I’d know a few people who recorded with him over the years and all the reports were incredibly positive. A man who was overly generous with his time.
I didn’t realise a good friend of mine got to hang out with him when his band went over for a summer (I think on a J1). Albini sorted the lads out for tickets for a sold out Fugazi show. He invited them to the studio a few times where they got to see the Breeders record. He tried to help them find a practice space, introduced them to The Onion, and was generally a sound fella towards a bunch of Irish young lads.
Sound fella or not the man was a production genius!
Seamonsters by the Wedding Present is my favourite album that he produced, and probably of all time. The Weddos had a brilliant guitar sound already, Gedge’s vocal were spoken practically but extremely intense. It matched perfectly with the Albini blueprint of stripped down guitar and drum emphasised sound with impassioned vocals. A masterpiece that wouldn’t have been so without Albini.
