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floop Posted - 07/08/2004 : 14:37:28
i don't know if he is. i've never met the guy.

but what's up with him and his blasse attitude towards the Pixies? there was that book that came out recently (i can't think of the name of it, mabye THIS BAND COULD BE YOUR LIFE or something) where's he's quoted as saying, basically (paraphrasing): "yeah the Pixies weren't that good. they were just a basic college band"


and then in the Pixies DVD, it's interesting that he only compliments Kim and Dave Lovering (and i think Joey). no mention of Charles whatsoever..

i wonder if they had some falling out or something. or if he's just an a-hole. or if he really is that clueless. or, if he's just trying to seem cool by being blasse about producing one of the coolest bands that ever existed.

"yeah, the Pixies.. i remember them.. they were alright"

il n'est pas кtre facile le Maоtre des quesadillas, mais il se sent bon.
35   L A T E S T    R E P L I E S    (Newest First)
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BLT Posted - 10/06/2013 : 14:43:14
Interesting interview. Thanks bebio.
tisasawath Posted - 10/06/2013 : 11:28:10
quote:
Originally posted by bebio

TAPE OP Interview. There's one or 2 tidbits about the recording of Surfer Rosa. And the whole thing itself is very interesting. Please do not spread around.

https://plus.google.com/photos/111337770763586528244/albums/5930392108089278369

Edited so that people can dl the images now.



thanks for the read, interesting bits on how he gets reverb.

700$ a day, plumber's pay... yeah... there's Murano glass making, there's Meissen porcelain, and there's Chicago plumbing

Joey's perspective on that recording was also interesting http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/interviews/interviews/the_classic_albums_pixies_surfer_rosa.html
Sam Posted - 10/04/2013 : 07:28:21
quote:
Originally posted by matto

http://youtu.be/HW4mwjSIkoE
Steve and a cat

--------
baby poop, curry



If the powers that be decide on a lost boys sequel he should defo do the Corey Feldman part.
floop Posted - 10/04/2013 : 05:12:11
quote:
Originally posted by matto

http://youtu.be/HW4mwjSIkoE
Steve and a cat

--------
baby poop, curry



he drives a PT Cruiser? that somehow fits perfectly

green star member since 2006. smb?
matto Posted - 10/04/2013 : 04:38:06
http://youtu.be/HW4mwjSIkoE
Steve and a cat

--------
baby poop, curry
bebio Posted - 10/03/2013 : 19:39:53
TAPE OP Interview. There's one or 2 tidbits about the recording of Surfer Rosa. And the whole thing itself is very interesting. Please do not spread around.

https://plus.google.com/photos/111337770763586528244/albums/5930392108089278369

Edited so that people can dl the images now.
Sprite Posted - 09/27/2013 : 04:33:28
quote:

It's like if I said that my favorite band was Metallica, but I just couldn't understand why anyone could ever like Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, or Van Halen.



But isn't that obvious?


(Just kidding)
The Champ Posted - 09/27/2013 : 03:59:55
Yep, still a donkey.

I am waiting patiently for Albini to come out and call the Pixies with KS a "cover band". Just wait for it, you know it's coming...
Fissile Posted - 09/26/2013 : 11:59:37
quote:
Originally posted by floop

this helps me think of Steve Albini as less of an a-hole

http://gothamist.com/2013/09/26/revisiting_in_utero.php#photo-1

green star member since 2006. smb?




Huh? If anything, he comes off like a guy who is sucking the ass of band that was already huge. Nirvana put Albini on the map, and he can thank the Pixies for that, but of course he won't
floop Posted - 09/26/2013 : 11:36:55
this helps me think of Steve Albini as less of an a-hole

http://gothamist.com/2013/09/26/revisiting_in_utero.php#photo-1

green star member since 2006. smb?
nomenclature Posted - 03/15/2013 : 17:38:26
In Fool the World, Steve talks about how he doesn't understand why so many people love the Pixes. He says it with a tone suggesting that he's made a concerted effort to figure out why they have such a dedicated following, but just can't really feel the music. He goes on to say that Pixies doesn't reach him in the way that his favorite bands do, like Ramones, Jesus Lizard, and Slint.

I just find it hard to understand how someone can make this statement. The musical overlap between the edgy punk and post-punk of those bands and Pixies is overwhelming, not to mention his own bands Big Black and Shellac. The minimalist approach of Surfer Rosa can easily be found in Shellac and Slint. I love Steve Ablini bands, Slint is probably one of my top 5 favorite bands, and the Pixies are my favorite band.

