Hoodoo Man

I'm looking forward to this. Hopefully I can get a hall pass for that day and check out the Wilcos. I heard a local "radio personality" describe Wilco as a hippie band. Think it's great that people still don't have a clue how to categorize Wilco. If they don't neatly fit into a category, then they must be doing something right.

I almost posted something about this a week or two ago, but I completely forgot. Sounds like an interesting combination.

Incidentally, this is not the first Wilco/Cheap Trick side project. Years ago Tom Petersson (CT's bassist) and Ken Coomer (post Wilco) played together in a project called SWAG.

"Sunshine Of Your Love" by Ella Fitzgerald.

On the one hand, Ella could sing anything and make it great. On the other, seems like a waste of her talents.

I wasn't disappointed when it came out, I'm more disappointed that it didn't stick with me the way their other albums have. I just don't listen to it as much. I'm actually a fan of SBS because it was cool to hear these guys sitting together in the loft and just adding parts to Jeff's songs. It was like being a fly on the wall of a Wilco rehearsal. For WTA, the songs were good, but just seemed to lack some inspiration. Maybe it was how the basic tracks were recorded (with only 2/3 of the band present and on a short schedule) or where. They said they loved the sound of the studio but maybe it was just because they were there and into the 7 Worlds sessions that made it feel right to them.

Oh well, still love the band and as stated before, if it was a band I'd never heard of before, it would have hit me harder.

My memory of the day was that it was our monthly senior lunch day in which we seniors were allowed to leave the school for lunch. A bunch of my friends and I were at the Pizza Inn lunch buffet, trying to figure out a way to sneak out without paying, and watching it on the restaurant's tv. We were all bummed out about it, but I doubt any of us were very shaken. When you're 17 you don't take too much too seriously.

After 24 hours of reflection, I've decided three things:

1) This is a fun exercise but probably didn't deserve 24 hours of reflection

2) This is so subjective that everyone will have a different list because it's almost impossible to define great objectively

3) I'm expanding my list to include Zeppelin (because I loved their albums when I was a kid and nothing has changed since In Through The Out Door was released) and Wilco (because this is a Wilco site and Jeff Tweedy is probably meticulously searching for references to himself and Wilco and he'll probably invite me to supper because I said all of his albums were great)

For me, Let it Be is too uneaven to be considered great. A few career high points (or close to it), but a lot of filler, and one shamefully atrocious ballad.

I would agree that it is uneven, but it's still impressive to think that this is another collection of songs that were lying around and that The Beatles had essentially walked away from with no real plans to return.

The only band that really qualifies for me is The Beatles. Of course, I've never really counted Yellow Sub as one of their albums because it was really just a compilation of scores from the cartoon and some songs they had laying around. If I have to count it, then I'm still going to say it's great just because "Hey Bulldog" is so awesome.

I have good memories of that show. My first glimpse of Cheap Trick for example. RIP.

Yeah, same here. It was a weekend treat for my brothers and me to stay up late for his show and seeing CT on there was life-altering.

Thanks DK.

I've got their "Best of" album and it is, as you said, catchy and fun listening. I missed them in their day, but my brother gave me this album a few years ago and I give it a listen from time to time. (BTW, I'm old, so when I say "album", I mean "cd". I just think "album" is a better description for a collection of songs than "cd".) Also, no more "quotation marks" from me. I'm "done".

There's a lot of artists I truly love, but not many qualify for doing it for me all the time.

All the time:

Beatles

Much of the time:

Wilco

Cheap Trick

Louis Armstrong (especially w/ Ella Fitzgerald)

That second list looks weird even to me.

It's a sad day for sure. It would have been nice for him to make the Hall before passing. For those familiar with his story and how he coped with the health issues he was dealt, he is an inspiration.

RIP No. 10.

Man, I missed this completely and wish I hadn't. I've been working out pretty steadily since my senior year of high school and keep myself in decent shape. The thing is that I'm now almost 43, have 4 kids and still dedicated to my workouts. I still use the same set of weights I've had for 25+ years and my gym is out in the garage right next to the mini van.

For any of you younger folks, my advice is start exercising now and make sure it becomes a part of your daily routine. Also, learn to adapt your work out to your current needs and situation. For instance, when I was in college, I worked out midafternoon between classes and my work shift of 5 pm to midnight. Once I joined the world of 8-4:30 workers, I moved my workout to late afternoon between work and supper (this also worked well because my wife worked a lot of nights). After we started procreating, late afternoon didn't work because that left me very little time with the kids. So now I get up 5:15 and start working out at 5:30 (M-F). It usually takes me about 30 minutes to finish. The hardest part is getting out of bed. Another adjustment is to not do the same workout every day or even week to week. Each day I work different muscle groups and each week I slightly alter the amount of weight and reps for each exercise. I basically have 3 workout models: week 1 - high weight, low reps; week 2 - low weight, high reps; week 3 - medium weight, less exercises buy multiple sets of certain exercises. This helps keep you from getting too bored and also helps keep you from plateauing. The only thing I do every day is ab work but I do change up the exercises each day. Keeping off the gut is the hardest part for me which leads me to...

