FixedBayonet

Speaking of the Wiggles, about seven or eight years ago when Wilco first came to Australia (the Leroy Bach line-up), they played at the Big Day Out. I was standing next to Murray from the Wiggles as Wilco came out on stage and Jeff Tweedy spotted him and said, "It's a pleasure to play in front of you, sir!" to which Murray Wiggle replied, "The pleasure's all mine, mister Tweedy!" The audience got a real kick out of it. I then of course read or heard something a little later about how Jeff dug the Wiggles because he used to play them for his boys when they were younger. I reckon my anecdote must serve to neatly summarise this whole thread. Not the definitive word, nor the last word but certainly pertinent!

Funny you should ask. Lately, I've been revisiting Steely Dan in a big way (which I haven't done since I was a teenager which was before Wilco were conceived of) and I'm hearing a great deal of their influence on Tweedy's songwriting, from the arrangements (keyboard motifs, guitar solos that are afforded their own melody structure and even time signature changes) to the at-times oblique lyrics.

Obviously the Beatles, Stones, Placemats etc but another set of influences I hear creeping in are Can, Fleetwood Mac (the Buckingham/Nicks pop years rather than the Peter Green years) and King Crimson and Pink Floyd. But not Radiohead.

I live in Sydney, Australia in a suburb called Enmore, which is where Wilco has played the last two times they've been here (at the Enmore Theatre).

It seems like everyone I know knows the band. I've been following since Uncle Tupelo days, and have done my best to turn folks onto them. I remember a couple of years ago, my mom and dad popped around and my mom says, "Oh, that band that you like, they were on television last night. It was a black and white documentary about them." I was gobsmacked. "Your father and I really enjoyed it. That Jeff seems like a funny man."

I've turned numerous g/fs onto them as well. At the last Enmore show, there were quite a few people there that I had turned on to Being There and Summerteeth some ten years ago through some radio shows I used to do. Around here where I live, it's the preferred inner city area code for the coolsies and they all love Wilco now.

I just finished listening to the whole dealy. Hell, it's GOOD. Nice concert. JT was really whipping the crowd into an involvement frenzy. He actuallyasked them to clap along. Not sure what to make of THAT... Right, it's lunch time here in Sydney, Australia. Time to nosh.

Yep, word to that, Froggy.

I've been having anxiety attacks for nearly 30 years and was only diagnosed with it ten years ago. Straight onto Xanax.

And I also have migraines. In fact, I was having one last night but thought, f**k it, I'll push on through. Glad I did.

I was able to go home after the Enmore show (which was awesome but during which my iPod battery died after 25 minutes of recording - eeep).

Cue more anxiety.

Anyway, there's always been something in the way the guitar sounds on AGIB have reminded me of having an anxiety attack.

Now I figure I'm not talking out of my hat.

Stupid talking hat.

Love to you all, Wilco brethren. The show in Sydney last night was amazing.

J

I think they'll be on at 8.30 til 910. I won't be finishing work until 8pm anyway, so I'll probably be there a bit late.

Truth be told, I don't really care for them. Trust me to work hard against the prevailing winds of coolsyness in the indie scene.

I was in a band when I was 16 too. And we weren't very good either but no one gave us a deal.

Alright. Only one more sleep til I get to see Wilco again for the third time in less than a year.

Tomorrow night at the Enmore Theatre then off to Byron Bay on Thursday afternoon to see them play again.

Thank you Jebus.

I will try to record show with fancy new iPod recording dingle thingo. Offer made.

Cannot guarantee quality!

The doyen of rock critics has become dismissive, irrelevant and prone to generalisation, just like every other rock critic.

Seriously tho', how does it all become so literal that we can simply interpret Mr Tweedy's private life by reading anything we damn well like into his lyrics? Pretentious tweet? Wha'? What does it even MEAN? God, I hate critics now. Even Christgau. And by the way, how DO you pronounce his surname? Krist-gow? Christ-gow? Cris-co? Please help.

Buenos dias, senor! Muchas gracias por el Wilco notificacion!

Pardon my atrocious espanol and thanks for posting this. Great news.

Give my regards to Espana!

Hunh? I ordered a cheeseburger.

And I DO mean 'noramlly'. Because I'm a large, hairy, tattoed man and I have urges. And not all of them are 'noraml'. Or normal for that matter. I had a Wilco ticket going spare in Sydney and do you think I could get one of our sistren to come along? Nuh uh. I had to take a fellow instead. As much as I hate making out with men, it was a good night in all.

And I DO mean 'noramlly'. Because I'm a large, hairy, tattoed man and I have urges. And not all of them are 'noraml'. Or normal for that matter. I had a Wilco ticket going spare in Sydney and do you think I could get one of our sistren to come along? Nuh uh. I had to take a fellow instead. As much as I hate making out with men, it was a good night in all.

