The sound of Nirvana

I don't think of Nevermind as more abrasive than Zep II or Electric Ladyland.

xpost - yeah, brain fart, it's early. I'd say RS is actually fairly similar to IU in terms of abrasiveness (though, TO BE CRYSTAL CLEAR, not in terms of quality, even if i do ride for RS as actually being a kinda good album and the best thing Bush ever did).

So did he, once he cashed their check.

― a superficial sheeb of intelligence (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Wednesday, October 6, 2021 11:10 AM bookmarkflaglink

Guess he was a "Greedy Fly"

I always forget Steve Albini produced that one.

― ✖✖✖ (Moka), Wednesday, October 6, 2021 8:07 AM (thirty minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

So did he, once he cashed their check.

― a superficial sheeb of intelligence (jon /via/ chi 2.0), Wednesday, October 6, 2021 8:10 AM (twenty-seven minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

my impression from everything i read about the record is that albini and rossdale actually bonded and became bros during the process

As for the band's name, Rossdale insists there are no sexist overtones. "Men have bushes too, after all. And actually, Bush is what we Brits call marijuana.

Albini has said time and again he is an engineer for hire. If you have money and he has time, he will record your band. It's a job.

but yeah iirc to brad's point I think he's never been effusive about the band but he has said they were cool

ums otm, I was just being kinda flip about it, I remember Albini being really clear that it was just a job even if he hated their music.

Am I wrong in remembering Albini saying he threw out a ridiculous number to Bush's team since he was already so busy, thinking they'd go elsewhere, but they accepted it right away?

that's what i remember, i think he definitely adjusts rates based on how big the band is/how busy he is etc

Bc Nevermind was neither produced by Albini nor especially abrasive.

I mean, Breed, Territorial Pissings, Stay Away and Endless Nameless are pretty abrasive.

I have never heard an English person refer to weed as "bush".

Bush’s music is proud of its inspirations, and Bush used the platform of their popularity to champion bands they thought deserved attention, taking a score of underground or breaking acts on tour with them and regularly paying tribute to the bands and songs that inspired them, occasionally covering the songs themselves to make it plain. I have worked in the studio with bands from the smallest to the largest, from those with no expectations to those with the grandest ambitions, and I am confident in ascribing genuine motives to Bush as I am of any band I’ve encountered. Through working with Bush they became friends, and I am as proud of their friendship as I am of any work I did for them. They made the music they did because they loved it and they got popular because they worked their asses off, and eventually other people liked it too. You cannot ask any more of an artist.

-steve albini

from the liner notes to the RS re-issue, apparently (https://consequence.net/2016/11/bush-share-never-before-released-razorblade-suitcase-track-sleeper-listen/). NB: I have never listened to this album.

"Endless Nameless" I'll grant - it wasn't on my cassette so I never heard it until relatively recently. The others I can see as abrasive like "Helter Skelter" is abrasive, just don't think I'd say "most abrasive to ever hit #1".

Albini had much harsher words for the Pixies.

The Pixies “Surfer Rosa” LP: A patchwork pinch loaf from a band who a their top dollar best are blandly entertaining college rock. Their willingness to be “guided” by their manager, their record company and their producers is unparalleled. Never have I seen four cows more anxious to be led around by their nose rings.

Except that I got to rewrite their songs with a razorblade, thought the drums sounded nice, and managed to get Nate the Impaler on the LP as a cameo, I remember nothing about this album, although I thought it was pretty good at the time. During the recording, a sibling of the sexual partner of a Pixie was lounging around making little fuck me noises, so I took her home and got stiffed. Had to retreat to Byron’s “den of satisfaction” and run a batch off by hand. I seem to remember that their Filipino guitar player was pro-Marcos, but I could be wrong. The album took about a week maybe two all tolled. Fee: $1,500.

I later recorded a single track with them for a label-stroke compilation album. The band had been getting the Big High Building “pampered performer" treatment for a couple of years by then and were consequently bored and dour. It took a couple of hours after dinner one night. Fee: $4,000. About a year later, Bob Krasnow, the geeb at Elektra’s Big High Building who fathered this dumb idea sent me a truly revolting nickel-and-gold Omega wristwatch (the kind Record Producers wear), with tacky Biz inscription and tacky presentation case. As soon as somebody at the pool room offers me what it’s worth, I'm gonna have a hell of a nice dinner.

I listened to Razorblade Suitcase not that long ago, it is good, that record was ubiquitous for a while in 90s on alt-radio & in people's cars but I always enjoyed those songs

the best part of the Bush/Albini relationship was Andy from Silkworm getting to do a two week fill-in spot as Bush's pale, balding guitar player

During the recording, a sibling of the sexual partner of a Pixie was lounging around making little fuck me noises, so I took her home and got stiffed. Had to retreat to Byron’s “den of satisfaction” and run a batch off by hand. I seem to remember that their Filipino guitar player was pro-Marcos, but I could be wrong.

I really hate Albini when he's enjoying being this much of a dick. It's like the ugliest side of that era of hardcore/pigfuck, this nasty inverted macho bullshit that just makes me think of that KITH routine, The Shortest Tubes In North York.

He later admitted he was hardmanning about the Pixies when he wrote all of that.

...and regretted being so harsh.

There were about 20 years between the two blurbs tbf. Dude mellowed with age no doubt.xps

When Bush headlined the basketball arena in Champaign back in 1995, Gavin wore a Hum shirt and shouted out the band at multiple points during the show. Sure, cheap pops for the hometown crowd, but he genuinely seemed to be excited about them, so it checks out with their support of smaller bands.

I started listening to Razorblade Suitcase but then thought to watch KiTH.

What are the most abrasive songs?

"Tendency to Start Fires"

Yeah that's one that pops to mind. To be clear I'm not suggesting this is Scratch Acid or anything, but it go pretty abrasive compared to where Bush's first album was.

I started listening to Razorblade Suitcase but then thought to watch KiTH.

wise IMO!

Am I wrong in remembering Albini saying he threw out a ridiculous number to Bush's team since he was already so busy, thinking they'd go elsewhere, but they accepted it right away?

― a superficial sheeb of intelligence (jon /via/ chi 2.0

This is called the Charlie Watts Dictum.