euthe
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Posts posted by euthe
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Twenty to thirty years from now, Wilco will be considered one of the greatest, if not the greatest, band of this period. And Jeff Tweedy will be mentioned right alongside Dylan, Young, Springsteen, Lennon, Drake and Van Zandt as one of the greatest songwriters to ever marry words to music.
* Jeff will be considered one of the greatest songwriters while marrying words to Jay Bennett's music. That's how it should read. They've hit a major downturn without that backdrop. What I hear now is Jeff trying to emulate what Jay, O'Rourke, et al taught him in the studio while the lyrics seem like afterthoughts.
:::awaits the wrath:::
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You are all kinds of ridiculous.
Should have just said Acuff-Rose.
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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 sold on ebay to random strangers who have no idea of its significance. I could see the instruments going to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame or perhaps (yuck!) a Hard Rock Cafe, but I don't think Wilco is quite iconic enough for that. It seems like there's too much bad blood for them to find their way back to the Loft, though this might be nice.
Anyway, a few random thoughts from someone who would like to see his gear well-looked after.
I think Ed Burch could answer that one.
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This REALLY bothers you about YOU never know?
It's four repititions of two couplets of I don't care anymore x2.
16 times. Hardly on the scale of a live "Misunderstood".
It seems as though you are looking for reasons to be discontent. If they finished One Wing with a guitar freakout you would complain that guitar solos are lazy songwriting tools are you would complain that Jay could have done it better.
The repetitive "nothing" is annoying too. There is a theme to wta and it's repetitive. Not much depth.
Jay definitely could sculpt a record with more depth. Nels can destroy a solo and Jay was no slouch himself. Jay is sorely missed in wilco recording sessions and there's no way around it.
To my ears the post Jay freakouts seem like...well freakouts...whereas the freakouts with Jay engineering were intricately orchestrated and melodic masterpieces.
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"Sonny Feeling" is really being underrated here. It's the only song where Jeff really lets rip on guitar, and Nels is phenomenal. I have no fucking clue what the lyrics are about, but I like them. I like that it makes an Eminem reference.
I really think that's part of the problem. Jeff ripping on guitar? I wish he'd go back to ripping folk guitar instead of trying to be someone he's not.
Oh well. They still rock it hard live.
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I believe you are mistaken... Dark Neon was definitely not played there, and I don't believe it has been played live at all (just checked Wilco base)
That's weird because it was played there.
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Any chance that they would ever play this live? I hope so..
Played it in Berkeley this year.
That being said the studio cut seems like Jeff's really trying hard to croon. I don't know. This whole album seems stressed, as if a facsimile of wilco albums past have droned into a strokes style tiny progression of same chords. To me it's spiders with edgier (trying too hard to be edgy!) lyrics.
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I don't put much stock into what the 'intelligentsia' thinks about records until at least three years after the release.
I decided remember some self proclaimed super fans complaining that Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was 'more of Jeff Tweedy's stupid noise experiments'. (not here of course. This place was not around.) I also seem to remember A Ghost is Born being greeted by some here with decided indifference if not outright hostility. We don't have to go very far on this very page to find the negative vibes about Sky Blue Sky. We all love the band we THINK and HOPE Wilco is.
I'm just along for the journey that this band is taking. We have to come to grips with several things. Even before he tragically passed, Jay Bennett was never going to be asked to come back. Wilco is Jeff's band...his vision, his songs. In firmly acknowledged hindsight, I think that the noise tht covered up the songs in YHF (that Jim O'Rourke significantly lessened) might have been some of the bone of contention between the two. Jeff has moved away from the deconstructed songs in a decided manner over the last three records with one NOTABLE exception (the drone man...the drone).
I still bristle at the poster who, in a thread rightly forgotten (see...editing spelling), jokingly (I HOPE) wished Jeff would start getting high again so he would write more 'interesting' music. That poster is/was an ass with internet cojones. Now, I don't presume to suppose that this disgusting opinion is widely shared here, but the sense that some want something much different from the band has been stated firmly in this thread. I'm not a fanboy by any stretch of the imagination. I approach the music in the following fashion: I like the musical journey that this band has taken. I like and enjoy the music that is being presented. The day I don't like the music, I won't come on here and piss and moan about the good old days of Being There, Summerteeth etc.; I will simply no longer follow the band. I am almost there with some of the bands I follow (I won't get into discussions about the missteps that Springsteen has taken lately), but I still enjoy what Wilco is producing.
