rwilson580

Haven't heard "Deeper Down" in a while. (TA) doesn't completely work for me as a whole. But several of these songs rate with their best. "Deeper Down" always ends too soon for me...

If the Grammys said it, it had to be wrong.

Nah, just kidding. Even a stopped clock is right twice a day. Sometimes they get things right by accident. I wouldn't ever attribute it to expertise, though.

You almost have to admire the Grammy voters' steadfast refusal to ever have a clue. How much easier it would be to listen just a little bit to what the rest of the world was praising (not with dollars, but reasoned arguments). How much easier to go out in the world and be congratulated for your choices, rather than universally sneered at and dismissed. But no, true to their convictions, against all odds, they consistently suck. It's impressive really.

For the clinically obsessed, it was ok. You guys are mean.

You have a good point, Matt. Certainly, the influence of the Beatles is heard on so many records.

 

But to me, when I listen to Summerteeth, I always think "Jeff (and gang) must have been on a huge Beatles kick while writing this stuff" more so than I do with any other Wilco album.

 

I always debate whether Pieholden Suite is more Brian Wilson or Paul McCartney. There's no mistaking "My Darling" -- that's all John Lennon.

Nobody's going to nominate AGiB as a prime candidate in this discussion. But it does have its entry, song division, in "Hummingbird".

revolver.specifically im only sleeping.if it were possible can-tago mago, at least the first half of the album.

Perhaps this is the point of your post...but there IS a Wilco cover of that song available. I wish I had a link available for you...

Edit: Jeff only -- http://www.glidemagazine.com/hiddentrack/cover-wars-im-only-sleeping-edition/

Edit 2: Hopefully this one won't collect me any beatings from the intellectual property police: http://www.gappon.com/wilco-someone-else-s-songs-cover-collection-1861258.html

LOL. Sweet avatar by the way...I've been on a strong Beatles for Sale kick for several weeks now. Highly underrated. But back to Wilco. I decided to pop in W(TA) yesterday after not having listened to it for a few months, and didn't make it past "You Never Know." Now - I really enjoyed the album when it first came out, sided with the SBS fans in the SBS vs. W(TA) debate w/o totally hating on W(TA), and didn't necessarily find W(TA) to be a huge disappointment.

 

I agreed with many of the folks here with the idea that it's certainly not Wilco's strongest album, but it's solid, and it's the album that the band wanted to put out...which is exactly what they should do. But yesterday, maybe it's just because of the mood I was in, I couldn't get into it. I'll bet in a few months I'll put it on again and really enjoy it. But that's how many of us Wilco fans are...fickle.

It's just odd to put on a Wilco album, any Wilco album, and be kind of "meh" about it, right? I like every song on it, really like about five of them -- but as a whole, the album doesn't take me to another place. I'm not sure why. I'm pretty sure part of it has nothing to do with the quality of the individual songs, though. It's that the collection of songs don't belong together, don't create a strong vibe, statement of any kind. The total is less than the sum of its parts. Maybe.

Unless I botched the Sunday Times puzzle today, "Wilco" was one of the answers. Of course the clue was "Ham radio catchword," not "Today's greatest band." But still...

I figured I'd be up front about not listening to TA because I'd get a sympathetic, mature response. But seeing as I got somewhat childishly jabbed twice for it, I know better for next time. I admitted the flaw of not listening to it in my first post. My comments were solely in context to the reaction to the album on the previous thread. I didn't "judge" it on my own merits...oboviously...I haven't heardit. There's no need to be snarky.

I hate anonymous web drive-bys, so sorry for wrecking your day a little, Erik. You just happened to touch on one of my pet peeves there. The "oh Wilco is in such decline" crowd. As someone who knew nothing about the band until a couple years ago, and so got exposed to their back catalogue very quickly, one after the other -- I just don't hear it. I won't shanghai your thread by comparing AGIB and SBS to some of those acknowledged masterworks that precede it, other than to repeat that I believe they hold up very well. Just my opinion, but it gets tiresome listening to that refrain. So when I hear someone touching on it, and including in evidence an album they haven't even listened to...sorry, it touched a nerve.

And, yes, just for the record, I do believe (TA) is a step down from my favorites. But I don't believe that has to say anything about Wilco or where they're heading. I just don't like it as much as several of the others. But that's also true of Summerteeth, so there you are. Personal preferences, who can account for them? I just don't think we should confuse our subjective tastes with Wilco's objective reality.

And that cycles back to your larger question, which I think you know the answer to. It is all subjective, and even if we all agreed on which albums were great, and which were poor, it doesn't make it fact.

1.) Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

2.) A Ghost is Born

3a.) Being There 3b.) Sky Blue Sky

5.) Summerteeth

6a.) AM 6b.) Wilco (The Album)

***************

Totally extraneous side note. I was about to question all those people who keep putting the periods in AM (A.M.). But checking the album sleeve again...damn, looks like they're right. And, as usual, I'm wrong. Which makes me wonder...have I been misinterpreting this title all along? With the radio on the cover, I always thought it was an AM/FM thing. The periods make me wonder if it's actually an A.M. / P.M. thing. What's the story here?

I disagree strongly with your basic premise. AGIB is an incredible album, a trivial dropoff from the album of the decade. SBS is superb...perhaps not quite so creative as the two masterpieces that preceded it, but chock-full of that feeling / soul you seem to be looking for. (TA)...well, let's wait until you've done your homework to talk about that one.

