While Steve Albini made much of the music that defined the sound of my youth, I think his writing had the biggest influence upon me. There was something edgy and yet truthful about Albini that worked alongside his capacity to spout utter bullshit that drew me to him. He wasn't someone you had to agree with and if you found yourself agreeing with his writing there was a good chance that you'd read a rug pull and discover that you were actually the butt of a long complicated joke.
When first heard Big Black, I wasn't fond of it. I was in grade nine and my ear still wasn't fully developed. But by the end of grade ten, Songs about Fucking had become one of my favourite albums. The lyrics were depraved, the humour was dark and the guitars sounded like snarling beasts had invaded the studio. It was heavy, complicated music and without Big Black I would have had a lot of trouble getting into albums like Undertow by Tool.
And to me, that's the definition of good music. It doesn't necessarily work the first time you listen to it, but there's something provocative enough that it keeps you coming back. Big Black was one of the bands that really taught me that lesson.
As I aged, Albini's writing started to resonate with me even more than his music. The Problem with Music blew me away the first time I read it and was a frequent link in my earliest blogs. A Big Black tour diary was almost too fucked up to get through, yet contained some of the best phrases I have ever read. And then, pasta.
Heavy complex music, building things with integrity, the role of the engineer...and food. Oh, the food. I loved reading Steve Albini write about audio engineering and he sure taught me a lot. But, I didn't have access to the types of equipment he had amassed over the years so it was mostly theoretical knowledge. When it came to cooking however, I could access his ingredients. Once I could actually follow along with him and use the tools he used, I saw a different side of Steve Albini. He was an incredible teacher. His engineering brain came out in cooking and he reminded me of the best of Alton Brown and Anthony Bourdain, only with Steve Albini's voice and unrelenting need to put out quality work and he could be proud of.
I'm working on software today and I'll be listening to all my favourite albums that Steve Albini engineered. And while I do something different than music, I put out quality work that I am proud of. I only work with people I trust and like. And I spend my time with other likeminded people. I would have likely come across those ideas on my own because this is just sort of who I am. But Steve Albini was a big part of shaping those parts of my young mind. We lost a real one and that sucks.