coornelius

https://twitter.com/Wilco/status/1696503236490903983?s=20

California Stars didn't seem like the right choice for DB.

I enjoy Cruel Country well enough, but it is not scratching my itch for a diverse, propulsive record that clearly utilizes the skills of all six guys. I've been wanting another Whole Love-type record since Schmilco hit. I want some up-tempo tracks and a little sprinkled-in weirdness; this one, as good as it is, continues the tempos and musicality of the Warm/Love is the King series.

It's good, it's my favorite band, I'll like it, but I still want that other one. 

from the stream, I was rooting for Monday with horns instead of I Got You. But oh well. YHF sounded great. I wish they'd done the second set first and ended on Reservations. 

loved that streaming site in its day. 

they sounded incredible. love the set they're sticking to for the most part, what it's lacking in rarities, it's making up for in great songs played with aplomb. 

I would dig that too, but my intuition from what's been going on in the Tweedy house, and on their instagram show is that he wrote a bunch of new folk songs and recorded them with his boys. Which will probably also be awesome. I just figure with the Wilco's scattered in different states they're not finishing any new records any time soon.

There was a photo of them all Zooming recently; maybe the parts had already been laid down and Jeff just finished it. 

Still, my bet is also on the Tweedy family record. But I'm hoping for this Wilco thing sooner rather than later. 

I'd be happy with that, or with an announcement of the "rockier" Wilco record that they had the songs for around the time of Ode to Joy. Jeff did say he'd finished something, and that it was "probably a record." 

Which of these would be *the one* if I was going to buy one?

A bunch of OLD shows just showed up streaming on nugs.net. As far as I can tell, they are at this moment exclusive to nugs.net subscribers and not available on Wilco's Roadcase (although maybe they are coming).

 

3/27/1999 - Shepherd's Bush Empire, London, UK

12/3/2001 - The Fillmore, San Francisco, CA

6/28/2003 - Festival Pier at Penn's Landing, Philly, PA

12/31/2004 - MSG, New York, NY

11/17/2005 - Tribeca Performing Arts Center, New York, NY

Jeff mentioned that they've played in 8 degree temps before and that we had "a long way to go" before becoming their coldest show. Pat and Mikael seemed to dress for the weather, the rest of them dressed as usual. 

Hell of a show in Charlottesville last night. Jeff and the band appeared to be in good spirits, and my wife and I splurged on nice enough seats that we couldn't tell if the Pavilion lawn (often a chatty, distracting mess in the best of circumstances) was behaving. It's rewarding, having invested this much time and emotion in a band through the years, to see that they're still clearly enjoying both each other and the performances they're putting on. The Ode to Joy songs took on additional life (and additional band contributions) and the old stuff has been truly mastered at this point, to the extent that they can throw little left turns in. 

Banter: The Jeff/Matrix "he's from Brisbane, so he's cold -- but it serves him right, because Geddy Lee gave us a bottle of wine and HE DRANK IT" was hilarious. Especially Jeff getting self conscious about his first world problems afterward. 

Particular highlights: 

- Not for the Season. This used to sound like something they pulled out on a whim. Now, it sounds like a staple -- probably because they've been playing it a ton. Still, it's benefitted from the extra work. 

- Bull Black Nova. Not just the slightly more extended, dynamically variable version they played, but also the seeping blood effect on the screen. 

- Impossible Germany. Nels is such a humble guy, it's heartwarming to see him get the spotlight, fun to see how much the band enjoys it, and awesome to hear him just rip the shit out of the song. 

- Hold Me Anyway. A particularly sincere delivery from Jeff. 

- Mikael's solo on Cali Stars and Pat's solo and rock poses on Box Full of Letters. Nels gets the guitar god credit, Jeff gets some love occasionally for his jagged leads on the AGIB era stuff, but Pat might be the most melodic, traditional soloist in the band -- and it's good that they have one of those, too. Pat also gets love for his hat. Dapper. 

- The Glenn jump from the stool right into the beginning of I'm the Man Who Loves You. 

- At Least That's What You Said. All of it. Feel like it took a backseat and became more rare when Spiders was the designated electric guitar freakout, and now it's getting some shine. 

Lowlights

- To be real, while I've seen the band sixteen times, the vast majority came between 2004-2011. They don't hit Virginia often anymore, and so I'm at a point where mostly I'm just glad to see them. They can play whatever they want and I'll be glad to see it. Feels nitpicky to even mention, but... 

- Feel like the Pavilion curfew may have cut the setlist down some, and I missed the opportunity to potentially hear fun one-offs like Dawned on Me or Whole Love (I still love that record). 

- I Am Trying to Break Your Heart felt... like the band was still trying to get used to the temperature onstage or something.

- I wouldn't have minded Everyone Hides. And it's not a lowlight such as an observation, but having not seen the band since 2016, I still haven't seen a song from Schmilco live. 

- My wife's favorite songs are Shot in the Arm and Heavy Metal Drummer, but honestly, she even acknowledged that she's seen those songs at every show prior. 

God damn, I love this band. 

I think that's totally fair and probably desired by most, including myself. My other post a couple of pages back was trying to suggest that the well my not be that deep and is instead breezy 70s rock (The Autumn Defense) and sometimes noise for noise's sake (Nels Cline). In my heart, I want a Mikael Jorgensen led production because that could be off the wall. 

 

And for clarity's sake, my rockers/Star Wars comments were aimed at Coornelius and Chez plus those admittedly absent people over on Facebook who are using songs like "I'm a Wheel" to define what they feel Wilco is lacking, not really your critique Jff. I apologize for that confusion. I saw the term "recently" to mean Sukierae-Warmer so I pointed to SW. I think we got crossed because my initial post was both to address their point and yours. To clear up Nalafej's question: I am saying that all Wilco records are dry of rockers post ST (excepting SW which I felt was being overlooked) so blaming the current lineup doesn't feel valid (but Jff wasn't even talking about rockers so this part is moot) nor does saying that recent Wilco albums have lacked them when SW exists. I hope that clears it up?

Perhaps my comment was too brief, and I erred by mentioning Wheel specifically. What I'm mostly after is what's been repeatedly requested here: more sonic variety - styles, tempos, etc - over the course of one record. I really enjoyed Whole Love for that reason, and it's why both of the Wilco records that followed, while enjoyable, have felt slight to me. 

Also saw someone mention that maybe they just want Jeff on electric guitar, and honestly, that might do it too. I really enjoy his electric playing. 

I like the song, but I hope there's more stylistic variance to this record -- a la The Whole Love -- than there has been on the last couple of Wilco records and Warm/Warmer. 

I like the "big folk" thing, but I want the occasional curveball and revved up I'm a Wheel-esque rocker thrown at me.