The news this week that Steve Albini had passed away at the tender age of 61 was both shocking and very sad and rightfully his work has been celebrated as a consequence. Radio has been full of Nirvana, Breeders, The Pixies, PJ Harvey etc and again rightfully so but one album I haven’t heard mentioned or even acknowledged is one that sits pretty close to my heart – Songs: Ohia or Magnolia Electric Company. The news of Albini’s passing sent me straight to the shed and an hour steeped in the all-embracing sound of this sometimes feral cry from Jason Molina’s soul. It truly is a remarkable recording. In the film below (about the recording of the album ‘Josephine’ ) Albini himself states that all the good albums he worked on would have been good anyway. His self-deprecation masks a prodigious work ethic and precision as a producer although he much preferred the term ‘Engineer’. In an interview with The Quietus published a year after Molina’s death Albini states ‘Great records eventually find an audience that will appreciate them. It may take a long time and it may take several bounces through the collective psyche, but great records eventually find an audience.’ and in that spirit I beg you to find a copy of ‘Magnolia Electric Company‘ if you have not listened to it. It is a great record. It has been featured in our classic Americana albums. It deserves your attention as does the production. You can keep your Nirvana, this is Albini’s best work.
In the spirit of the above article this week your sounds this week are a recording film and a track from Magnolia Electric Company. The radio show this week is the 50th broadcast and sees off any in house competition with some Crazy Horse, Barr Brothers, Richmond Fontaine, Geese and Chuck Prophet amongst others. As ever take what you want or need.
Very sad about Steve Albini. I agree that his work with Jason Molina is some of his best. Albini was a remarkable human and will be sadly missed by many.