Diet: My only advice here is watch your portions. I try to eat light for breakfast and lunch so that I can eat a decent supper, but I do try (sort of) to watch my portions at supper. You don't have to stuff yourself to enjoy a meal. Lastly, a few months ago I stopped drinking sodas with my lunch at work. So I went from 7 sodas per week to 1 or 2. In 3 months I've gone from a 34 waist to a 32. Now I'll just have to try hard to keep it that way.

Sorry to take up so much space. Especially when there are much more qualified posters who have already replied. But this is from the perspective of a 40+ year old, dad of 4, who has very little time to workout. So maybe somebody else in a similar situation can get something out of my simple method for trying to stay healthy.

1. Wilco

2. For me Wilco, for the rest of the world, probably Radiohead.

3. Nope.

I hope it all went well for your daughter and your whole family. My youngest had this surgery when he was 10 months old (he just turned 2 last month). I cried when I saw his beautiful eyes looking straight at us after surgery. Granted, to many, the post op eyes are hard to take, but your daughter will bounce back quickly. My little boy's eyes are not perfect yet. He still wears glasses to strengthen his muscles, but he's getting there.

It's never easy to have a child go through surgery. My wife and I have had 4 kids and 3 of them have had surgery before they were 2 (9 mos., 16 mos. and 10 mos.). It never gets any easier, but you'll make it through and you'll be so happy when you look into your daughter's eyes.

Best of luck and all the vibes I can send.

I still listen to Superdrag quite a bit. I think their 90's output still stands up. Also have a soft spot for The Muffs. It's nothing Earth-shattering, I just like Kim Shattuck's voice and think she writes some great pop/rock/punk/whatever tunes.

I posted the above and immediately Teenage Fanclub played on my mp3, followed by The Posies. So throw them in there as well.

So many and even though I've read all posted, I'm not sure if these have been mentioned:

Lilli Schull by Uncle Tupelo

Hey, Johnny Park! by Foo Fighters

Doris Cunningham by They Might Be Giants

A few from Come On Feel The Illinois by Sufjan Stevens:

John Wayne Gacy, Jr.

A Short Reprise for Mary Todd

Casimir Pulaski Day

Then there's In Memory of Elizabeth Reed by the Allmans.

And The Ballad of Richard Speck by Cheap Trick (doesn't count because the record label made them change the name).

I've liked it from first listen. I think that except for maybe BBN it's the most experimental song on the album, but it doesn't venture into any kind of noise just for the sake of noise territory. It retains its melody and the instruments are discernable enough to where you can hear what each band member is contributing to the song. Lyrically, it might not be Jeff's best, but it conveys a message to me.

Yesterday I went to pick up the wife's minivan after having some work done on it and inside the Honda dealership, "One Wing" was playing.

My first exposure to Lena Horne was on Sesame Street. Then later, various appearances on the Tonight Show. I have to admit, as a kid, I really didn't dig her. I couldn't figure out why she was a "star". As an adult,in my efforts to connect with American jazz, I re-discovered Lena Horne and have come to appreciate her vocal style. When I tracked down some biographical info on her a few years ago, I realized why she was a "star". Her persona as a sexy, confident and resilient black woman who made it on her terms in the mostly white, mostly male world of entertainment is what elevated her. Her life is certainly one worth celebrating.

40 was my best birthday in years! Friends and family came over, my old band played for the first time in 10 years and I got presents. I asked my wife when I turned 41 why there was no fanfare since living to 41 was a greater accomplishment than living to 40. She didn't go for it. For me, 30 was harder than 40.

Nice article. Thanks for posting!

If I'm not mistaken, I saw them sit in at the last Memphis Wilco show. That show was so strange that I wasn't sure what all I saw. Have been meaning to look into them but never got around to it.

Sorry you guys are so heartbroken. Must have been a great man and musician.

That was Jody Stephens, Big Star's drummer. He's played with Jeff in Golden Smog and usually joins Wilco onstage when they hit Memphis. The other guy onstage with them that night was Liam Finn. Was a great show!

Damn! I just found out this morning on the drive in to work. One of my uncles worked for Stax and the Box Tops were one of his acts so as a kid I grew up with the Box Tops records in our house. I listened to those things hundreds of times without really knowing who I was listening to and how my uncle was connected. Fast forward about 15 years and my uncle is out of the music biz and we're visiting him in Springfield, IL and he pulls out some old records of his and I'm introduced to Big Star and become a fan. I realize later that when I was a kid, my uncle brought a new record by one of his new acts that he claimed sounded like the Beatles to our family Thanksgiving dinner. He started to spin it and was forced to turn it off during the the second song. I'm now 90% sure that was #1 Record.

Anyway, was going to see Chilton and Big Star for my first time ever in May as they were scheduled to play at an historic amphitheater in Memphis that was the site of many late 60's and early 70's rock shows. So while I'm bummed about that, I'm sadder that Big Star still hasn't received the recognition that I believe they deserve and Chilton, like Bell, can never enjoy what success or recognition that could lie in the future (whether Chilton wanted it or not).

RIP.