Shellac’s At Action Park was the consummately contrarian, anti-establishment record of the 1990s that didn’t belong in a record store’s hardcore bin. In many ways, the masterwork by Steve Albini, Bob Weston and Todd Trainer was the antithesis of every rock record that had come before it—a Paul Bunyan-size middle finger to the corporate machine regarded at the time as the enemy. Read my lengthy review of one of my favorite records ever for Treble, which inducted it into their Hall of Fame.
Go to New Noise to read my live review, previously published on MTV News’ now-shuttered website, of Shellac’s caustic concert at the Knitting Factory in Hollywood on January 28, 2001.
For the sake of good measure and posterity, here’s an email that largely media-averse Shellac guitarist/vocalist Steve Albini sent me before his deeply sad passing on May 7:
“I’d be happy to talk to you. I’m traveling at the moment but I’ll be back on May 6th. I can do a conversation any morning prior to my normal sessions starting at 10 am (Central) or I can answer questions by email, where I will likely be more eloquent.”
The Bad Penny, named after one of Albini’s creations, already misses him more sorely than words can express.
The Bad Penny (beta) 