Why Does Steve Albini Hate Steely Dan?
Everyone is entitled to their opinions, and thus, it seems that a bunch of individuals within the rock community have been more open about expressing them lately. For example, renowned producer Steve Albini (Nirvana, Pixies, Bush) apparently hates Steely Dan — but why?
"I will always be the kind of punk that shits on Steely Dan... Christ the amount of human effort wasted to sound like an SNL band warm up," Albini wrote in a series of tweets yesterday (Feb. 6), suggesting Steely Dan defenders in his replies "go trim" their beards.
"Two types of perfectionist: One will prepare, revise and rehearse carefully, with intent, honing an idea to a keen edge, ready to cut the cloth of execution. The other makes other people responsible by saying, 'do it again,' until by chance they are satisfied, then take credit," he continued. "There's some video where they talk about every song on an album, and each one begins with the not-bald one saying, 'This song is based on my deep love of the blues, just a very bluesy blues. Deep blues.' Then lays his jazz dork hands on the fucking electric piano..."
You can read the full thread for yourself below.
Albini then proceeded to add that he was inspired by Laura Jane Grace to write the thread.
"Wrong demographic I guess b/c nobody got it but I was channeling Laura Jan Grace being the kind of punk that hates football because I saw that and fist-pumped and wanted to do my own," he stated.
"For the record, I don’t like Steely Dan either, terrible fucking music," Grace replied.
Because of Albini's tweets, Steely Dan were a trending topic on Twitter yesterday.
"Every few months or so someone on social media has to state how much they hate Steely Dan. It’s a boring take. Just don’t listen to it. It doesn’t make you punk rock or anything. It just makes you not a fan of the Dan," someone wrote.
"You're a 60-year-old poker player from the Midwest. You're more Steely Dan than punk at this point," another person argued in a tweet that was directed at Albini.
See some of the other posts underneath Albini's thread below.
Then, because the tweets were gaining so much momentum, Albini posted a link to a Dave Grohl-signed Gibson Hummingbird acoustic guitar toward the end of the thread. The current bid is $3,000, and proceeds will go toward Poverty Alleviation Chicago — see the listing here.