Well, then. Thatās definitely one for the record books.
You have to admit, though, that trying to sell Nirvana on your services by mentioning having done the last Fugazi album is smart. They have similar aesthetics and work ethics and Dave was very nearly in Fugazi.
Itās worth noting, though, that the album heās referencing here is In On the Kill Taker, which, while brilliant, was recorded shortly after this as Fugazi wasnāt happy with how it came out in the first recording session.
Thereās some pretty good irony in reading that letter, and then looking at what this new box set offersā¦ a bunch of remixes and demos. I wonder how Mr. Albini feels about lucasing finished songs.
You keep on squeezing that rock, Geffen.
I am unfamiliar with the details. But consider In on The Kill Taker the finest complete album ever recorded. So at first I was like āwowā and then you said they rerecorded it. Ha. I also love In Utero for what thats worth.
Iām a huge Fugazi fan, even if 13 Songs is older than I am; I just chalk it up to being born too late that I never got to go see a show myself.
I do have to admit, it might be interesting to see Ian or Guyās response to this letter, just to see what kind of perspective he can put on it. It does say to ask Fugazi about the whole process, so we might learn something about it.
Pure brilliance. Albini has always struck me a straight shooter ā itās so great to see the proof in this fine piece of writing. Now I have to go dig out my Big Black records!
Thanks to you I am now on the hunt for the āIn on the Kill Takerā albini bootleg!
I had the chance to see Fugazi at the riverside in Newcastle (UK) 20-some years ago, and passed over on it. Major regrets
Oh, good - Iām not the only one celebrating āIn Uteroā by breaking out Songs About Fucking and The Hammer Party.
To those that have disabilities or who donāt like squinting at tiny, blurry text of near-thumbnail sized images of letters, here some of the more interesting parts that have been transcribed:
FTA:
I think the very best thing you could do at this point is exactly what youāre talking about doing: bang a record out in a couple of days, with high quality but āminimalā productionā and no interference from the front office bulletheads. If that is indeed what you want to do, I would love to be involved.If instead, you find yourselves in the position of being temporarily indulged by the record company, only to have them yank the chain at some point (hassling you to rework songs/sequences/production, calling-in hired guns to āsweetenā your record, turning the whole thing over to some remix jockey, whateverā¦) then youāre in for a bummer and I want no part of it.
Iām only interested in working on records that legitimately reflect the bandās own perception of their music and existence. If you will commit yourselves to that as a tenet of the recording methodology, then I will bust my ass for you. Iāll work circles around you. Iāll rap your head in with a ratchetā¦
I have worked on hundreds of records (some great, some good, some horrible, a lot in the courtyard), and I have seen a direct correlation between the quality of the end result and the mood of the band throughout the process. If the record takes a long time, and everyone gets bummed and scrutinizes eery step, then the recordings bear little resemblance to the live band, and the end result is seldom flattering. Making punk rock records is definitely a cae where more āworkā does not imply a netter end result. Clearly you have learned this yourselves and appreciate the logic.
I consider the band the most important thing, as the creative entity that spawned both the bandās personality and style and as the social entity that exists 24 hours out of each day. I do not consider it my place to tell you what to do or how to play. Iām quite willing to let my opinions be heard (if I think the band is making beautiful progress or a heaving mistake I consider it part of my job to tell them) but if the band decides to pursue something Iāll see that it gets done.
I like to leave room for accidents and chaos. Making a seamless record where every note and syllable is in place and every bass drum beat is identical, is no trick. Any idiot with patience and the budget to allow such foolishness can do it. I prefer to work on records that aspire to greater things, like originality, personality and enthusiasm. If every element of the music and dynamics of a band is controlled by click tracks, computers, automated mixes, gates, samplers and sequencers, then the record may not be incompetent, but it certainly wonāt be exceptional. It will also bear very little relationship to the live band, which is what all this hooey is supposed to be about.
I do not have afixed gospel of stock sounds and recording techniques that I apply blindly to every band in every situation. You are a different band from any other band and deserve at least the respect of having your own tastes and concerns addressed. For example, I love the sound of a boomy drum kit (say a Gretach or a Camco) wide open in a big room, especially with a Bonhammy double-headed bass drum and a really painful snare drum. I also love the puke-inducing low end that comes of an old Fender Bassman or Ampeg gutiar amp and the totally blown sound of an SVT with broken-in tubes. I also know that those sounds are appropriate for some songs, and trying to force them in is a waste of time. Predicating the recordings on my tastes is as stupid as designing a car around the upholstery. You guys need to decide and then articulate to me what you want to sound like so we donāt come at the record from different directions.
Where we record the record is not as important as how it is recorded. If you have a nice studio youād like to use, no hag. Otherwise, I can make suggestions. I have a nice 24-track studio in my house (Fugazi were just there, you can ask them how they rate it), and Iām familiar with most of the studios in the Midwest, the East Coast and a dozen or so in the UK. I would be a little concerned about having you at my house for the duration of the whole recording and mixing process (if only because youāre big celebrities, and I wouldnāt want word getting out in the neighborhood and you guys having to put up with a lot of fan-style bullshit); it would be a fine place to mix the record though, and you canāt beat the vicinity.
I explained this to Kurt but I thought Iād better reiterate it here. I do not want to and will not take a royalty on any record I record. No points. Period. I thinking paying a royalty to a producer or engineer is ethically indefensible. The band write the songs. The band play the musicā¦ Itās the bandās fans who buy the records. The band is responsible for whether itās a great record or a horrible record. Royalties belong to the band.
I would like to be paid like a plumber. I do the job and you pay me what itās worth. The record company will expect me to ask for a point or a point and a half. If we assume three million sales, that works out to 400,000 dollars or so. Thereās no fucking way I would ever take that much money. I wouldnāt be able to sleep.
I have to be comfortable with the amount of money you pay me, but itās your money, and I insist that you be comfortable with it as well. Kurt suggested paying me a chunk which I would consider full payment, and then if you really thought I deserved more, paying me another chunk after youād had a chance to live with the album for a while. That would be fine, but probably more organizational trouble than itās worth.
Whatever, I trust you guys to be fair to me and I know you most be familiar with what a regular industry goon would want. I will let you make the final decision about what Iām going to be paid. How much you choose to pay me will not affect my enthusiasm for the record.
Some people in my position would expect an increase in business after being associated with your band. I, however, already have more work than I can handle, and frankly, the kind of people such superficialities will attract are not people I want to work with. Please donāt consider that an issue.
PS ā If a record takes more than a week to make, somebodyās fucking up.
Thanks for that, Cowicide.
Hereās all the pages cleaned up to be a little more legible:
How could you say no to this letter? Iād love to hear Albiniās version of In On the Kill Taker.
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