plenty of bands, including Nirvana, which I only know now that he produced. My opinion is harmless, like his.

I am only aware of one musician friend of mine who doesn't like Steely Dan. He also thinks Kanye West is a musical genius. And this cat is actually a solid, erudite jazz pianist.

I've never even heard of Steve Albini or any of the several bands he was in but I can easily see how someone who produced Nirvana wouldn't be a Steely Dan fan. And there's not a thing wrong with that.

 

[ebo]

I hated the Eagles, mostly because a girl I wanted to sleep with hated them. I never gave a thought to how steely Dan produced their work, I just enjoyed the hell out of most of it. I also liked Black Flag, DK, Frank Zappa, Neil Young and the Monkeys. Like what you like. Hate what you hate, but hating Steely Dan is like hating a man made waterfall. Carefully constructed, artificial work of art, but just a waterfall. Go hate Fascism or something.

 

[drumvsbass]

Steely Dan was named after a contraption in a William S Burroughs book. They sound like that contraption too.

 

[robcrozierbass1]

Whether you agree with Albini or not, the guy is hilarious.

Steve Albini Explains Why He Hates Steely Dan

Yeah, it's a band that people love our hate....I personally love their meticulous approach. Sure, it can be called over done with weeks spent auditioning solos, but I love the polish. I guess it boils down to philosophy as much as anything....

 

[robcrozierbass1]

I hated the Eagles, mostly because a girl I wanted to sleep with hated them. I never gave a thought to how steely Dan produced their work, I just enjoyed the hell out of most of it. I also liked Black Flag, DK, Frank Zappa, Neil Young and the Monkeys. Like what you like. Hate what you hate, but hating Steely Dan is like hating a man made waterfall. Carefully constructed, artificial work of art, but just a waterfall. Go hate Fascism or something.

I love that comment "hating Steely Dan is like hating a man made waterfall"! So true.