Let's have a little perspective here.
With each Wilco album produced post Jay I have to disagree with everyone who says Tweedy provided the great ironic and quirky lyrics "she's a jar" "ashtray says she was up all night" etc etc from the older Wilco albums. Having reviewed some albums Jay helped produce, John Ralston's Sorry Vampire, I hear the amazing arrangements and weirdo lyrics from Wilco albums past.
Jeff is talented, but without Jay bouncing ideas off of their music has suffered greatly and when they've already released such great albums we're forced to compare.
If AGIB (jay had a part in composing those but not in recording) and SBS and WTA were their first records, I wouldn't be so critical and bemoaning.
Compare the jolly banker track to ANYTHING from the mermaid avenue sessions and you'll instantly notice a huge lack of orchestration.
Watch the movie I am trying to break your heart and you'll instantly hear the missing elements jay brought to the band. Like it or not, Jay WAS Jeff's right hand man and actually wrote some of the songs himself. I don't think Jeff got rid of him because he was taking over the band or anything like that that Jay mentions in the documentary I just think they were getting on each others nerves way too much. Shortly after AGIB Tweedy checked into rehab and we know what happened to Jay so let's not discount the possibility of some chemicals getting in the way.
That being said, Wilco is I believe a much better live band now because of the sheer badassness of their musicians. However, I don't believe Jay is replaceable and his ear for composition and songwriting is obviously missing on the new Wilco.
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Hola,
Been a fan of Wilco for many years now, whilst alot of my friends haven´t even heard of the band. Attempting to introduce a good friend of mine to Wilco (she´s a huge Bob Dylan, Neil Young fan), so shouldnt be the hardest. The 10 songs I downloaded onto her ipod were (in order)
1. At Least Thats What You Said
2. Jesus Etc
3. Misunderstood (kicking television)
4. Sunken Treasure (live bootleg)
5. The Lonely 1
6. Via Chicago (kt)
7. I Am Trying to Break Your Heart - jeff tweedy solo
8. California Stars - Live
9. Reservations
10. Wilco (The Song)
These are personally probably my favourites wilco songs, and I included alot of live versions, as i think this is where wilco are at its best and most accessible. I started off with ALTWYS, as this is the most atypical Wilco song i could think of (silent buildup with a crescending collision of sounds).
What are other people´s thoughts??
Give them the YHF demos.
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It's technically sound but it's missing soul. Some of the lyrics are AWFUL.
The songs are much better live, especially BBN.
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That thread was hilarious. I realize you're putting the post-death spin on it, but at the time it was created, that thread was brilliant. Especially every post by Speed Racer.
And none of it was meant to offend.
I'm not putting post death spin on it. That thread was retarded while he was still alive.
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This is easily one of the dumbest statements I've ever read on post-Jay Wilco.
Here are the dumbest statements ever posted post-Jay:
http://forums.viachicago.org/topic/39882-wilco-the-lawsuit-complete-lyrics/
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This is easily one of the dumbest statements I've ever read on post-Jay Wilco.
Yeah, it's amazing they didn't just duet with Christina Aguilera.
I'm not a huge fan of W(TA), but you are engaging in some serious hyperbole here.
Yeah. Hyperbole or not, sometimes the truth sucks. My honest opinion is the new album is soulless and lacks any inkling of the great stuff wilco produced in the nineties into the millennium.
When Jeff takes obvious shots postmortem he opens himself up to hyperbolic ridicule. We'll see what the future holds for wilco and specifically Jeff's conscience. What a sad, sad end to what had previously been a great artistic friendship. Hopefully he can put the ego away and admit Jay helped wilco build a dedicated fan base. Hopefully he'll pay a legitimate tribute to someone who poured his heart and soul into making great music, to which Jeff is now the main beneficiary.
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I wish it was much longer, but not a bad piece.
