THE TOP TEN STEVE ALBINI RECORDED/ENGINEERED ALBUMS
10) Crain – Speed – the louisville, ky math rock behemoth recorded this album in ’91 and it just recently was rereleased by temporary residence. on the surface it might feel like it’s boring a hole in your skull, but it’s actually quite intricate and enjoyable.
9) The Danielson Famile – Fetch the Compass Kids – it’s nice to hear someone sing about spiritual stuff, even if the jesus factor is turned up really high. that doesn’t take away much from the album, because listeners are drawn more to the dare i say “lush” instrumentation and wild, zany vocals. lyrics mean nothing.
8) Dirty Three – Ocean Songs – despite being involved with countless noisy, hardcore acts, i think some of steve’s best recordings are the softer ones. the dirty three benefit from his ability to capture a band just as they sound in a live setting. it’s really very lovely.
7) Low – Things We Lost in the Fire – for some reason i’ve always felt that this was their best effort. it’s certainly better than the new one that came out on sub pop. low are one of those bands where you can pinpoint specific moments in songs where their greatness is most evident (see “Dinosaur Act” and “Like a Forest”).
6) Mclusky – Do Dallas – if you want something that’s going to pummel you from start to finish (the lone exception being “fuck this band”– a ballad), this is it. the drums might be the best, most thunderous sounding i’ve heard on record.
5) Bedhead – Transaction de Novo – considering their first few albums were mired in sludge, this album is a departure of sorts, or maybe just a more realized effort. it is the epitome of crystalline. even “psychosematica” has that glossy feel to it despite it’s grungy nature. “lepidoptera” is a brilliant song.
4) Godspeed You! Black Emperor – Yanqui UXO – i mentioned before steve’s ability to capture a band as they sound live, and hearing him work with these folks is a stunning combination. despite the fact that the songs are kinda weak, it’s my favorite of their albums to listen to because it just sounds so good.
3) Palace Music – Viva Last Blues – so much energy from the moment “more brother rides” opens the album. under the bonnie ‘prince’ billy moniker he’s a gothic folk artist with morbid tunes seething with sorrow, but with palace music oldham focuses more on minimalist alt-country ditties with some absolutely breathtaking vocals.
2) The Pixies – Surfer Rosa – everyone’s always like, “but dude the recording sucks!” and that’s just not true. the pixies were just an arena rock band and steve recorded them exactly how they sound. sorry he didn’t throw a bunch of reverb on everything and make it epic sounding, but this is definitely their most honest recording and it sounds utterly unique when compared to the rest of their albums.
1) Nina Nastasia – The Blackened Air – she’s incredible. and her backing band is the most talented i’ve witnessed perhaps in my history of attending live shows. together they went to chicago and cut one of my favorite albums of all time. and steve captured them perfectly.
