DiamondClaw

Late to this thread, but man, that show was excellent! Since it was more than likely a one-off, we might not get a show like this again for a good while. Actually, outside of Solid Sound, I don't think the there has ever been a full show like this. If you were a casual Wilco fan (if there is such a thing) and didn't know what you were getting into, all the unfamiliar material might've been off putting. And there were a few shout outs near me of "Poor Places," or "Handshake Drugs" or "Play some Wilco." But I'm glad Jeff went solo stuff all the way. I loved the mix of Sukierae, Warm and Warmer material. The songs sounded fantastic and, if you'll excuse the pun, warmer with the band. The group didn't seem rusty or unrehearsed at all.

Speaking of the band, Jim Elkington is good. Really good. Obviously no one can quite do the virtuoso things Nels Cline does, but I think Elkington could give Nels a pretty good run for his money. Also, maybe I missed something, but is Darin Gray out of the Tweedy lineup now? Liam Cunningham was on bass.

Here's the setlist:

Bombs Above
Some Birds
New Moon
Don't Forget
Having Been Is No Way to Be

Orphan
Summer Noon
Ten Sentences
Guaranteed

Empty Head
Flowering
I Know What It's Like
…and Then You Cut It in Half
World Away
Evergreen
Family Ghost
Love Like a Wire (Diane Izzo)
Low Key
You Are Not Alone
It Must Be Love (Labi Siffre)
The Losing End (Neil Young)
Let's Go Rain
I Wanna Be Your Mama Again (Doug Sahm)
California Stars

Here’s the remixed version of Talent Show

 

https://rhino.lnk.to/TalentShowMW

Listened this afternoon. It sounds great!

Jeff has stated many times that his solo performances are, in part, a way to prove that the experimental stuff is really just regular songs that one guy with a guitar can perform.  So I think this may have always been his process.  It's just that in the last ten years or so he rarely incorporates the other part of the process that involves studio manipulation, post-production, experimentation, and which resulted in arguably their best work.

I completely agree with that aspect of the solo stuff. You can sit down and play YHF in its entirety with just an acoustic guitar. It is proof the songs are so durable, and it's what makes Tweedy's solo acoustic shows so good. I think the songs are just as good now — the songwriting on Warm/Warmer is as good as ever. For me, it's mostly about the production and arrangements. The vocal performances and recordings particularly have been weaker over the last few albums. In general, sonically, the mix hasn't been as crisp or full since The Whole Love. That's what I would like to see cleaned up a bit.

I also think it's sometimes just a matter of timing. If Tweedy has the song "Shrug and Destroy" and it happens to be time for a Wilco album, then it becomes a Wilco song. If he writes "Family Ghost," which would have made a killer Wilco song IMO, and he happens to be doing a solo album, it becomes a solo track.

It isn’t actually, Tom Schick said as much at his talk at Solid Sound.

Really? That's interesting. What did he say?

No need to apologize for anything. 

 

I think the bold portion is not really a fair representation of what the various members of Wilco can bring to the table, if given the opportunity.  Noise is only one of the many things Nels has done throughout his long career (just in the last, say, five years, he's done orchestral music, guitar duets, power trio rock, fusion, jam band, big band jazz, jazz quartet, free improvisation, and yes, noise).  I don't really know what the Autumn Defense does.  But let's take Glenn.  His solo work is composed percussion, in which layers of rhythm are used in conjunction with tuned percussion and all sorts of non-traditional and prepared instruments.  Wilco incorporated some of that on YHF, but ever since then, he mostly plays Levoin Helm-esque drumbeats on the bulk of the material he's recorded with them.  Wilco sometimes feels like Jeff gives them demos of the songs and they play along and that's the song, rather than the group building songs together from the ground up.  So it's like one ingredient with a few different seasonings on top, rather than a complete meal made up of many ingredients working together (with exceptions, of course.)

I'm not sure how the writing dynamic is different than before to influence it. As in, I was never in the room so I will only ever be able to speculate. Glenn wasn't the first drummer on the YHF material, but he's also not the first drummer on demos now due to Jeff wanting to play with his son. If the pattern is, "Jeff writes a song, individuals or the band come in to parse it or add to it, a final recording is made," I'm not sure what else can be done other than to push Jeff out of his element. Jeff's songs right now play into that Autumn Defense vibe and not into jazz chord voicings or deconstructed percussion. I thought Glenn did a great job with Schmilco on songs like "Cry All Day", "Quarters", and "Just Say Goodbye" but they're also not "Deeper Down" or "Art of Almost".

I think this is just Jeff's process these days. Maybe he found it too difficult to build songs with six guys, it must be tough with so many hands in the pot. But everything he's done post-TWL has felt like personal demos that he picks guys to overdub on.

Lots of mystery of Replacements social media pages but it looks like a box set of ‘Don’t Tell a Soul’ alternate mixes & outtakes is coming out.

 

Not sure I need the whole thing but "If Only You Were Lonely (feat. Tom Waits)" could be great.  

