Littlebear

i think her voice would be too powerful?

Oh, she can sing softly, too.

She did a duet with Ron Sexsmith on her second album that worked quite fine.

Let's dream of a duet with Neko

What does that story have to do with anything mentioned in my post?

Nothing. I just observe that you should be defiant with your readings. From the link I posted, which is linked to another page you linked, I can be aware of how some articles can be insanely biaised and wrong.

So, believe what you want, but beware of being well informed, and not ill-informed.

That's all I'm saying.

Nudie, if I were you, I would be defiant with some readings, cause through one of your links I found this: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/from...ent/7942086.stm and I can tell you right away that it's total bullshit. We didn't have this myth about Paris liberating itself. We know Americans saved Paris. The De Gaulle speech about Paris liberating itself was purely enthusiastic and patriot. Paris was just exploding of joy after five years of nightmare.

I have taught many students from Europe who claim most of the people there are opposed to the idea of a European Union......They have lost control of their currencies and are faced with economic collapse as we are.......These decisions as well as many political ones are made at secret meetings by the bankers and government leaders without input from the people.......Why do you think those massive protests take place whenever they are held?.....Are you aware of the violent riots breaking out all over Europe the past few months....

I don't think most Europeans are opposed to the idea of a European Union, though it is certainly debated for many changes and problems it brings. But there's an economical crisis in Europe as in the States, so you see a lot of protest from the people everywhere. This isn't especially against the idea of a European Union.

American sovereignty and the Constitution........

Isn't "American sovereignty" a conservative notion?

(this is a French question)

Not trying to be a dick, but what does it mean to "represent the album as a whole"?

To me, it'd be the song that would represent an album as a whole

here's a thematic stab:

 

AM - Casino Queen: This song provides a landscape for the album, much like a great novel establishes an image for the reader to refer back to throughout the book.

 

Being There - Someone Else's Song: This is an album of country, folk, and rock songs. It combines all the greatest elements of pop music on one album. Here Jeff admits, with humility, that he and his band don't have much to say; he praises the greats before him... but we all know that they have much to say, and they are in the category of the greats.

 

Summerteeth - I'm Always in Love or ELT: Jeff's volatile personality is highlighted here, and that volatility is reflected in the range of songwriting on this album.

 

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - Ashes of American Flags: Both about rebirth and a reckoning with the fact that our essence always lingers with us, this song mirrors American history and the very singular and individual "American experience," full of self-mortification and self-discovery.

 

A Ghost is Born - Muzzle of Bees: An existential album at its core, this song most poetically and poignantly champions the mystic connections in our lives.

 

Sky Blue Sky - Sky Blue Sky: This album is full of songs I'd call Nostalgic Americana, which revolve around, again, an American landscape. This song seems to be the foundation upon which the rest were built.

Great arguments, sir

AM: Must Be High

Being There: Misunderstood

Summerteeth: She's a Jar (or Shot in the Arm or Via Chicago)

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot: Ashes of American Flags (or Poor Places or I Am Trying to Break Your Heart)

A Ghost Is Born: Hell Is Chrome

Sky Blue Sky: Either Way

I think "Less Than You Think" or "Spiders" aren't really representative of the album featuring them.

Released respectively in March and May 1999, these two albums share important sonic landscapes, especially with a big use of keyboards.

The Flaming Lips were more arty and experimental at it, though - and I know Wilco was listening to the Flaming Lips after that, and they made the more experimental Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - an influence?

Also, to me, The Flaming Lips and Wilco may have been influenced by Mercury Rev's Deserter's Songs from 1998. What do you think?

Anyway, I liked that 1999 year a lot. I discovered then four of my favorite records ever: Summerteeth, Car Wheels on a Gravel Road, Ron Sexsmith's Whereabouts, and John Cunningham's Homeless House. He added on a side note.

What about the innocent unborn? With Obama in office, is it ok for ME to feel awful about that? Is it OK that I feel like Obama is being inhumane to ALL life?

It's more humane to care about the environment than about the innocent unborn, if you ask me. Certainly less selfish, on a humane level.

But maybe much good has come out of the war.

and may be not. If we have to make a war to see that or not, in doubt, I prefer to avoid it. Naturally. Actually in 2003 GW Bush didn't let anyone decide otherwise. I remember everything, and was proud of Chirac's opposition then (but of course it didn't change anything, France is a small country to which the US image doesn't count).

And don't you think the war in Iraq did cost way too much for your economy? It'd have been better without it, no?