Jay Bennett is mentioned, and Tweedy still seems reluctant to give him much credit. Rather, Tweedy says Bennett acted like he was the co-leader of the band, when he clearly wasn't. And that bothered Tweedy. I kinda wish Jeff could just say that Bennett added a LOT to Wilco's sound and song-structures, but that the 2 had personalities that couldn't co-exist. Then Tweedy says how he likes the current lineup, because adults work together better than babies.
It's all interesting, especially after the MAGNIFICENT Beatles article in the same issue. Lennon and McCartney clearly had major issues with each other. It's maybe a little apples and oranges to compare Lennon/McCartney to Tweedy/Bennett, but it's interesting to read how Lennon and McCartney (AND Harrison) were able to put up with various shit to allow themselves to keep creating great music. Especially McCartney, who LOVED to be able to write songs alongside Lennon.
I'm not claiming that Tweedy could have done a better job of keeping Bennett in Wilco, but as a fan of their music together, I wish he would have. The Beatles were able to put out the White Album in the midst of basically hating each other. Each member had a set of songs and essentially used the other members as studio musicians. And they later were able to put out Abby Road and Let it Be.....pretty decent records, most would agree.
As a fan, it would be VERY intersting to hear what a late 90's Wilco White Album might sound like. Imagine Tweedy, Bennett, Stirrat and Bach each putting 3-6 songs on a big double disc.
That's a shame he mentioned the baby thing - he's acted like a baby countless times. The band now, although technically sound and still putting out (sort of) good music, has lost the passion, the loose rhythm and the dynamic they had with Bennett. They're essentially soulless. The new lyrics are awful and with each album post Bennett it's almost laughable what's being produced. They still put on a great show. I think of them as a live band only.
I don't know if anyone who follows Wilco will admit to preferring the last three albums more than Being There, Summerteeth, or YHF. If they do, they probably think the Grammys mean something and they love popular radio. That's proof positive that something is missing and will never be renewed.
Now they're just pandering and cashing in - who can blame them? Private schools aren't cheap.
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well I hope they don't play at cedar park because I have no idea why Wilco would play there! Please don't play in a hockey rink!!! COME TO THE AUSTIN MUSIC HALL, PARAMOUNT, or the BASS CONCERT HALL. If I could have it my way i'd love to see them fit themselves and all their equipment in the Parish, hehe. Nice little venue there
They played at The Parish (formerly The Mercury Room) as summerteeth for SXSW one year. What a great venue!
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I don't really have any interest in reading the thread, but I'll take a stab at summarizing it anyway:
95% of the VC Faithful talk about what a horrible monster Jay Bennett is, and probably take a few cheap prick shots at his rather serious health issues in the process.
2% of the forum clumsily attempts to "crunch the numbers" while playing Armchair Litigator and determine things like the potential value of an out-of-court settlement, whether Bennett is actually entitled to his beef, etc.
The 1% of the board who self-identify as "Jay Bennett fans" feebly attempt to stick up for the man and are rewarded for their efforts by being excommunicated from VC's (y)upp(i)e[r echelon] clique.
The most fanatical 1% of the board overreacts to the charges and can see them only as a conspicuous personal attack on Jeff Tweedy.
The rational 1% of the board knows enough to stay out of ongoing litigation pertaining to its favourite band and mostly remains mum about the whole damned thing.
And TheMaker, no doubt above such pedestrian, shameful, and know it all responses has summarized the entirety of the thread for the swine of VC.
TheMaker is, I guess, Alanis Morisette.
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$50,000 may sound cheap...but for an out of court settlement to really happen, there'll have to be a 'once and for all...' type of arrangement, which wont be as cheap...they should go to court...
I believe 50k is the magic number for the type of court case it will be in illinois. It basically says that 50k is the bare minimum but including court fees and actual judgment it may be well more than that.
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Look we Bay Area folk hate LA-is what it is. They (so Cal) don't hate us-it is a much more one sided hatred from my years in both Nor Cal and So Cal. That being said, no they aren't playing in SF proper but the Greek is fun and the Saratoga show will be beautiful. Im in KC now and have to travel out of state to see them! You just have to jump on 101. So stop whining go the the Saratogo show-hit the Shadowbrook inn with your significant other in Capitola (about 30 miles away but worth the drive) http://www.shadowbrook-capitola.com/ and make me insanely jealous. Did I mention I live in Kansas now?