I like W(TA). But, as a recent (this year) Wilco convert (although casually listening since "Being There"), who is still currently digesting the entire catalog, I would say that W(TA) is a tight album, and recorded "by the book", the book being a pop-rock handbook. The melodies, lyrics and arrangements aren't experimental, but straight forward. And, as a straight forward pop-rock record, it works very well. But it doesn't fit into any of the other categories that the other records fit into, because Wilco just hasn't made a pop record before.

I agree with your comments on (TA), MarkyMark. Just curious, though -- you didn't find Summerteeth guilty of some of the same charges? To a far worse degree, in fact?

Or does Summerteeth's "uber pop" push it into another realm entirely?

Nice little Wilco sticker on the guitar case in today's Jumble!!

You're kidding. I did it, just like I too everyday. (Step 135 of my thoroughly programmed life.) Two guys hitchhiking, right? I didn't even notice. I feel so ashamed.

Dark Neon is probably my fourth favorite song that came out the sessions (behind Bull Black Nova, Solitaire, and One Wing). I wouldn't take anything off the record, I'd just put Dark Neon in between Country and Solitaire. That would help spruce up the back end of the record a bit more in my opinion.

 

--Mike

Ouch, yes, that would be sweet. I love Country Disappeared, but how much cooler would it be knowing Neon was lurking on the other side? If I wasn't so anal I'd make that change on my Ipod right away...

The thing that gets me is how almost universal the admiration for this album is. I'm talking specifically about the Wilco community here, and I realize it's kind of a "duh!" comment. But pretty much all their albums inspire a certain amount of ambivalence. With the likely exception of "Being There," their other albums have some huge fans, but also some huge detractors. And you can understand consensus on BT -- if you're not a head banger, there's not a lot to dislike with BT. Strong songs built off a fairly conventional pop structure. With YHF, though -- damn, people who like their music straight up can find some reasons for "reservations" here. And yet, somehow, with the vast majority of Wilco fans -- if YHF isn't their favorite, it's not far down the list. Somehow the UT alt-country people embrace it. And the ST power pop people. And the AGiB krautrock crowd. And...well, you know what I mean. When you look at those lists we all love to make, it's almost invariably near the top. For an album that diverged so greatly from the ones that preceded it...with all the attendant prospects for alienating the fans who had come that far...its widespread popularity is pretty interesting.

And, yes, its my favorite, too. Slightly ahead of AGiB....

Our friends were showing us videos of their daughter's wedding last night. The couple's first dance was to "Jesus, Etc." Made me wish we'd taken that trip cross-country for the wedding. Well, maybe not.

One of the things I like the most about this band is that they're not afraid to try different things. And they do pretty damned well with them all. I don't think the existence of a song like "You and I" belies that at all. Recording 12 variations on BBN isn't particularly adventurous. Following BBN with "You and I" on your new album IS. So, again, I think it's a good, worthwhile song. And I don't think it says a damned thing about where this band is, or where it's heading. Other that they're capable of creating excellent songs in a lot of different styles. And that they're comfortable enough with themselves to do it. "You and I" isn't my favorite song, but it's just another reason that Wilco is my favorite band.

Not sure if this is applicable to this thread -- but our local newspaper is profiling the candidates for mayor, and listing some of their special likes. Today's candidate included Wilco on his list, and his comments indicated that his interest was fairly legitimate. (Not just one of those people posing as a Wilco fan because of all the incumbent glory.) He also listed "The Wire" and "Battlestar Galactica," two more of my own passions. Luckily I live outside the city, or I'd have a real dilemma. The guy's a Republican....

Steely Dan was my favorite band for 30 some years, until I was randomly channel surfing a couple years ago. I lit for a moment on Austin City Limits and had one of those life changing moments. Turned out the name of the band was Wilco, and the song was "Sky Blue Sky." I acquired their entire catalogue over the next few months. Steely Dan is now my second favorite band all time.

I like Wilco a lot.

I'm very old, and decidedly unhip, so it's a rare year when I can name a release that didn't come from one of my favorites. But I kept having the new Animal Collective album thrust at me, so I had to check it out. I agree that "Merriweather Post Pavilion" is a much better album than W(TA).

...Either way, they were speaking out about the PRICE of the disc and not the quality of the transfer (even though they did make the "grainy black and white comment," there is some misunderstanding here)...

Actually the band's comments pretty much echo the post you were replying to. At the risk of getting beaten up myself:

Without consulting us, the DVD company (not WB/Nonesuch) that released "I am trying to break your heart" is about to issue a Blu-Ray Edition which, no surprise, costs considerably more (nearly 2x) than the standard DVD. We're unsure as to the rationale for the release, given that the film was shot in beautiful grainy B&W and has a stereo-only audio track... there is, in our opinion, not much to be gained by spending the extra cash. It's your money... and in this case you should probably hang onto it.

I have to admit...when I first stumbled on this site early this year...one of my first thoughts was "Hmmm...Speed Racer is kind of cute." Even as I was also thinking "Hmmm...Speed Racer looks kind of familiar."

"You and I" is certainly a good song. I'm not sure Jeff Tweedy has it in him to write a bad one. (And that definitely includes "Leave Me Like You Found Me" for me.) That said...if you'd heard about Wilco over the years, and wondered whether you might like them...and "You and I" was your first actual exposure to the band...I can see where you might be underwhelmed. "Seriously? This is the cutting edge band I've heard so much about? It doesn't sound like I've missed much...". It's a nice, well-crafted song, but that's about as far as I can go. Kind of generic...and that's not a word I would typically ever associate with Wilco.

Maybe this is one time Jeff will read the board and maybe give heed...

Whoa, definitely have to read that post slowly.

I'm technically challenged, but wasn't Wilco's point that this particular film would not benefit from the Blue Ray treatment? Were they wrong, or has something changed?