It's like if I said that my favorite band was Metallica, but I just couldn't understand why anyone could ever like Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, or Van Halen.
BLT Posted - 03/12/2013 : 11:56:36
Steve Albini got fat.
pot Posted - 03/09/2013 : 00:54:46
I read the entire first paragraph and clicked on the first three links, checked them with my credit card details etc.. Is that thorough enough for you?

** https://twitter.com/artStuvsSeaton ** https://plus.google.com/u/0/109863394112152727620/posts **
tisasawath Posted - 03/08/2013 : 21:29:13
did you even read the links before you decided to bash the newbie?
pot Posted - 03/08/2013 : 14:08:28

** https://twitter.com/artStuvsSeaton ** https://plus.google.com/u/0/109863394112152727620/posts **
candle Posted - 04/02/2006 : 18:16:57
Oops, didn't realise there was a whole 'Fool the World' thread. I'll take myself off over there, then.
candle Posted - 04/01/2006 : 17:07:50
quote:
He certainly doesn't come out of the 'Fool the World' book very well.


Funny, IMO he came out of that a lot better than I expected. He conceded that he was a bit of an a-hole when he was recording the Pixies, but I guess we all are at times. (A-holes, I mean, we're not all recording the Pixies.) And he explicitly takes back the stuff he said in Forced Exposure (quoted upthread). Sorry to quote at length (especially since Ziggy has already read the book), but I kind of thought people should see this too.

quote:
ALBINI: I later said some unflattering things about the [Pixies] in a fanzine and to this day I regret having done it. I think making that Pixies record was one of the formative experiences of my professional attitude and I think I indulged a selfish part of my personality during the making of that record. I don't think that I regarded the band as significantly as I should have. And I felt at the time like I was making a better record for the band. I recognize now that what I was doing was actually warping their record to suit myself. And I think that having gone through that experience and recognize[d] that impulse in myself I've been able to weed it out a little better. Which means that I've gotten better over time at doing things in the band's best interest rather than doing things to amuse myself. And being perfectly frank, there were things that I did while making that record that I did to amuse myself and I don't think it speaks well of me. I think that portrays a weak part of my personality at the time. So I don't know how much they liked their record when it was all over with. And I had limited interaction with them afterwards, partly because I behaved like an ass.


[From 'Fool the World', p.107]

So I guess he *was* an ass, before, but he's willing to admit it now. Not that Steve Albini needs me to defend him, but it kind of rescued his reputation for me a bit. I recommend the book, actually, if you don't mind reading the opinions of everyone in the world who even met the Pixies once in a nightclub bathroom...
benji Posted - 03/19/2006 : 01:05:09
albini is a bit hit and miss i feel.
loved his work with the pixies, breeders, low and the dirty three, but hated how his records with godspeed you black emperor and mogwai turned out.

but the most recent album i've picked up with him as engineer is by a band called die! die! die!, where he does an amazing job. i have an earlier ep of theirs and the songs that they re-recorded for the album sound immesurably better with albini as engineer.
it's the closest i feel he's gotten to getting the sound he got with the pixies. the drums and bass on the die die die record make you feel as tho you're sitting in the room with the band, which surfer rosa did to such amazing effect.
phenomenal album, and if anyone's interested - www.diediedie.net
check 'em out.
my album of 2005


"you change your lives with a change of a haircut" Die Die Die
Otherfellers Posted - 03/18/2006 : 17:12:42
Mother Theresa was an asshole.
Here, read as another asshole (Christopher Hitchens), tells you why:
http://www.lipmagazine.org/articles/featpostel_56.htm

A little bit of fire never hurt anyone.
Visiting Sasquatch Posted - 03/18/2006 : 16:35:22
quote:
Originally posted by illusion dog

Here's a 139MB lecture (quicktime .mov) given by Albini that's worth a look.

quote:
Albini: In terms of my own personal business practices, I charge as little as I can possibly afford. And the reason that I do that is that I feel better about making three records during a certain period of time and having all three of my clients be happy than I would about making one record during that same period of time, and having that client be happy. I feel more comfortable with the idea that I bargain than that I am in some way triumphing in a business relationship. I don't like negotiating, I think it's tacky. I think negotiating makes me look greedy and it makes my client look cheap, and I don't think either one of us is flattered by that. So I have a set fee for virtually everything that I do. The recording studio that I built is a wonderful recording studio and we lease it out at what I consider very very cheap rates. But everybody pays the same rate. There are no deals, there's no winking. Nobody gets special treatment, nobody get's, you know, industry discount or whatever. Everybody plays by the same rules. I don't use contracts. I don't have a lawyer...