I am going to make you insanely jealous. Also, I realize what a huge prick I'm being about no proper san fran shows after I type this.
I just moved out here from Chicago - I made some great auditorium shows and all the residency shows, I also just saw them in Milwaukee and have tix to the greek.
I really have nothing to complain about but I will definitely give LA shit when I can! After all, they steal our water.
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There isn't really a "scene" in LA, unless you're talking about going to Spaceland with 50 other people and watching local bands play. People who go looking for a "scene" in LA are usually pretentious out-of-towners who have so thoroughly adopted an attitude of superiority towards the rest of America based on their own self-perceived hipness that they don't know how else to inject themselves into a city except to go searching for the Southern California version of whatever petty clique they belong to back home. In LA this inevitably leads them to crappy bars on the Sunset strip populated by other tourists (even the ones who might live here for a couple of years), where everyone looks at the other tourists and passes judgement on the entire city based on their comical misperception that the rest of the patrons in the bar are locals, when in fact, they're just a bunch of visitors looking at themselves in the proverbial mirror.
p.s. Go Dodgers.
Usually when I'm in LA I try and catch a good band playing, not so much a scene. That being said ALL of the shows I've been to are filled with pretentious clowns who dress up prettier than I do on Easter sunday. I find it hard to believe everyone at the El Rey when Built to Spill played were all out-of-towner scene searchers dressed in nice clothes at a rock show. But perhaps they were.
For instance in Austin, if you go to a show everyone is sort of King of the Hill, laid back, casual, happy go lucky. That's a product of the environment and you can only narrow down a "scene" as you're describing by grouping specific social groups. In the case of Austin, from "punk scene" to "rockabilly scene" to whatever other scene you want to widdle it down to, that attitude is prevalent. Chicago you get a similar feel although the crowd seems more rugged and direct, a product of the big city environment. In the case of LA, it seems subdued, sanitary, and fake - LA is essentially a community of suburbs and it certainly reflects in the attitudes of those who inhabit its municipalities.
Because LA lacks a vibrancy I've found in Chicago, NYC, and even San Fran, it's a valid argument when talking about local patrons. If no locals ever go to shows there, then I guess you have a great point, but we all know that's BS.
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What's wrong with playing a winery?
Nothing. it's just weird. I'm all for it.
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Please, tell us how you really feel.
Nels is from L.A. That's probably all it comes down to. There are plenty of places they're not playing this time around (once again I have to travel 4 + hours, even though I know it will be worth it), but there's no doubt they'll be back for another round of touring soon.
I'm just bitter because the dodgers beat the giants last night.
There are parts of LA that are awesome. But mostly the scene there makes me nauseous. That being said they are hitting berzerkeley and saratoga (winery show?!).
I just caught John Prine at the Warfield and would love to see Wilco play that venue.
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The fact they're playing three LA shows and not even stopping in San Fran for a duo, or even trio, tells me they lost their roots. Everyone knows LA is for the soulless wannabe wash-ups and those who cling to a claim of fame built on lies and plastic surgery.
It's a sad day.
In the words of the late great Bill Hicks, this about sums it up:
"LA is the home of the pedestrian right of way law. What this law is, is if a pedestrian decides to cross the road, anywhere or any time on the road, every car has to stop and let this person cross the road. Yes, 'cos only in LA does common courtesy have to be legislated."
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I agree with you in terms of what you are saying. I love Wilco and I also love Ryan Adams, but you are right, I can make a Ryan Adams mix and most of it all fits. Wilco is truly an album band with each being a different feel and different vibe.
Because of this, Wilco should work with Robert Schnieder of apples in stereo fame to produce their next record. IMHO I don't think anyone matches his production style in creating a story if you will out of music. 1st to last track on all of his production work, to me, tells a story.
I know this will probably never happen but that would be a very interesting mix. Probably really poppy though.
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[quote name='pn
Bandwagon's Artist of the Decade
in Just A Fan
Posted
SBS is my favorite post Jay album. The latest album, to me, is their worst effort and seems contrived.
There are some gems on AGIB but I've read a lot of that material was Jay/Jeff stuff originally. Not sure if that's true but it's believable considering the timeline.