Ghost of Electricity

anyone heard rumors about new recorded material? I seem to remember something a while back, but then didn't hear any follow-up. Anyone? Anything?

A few days ago i caught myself wandering around in gear-fantasy land (again). This time I realized I was playing one of Jay Bennett's guitars. When I came back to the real world it got me wondering what in fact was going to/has already happened to the gear in his studio. Does anyone know? I suspect the liquidation of his estate would take a fair amount of time, and that probably nothing has happened to it yet. The best possible fate I can think of would be for it to fall into the hands of working musicians with an appreciation for the history behind it. The worst would be for it to be

First off, thanks Mike for going through the trouble to put this up. I can't say I agree with all of these-I think if the songwriting is what is being judges here there are some heinous ommissions (Hummingbird, Long Cut just off the top of my head). If this was to be a list of top songs Tweedy was involved in I would agree with a lot more, as then you could consider things like production values, intensity of the performance, etc. (my understanding was that this was not the case) Anyway, that's probably nit-picky and this list is better than that other one in any event.

oh, the suspense!

someone should start a band called "The Ashes of Uncle Tupelo" That way it would either force people ( music critics)to stop using that now-hackneyed phrase or garnish the band a whole lot free press.

now you too are dictating terms? I'm still waiting for Wilco to make a record on Big Parm's terms.

Ain't you the diplomat! Me, I didn't even listen.

yeah, but some still need to be floored by something like the beat that comes in at about the one minute mark of IATTBYH. But I think that is a once-in-a-lifetimer.

agree. the tension is already there when the song starts.

Not just a great solo- there are countless numbers of those- but ones which do a particularly good job of building and then releasing tension. Could even be done without guitars, really. Some thing come to mind: Eagles "Hotel California" (it had to be said) Pavement "Transport id Arranged" Wilco "Side With The Seeds" The Beatles "Polytheme Pam">"She Came in Through the Bathroom Window" The Jayhawks "Take Me With You When You Go"

also check out Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band.

Yes. If there is one thing I have learned with Wilco it is do not trust first impressions. Most of their records age well (all of them, actually) but the ones which I initially didn't go for often come out ahead of the ones that refused to leave the c.d. player for the first two/three months of their existence. Which is why i say wait a couple of years before discussing this. In fact, now is when we should really be discussing SBS, which another thread is doing, and it is coming out remarkably well I might add.

so there is no consensus, then.

even if you believe in the divine right of kings, that doesn't mean the queen's shit don't stink.

wait two years, then ask this question.

This is an amusing thread. to the OP: I understand the urge to want to share your music those who have inspired you. However, I do also realize that not all urges should be followed up on- many are better off left supressed. This is one of them. As several people have pointed out, the chances that anything good (for you or for Jeff) would come out of it are far outweighed by the chance that something unwanted and unwelcome would happen. To echo again what others have said: you should find your own audience, those who appreciate your music will appreciate it for what it is and not from wh

Ali Farka Toure and Toumani Diabate's "In the Heart of the Moon" is excellent.

Didn't post here when this thread started but my first reaction was "Idiot Wind," which by the second or third post had already been mentioned. And, yes, "Positively 4th St." comes next. No one spews eloquent bile like Bob Dylan, and I realize i am not the only one who knows this. This discouraged me from reading through the next 7 pages, so if I am repeating, forgive me. Other ideas include Johnny Cash "Mean Eyed Cat," Ween "Baby Bitch," Replacements "Waitress in the Sky"

Africa: Ali Farka Toure Baobob Orchestra Mansour Seck Baba Maal S.E. Rogie Thomas Mapfumo Asia: Indian classical music- Ravi Shankar has some accessible stuff which could serve as an introduction Ali Akbar Khan Chinese classical is also quite good ( such as Lei Qiang) but with my Asian music recommendations I am really stretching the definitions of what you probably mean by "band" South America: no clue. good question.

I didn't include Being There because i consider it a departure from the genre. The same might perhaps be said of TTGG, but Blue Earth is clearly a better record anyway. anyway, here is the second tier: Freakwater "Springtime" Jayhawks "Blue Earth" The best stuff that great faker Ryan Adams has but out under whatever moniker he has put it out (read "Stranger's Almanac," "Heartbreaker," and perhaps "Cold Roses") Son Volt "Straightaways" The rest of the UT catalogue.

the top four records in the genre are (in no particular order): 1.Hollywood Town Hall 2. Anodyne 3. Trace 4. A.M. this is not simply my opinion, but verifiable empirical scientific fact.

Long after your director's dick karma has come home to roost you will have your Sky Blue Sky. Thanks for the posts, barbkm, Robby, and Mountain Bed. Your emotional connection to a piece music will trump snobbery any day of the week. And I hope things work out barbkm, and those close to Mountain Bed are able to deal with their loss in a constructive way.

thanks for that. good to see wilco getting some media attention a bit farther afield. i wish they would have left in more of the records John brought along though.

gear envy! let us know what happens so the poorer of us out here can live vicariously through you. Congratulations on your new acquisition.

After they tour for awhile they'll take a month or so off, come back and make another record-with the same lineup. The question is how good will it be. Another question is will Nels be loved or hated. Another question will be what would it have sounded like with Bennett. Another question will be....something else familiar undoubtedly.