Albini: I think it's vitally important that a band know how much money they are going to spend when they make a record. And having a conversation about money at the very beginning of the conversation of making a record is the first way to make sure that everyone is operating on an even playing field; make sure that everyone is comfortable with the money, and everything else is fine. Cause money is the only thing ultimately that anybody really cries about...

Question: What are some of your personal favorite recordings that you have engineered, and what makes them stand out from a multitude of others?

Albini: It's hard for me to seperate the recording sessions from the recordings. Like there are sessions that I've done that were really a blast. And I really like those sessions and that's what makes me nostalgic and fond of those records, whether the records are any good or not. But if I'm rating them purely on the sonics, I think...I was very fond of the records I did with the Jesus Lizard in a sense. They were a great band and they were playing really well and their recordings were very bare and I like the way those records came out. I did a record for the Pixies and then Kim Deal, the bass player from the Pixies, had started a band called the Breeders, and I did a record for the Breeders shortly thereafter. And the Pixies became really popular, and that baffled me 'cause I thought they were a trivial band. But I really liked the Breeders. I thought the Breeders were a really interesting, they were a unique band and I liked them alot. I liked the way their records came out. Kim carried on with the band for a while, then took a few years off then came back. In '97 or '98 she started work on another album and I got to work on that album and I like that album alot as well.


Some excerpts that I thought might be pertinent to this thread. It seems in this video that he contradicts some of his money politics from his statements he made back in '91. I have no idea when this video was made, but it's after he built his recording studio in '97, and after he recorded with the Breeders which according to him was around '98. Maybe his money politics have changed since '91, but I do appreciate the fact that it's in the independent band's best interest in the end. If you're interested in what his current fees are, he's posted them here. I assume he charges those rates no matter if you're a small band or big label.
illusion dog Posted - 03/17/2006 : 16:26:06
Here's a 139MB lecture (quicktime .mov) given by Albini that's worth a look.
leamanc Posted - 03/15/2006 : 20:26:20
Yes, Albini did say nasty things about the Pixies and Surfer Rosa. It always seemed to me it was just typical Albini, trying to get a rise out of people.

In the big Spin article that ran as the reunion tour was starting, Albini is quoted as saying he basically did say those things to ruffle some feathers, and that he has regretted it ever since. He said they were all great to work with, and he does like Surfer Rosa.

There was a link here on the forum long ago that had a scan of the Spin article...well worth a read if it's still out there in cyberspace.
TheCroutonFuton Posted - 02/07/2006 : 17:48:33
"As an engineer, I'm trying to hit a target. A target that is defined by the wishes of the people I'm working for. The singer wants his vocals louder, the other band members don't, I don't mind either way. I let them come to a consensus, show them some options, and then they decide. The guitar player wants his sound to be thicker, the bass player thinks it's too muddy, I don't mind either way. I let them come to a consensus... you get the idea.

I have to decipher the necessary steps based on my understanding of the band's expectations. It has literally nothing to do with what my preferences are. I have made consistently better records since I long ago stopped trying to make them to suit me. It should have been no surprise (but it occasionally has been) that the band know best what they want their own music to comprise."

http://recforums.prosoundweb.com/index.php/mv/msg/9392/0/16/0
(His username is "Electrical")

It seems like, atleast now, he doesn't like putting his personal preferences out on the table AT ALL.

Animals think...They're pretty smart!
Shit on the ground...See in the dark!
Carl Posted - 02/07/2006 : 05:52:15
Actually, I didn't know Albini produced Title TK.

pas de dutchie!
floop Posted - 02/06/2006 : 11:53:12
quote:
Originally posted by Visiting Sasquatch

Im not sure when this interview took place, (I assume its for the TK album), but it seems Steve Albini didn't have too bad of a time with the Breeders...I mean, if he doesnt like it when the artist or label give him producing credit, (as if they were advertising the fact he produced the album as a selling point), why would he give interviews to journalists with said artists???

