OT: Albini Does It AGAIN!

[drumsound]

I know we're usually talking about how Steve can make a killer punk rock record in a day, or how sick the Electrical Audio mic collection is, but Steve is a man of many talents. He wrote a successful food/cooking blog for a while. He's also quite a talented poker player. He's been part of a well-known game in Chicago for years. Each summer (usually after touring Europe with Shellac) he heads out to Las Vegas to compete in the World Series of Poker. With over 60 events and players from all over the globe, the WSOP is the most prestigious poker tournament series. The coveted gold bracelets awarded to the winner of each tournament are something most players (even many pros) just dream about. Steve now has two.

We all know Steve to be unconventional, analytical, and unique. These skills translate quite well to poker. In the same way Steve doesn't follow trends in music, and follows the path that makes sense to him, Steve is considered a mixed game player. He generally doesn't play No Limit Texas Hold 'Em, the game shown on most TV shows and the game that started the "Poker Boom" when an Accountant named Chris Moneymaker came out of nowhere to with the WSOP Main Even in 2003 (though he CAN). Steve got his first WSOP bracelet in 2018 playing the classic game 7-card Stud. He defeated a man named Jeffery Lisandro, a known poker pro with several bracelets and at least one run at WSOP player of the year. It was an epic battle that with the final table broadcast on the streaming service PokerGo. I stayed up till the wee hours of the morning watching that one.

Just after midnight in Vegas, Albini captured bracelet number two. This time defeating 772 other players in a mixed game called H.O.R.S.E. The games are Hold 'em, Omaha 8 or better, Razz, Stud, and Stud 8 or better. These are all limit, or fixed bet games.

It was a three day event, and more often than not when I checked on the standings, Steve's chip count was trending upward. He was in 10th place going into the final day and seemed to mosty jump positions as I checked the chips counts, as this one was (sadly) not broadcast. When they were down to 5 or 6 players Steve took the chip lead. He did relinquish it as one point and when they were down to 3 players he was not only in last place but had a dangerously low chip stack. As Steve once expressed to me (at a music event at ISU where I waited because I wanted to talk to him about winning his 1st bracelet) that in Limit poker that you really can work off a short stack in a much easier way than in No Limit games. He had done that the night of his first bracelet and he did it again yesterday. Reporting on wsop.com doesn't give every hand, but it does hit highlights. Steve obviously had some hands go well and climbed back into contention and eventually the lead. Near the end of the tournament Steve had 18 million chips to runner-up James Morgan's 1 million. The next update showed Morgan upt to 5 million, which goes to show, that you're never out of the fight. There seemed to be a long stretch between updates, or maybe I was just so hyped up for the possibility of Steve's second bracelet that it seemed that way. There was a slight shift implying Morgan lost a small hand, and then next time I checked in Steve had all the chips and was the winner.

[vvv]

I thought of him the other day, as I was listening to The Ponys ... and Blackened Air.

[MoreSpaceEcho]

I put on a Neurosis record the other night, wondering "did Steve do this one?"

As soon as the drums came in: "Yep".

I recall reading that there were some months where he was able to pay the whole Electrical payroll with just poker winnings.

[Recycled_Brains]

I put on a Neurosis record the other night, wondering "did Steve do this one?"

As soon as the drums came in: "Yep".

If there was ever an appropriate pairing, it's him and that band. I wish Steve did "Through Silver in Blood". The jump in how crushing their records sound from that to "Times of Grace" is remarkable (that's not to say TSIB isn't still a masterpiece).

My favorite band, so can't resist any mention. Which one were you listening to? I used "Given to the Rising" as a reference for Saff when he mastered my band's last album.

[MoreSpaceEcho]

That was the one! I was just listening on a little boombox and it sounded killer, gonna put it up on the real speakers tonight and bask in it.

I agree, Steve's a perfect match for them, track 2 off "Sovereign' has been a reference forever, just amazing sounding. Lots of records sound worse the louder you turn them up (especially in a mastering studio), Steve/Neurosis stuff is a notable exception, sounds so good cranking loud.

[trodden]

I put on a Neurosis record the other night, wondering "did Steve do this one?"

As soon as the drums came in: "Yep".

If there was ever an appropriate pairing, it's him and that band. I wish Steve did "Through Silver in Blood". The jump in how crushing their records sound from that to "Times of Grace" is remarkable (that's not to say TSIB isn't still a masterpiece).

My favorite band, so can't resist any mention. Which one were you listening to? I used "Given to the Rising" as a reference for Saff when he mastered my band's last album.

I get what your saying, but Silver has a special place in my heart and Billy's production is a big part of it.

