Joanna Newsom Pays Tribute To Steve Albini — The Engineer Of Her Acclaimed 2006 album Yes — during the singer's set Friday at Utah's Kilby Block Party.
Stereogum reports that before Newsom's performance of “Cosmia,” one of the Yes tracks she recorded with Albini, the singer gave an emotional speech about how much the noise-rock pioneer meant to her.
“So the last few days have been very sad because of the loss of Steve Albini, who I love very, very much and admire in every possible way you can admire a person,” Newsom said.
“I was telling my friend this morning that like on the list of all the reasons why he's my hero, music and things related to music don't even make the top ten. He was so very important in my life musically for so many years, but also as a person, as a person, as a hilarious, loving, loyal friend to so many people. I miss. I will miss her so much. I haven't accepted it yet.”
in addition to Yes — one of Albini's seminal recordings — Newsom, who previously called Albini “pretty much the best producer in the world,” also enlisted Albini to engineer her 2015 LP Various.
“I was in this little room with Steve Albini and no one else, and I was playing the songs exactly as they are, and it was a pretty intense moment,” Newsom told the interview shortly after Yes' release. “I had it lit with candles, in the dark with just candles and creating these very crazy moments that I was experiencing…. There's something about the way Steve recorded me and the environment in which it was done. There was a sense of closeness and spontaneity, and I felt extremely emotionally heightened, and I went through these vocal takes. I was just devastated afterwards because it was such an emotional experience.”
Newsom concluded Friday's tribute by adding, “He recorded the album that this next song is on, as well as so many other things that I've done. I can't believe I can't record with him again, but I love Steve. I love you, Steve. This is for you.”
Following Albini's death earlier this week at the age of 61, many of the artists he worked with – including Dave Grohl, Jimmy Page, PJ Harvey, Superchunk, Big Black bandmate Santiago Durango and more – have shared tributes and memories of the legendary musician, producer and writer.
from our partners at https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/joanna-newsom-steve-albini-tribute-1235019066/
