hwllo

i go to niu and was in the building next door. it's crazy right now. there is a vigil at midnight tonight.

all i can say right now is that the world is a fucked up place

So im in an English class called Metafiction that focuses on fiction that's "aware" that it's fiction. Examples of this include "The Princess Bride", "Six Characters in search of an Author", "Scream", "Slaughterhouse Five", "Atonement"; these are all pieces of fiction that comment on themselves in some way. Often they contain overt references to other works of fiction ("Scream" constantly references other horror movies), the author makes appearances in his/her own novel, and they constantly remind you that you are reading a book or watching a film.

 

As an assignment for the class, I have to analyze a pice of Meta-Art and do a presentation on it for the class. The first thing that popped into my head was Being There. The album has many obvious musical influences and references to other music. The "guitar player" line in Misunderstood lifted from "amphetamine". The "Rebel Rebel" riff in Monday. The "Norwegian Wood"-esque guitar part in "Someone else's Song". The Sonic Youth-inspired atonal section of Sunken Treasure. In addition, the album is constantly commenting on itself as a piece of music. Half the songs on the record are about music istelf, and the process of becoming a rock star. "You still love rock n roll". "CHoo-choo charlie had a pleanty good band". "Some songs we can't afford to play." "Hotel in Arizona made us all want ot feel like stars" "I am so out of tune with you." "I got my name from rock n roll." "Sounds like someone else's song." "i'm just a fan." I think that Being There is meta-music.

 

Do people have any ideas that could help me form some sort of thesis about Being There as a piece of meta-music? Any lyrical or musical themes people have noticed in the record that they feel are important? Just want to see if people think I might have something here, or if im way off track.

this probably wil come out wrong because i'm a little under the weather (ie...drunk/sick) but to me, being there is kind f like the relationship between band and fan. there are lots of references to this outside of what you mentioned, like in kingpin, which is about the lead singer wanting the be 'the man' for the fans. also there is say you miss me which is about the struggles of band members with their loved ones while they are on tour.

good luck!

Now, Wilco. I get many magic moments, every show. I walk away invigorated, not exhaused. The music is amazing, they go those same places the Dead went, they go quicker, they come back cleaner, I'm talking to YOU, Nels. The shows are smaller, and the folks I meet there are real music fans.

you get the same magic moments every show because the songs are the same every show.

i don't want this to sound like i don't love wilco because i do. i just think sometimes they get complacent inside their exhaustingly tight compositions. i've got like 6 wilco shows on my computer and i just picked songs at random that were played at all the shows and all the lengths were within 15 seconds of eachother. while it is nice they are tight, i'd almost like to see them loosen up a little. if nels in tearing up a solo let him go with it instead of ending it after the pre-determined 8 measures or whatever. i just think sometimes they restrict themselves.

i think that the grateful dead have greater highs because they go places sometimes they've never even been. listening to those old shows is an experience sometimes. while wilco shows are great i rarely sit there at the end of a song and think 'man i'm blown away'...though it has happened before

"come on now. wilco shows are great but they aren't that much different from what you hear on the records or in other performances. the grateful dead threw something new at you every single show. you could hear the same song two nights in a row and it would be completely different "

 

I don't think an amazing live band needs to completely change the songs from night to night in order to be good, I think the material is strong enough for Wilco that they dont need to change it around (but if you see them play "California Stars" or "Too Far Apart" or "Ashes of American Flags" or "Sunken Treasure" now you'll see the songs have evolved). Watching them play live is great because you can see the interaction of the group and see how in tune everyone is with each other. They play flawlessly and with energy and passion, so when you see them you realize they are the real deal, a complete "band" if there ever was one.

ok, the songs have changed a little, but is that more of an evolving thing or a "we have a new band every few years so it physically can't sound the same way" thing.

i love wilco, i don't find their songs boring, but perhaps a little repetitive since a lot of the same songs are played night in/night out, but that's fine.

the grateful dead on the other hand was a freak of nature, they were all so good at what they do and they are the pinnacle of a live band because CDs don't do them justice one bit. they didn't make their name because of records they made it by touring. while wilco is a great live band, i think they've made their names through records

In fact, they are much better than the Grateful Dead.

 

 

come on now. wilco shows are great but they aren't that much different from what you hear on the records or in other performances. the grateful dead threw something new at you every single show. you could hear the same song two nights in a row and it would be completely different

it shouldn't be suprising they are selling out fast, wilco is quickly becoming the next big thing 8 years too late

i'm not saying they're underground, just that with sky-blue-sky they pushed it to the point they are at now. i'm not blaming the VW commercials, but ever since that they've been all over the radio. i just think they really tried to push sky blue sky and they succeeded.

