I’ve yet to read a single comment from Steve Albini that doesn’t make him sound like an unpleasant, whining, elitist little bitch. The man is an arsehole.
the question:
the response:
While his little soap box essay was intelligent and accurate, in my opinion, it completely avoided the actual question and he skips addressing the issue related specifically to him and his art. I’m not sure though if I admire him more or less for this verbal evasion. I guess it depends on what his intent was.
While his little soap box essay was intelligent and accurate, in my opinion, it completely avoided the actual question and he skips addressing the issue related specifically to him and his art. I’m not sure though if I admire him more or less for this verbal evasion. I guess it depends on what his intent was.
With the way the original questions was stated, roping Albini into some mythical “we” that I don’t think he would want any part of (he’s never claimed to be a social activist to my knowledge), I’m surprised he even ‘answered’ it to the extent he did.
I think the digression there may have been done because he sensed similar questions coming down the pipeline, and wanted a catch-all answer that would pre-emptively deal with such questions. I’m sure at least someone would have eventually asked about his friendships with characters like Peter Sotos and Jim Goad, whose own personal controversies make any ‘furore’ over Rapeman seem like a Sunday school picnic.
Personally I never felt that Albini was going for anything ‘haha funny’ by naming the band Rapeman. Like a lot of other items in Albini’s catalog - see for example “Jordan, Minnesota” or “Kerosene” off of Big Black’s Atomizer LP - I interpreted that as another of his attempts to spotlight the insane extremes that humans go to in order to satiate their needs and give themselves some fleeting taste of power. Those extremes that make actual reality often more bizarre than fiction or fantasy.
Remember that the band name didn’t come directly from Albini’s imagination, it was the name of the titular “hero” in a Japanese manga undoubtedly read by thousands of bored salarymen on daily train commutes. He could have made more of a moral statement on how ‘fucked up’ that is, but he probably thought that would be self-evident, and also that this would bring him closer to the mass media creeps who regularly broadcast images of human suffering and try to disguise this suffering porn with some fake sense of “concern” for the victims whose misery they are compounding when televising them.
I think Rapeman (I’ve never heard even one song) is a great band name. I didn’t know about the manga tie-in with the name. But I like that it really does, if you think about it, highlight the retarded inconsistency with “political correctness” issues in the context of music.
No one bats an eye if you call your band The Killers, Suffocation, The Stranglers . . . all “glorifying” stuff bad things. Oh, but rape? Whoa! That’s crossing a line there, Son! You can be a murderer. But please, for the love of all that is holy, don’t ever make a facetious reference to non-consentual relations . . .
Personally I never felt that Albini was going for anything ‘haha funny’ by naming the band Rapeman. Like a lot of other items in Albini’s catalog - see for example “Jordan, Minnesota” or “Kerosene” off of Big Black’s Atomizer LP - I interpreted that as another of his attempts to spotlight the insane extremes that humans go to in order to satiate their needs and give themselves some fleeting taste of power. Those extremes that make actual reality often more bizarre than fiction or fantasy.
Remember that the band name didn’t come directly from Albini’s imagination, it was the name of the titular “hero” in a Japanese manga undoubtedly read by thousands of bored salarymen on daily train commutes. He could have made more of a moral statement on how ‘fucked up’ that is, but he probably thought that would be self-evident, and also that this would bring him closer to the mass media creeps who regularly broadcast images of human suffering and try to disguise this suffering porn with some fake sense of “concern” for the victims whose misery they are compounding when televising them.
^is what I wish Albini’s response would’ve looked like.
“rapeman - kim gordons panties”
why was that not mentioned
the mans certainly done some great work
(in utero, comfort, rid of me)
certainly he makes some shit statements’
(dont we all)…
[reply]
Personally I never felt that Albini was going for anything ‘haha funny’ by naming the band Rapeman. Like a lot of other items in Albini’s catalog - see for example “Jordan, Minnesota” or “Kerosene” off of Big Black’s Atomizer LP - I interpreted that as another of his attempts to spotlight the insane extremes that humans go to in order to satiate their needs and give themselves some fleeting taste of power. Those extremes that make actual reality often more bizarre than fiction or fantasy.
