236
by InMySoul77
The old forum helped shape my thoughts on a lot of topics. Steve was a big part of that. It still doesn't feel real that he's gone. My condolences go out to his friends and family. I debated whether to write this or not, as my mental illness acted up big time and rightfully drove me to leave the forum last time. But I'll just share only this and leave it at this, so you all can continue honoring Steve's legacy in your own way.
Steve was a great PRONOUNCER on things. I think of him first and foremost as a writer, although given his genius he excelled at music, recording, poker etc.
If Steve pronounced his thoughts on something, you can guarantee that he had given it a lot of thought beforehand. In that way he was similar to other great pronouncers and aphorists like Nabokov or Oscar Wilde. The tone of his writing was similar to H.L. Mencken, a writer he greatly admired: ornery, hilarious, pugnacious and spicy enough to provoke you into looking at something in a totally new way.
If a book were compiled of Steve's writings and interviews I believe it would be read fifty years from now in the same way miscellanea by Mencken and Nabokov are still avidly consulted by aspiring writers. Jim DeRogatis and Greil Marcus did it for Lester Bangs. I'm sure someone will do it for Steve at some point.
I first encountered Steve's interviews in high school and they had a profound effect on me. Steve answered interview questions in his writerly voice, which made each interview an authorial presentation, not to be missed. His aesthetics were geared towards respecting the internal dynamics of the band. He wasn't as interested in the sound coming out of the speakers as he was in what the music *told* you about the band's internal dynamic. In today's environment I've seen a lot of people knocking Steve for stuff he wrote forty years ago. One undeniable fact is that Steve's writing matured over the years.
In his younger days he was all about pushing boundaries, shocking people out of their lethargy by presenting them with ideas they would never have considered before. With that approach it's understandable that his batting average wouldn't have been 1.000. But when Steve pronounced, he was usually right.
I will always recall fondly the dynamics between writers on this forum over the years. I truly believe Steve's legacy will live on for ages to come. His studio, his music, and his writing. The world is a poorer place without Steve in it. RIP.