http://girlswithinsurance.com/interviews/albini.html



cuz he's an a-hole?
Visiting Sasquatch Posted - 02/06/2006 : 11:51:14
Im not sure when this interview took place, (I assume its for the TK album), but it seems Steve Albini didn't have too bad of a time with the Breeders...I mean, if he doesnt like it when the artist or label give him producing credit, (as if they were advertising the fact he produced the album as a selling point), why would he give interviews to journalists with said artists???

http://girlswithinsurance.com/interviews/albini.html
HeywoodJablome Posted - 02/04/2006 : 14:16:57
A bit harsh but yes he do.
matto Posted - 02/04/2006 : 12:38:38
only the a-hole knows!
floop Posted - 02/04/2006 : 11:19:10
he brings up some great points, for an a-hole
matto Posted - 02/04/2006 : 10:39:16
http://pages.prodigy.net/heutchy/caint3.htm

Letters
January 28

Three Pandering Sluts and Their Music-Press Stooge

Bill Wyman:

The opening paragraph of your Year-in-rock recap [Hitsville, January 7] is one of the most brilliant bits of ass-forward thought I've seen in years. If I read your heavily parenthetical English correctly, you are making the case that Liz Phair, Urge Overkill and the Smashing Pumpkins are somehow unique in rock music because they are brazenly trying to sell records. Genius.

You also intimate that anyone having a gripe about these artists' calculated and overbearing hype barrage is being merely parochial or petty. You dismiss this sort of discussion as "bullshit." Since I like using words like "bullshit," and I am one of the people who sees nothing of value in any of these three artists, I will gladly adopt the term as shorthand for the position you argue against.

In your rush to pat these three pandering sluts on the heinie, you miss what has been obvious to the "bullshit" crowd all along: These are not "alternative" artists any more than their historical precursors. They are by, of and for the mainstream. Liz Phair is Rickie Lee Jones (more talked about than heard, a persona completely unrooted in substance, and a fucking chore to listen to), Smashing Pumpkins are REO Speedwagon (stylistically appropriate for the current college party scene, but ultimately insignificant) and Urge Overkill are Oingo Boingo (Weiners in suits playing frat party rock, trying to tap a goofy trend that doesn't even exist). You only think they are noteworthy now because some paid publicist has told you they are, and you, fulfilling your obligation as part of the publicity engine that drives the music industry, spurt about them on cue.

You attempt to validate your lionizing these frauds by referring to other music critics, after owning up to the reality that these artists don't get much respect from anybody else. In their day, their precursors were considered (by tools like you and those you quote) to be the nuts. That nobody gives a shit about them now is evidence that their appeal was temporal, transitory and superficial, and further evidence that tools like you (and them) don't know shit from fat meat.

Watching the three artists you moo about prostrate themselves before the altar of publicity these last 12 months has been a source of unrivaled hilarity here in the "bullshit" camp, and seeing them sink into the obscurity they have earned by blowing their promo wads will be equally satisfying.

The "bullshit" characterization concluded your argument that the music scene is tiny, and the perspectives of other artists, independent record companies, fans and the like are too insignificant to warrant serious consideration. Look at the shoes you're standing in, big nuts. Music press stooges like you tend to believe and repeat what other music press stooges write, reinforcing each other's misconceptions as though the tiny little world you guys live in (imagine a world so small!) actually means something to us on the outside.

Out here in the world, we have to pay for our records, and we get taken advantage of by the music industry, using stooges like you to manipulate us. We harbor a notion of music as a thing of value, and methodology as an equal, if not supreme component of an artist's aesthetic. You don't "get" it because you're supported by an industry that gains nothing when artists exist happily outside it, or when people buy records they like rather than the ones they're told to.

Though you wave your boob flag proudly throughout the rest of the piece, you did make one reasoned and intelligent statement. You stated your disapproval of those who would snicker at Liz Phair's personal life in lieu of actually discussing her merits as an artist and her album as a work. Considering how easy a target Phair's music is, it is a shame that some of her critics have nullified the discussion by using the leering mode you refer to. In truth, she and her album are probably the least offensive of the three you focused on in your column, which may explain why you think she is any good.

Artists who survive on hype are often critic's pets. They don't, however, make timeless, classic music that survives trends and inspires generations of fans and other artists. There are artists in Chicago doing just that, but you don't write about them. You save your zeal instead for this year's promo fixtures. Shame on your lazy head. Clip your year-end column and put it away for ten years. See if you don't feel like an idiot when you reread it.