 

http://www.brooklynvegan.com/the-replacements-appear-to-be-releasing-a-box-set-of-dont-tell-a-soul-alternate-mixes-outtakes/?fbclid=IwAR3MYP9zTxXaGXLVyHWl303C-JzvqRq4fWzSP79zr0GfCFreGtde2-y7U7Q

This is a great news! I like DTAS, but it's no secret the super glossy production on that album didn't suit the band. Looking forward to hearing those tracks in a new light.

Regarding "Everyone Hides": I assume they re-recorded it for all the reasons mentioned so far. I hope it doesn't veer too far from the vibe of the original though, because I really liked that groove.

I finally got to hear the bonus track yesterday. Another great song!

I'm hoping for some real curveballs on this one.  The band was totally underutilized on Schmilco, and I hope that isn't the case with this one.

 

I've read a number of interviews with the band members in which they talk about the various and wide ranging side projects, and how Jeff encourages it because it makes a richer tapestry when the group gets together.  The implication being that elements of each side project will work their way into what Wilco does, and as a result, Wilco's sonic universe will expand. But I haven't seen much evidence of that.  On the contrary, it sometimes feels like the side projects are a way for the members to get that stuff out of their systems so they can reconvene and back up Jeff on new batches of mostly standard folk/country/pop/rock tunes.  With the exception of the occasional Art of Almost or maybe Impossible Germany or Bull Black Nova, Wilco's sonic universe has contracted with the arrival of the new lineup.  The current lineup is probably the best ever/only one capable of performing the more experimental music in the back catalog, but the records this lineup has made only tap into that kind of experimentalism once (or zero times, in some cases) per album. 

Curious as to whether Everyone Hides is going to be the exact same version as on the St. Vincent soundtrack. I would hope they don't simply run back that version but perhaps take a second crack at it with the full band. I really dig that song but am hoping for a reinterpretation. 

I loved "Everyone Hides"! Very glad it will get a proper release. The existing Tweedy version of the track is great, but I'm excited to hear what Nels and co. will bring to it (if it's been reworked/rerecorded).

The new single is good — I especially like the guitar work — although I do admit I was/am hoping for something bigger than breezier this time around, as Warm/Warmer (plus Schmilco) scratched my itch for folky Tweedy.

It’s really amazing to think about how prolific Jeff has been in the past 5+ years. Sukierae, SW, Schmilco, Warm, Warmer, and now a new Wilco album? All of them ranging from pretty good to great too!

Plus he wrote and produced a whole Mavis Staples album in 2017. Darn impressive.

So I really wanted to do a top 5. But that was too hard. So then I wanted to do a top 10, but I ended up with 11 and no one to kick. Long story short, here's my top 15 with 5 honourable mentions:

 

1. Orville Peck - Pony
2. Big Thief - U.F.O.F.
3. Calexico / Iron & Wine - Years To Burn
4. Jeff Tweedy - WARMER
5. Kevin Morby - Oh My God
6. The National - I Am Easy To Find
7. Mac Demarco - Here Comes The Cowboy
8. Hand Habits - placeholder
9. Andrew Bird - My Finest Work Yet
10. Better Oblivion Community Center - Better Oblivion Community Center
11. Steve Gunn - The Unseen In Between
12. Stephen Malkmus - Groove Denied
13. Strand Of Oaks - Eraserland
14. Jenny Lewis - On The Line
15. William Tyler - Goes West

Honourable mentions: 

Julia Jacklin - Crushing

The Minus 5 - Stroke Manor

Sharon Van Etten - Remind Me Tomorrow

Cate Le Bon - Reward

The Raconteurs - Help Us Stranger

Well, I wasn't planning on going to 10, but since you started it...

1. Bruce Springsteen – Western Stars
2. William Tyler – Goes West
3. Josh Ritter – Fever Breaks
4. Local Natives – Violet Street
5. Mac DeMarco – Here Comes the Cowboy
6. Jeff Tweedy - Warmer
7. Son Volt - Union
8. Cate Le Bon - Reward
9. Jenny Lewis - On the Line
10. Fujiya & Miyagi - Flashback

Getting a jump on those end-of-year lists with one at the midway point. What have been your favorite albums of 2019 so far? Here's my top 5:

1. Bruce Springsteen – Western Stars
2. William Tyler – Goes West
3. Josh Ritter – Fever Breaks
4. Local Natives – Violet Street
5. Mac DeMarco – Here Comes the Cowboy

Has anyone else sequenced a 10-11 track single album of their favorite songs from Warm/Warmer?

I haven't, but if I were forced to pick just 11 of the tracks, I think it'd be these:

1. Bombs Above

2. Some Birds

3. Don't Forget

4. How Hard it is for a Desert to Die

5. I Know What it's Like

6. Having Been in No Way to Be

7. Family Ghost

8. Sick Server

9. Empty Head

10. Evergreen

11. Guaranteed

Just missed: And Then You Cut it in Half. I haven't heard the bonus track "Drawing From Memory," but I liked the solo acoustic version he played live once, so maybe that would make the cut as well.