Really if you're going with hollowbodies you're really going to have to learn the guitar (and the amp) when it comes to overdrive, and you're definitely not going to use the pedal as much (or much rather at all), just the volume knob.

i really have no idea what i want at this point haha. i was almost dead-set on a hollow-body and now i don't know.

if you guys had to get an electric for under 500 what would you pick and why?

also the telecastor is too twangy for me. i want something with a little bit of a bite to it when i want it to

i mean not metal. neil young is loud, but bands like slipknot are LOUD...and bad of course. but neil young isn't always loud, but i suppose when he gets going he can be as loud as anyone

i personally would go for a solidbody if you want to go for more distortion, epiphone les paul or SG might fit the bill. The only hollowbody I have is a casino, and in my opinion doesn't get the job done when it comes to overdrive, etc.

yeah i was afraid of that. i guess i have a pipe dream of playing one and having it sound like this

http://youtube.com/watch?v=6v5E27Fp59c

even though thats a really expensive gretsch haha. oh well, perhaps i need to go back to the drawing board

i'm thinking about getting a new electric and i don't have very much money. I'm kind of limited in the 500 and down range. i've been toying with the idea of getting a hollow-body. The reccomendations so far that i am considering are an epiphone dot or an epiphone es-175.

i have a few questions though.

I know these guitars sound good in rythym playing but how do they sound for lead? i'm not so much a jazz player and more of a turn up the gain and get some distortion going type of guy. Not too loud though, think wilco or neil young. so will one of those hold up with that type of style.

and also i hear they are good because even though they are cheap you can keep upgrading them so if anyone has any opinions on that please share. thanks so much in advance!

if anyone has this show is there a chance of just posting a few mp3's. maybe just some standout songs from show?

anyone know where i can find this show? i don't think it's up anymore.

thanks in advance!

i'm pretty sure the reasons against the archive are because it is impersonal. i know few people actually trade, but when you do trade it's human to human interaction, not clicking a button on a computer. i know BTs are the same thing, but i think that's why they are against the archive

Judging from the lack of responses, I guess everybody else found this disc about as interesting as I did. Another spin or two should do it, and then I'll throw it on the pile marked "Neil's '00s shit."

:lol why even bother posting in this thread if you aren't a neil young fan?

i mean there's no way you are because i don't know any neil young fan that doesn't like at least on of the three of his new albums

greendale

prairie wind

living with war

between those three you have a taste of everything

i love the album and it makes me soooo excited for the show in chicago. i think it has some really good songs on it and it will definitely be in rotation for a long time

yeah i'd have normally went to the show but i am away at school and couldn't make it. i'm not all that upset though, i'll pass on the rave. the combo of a poor venue, drunk people and raised prices made me stay in school.

i wish milwaukee had some better smaller venues people can play besides that shit hole

he is a dinosaur, but hey, the dinosaurs will be extinct soon so there's not too much longer to see them live.

not to mention i just got into neil young like 4 years ago, and since then all i've been able to see live of him is his farmaid set in 05, and CSNY last year. so this will be my first time really seeing him, so that's how i justify it haha

yeah the tickets are a little expensive, but realistically the places are small enough to where even if you're in the last row you still have a good view.

i can't wait for the chicago show. neil young may not be where he was 25 years ago but he's still better than 95% of the bands/people playing today

the auditorium theatre is pretty awesome.

summerfest wasn't the ideal stage but it was free and wilco so it's all good

alright, first off, that's bullshit and never should have been censored.

secondly, fuck eddie vedder. i'm not a fan of bush but really those lyrics are complete shit. they should have been censored based on quality alone. whatever happened to subtlety in music. maybe if he was a better writer he could have found a better way to word that without sounding like a jackass.

oh and i like pearl jam too, so i'm not complaining because i don't like them, i just think this is a joke

yeah both chicago shows were awesome.

just out of curiosity, which show do you guys think was better? setlist wise here's what it comes down to when taking away the repeats

night one

Hell Is Chrome

Muzzle Of Bees

Company In My Back

War On War

Sunken Treasure

Remember The Mountain Bed

Via Chicago

What Light

In A Future Age

California Stars

night two

Radio Cure

Poor Places

She's A Jar

Side With The Seeds

Forget The Flowers

Ashes Of American Flags

Passenger Side

greendale is fantastic. bandit is one of my favorite neil young songs. the comics should be interesting

wow, thank you so much! you are a kind gentleman

grateful dead studio albums get ripped on a lot. many people say they weren't a good studio band, but i love their studio work. they sound great live obviously, but their studio albums deserve more credit