Fuck you,

Steve Albini

Evanston
matto Posted - 02/04/2006 : 10:37:13
http://www.negativland.com/albini.html

The Problem With Music
by Steve Albini

Whenever I talk to a band who are about to sign with a major label, I always end up thinking of them in a particular context. I imagine a trench, about four feet wide and five feet deep, maybe sixty yards long, filled with runny, decaying shit. I imagine these people, some of them good friends, some of them barely acquaintances, at one end of this trench. I also imagine a faceless industry lackey at the other end holding a fountain pen and a contract waiting to be signed. Nobody can see what's printed on the contract. It's too far away, and besides, the shit stench is making everybody's eyes water. The lackey shouts to everybody that the first one to swim the trench gets to sign the contract. Everybody dives in the trench and they struggle furiously to get to the other end. Two people arrive simultaneously and begin wrestling furiously, clawing each other and dunking each other under the shit. Eventually, one of them capitulates, and there's only one contestant left. He reaches for the pen, but the Lackey says "Actually, I think you need a little more development. Swim again, please. Backstroke". And he does of course.

Every major label involved in the hunt for new bands now has on staff a high-profile point man, an "A & R" rep who can present a comfortable face to any prospective band. The initials stand for "Artist and Repertoire." because historically, the A & R staff would select artists to record music that they had also selected, out of an available pool of each. This is still the case, though not openly. These guys are universally young [about the same age as the bands being wooed], and nowadays they always have some obvious underground rock credibility flag they can wave.

Lyle Preslar, former guitarist for Minor Threat, is one of them. Terry Tolkin, former NY independent booking agent and assistant manager at Touch and Go is one of them. Al Smith, former soundman at CBGB is one of them. Mike Gitter, former editor of XXX fanzine and contributor to Rip, Kerrang and other lowbrow rags is one of them. Many of the annoying turds who used to staff college radio stations are in their ranks as well. There are several reasons A & R scouts are always young. The explanation usually copped-to is that the scout will be "hip to the current musical "scene." A more important reason is that the bands will intuitively trust someone they think is a peer, and who speaks fondly of the same formative rock and roll experiences. The A & R person is the first person to make contact with the band, and as such is the first person to promise them the moon. Who better to promise them the moon than an idealistic young turk who expects to be calling the shots in a few years, and who has had no previous experience with a big record company. Hell, he's as naive as the band he's duping. When he tells them no one will interfere in their creative process, he probably even believes it. When he sits down with the band for the first time, over a plate of angel hair pasta, he can tell them with all sincerity that when they sign with company X, they're really signing with him and he's on their side. Remember that great gig I saw you at in '85? Didn't we have a blast. By now all rock bands are wise enough to be suspicious of music industry scum. There is a pervasive caricature in popular culture of a portly, middle aged ex-hipster talking a mile-a-minute, using outdated jargon and calling everybody "baby." After meeting "their" A & R guy, the band will say to themselves and everyone else, "He's not like a record company guy at all! He's like one of us." And they will be right. That's one of the reasons he was hired.

These A & R guys are not allowed to write contracts. What they do is present the band with a letter of intent, or "deal memo," which loosely states some terms, and affirms that the band will sign with the label once a contract has been agreed on. The spookiest thing about this harmless sounding little memo, is that it is, for all legal purposes, a binding document. That is, once the band signs it, they are under obligation to conclude a deal with the label. If the label presents them with a contract that the band don't want to sign, all the label has to do is wait. There are a hundred other bands willing to sign the exact same contract, so the label is in a position of strength. These letters never have any terms of expiration, so the band remain bound by the deal memo until a contract is signed, no matter how long that takes. The band cannot sign to another laborer or even put out its own material unless they are released from their agreement, which never happens. Make no mistake about it: once a band has signed a letter of intent, they will either eventually sign a contract that suits the label or they will be destroyed.

