D. Boon

I was one of the people talking during the Saturday evening set.  Someone asked me to please take the conversation away from the music.  At first my friend and I were pissed...Then we realized he was right.  There's no need to carry a conversation during the show - you have all day to do that.

On a different note, we were standing in the back before the Nels show.  We were told we needed to sit.  We pointed to the baby in the stroller and the staff said "um, ok.  I guess you're fine".  Then all the seats filled...then the staff came back and said that we needed to sit (there were no seats!) and it "wasn't really a good set for kids".  After such a great weekend in every way, that was a little slice of awful customer service and unacceptable attitude on the part of the staff.

I downloaded from itunes. It included the digital booklet with lyrics, credits and photos. All I need now are some karaoke versions and I'm all set.

huh!? Dag nabbit. I downloaded from Itunes and didn't get it. Who do I sue

I really like it as the second-to-last song. For me, it encapsulates in one song all the darkness and pain that threads througout the album...

and then the drone ends and we are treated to a happy tune as if to say "Thanks for your indulgence into my psychosis but really, everything's going to be ok!"

and yes, I too skip the drone. If we were back in the days of LP's and cassettes I don't think they could have placed that song as they did.

"Coming to terms with his dead dad"?

Am I the only one a bit disappointed that no digital material came with the digital download (Deluxe version)? Don't you usually get a digital version of the CD / Album sleeve, lyrics etc...?

I don't want to nitpick, but let me pick a particular nit that's become a pet peeve of mine: Just about every review of a Wilco album, always and anywhere, has to describe a transition from some form of whimsy Americana to experimental rock that occurred with the stop-start release of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.

That drives me nuts. Have these people never heard Summerteeth, even once?

And while we're picking nits, can someone please write a review of this 2011 album without feeling the need to rehash the story of an album from a decade ago? kthx.

Did they alter the guitar and add some distortion to HMD, or am I just deaf? I really love the small changes to the old material.

Most violent noise outbreaks I've ever heard on this song.

They were ridiculously violent in Montreal - I love it, but part of me thinks it takes some of the quiet beauty away from the song.

I remember hearing Reckoning for the first time as a young teen and it permanently changed my musical perspective. It was the first album I truly fell in love with. Lifes Rich Pageant came to define much of my high school career and I followed their every move up through New Adventures (A vastly under-rated effort, in my opinion).

I'll cop to losing interest in their later work. It just never caught me like their younger efforts. But that arc of albums from Murmur through Document have to stand as one of the best runs by any band, ever. Has any band ever had a freshman effort as strong as Murmur (putting aside the Chronic Town EP, which was damn good)?

WIlco concerts don't have bass solos, so...NO.

True enough - but after seeing John tearing it up in Montreal, I kinda wish they did! He's the understated secret weapon of this new album, in my humble opinion. And he always, always, always seems to be having a ton of fun - be it during a joyous pop song like ITMWLY or the darkest parts of Via Chicago.

"Then, after 2002 masterpiece Yankee Hotel Foxtrot came last year's confusingly lateral move to listener-unfriendly classic-rock, A Ghost Is Born;"

That quote makes me want to kick Pitchfork in teeth.

Every time I think it's time to cancel my XM subscription something like this comes along.

Dammit XM, why do you have to taunt me like this?

I understand why they get played on Jam On ( a great station, by the way!) but I really don't consider them a jam band in any sense. I've never heard of them busting out with a 25 minute Impossible Germany or ending a set with rolling out an extended 15 minute midsection of ALTWYS.

They certainly seem to improvise in small bites here and there -especially Nels - but each song is pretty much the same length each night. Phish and Widespread Panic? They could play a whole second set consisting of 2 30-minute songs and fans would love it. As much as I love, love LOVE IATTBYH, I don't want it to eat up half a set.

 

I just have to say, and I'm sure this will probably happen again sometime as the new songs get integrated into the band's catalog, but I think this show might have been a first for me: not a single song from Being There. Interesting...

 

Now if that were ever to be the case with, say, Summerteeth...

That's an interesting point about no BT. And it seemed like a rather random AM song. After the encore ended I half expected them to return once again to end with Monday -> Outtasite or similar combo, but it obviously never happened and I was OK with that. By the time they blazed through Via Chicago and War on War I felt like I'd been sent through an emotional spin cycle. The single solitary thing I missed in the set list was the Poor Places ->noise->NOISE!-> Reservations.

Just a great show all around. Very loud, great crowd, excellent sound and I was up front. I hope someone taped it, but I didn't see any mics.

The first several songs were really sort of haunting - I Might even seemed to have dark undertones to it. Really a fantastic way to start the set. It lightened up dramatically about the time of OSM, which was just stunning live.

Relative to shows over the past couple years the set list was really varied. Lots of Summerteeth stuff, a fantastic Impossible Germany that seemed to have an extended rant from the Nels and really great renditions of the new songs. I was also amazed at how well the new songs integrate into the catalog. Just a great night all around - I've seen about 20 or so Wilco shows and this was right up there with the best.

...and Nick Lowe was great!

ha..see only 1 songs from Wilco (TA)..what did I tell you guys? They know the album sucked!

I don't understand it - You have an almost unnatural hatred of that album. There's some great music on there.

Based on your methodology, can we assume they believe Being There sucked as well?

Oh my - I appreciate that they mix up the set list all the time but....Can they please, please please repeat those four opening songs in Montreal?

 

Please no. I do not think it makes the guys look so good. Jeff in particular.

hey - Who let them sit on the art installations?

 

Lastly, The Late Greats is a good track.

 

Cheers!

Thank you! I love that song, and I think it bookends with ALTWYS perfectly. All of AGIB is so...stressed. That's what I love about it. It feels like the album's just simmering below psychological boil the whole time - and Less Than You Think sees it finally spill over. But then, after 12 minutes of drone and pain - a happy note! A nice way to say "everything's going to be OK" or....perhaps...Get well soon, Everybody.

I've given it several listens and find it very good. Dear reader might realize that "very good" is faint praise for Wilco, however. And on my final listen, as loud background music during a run, I realized what the problem is: The music is fantastic, no doubt. I'm reminded that Tweedy mentioned they had enough music for an irreverent pop record and a bunch of experimental stuff, or something to that effect. It seems that Art of Almost came from that experimental batch - and I really, really love that song. But the rest of the album comes form the irreverent pop side - really good, solid songs with interesting layers but not really pushing the envelope.

I should add that there really are some great moments, including a bunch of stuff that brings out Tweedy's inner Brian Wilson and Paul McCartney. I wish there was more that pulled out his inner Syd Barrett.

 

Nothing could possibly top the first-last combo of I Am Trying to Break Your Heart (their best song) and Reservations.

Let me fix that for ya: Nothing could possibly top the first-last combo of At Least That's What You Said (their best song) and The Late Greats.

I'm sort of blown away by the resistance by so many to Rising Red Lung. How are you guys NOT realizing that this is one of the band's best songs in years...?

I enjoy it - to me, it sounds like the 20-year update to Black Eye.

Is it just me, or do other folks notice an extended pause between Art and I Might. Kinda like an opportunity for the listener to take a deep breath after the noise of Art before continuing?

Can anyone explain what/where this "waffles" site is? Is that some sort of code only the cool kids know? Or is it an invite-only thing?

 

I wouldn't be so abrasive, but i agree that AGIB is a wonder. As I have stated, I feel this is one of the best records EVER.

There's no accounting for other people's bad taste!