This Is Lone Star

Big Black—Texas (1983 / Acerbic punk)

Hello internet pals of music. Today we’re reeling at the shocking news of Steve Albini’s death.

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Fuck.

Not even a week ago, I posted about Gary Floyd’s death.

I still can’t believe I’m posting about Steve Albini’s.

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As a Texan, I’ve always loved this song because I often think about Texans and our bullshit, and appreciate being taken down a notch or two. Big Black took everyone down a notch or two, even at the risk of being guilty of what Albini was attacking.

One thing I think about with Steve Albini is how as he aged, he didn’t mellow his beliefs, but he also acknowledged where he’d been wrong, had been the asshole people accused him of being. Didn’t try to write it off, didn’t try to bury or polish his image. He just seemed to embody that we’re probably all assholes at some point, and that the most human thing we might do about that is to acknowledge we were assholes about something and then learn and grow enough to stop being assholes. There’s easily something to compare with that other great producer who seems to think pretty highly of his personal growth towards California zen enlightenment. Except Albini never seemed to me to suggest there was any rightness to his way.

I don’t know what I’m trying to say. Not sanctifying the man in any way. But he seemed a lot more real, and that’s a great thing to maintain in this 21st century simulacra world.

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