One of my favorite bands was held hostage for the better part of two years by a slick young "He's not like a label guy at all," A & R rep, on the basis of such a deal memo. He had failed to come through on any of his promises [something he did with similar effect to another well-known band], and so the band wanted out. Another label expressed interest, but when the A & R man was asked to release the band, he said he would need money or points, or possibly both, before he would consider it. The new label was afraid the price would be too dear, and they said no thanks. On the cusp of making their signature album, an excellent band, humiliated, broke up from the stress and the many months of inactivity. There's this band. They're pretty ordinary, but they're also pretty good, so they've attracted some attention. They're signed to a moderate-sized "independent" label owned by a distribution company, and they have another two albums owed to the label. They're a little ambitious. They'd like to get signed by a major label so they can have some security you know, get some good equipment, tour in a proper tour bus -- nothing fancy, just a little reward for all the hard work. To that end, they got a manager. He knows some of the label guys, and he can shop their next project to all the right people. He takes his cut, sure, but it's only 15%, and if he can get them signed then it's money well spent. Anyways, it doesn't cost them anything if it doesn't work. 15% of nothing isn't much! One day an A & R scout calls them, says he's 'been following them for a while now, and when their manager mentioned them to him, it just "clicked." Would they like to meet with him about the possibility of working out a deal with his label? Wow. Big Break time. They meet the guy, and y'know what -- he's not what they expected from a label guy. He's young and dresses pretty much like the band does. He knows all their favorite bands. He's like one of them. He tells them he wants to go to bat for them, to try to get them everything they want. He says anything is possible with the right attitude.

They conclude the evening by taking home a copy of a deal memo they wrote out and signed on the spot. The A & R guy was full of great ideas, even talked about using a name producer. Butch Vig is out of the question-he wants 100 g's and three points, but they can get Don Fleming for $30,000 plus three points. Even that's a little steep, so maybe they'll go with that guy who used to be in David Letterman's band. He only wants three points. Or they can have just anybody record it (like Warton Tiers, maybe-- cost you 5 or 7 grand] and have Andy Wallace remix it for 4 grand a track plus 2 points. It was a lot to think about. Well, they like this guy and they trust him. Besides, they already signed the deal memo. He must have been serious about wanting them to sign. They break the news to their current label, and the label manager says he wants them to succeed, so they have his blessing. He will need to be compensated, of course, for the remaining albums left on their contract, but he'll work it out with the label himself.

Sub Pop made millions from selling off Nirvana, and Twin Tone hasn't done bad either: 50 grand for the Babes and 60 grand for the Poster Children-- without having to sell a single additional record. It'll be something modest. The new label doesn't mind, so long as it's recoupable out of royalties. Well, they get the final contract, and it's not quite what they expected. They figure it's better to be safe than sorry and they turn it over to a lawyer--one who says he's experienced in entertainment law and he hammers out a few bugs. They're still not sure about it, but the lawyer says he's seen a lot of contracts, and theirs is pretty good. They'll be great royalty: 13% [less a 1O% packaging deduction]. Wasn't it Buffalo Tom that were only getting 12% less 10? Whatever. The old label only wants 50 grand, an no points. Hell, Sub Pop got 3 points when they let Nirvana go. They're signed for four years, with options on each year, for a total of over a million dollars! That's a lot of money in any man's English. The first year's advance alone is $250,000. Just think about it, a quarter million, just for being in a rock band! Their manager thinks it's a great deal, especially the large advance. Besides, he knows a publishing company that will take the band on if they get signed, and even give them an advance of 20 grand, so they'll be making that money too. The manager says publishing is pretty mysterious, and nobody really knows where all the money comes from, but the lawyer can look that contract over too. Hell, it's free money. Their booking agent is excited about the band signing to a major. He says they can maybe average $1,000 or $2,000 a night from now on. That's enough to justify a five week tour, and with tour support, they can use a proper crew, buy some good equipment and even get a tour bus! Buses are pretty expensive, but if you figure in the price of a hotel room for everybody In the band and crew, they're actually about the same cost. Some bands like Therapy? and Sloan and Stereolab use buses on their tours even when they're getting paid only a couple hundred bucks a night, and this tour should earn at least a grand or two every night. It'll be worth it. The band will be more comfortable and will play better.

The agent says a band on a major label can get a merchandising company to pay them an advance on T-shirt sales! ridiculous! There's a gold mine here! The lawyer Should look over the merchandising contract, just to be safe. They get drunk at the signing party. Polaroids are taken and everybody looks thrilled. The label picked them up in a limo. They decided to go with the producer who used to be in Letterman's band. He had these technicians come in and tune the drums for them and tweak their amps and guitars. He had a guy bring in a slew of expensive old "vintage" microphones. Boy, were they "warm." He even had a guy come in and check the phase of all the equipment in the control room! Boy, was he professional. He used a bunch of equipment on them and by the end of it, they all agreed that it sounded very "punchy," yet "warm." All that hard work paid off. With the help of a video, the album went like hotcakes! They sold a quarter million copies! Here is the math that will explain just how fucked they are: These figures are representative of amounts that appear in record contracts daily. There's no need to skew the figures to make the scenario look bad, since real-life examples more than abound. income is bold and underlined, expenses are not.