Enemy, Silver, and Times are my most favorite records of theirs. And Times is fucking incredible, but I think Silver needed to happen with Billy.

[Recycled_Brains]

I put on a Neurosis record the other night, wondering "did Steve do this one?"

As soon as the drums came in: "Yep".

If there was ever an appropriate pairing, it's him and that band. I wish Steve did "Through Silver in Blood". The jump in how crushing their records sound from that to "Times of Grace" is remarkable (that's not to say TSIB isn't still a masterpiece).

My favorite band, so can't resist any mention. Which one were you listening to? I used "Given to the Rising" as a reference for Saff when he mastered my band's last album.

I get what your saying, but Silver has a special place in my heart and Billy's production is a big part of it.

Enemy, Silver, and Times are my most favorite records of theirs. And Times is fucking incredible, but I think Silver needed to happen with Billy.

I hear you. I don't think TSIB sounds bad and I'm sure it was the right match up at the right time for everyone, but I discovered them long after (Eye of Every Storm) and worked my way back so it just never sounds as good to me as the albums with Steve. Still one of the best albums ever.

Seeing them do those songs in particular live is more intense than anything else I've experienced from another band. They opened with "Eye" once at the Masonic Temple in BK and it was like "oh ok, fuck, they're just trying to kill us right away." Set the tone for the most belligerent set I've seen them play so far.

I love how Enemy sounds. Wouldn't change a thing there.

[trodden]

If there was ever an appropriate pairing, it's him and that band. I wish Steve did "Through Silver in Blood". The jump in how crushing their records sound from that to "Times of Grace" is remarkable (that's not to say TSIB isn't still a masterpiece).

My favorite band, so can't resist any mention. Which one were you listening to? I used "Given to the Rising" as a reference for Saff when he mastered my band's last album.

I get what your saying, but Silver has a special place in my heart and Billy's production is a big part of it.

Enemy, Silver, and Times are my most favorite records of theirs. And Times is fucking incredible, but I think Silver needed to happen with Billy.

I hear you. I don't think TSIB sounds bad and I'm sure it was the right match up at the right time for everyone, but I discovered them long after (Eye of Every Storm) and worked my way back so it just never sounds as good to me as the albums with Steve. Still one of the best albums ever.

Seeing them do those songs in particular live is more intense than anything else I've experienced from another band. They opened with "Eye" once at the Masonic Temple in BK and it was like "oh ok, fuck, they're just trying to kill us right away." Set the tone for the most belligerent set I've seen them play so far.

I love how Enemy sounds. Wouldn't change a thing there.

Ahh, that makes sense. I got into them really heavily when I saw them on the Enemy of the Sun tour and just totally went total Neurosis head for Silver and Times.. I've actually waned from their catalog after Eye of Every Storm... I still buy every new record, but I haven't listened to them 1,000 times over and over like I did with "Souls..." through "Times..."

[trodden]

I saw Neurosis around seven times between 1995-2000, opening for them for 3 of those shows. Seeing Through Silver and Times of Grace in the live setting will always be one of the most amazing experiences ever. I miss that a lot. I really dug Pete Inc. visuals during those years. All analog with film projectors, slide projectors, motorized colored gels, etc.

I've seen them another seven or so times since 2000, and it's always fucking amazing... but there was something about being 19-25 years old and witnessing those three records played live during the mid to late 90's and 2000.

[Recycled_Brains]

I get what your saying, but Silver has a special place in my heart and Billy's production is a big part of it.

Enemy, Silver, and Times are my most favorite records of theirs. And Times is fucking incredible, but I think Silver needed to happen with Billy.

I hear you. I don't think TSIB sounds bad and I'm sure it was the right match up at the right time for everyone, but I discovered them long after (Eye of Every Storm) and worked my way back so it just never sounds as good to me as the albums with Steve. Still one of the best albums ever.

Seeing them do those songs in particular live is more intense than anything else I've experienced from another band. They opened with "Eye" once at the Masonic Temple in BK and it was like "oh ok, fuck, they're just trying to kill us right away." Set the tone for the most belligerent set I've seen them play so far.

I love how Enemy sounds. Wouldn't change a thing there.

Ahh, that makes sense. I got into them really heavily when I saw them on the Enemy of the Sun tour and just totally went total Neurosis head for Silver and Times.. I've actually waned from their catalog after Eye of Every Storm... I still buy every new record, but I haven't listened to them 1,000 times over and over like I did with "Souls..." through "Times..."

"Given to the Rising" and "Eye..." my favorites. I'm definitely in the minority there. I love all of them though.