In America, being selfish or an "egoist" (which we do say here) is typically a conservative value. (And I'm not saying that to start a political shitstorm, just to point out that conservatives want to keep all of their money and liberals want to give large portions of it away through taxation with the hope that our country spends it wisely)

Oh yeah, there's that difference with the French, too - here "liberal" doesn't have a positive notion (at least not for the leftist), it's an economical system that creates inequalities between the rich and the poor. Our respective countries have different histories and approaches of the word. To be schematic, in your country the conservatives are right winged, and liberals left winged, but in France, liberals are right winged, and our left wing is "socialist" (though our socialism actually accepts a liberal system, and the real left - still a minority - is more "revolutionary", or "anti-capitalist").

Our president Sarkozy is on the right wing, but may be more on the left wing than Obama. Curious, isn't it?

What does "egoist argument" mean??

You don't use "egoist" in English? OK, so let's say "selfish". I think it's selfish to say that one should feel alright just because all is fine with him.

It's not only selfish, it's typically *liberal* or *capitalist* as a way of thinking. It's thinking basically that all that is important is to be well personally, and let's not care of the rest of the world.

It's thinking that as long as you live in a country that allows you to speak and be happy and play music, you should only be allowed to shut up.

But to me, as a French, I'm afraid to say yeah, the image of the US pretty sucked a lot with GW Bush. And it makes me feel good to know that it sucked for some US citizens as well, especially for people like Tweedy whom I love the music. His words about those 8 Bush years are legitimate, and not tired at all.

I was also on the Yahoo list of Wilco a few years back. When Tweedy spoke his mind about the war in Iraq, I saw a lot of *fans* unsubscribing from the list.

Tolerance is beautiful, isn't it? But more than that, it gives an idea of the kind of craziness that went then.

The SLIGHTLY NAUSEATING: Talking about "My Country Has Disappeared", he explains how he wrote the song pre-election and he wants it to be a hopeful song after 8 crappy years. I know George Bush won't go down as a one of the greatest Presidents, but this sweeping thought that Bush's 8 years has sucked and was miserable to live through just gets so tired. Wilco have exploded in those 8 years. Was life really that sucky for Mr. Tweedy? When he vacations to his Michigan home, is he THAT tortured that we've been in a controversial war? Fault Bush for the war. Fine. But is all this economic mess to be layed at Bush's feet? Is it Bush's fault that the stock market is in the tank? C'mon Jeff. Yeah, things kinda suck right NOW. But stop with this "8 years of living in Hell" crap.

I'm late on this, just reading the whole thread now. But I can't stand this kind of egoist argument. So, everything was doing fine with Tweedy and the band (well, he had his personal troubles, too - by the way), and he should just feel alright for that? What kind of humanity is this?

oddly ... two of the best shows i've ever seen are jay farrar acoustic with mark spencer at maxwell's

No show with Mark Spencer can be bad. He's a great guitar player!

I think everyone should at least have Sunrise and From Elvis in Memphis in his collection.

I think he was an extraordinary singer. And he was the first rock'n'roll star.

I love all the rock'n'roll pioneers, I think they were all geniuses. Elvis, Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran, Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Gene Vincent, Bo Diddley... Wonderful stuff, always fresh, and timeless.

The Sun sesssions of Elvis are all gems. I could spend days trying to understand the quality of these recordings. The things that explain this quality are what's the most interesting in music (the popular one at least). Music ain't mathematics. There isn't a formula. There's the mystery of the Human soul, and life.

I don't care of those people laughing at Elvis or saying he was an idiot. Music isn't about being smart. I don't care of XTC nor Elvis Costello. I prefer the music of people with a sense of LIFE in it. Music that speaks to our soul, our senses and our body. Music that makes me feel living a bit more intensely, music that makes me love life.

Sometime we forget the taste of life, and some musics are giving this to us. That may be why we listen to music in the first place, at least from the start. We may forget it on the way. But we get back to it. That's why it's timeless.

I even didn't know that! I just find that cover hilarious

The small bearded guy on the left makes me laugh each time, especially with the other guy who seems to tickle his tit

And what does she say about this French dude?

I am also French, Appalachian French, 3rd Generation.

There had been some frenchies there?

No wonder I love Appalachian music!

You must be French.

...but this is American:

The three songs that shocked my life:

Jacques Brel's "Le Plat Pays" at 13 years old

L

Considering the art on the cover of Fox Confessor was brilliant, this is far less impressive for sure.

 

LouieB

Well, I prefer the Middle Cyclone one to Fox Confessor. Way more original.

Well, the cover of this new album stinks, art degree or no art degree.

I don't see how it stinks. But if there's some smelling with the picture, that's good news.

oh, and as much time as I spend on the internet, I almost never download music.

I'm not so sure of what will happen with this digital thing.

I think more important things are going to change in the future, and it will have more to do with ecology than anything else.

This, or the Human will die.

Never turn your back on Mother Earth I say.