Listen, I know they’re not going to NOT play Chicago, but what the fuck?

 

Guessing they will play some Thanksgiving shows in Chicago. 

And they might be waiting to announce anything until after Tweedy's solo show here in August.

As always, a variety of opinions will exist, even though mine may be in the minority.  I think the exact opposite, its great to see them NOT play a bunch of new songs that to me are not as good as their older songs.  I don't care for Star Wars or Schmilco and wasn't that crazy about the Whole Love, especially not compared to Sky Blue Sky and A Ghost Is Born and even Wilco the Album.  I'll take songs from 10 years ago anyday over songs from the last three albums.  I also hate the idea of a band "promoting" new material, as if it were primarily product to sell instead of art to enjoy.  Wilco, to me, is a primarily a live band, that is how they make their money, I believe, so keep loyal fans coming back to see show after show with lots of setlist variety and old rarities and yeah, I guess a few new songs for those that like 'em.  I'd like them, too, if they were as good as their old stuff.

It's interesting because, on the one hand, one of the great things about Wilco is that their setlist isn't rigid and they're free to play any song at any moment. And nothing's better than seeing them in a residency type setting with nearly the entire catalog covered. But Wilco is no nostalgia act. They're a contemporary band, and new material keeps the shows fresh and the band's purpose strong. I suspect this will all become moot relatively soon anyway.

Webcast was great! John's bass sounded particularly sharp to me. Jeff's vocals did seem a little strained in a few places, but aside from that, the band seemed locked in and totally on top of their game. Aside from my usual favorites, I liked "I'll Fight" and "The Joke Explained," which I think were both better than the studio versions. The one thing that occurred to me was that, as great as the band sounded, it's clear they need a new album to promote. The setlist variety is wonderful as always, but it will be nice when it is focused on new material.

Would that be long enough to record a whole new album? Surely not.

It depends. If they're assembling the album piecemeal with lots of overdubs, they way they did Star Wars, they don't ever have to be in the same room at the same time to get it done. If they're trying to track live, like Sky Blue Sky, it might be a different story.

In all seriousness, do you guys really think the new album is 100% already in the can and they're just sitting on it? Or do you think there is still at least a little work to be done to complete it?

I'll chime in to say thanks bbop as always for these through recaps! I look forward to these every tour. If you're ever wondering whether the work you put into these is appreciated or not, it is!

Great setlist last night. Surprising though that the newest song on there is from 2009. Nothing from any of the last three Wilco albums.

 

Yeah I feel like Mac really made a distinct guitar sound for himself with the clean DI sound and lots of tremelo, but I'm not hearing that much on this new album, though it still very much sounds like Mac. 

I'll agree with you about This Old Dog being his best, that record was my soundtrack to summer 2017. Another One is great too though, I feel like a lot of people overlooked it because it's a mini album but I think it's some of his strongest work.

 

Also how great is the end to Baby Bye Bye? Very unexpected but fun!

Yeah, that ending was pretty funky, and it's not the only spot on the album Mac brought the funk!

Good thread, well deserved for Mac! I'm a fan. I listened to the new one today and liked it a lot. Overall I think This Old Dog is his best — I listen to that album all the time, feels like at least once a week. Salad Days and Another One are very good too. Any way you slice it, this guy has an unmistakable sound. Like you said, it's very laid back, but there's such a distinctive tone to the instrumentation. It just takes one or two notes to identify a Mac DeMarco song.

https://soundblab.com/reviews/albums/21879-jeff-tweedy-warmer

 

Warmer was originally released as a vinyl only limited edition on Record Store Day this April.  It will be streaming live here from May 10 to May 12, and then widely released through the more standard channels on July 12.    

Anyone know if this is actually happening? Today is May 10, and I haven't seen this confirmed on Wilco's site or even mentioned anywhere but the link above.

Yeah, nothing against Spencer, but reading that gave me feeling that Glenn might be on the way out, or that there could be another major shakeup in the lineup.  I can't fault Jeff for wanting to play with Spencer, and for taking advantage of in-house talent, but something seemed a bit off about that to me.  It wouldn't surprise me if this is the last Wilco album from this lineup.  

Yeah, that passage in the book gave me pause as well. I prefer when Glenn gets to create percussion/rhythm parts from scratch, but there's obvious a lot of comfort for Jeff to play with his son. Interesting thought about a possible shakeup in the band's future. It's been 15 years with the same lineup now, so they've certainly gotten their money's worth if anyone decides to go in a different direction.

That must have been where I read that.  I think that approach worked well for Star Wars.  Not as well for Schmilco, if that was made the same way.  That one sounds more like a Tweedy solo album to me.  It's the Syncronicity Side 2 of WIlco's discography.

I agree re: both Star Wars and Schmilco. I also kind of hoped the whole band would record together from scratch for a new Wilco project to create a different vibe than overdubbing to Jeff-and-Spencer demos as described in Let's Go.