“I had a strong connection with Steve. He was so passionate and knowledgable, really dedicated to the cause.” Jimmy Page pays his respects to Steve Albini, saluting his work on the Walking Into Clarksdale album

Page, Plant, Albini — (Image credit: Koh Hasebe/Shinko Music/Getty Images | Brian Cassella/Chicago Tribune/Tribune News Service via Getty Images)

Jimmy Page has paid tribute to the late Steve Albini, saluting the much-respected musician and studio engineer for his work on the Page and Plant album Walking into Clarksdale.

Shellac vocalist/guitarist Albini, who also engineered classic albums by Nirvana, PJ Harvey, Pixies and more, died at his Chicago recording studio Electrical Audio on May 7, aged 61.

Posting on Instagram, Page writes, "I was very sad to hear of Steve Albini’s passing this week. Robert and I worked with him in 1997 on our album 'Walking into Clarksdale' — a record I’m still really proud of.

"I had a strong connection with Steve, we all did on that album, and he came with such pedigree and experience as one of the world’s leading mixers and audio engineers. He loved working with analogue tape, in fact his own band was called Shellac. He was so passionate and knowledgable, really dedicated to the cause during our recording sessions at RAK and EMI Number Two Studio at Abbey Road.

"Steve had worked with Nirvana on their third album and also with the likes of Pixies and Bush. He had an impressive CV and leaves a real legacy. RIP, Steve."

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Last week, Polly Jean Harvey, who worked with Albini on her second album, Rid of Me, recorded at the same rural Minnesota studio to which the acclaimed engineer would return to record Nirvana's In Utero album, described the late Shellac frontman as "a great friend - wise, kind and generous."

"Meeting Steve Albini and working with him changed the course of my life," the English singer/songwriter posted. "He taught me so much about music, and life. Steve was a great friend - wise, kind and generous. I am so grateful. My thoughts are with him and his family and friends as we suffer his loss."

News of Albini's death was followed by a wealth of tributes from peers, fans, and music industry figures.

Artists

A music writer since 1993, formerly Editor of Kerrang! and Planet Rock magazine (RIP), Paul Brannigan is a Contributing Editor to Louder. Having previously written books on Lemmy, Dave Grohl (the Sunday Times best-seller This Is A Call) and Metallica (Birth School Metallica Death, co-authored with Ian Winwood), his Eddie Van Halen biography (Eruption in the UK, Unchained in the US) emerged in 2021. He has written for Rolling Stone, Mojo and Q, hung out with Fugazi at Dischord House, flown on Ozzy Osbourne's private jet, played Angus Young's Gibson SG, and interviewed everyone from Aerosmith and Beastie Boys to Young Gods and ZZ Top. Born in the North of Ireland, Brannigan lives in North London and supports The Arsenal.