Advance: $ 250,000
Manager's cut: $ 37,500
Legal fees: $ 10,000
Recording Budget: $ 150,000
Producer's advance: $ 50,000
Studio fee: $ 52,500
Drum Amp, Mic and Phase "Doctors": $ 3,000
Recording tape: $ 8,000
Equipment rental: $ 5,000
Cartage and Transportation: $ 5,000
Lodgings while in studio: $ 10,000
Catering: $ 3,000
Mastering: $ 10,000
Tape copies, reference CDs, shipping tapes, misc. expenses: $ 2,000
Video budget: $ 30,000
Cameras: $ 8,000
Crew: $ 5,000
Processing and transfers: $ 3,000
Off-line: $ 2,000
On-line editing: $ 3,000
Catering: $ 1,000
Stage and construction: $ 3,000
Copies, couriers, transportation: $ 2,000
Director's fee: $ 3,000
Album Artwork: $ 5,000
Promotional photo shoot and duplication: $ 2,000
Band fund: $ 15,000
New fancy professional drum kit: $ 5,000
New fancy professional guitars [2]: $ 3,000
New fancy professional guitar amp rigs [2]: $ 4,000
New fancy potato-shaped bass guitar: $ 1,000
New fancy rack of lights bass amp: $ 1,000
Rehearsal space rental: $ 500
Big blowout party for their friends: $ 500
Tour expense [5 weeks]: $ 50,875
Bus: $ 25,000
Crew [3]: $ 7,500
Food and per diems: $ 7,875
Fuel: $ 3,000
Consumable supplies: $ 3,500
Wardrobe: $ 1,000
Promotion: $ 3,000
Tour gross income: $ 50,000
Agent's cut: $ 7,500
Manager's cut: $ 7,500
Merchandising advance: $ 20,000
Manager's cut: $ 3,000
Lawyer's fee: $ 1,000
Publishing advance: $ 20,000
Manager's cut: $ 3,000
Lawyer's fee: $ 1,000
Record sales: 250,000 @ $12 =
$3,000,000
Gross retail revenue Royalty: [13% of 90% of retail]:
$ 351,000
Less advance: $ 250,000
Producer's points: [3% less $50,000 advance]:
$ 40,000
Promotional budget: $ 25,000
Recoupable buyout from previous label: $ 50,000
Net royalty: $ -14,000
Record company income:

Record wholesale price: $6.50 x 250,000 =
$1,625,000 gross income
Artist Royalties: $ 351,000
Deficit from royalties: $ 14,000
Manufacturing, packaging and distribution: @ $2.20 per record: $ 550,000
Gross profit: $ 7l0,000
The Balance Sheet: This is how much each player got paid at the end of the game.

Record company: $ 710,000
Producer: $ 90,000
Manager: $ 51,000
Studio: $ 52,500
Previous label: $ 50,000
Agent: $ 7,500
Lawyer: $ 12,000
Band member net income each: $ 4,031.25

The band is now 1/4 of the way through its contract, has made the music industry more than 3 million dollars richer, but is in the hole $14,000 on royalties. The band members have each earned about 1/3 as much as they would working at a 7-11, but they got to ride in a tour bus for a month. The next album will be about the same, except that the record company will insist they spend more time and money on it. Since the previous one never "recouped," the band will have no leverage, and will oblige. The next tour will be about the same, except the merchandising advance will have already been paid, and the band, strangely enough, won't have earned any royalties from their T-shirts yet. Maybe the T-shirt guys have figured out how to count money like record company guys. Some of your friends are probably already this fucked.

Steve Albini is an independent and corporate rock record producer most widely known for having produced Nirvana's "In Utero".
floop Posted - 02/01/2006 : 13:41:23
do you like quesadillas?
Monsieur Posted - 02/01/2006 : 12:17:16
Well after all floop was right. Albini is an asshole.

Floop, I expect you invite me for dinner now.


I will show you fear in a handful of dust
BLT Posted - 01/30/2006 : 16:37:50
That's why it's such good readin'.

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