Steve Albini Quotes

In making a record there are so fewer people involved - at least in our case. There were no more than three or four people in the studio at once. So I really feel like I can stand by everything on the record and say this is something that I personally endorse.

With Pantera, we lived through so many trend-of-the-day situations - when grunge was huge, we were still a heavy metal band; when hip-hop started getting incorporated into metal, we stuck to our guns and remained a heavy metal band very purposefully.

Generally, when a record label suggests album ideas for you, you smile politely, and then proceed to shoot it down, because it's never what you as an artist feel is right for you.

Generally, the best recording is the original cast, because that's the way the piece grew: integrally, with them.

I don't like shows, I don't like to put on a show, I just really want to work intimately with my actors.

With a band like Shenandoah, you don't want to take things and deconstruct them to a point where you don't recognize them.

If we were to find a drummer that we were comfortable with and who we felt could really become a part of what we're about, it'd be great. But would we ever rush to find a guy just get back on the road? No. I think we'd rather go down with the ship.

We can do many different things as a band. But that doesn't mean we should do that. If we did all we're capable of, it doesn't necessarily mean we'd be writing better songs. None of us are huge fans of bands that seem to go, 'OK, I'm gonna sing for no reason and then scream for no reason just because I can.'

We didn't want to change who we are. We're not going to sit there and go, 'Let's be a rap band now.'

There's a lot of artists out there who are pretty big but don't write their songs, they just have a lifestyle brand. These are all things that I think are a great enemy to music.

I always put my best into our live performances and most of all it is always important for us to keep true to what we do as BABYMETAL.

If you try to make music and try to convey to everyone that everything is all peachy-keen, you might come off like you're full of it, and that could be something that draws listeners away.

The music business is really, really small. The real music is becoming almost extinct, if you don't stay true to who you are.

I don't need to edit names out of songs and I don't need to edit details out of my songs because I've always been able to be honest with my music. That's the one place where I'm never ever going to change how I do things.

The society that produced The Who, The Stones, Dylan, Paul McCartney and later on people, like myself, is over. The materialistic society that produces these kinds of bombastic performances that don't have any value or musical meaning, is very conspicuous, look at me, I'm rich, dig my brand. That's what missing, Bob Dylan made us feel worthy, I try to do the same thing. Respect for the audience with music that is meaningful and soulful. Go for what moves you and not necessarily what you think will be commercial.

When alternative music - which is supposed to be the standard-bearer of where white rock is headed - becomes either too cute or too manufactured, that's just really not good.

If you're in music just to become a big, fat rock star, then I probably don't like your music to begin with.

Nada Surf and Harvey Danger are good bands. I think they've just stayed true to why they play music in the first place, it's just because they love doing it and they love each other and that's the impetus for doing it, not trying to keep singles on the radio and on MTV.

I let my music do the talking. Ain't no TV show gonna help me. Ain't no hit single gon help me sell no records.

Death Cab is a militantly analog band. We'll continue moving forward with our sound, but there will be no crossover.

Every band that I've known that has done side projects or things like that - I don't respect them anymore.

When we edit the music, I always remember, "It's my band. Save me a place to play."

There's nothing harder than making a mellow, clean record. It's really scary. I can see why people would never want to do it.

I listen back, and I hear what's there, and I know in my heart, in my gut, that we [The Replacements] were the real deal. No one can take that away. You can call us buffoons, or clowns or whatever. But when we wanted to, we were as good as anybody.

As a producer, I'm an objective observer, helping a band form their ideas into a cohesive album. It's a step back from the intimacy of creation.