Top three Steve Albini recordings.

Discussion on new albums, developing listening skills, critical listening to others' work, as well as TOMB members' MP3 links, online recording critiques

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MoreSpaceEcho
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Post by MoreSpaceEcho » Thu Apr 27, 2006 11:34 am

i really like 1000 hurts and the breeders pod. i keep a couple of those songs on my computer for when my ears are going nuts and i need a reference for what good sound is. pop those on and it's "aaah...ok" he also did a record by this band from italy called zu, that one i remember really sounding amazing.

funny thing about albini recordings....ages ago my girlfriend picks me up in her car, she was listening to the wedding present (i think?), i'd never heard it before. listened for 10 seconds, said "this sounds good!" listened for another 30 seconds, said "this sounds like steve albini recorded it" my girlfriend is like "who can listen to something for half a minute and tell who recorded it?????" i said "i dunno, it sure sounds like steve" she pops the cd out and sure enough "recorded by steve albini".

she was impressed. :)

a week after that i'm half awake in bed, from the other room i can hear the dull thud of my roommate cranking a bunch of tunes off his laptop. couldn't make out any of the tunes or anything....one song starts with just a drumbeat, i'm thinking 'that kick drum sure sounds albini-esque through the wall, but nah, surely i can't tell that....'

it was some unreleased track off in utero.

and there's been other records where my initial impression is "woah, this sounds nice" and it turns out to be something albini recorded, that palace brothers record is one...

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Post by touched1 » Thu Apr 27, 2006 1:38 pm

The Jesus Lizard-Goat

I liked a lot of his recordings, but that is the Gold Master Standard in my opinion.

I liked The Jesus Lizard's Liar a lot, and the PJ Harvey recording, and Mule's If I Don't Six.

But Goat stands the test of time like so few recordings do.

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centurymantra
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Post by centurymantra » Fri Apr 28, 2006 9:46 am

I love the sound of the Low records he's done as well as Edith Frost's 'Wonder, Wonder' record.

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;ivlunsdystf
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Post by ;ivlunsdystf » Fri Apr 28, 2006 10:16 am

Lizard Music -

"She's A Very Very Fat Weirdo"

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thunderboy
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Post by thunderboy » Fri Apr 28, 2006 2:33 pm

I'll just say ALL of Nina Nastasia's albums (Dogs, Blackened Air and Run to Ruin).

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Post by vvv » Fri Apr 28, 2006 6:57 pm

The Breeders, Title TK; such awesome drum sounds!

I love how he did the Cheap Trick and Veruca Salt Ep's, also, and even the Bush Razorblade Suitcase makes a questionable band interesting, and he gave a cool variation to the Zep guys.

The Ponys Celebration Castle is one of my favorite records, ever.

The Nina Nastasia stuff is awesum.

Rapeman, as a band, was highly influential to me; I think the sound is rather harsh, but appropriate.

High on Fire, Blessed Black Wings was, eh, interesting.

Surfer Rosa is seminal.

I use Shellac's At Action Park as a drum reference.


I would like to hear a Cowboy Junkies record done by Albini, and I think he might be good for Interpol.

Can you just see the movie of Albini recording Metallica?:lol:
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sonic documentation
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Post by sonic documentation » Fri Apr 28, 2006 7:35 pm

shellac - terraform. the record sounds more real than most records that can think of. the drums are astonishing.

nina nastasia - dogs. much has already been said, so i will just second that.

dianogah - battle champions. it's a very clean sounding record, and the definition of each of the instruments is impressive. i really like this one.
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Randy
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Post by Randy » Fri Apr 28, 2006 8:04 pm

sonic documentation wrote:shellac - terraform. the record sounds more real than most records that can think of. the drums are astonishing.

nina nastasia - dogs. much has already been said, so i will just second that.

dianogah - battle champions. it's a very clean sounding record, and the definition of each of the instruments is impressive. i really like this one.
I totally forgot about Terraform. Take Surfer Rosa off my list above.
not to worry, just keep tracking....

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Post by joeyjoejoejuniorshabadoo » Fri Apr 28, 2006 11:24 pm

If you're a Ken Andrews/Failure fan like myself you might enjoy

Failure - Comfort

It was hard to find for awhile and now I see it must have been rereleased as its on iTunes and Amazon now.

It's not Failures best songwriting, and in fact, I only really care for Macaque the rest is pretty bland but fun to listen to because of Albini. Apparently it was done shortly before In Utero.

It's also an interesting study in what Failure sounds like with a name producer vs where they shined having Ken Andrews (Replicants, Creeper Lagoon, Sense Field, and Tenacious D, Blinker the Star, Blink 182,On, Year of the Rabbit) at the helm. One of my all time favorite records musically and production wise for the drenched psychedelics is Failures Fantastic Planet a cycle album no less based on Rene Laloux "La Planet Savatage". Drenched.

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Recycled_Brains
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Post by Recycled_Brains » Sat Apr 29, 2006 6:18 pm

NEUROSIS: "A Sun That Never Sets" + "The Eye Of Every Storm" (2 of my fav. recordings period.)

and by default since this is the only other Albini recording that i own....

NIRVANA: "In Utero"
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Brett Siler
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Post by Brett Siler » Tue May 02, 2006 11:28 am

Recycled_Brains wrote:NEUROSIS: "A Sun That Never Sets" + "The Eye Of Every Storm"
I 2nd both of those.

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Post by JASIII » Tue May 23, 2006 10:10 am

Shellac - At Action Park

In Utero

Breeders - Pod
"If you will starve unless you become a rock star, then you have bigger problems than whether or not you are a rock star. " - Steve Albini

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Roman Sokal
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Post by Roman Sokal » Tue May 23, 2006 10:04 pm

i) Urge Overkill - Supersonic Storybook

ii) Zeni Geva - 10 000 Light Years

iii) Breeders - Pod


all three of these recordings show how Steve's recording technique is, in essence, 'invisible', in that it serves the style of music at hand; much like how a great cinematographer's work functions- to serve the content, and not get 'in the way' of the story, song etc. Albini's skill as a recordist is on par to what Roger Deakins is as a director of photography in cinema. that being, fucking fantastic!

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Post by bewarethanatos » Sun May 28, 2006 3:38 pm

AFAIK, the only albums I've heard that Steve has done is Yanqui U.X.O and In Utero. And I don't really care for the way either of them sound.

Does that make me a blasphemer?

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Post by jamoo » Sun Jun 04, 2006 10:59 pm

MichaelAlan wrote:Chevelle's Point #1. After that they turned retarted.
I dug that one too, and seeing them at the Roseland in 2000 or therebouts.

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