Pee in a cup? That's a bit... specialised isn't it? Noramlly it costs a lot more than dinner and a Wilco ticket to get a lady to do THAT. Or maybe I'm just not meeting the right kinds of women...

Personally, I hope he gets a root.

Yup - his band, formerly known as Clover, backed up EC on his very first album.

In the scheme of things, it seems like writing an 'open' letter to Jeff is not a bad idea necessarily. We're all aware that he's aware of the existence of this board, and has even commented on it numerous times. But somehow it still seems like a cheap shot. Jeff's personal life is, like it or not, still his business. He's been talking about the rehab thing quite a bit, I agree. But I fail to see how that should cheapen the experience of the music. Clearly, in the roiling undertow of AGIB I can hear the unease of his interior life - to a DEGREE. However, the songwriter is always guarded about these things, because once you put your personal life into a song, whether it be word for word or detailing some experience that has affected you, with a degree of caution - you are thus open to the most personal criticisms; that of putting your feelings out there only to have them deconstructed and reverse-engineered by people who would like to think that they're the best person to critique it. Everyone's entitled to their opinions, but even though this 'open letter' was quite genuine in intent it goes too far. Jeff has the right to discuss the effect that rehab has had on him. I don't know if you've ever been through rehabilitation. I have, and it is a painful, nerve-exposing experience that changes your life, completely. It may not effect permanent change (some people who go through rehab may either revert to previous addictions or take up new ones) but it does substantially alter how you see yourself and you become painfully aware of how your actions and interactions with others can have a profound impact, particularly when you are trying to control aspects of your personality with drugs or alcohol or pot or whatever. I was an amphetamine abuser for years and I thought I had it under control and well-hidden from the view of friends and family. However, I did not. I remember watching IATTBYH and thinking, "Jeff is a troubled guy". Not because I'm some hack who thinks he's an expert on ANYTHING (I am definitely not) but I could see that he was a sensitive fellow who thinks and feels deeply. This clearly informs the music - to a DEGREE. We shouldn't read too much into his rehab experience and we shouldn't consider that it has had a negative impact on the music, because - at least for me - SBS still has an air of real discomfort to it that belies the beauty of the songs. I see it as a very ambivalent album, and while the surface tension doesn't suddenly boil over, these songs run much deeper. Jeff is a hell of a songwriter and I wish him well, and if talking about his experiences to journalists helps (not that I imagine it would), then more power to him.

Nuh-uh dudes.

That's a Martin 12-string fer sure.

Guess I didn't read the intro paragraphs carefully enough. There's no specific mention of rehab in the interview itself but after re-reading it, yeah, there's the magic fuckin' word. Gahd. Er, so yeah - que? - indeed!

My mistake.

Word to yr mother! Good interview. No rehab mentions! Lurve it dudes

Sorry mate! I didn't mean to be a cranksterbot. I know firsthand how tough it is writing a blog and trying to get folks to read it. Can be very tough and unrewarding! Please ignore my sarcasm and keep up the good work! It seems that we're quick to flame on this board and I'm a shocking repeat offender in this regard. Don't take it personal like!

Sorry if I was harsh, dude. However, kudos on your choice of avatar. Leonardson Saratoga was which member of Golden Smog?

Jeff Tweedy? Or was it Murphy?

Oh man. I know Sylvie and she's a great writer who REALLY knows her shiznit about the music. It sounds like too obvious an error for her, must be a subbing error, or a phrase got dropped in the cut and paste. Please god.

But that is a hell of a clanger...

Dude. "Cripple Creek FAIRY"????

Think you'll find it's "Cripple Creek Ferry". And how exactly is this an 'interesting' view on SBS?

yo Froggie - been meaning to give you a shout-out since the Enmore show - I saw you blokes down the front there (I was in the stupid general standing section behind you). What a show. And yeah, I'm sorta the Weird Al/Wilco tribute act around these parts. Sydney that is.

Word up.

About ten minutes?

Bayonet

Hummingbird

(for advertising purposes only)

His goal in life was to own a Vee-Dub

Riding alone, town after town, toll after toll

A family four-seater with an engine like an egg-beater

We appear in commercials

If its a car or just a beer

the bucks can fix anything

A German import who'd have thought it important

to consult with our fanbase

So we never did

Remember to dismember me

For trying to support my family

But the car goes fast, like a hummingbird

My goal in life was to write some good tunes

The type of sound that gets around then shot down

by dissenters

But in the deep chrome bumpers of Volkswagen campers

I don't see any reflection

but my own

Now I have cash like a mountain

No need for sleeping bags underneath the stars

when I can lie awake counting

And great wads of cash beats a Wall Street Crash

So I don't have to

Die poor

**With extreme apologies to Jeff Tweedy and the rest of the blokes in Wilco