Remember that the band name didn’t come directly from Albini’s imagination, it was the name of the titular “hero” in a Japanese manga undoubtedly read by thousands of bored salarymen on daily train commutes. He could have made more of a moral statement on how ‘fucked up’ that is, but he probably thought that would be self-evident, and also that this would bring him closer to the mass media creeps who regularly broadcast images of human suffering and try to disguise this suffering porn with some fake sense of “concern” for the victims whose misery they are compounding when televising them.
^is what I wish Albini’s response would’ve looked like.[/reply]
Why thanks 
I honestly would have expected him to say something more along those lines, since I’ve heard similar sentiments in old interviews with him anyway.
I wrote at least one published column where I spoke positively about his attitudes to the music industry (“file sharing” debate, etc.), though I’m more reluctant to go to bat for him when he is busy with his hobby of slagging off bands.
But I guess he’s like an episode of ‘South Park’ in that sense. When he’s satirizing something you hate, he’s the greatest thing since sliced bread, but the urge to hit him with a tire iron becomes unbearable when he criticizes something that you don’t feel deserves it.
I’m not sure why he has so much hate for Jourgensen. And why would he think that albums like Rape And Honey and The Mind… are “lame and derivative”?? Lame why? Derivative why? Is he saying these things just to get attention?? Does he need more attention? Granted, Jourgensen didn’t exactly pioneer that particular sound and his influences are evident on both lps. But then again - well, who cares? Ministry took ideas from here and there and made them “their own” to be sure, but then again so did…just about everybody who ever formed a band post 1980.
Maybe it’s just me, but I’ve never (never even in my most “anti-Ministry” of moods) listened to Rape And Honey, rolled my eyes and thought, “gee…how lame. Sounds just like <so and so>!!”.
He fucken hates on Butthole Surfers too which pisses me off equally.
Oh…and he HATES Black Sabbath.
He’s just an all round hater I guess.
Yeah, Albini is pretty open with his hate. Even though I could not care less about him or his art, really, I’ve always liked that he’s never held back. I always remember his commentary on Ministry as “Disco through a distortion box”. Uhh, okay. Whatever.
He just seems like an angry little bastard. I don’t really know why anyone ever seems to care, though.
Yeah, Albini is pretty open with his hate. Even though I could not care less about him or his art, really, I’ve always liked that he’s never held back. I always remember his commentary on Ministry as “Disco through a distortion box”. Uhh, okay. Whatever.
The thing that does piss me off is that he can’t elaborate on why that should even be a bad idea. Like, you’re just supposed to take it as a given that “disco through a distortion box” is a bad idea, because he’s an ‘authority’ on music, case closed.
His crusade against all forms of music not involving a drums-guitar-bass lineup (excepting maybe some early industrial acts here and there) is to my mind one of the most embarrassing aspects of his whole presentation. Again, if he could methodically lay out an argument for why “disco” (read: industrial dance music) sucks, citing anything other than just his personal taste as criteria, I could respect him a little more.
I’m not sure why he has so much hate for Jourgensen. And why would he think that albums like Rape And Honey and The Mind… are “lame and derivative”?? Lame why? Derivative why?
Wellllllll…
big black - racer x: http://youtu.be/rH93nVX4If8
He’s just pissed 'cause Al stole his beat and then built a better song around it.
He might also be pissed because Al has always looked pretty radical rock star and Steve Albini looks like an angry nerd that you would find behind the counter at a comic book store.
Oh Steve:
http://pitchfork.com/features/staff-lists/9468-steve-albini/
Edit:
(Rey Washam in THE MIDDLE)
[image]http://pitchfork-cdn.s3.amazonaws.com/content/rapeman_624.jpg?[/image]
It’s funny because he LOOKS like a rapist.
good arguments coming from both sides of the fence. i mean… the truth hurts. and is funny. and amusing. and awesome.
Basically you just gotta like Albini for telling it like it is. A rarity in music, without looking too much like you’re bitter or angry. He’s just crotchety.
From Our Band Could Be Your Life:
“On the rumor that Al Jourgensen, the leader of a wimpy dance-pop unit called Ministry, might be producing a Chicago art-noise band, he wrote, “If you do, and you make them one-tenth as wimpy as Ministry, I’ll cut your balls off and sew them shut in your mouth.”
98% of the posters on this thread were Peligro
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