shakes

geez, there wasnt even much actual negativity in this thread 

but as one of the (apparent) haters ill happily eat crow today. this is the album i wanted from this lineup and didnt think theyd ever make

http://www.amazon.com/Star-Wars-Wilco/dp/B011T0C5MA/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1437092303&sr=8-1&keywords=wilco+star+wars

august 21st release

i really enjoyed my first listen to this, and i guess i could qualify as a hater of late. they sound energized and comfortable while making more noise than they have in a while and i loved it

what the hell, this sounds great

the title/cover seemed like a joke, then track one made me think itd be some tossed off instrumental thing but this is none of that and im enjoying it a lot

And didn't Pat produce several tunes on that record too? Maybe he arranged strings or something?

hes had a few co-writes and productionc redits since he joined, which briefly gave me hope hed step up as a stronger creative force

and again, maybe he has, just in a more subtle way. i can only speak to how i hear the results and it doesnt feel like tweedy has a foil these days

it was, but ultimately it was just the kind of frustrating tease im talking about. hearing that this band can still deliver something like that was exciting, and then the albums ettled into that same comfortable midtempo groove for the rest of the way. 

which, again, not a bad thing. ill certainly take it, but a song like AOA left me feeling like thats not what jeff wants to do and he was just throwing a segment of his fanbase a bone, which killed the buzz a bit. (and i realize thats my problem, not jeffs)

basically wilcos in the career stage where theyve given me so much great music over the years i cant honestly expect more, so i really dont. ill keep happily buying and enjoying comfortable late career wilco albums, but im also gonna keep hoping something shakes that routine up a bit because i think the band as players and jeff as a songwriter are still capable of much more than theyve delivered in recent years

just my opinion obviously

but to me it sounds like jeff needs another strong creative mind in the studio. producer, bandmember, non-musician, whatever. someone to challenge his ideas instead of merely adding to them. i think the way wilco is these days, the guys in the band are mostly happy just to be along for the ride. someone like nels or glenn could be jeff's foil, but they each have their own side outlets for some of their more left field ideas, so theres no need for them to let loose in wilco unless jeff asks them to, and even then it feels like a tease of their true talent level. i think pat's a gifted session musician but not the kind of co-bandleader type im thinking of, at least not yet. there might be a jay bennett or jim orourke in the band right now, but based on the albums this lineup has made together i havent heard it. 

of course the problem with this entire concept is wilco has always been and will always be a vehicle for jeffs songwriting. if this is where jeffs songwriting is these days, maybe not even a jay bennett or jim orourke could get more out of it than jeff by himself. i cant claim any inside knowledge of wilco recording sessions but based on what i hear on the albums, theres a certain vibe thats often too comfortable, and id be really interested in hearing jeff shake that a bit. stepping away from self producing might not be the answer but unless wilcos lineup changes all of a sudden, which seems unlikely, im not sure how else thatll happen. the tweedy album had the same "problem" (i use the word lightly because i like the album, and i like sky blue sky and the whole love as well) so my conclusion is pinning the blame largely on jeffs role as producer

im not even saying i want edgy or experimental or any other buzzwordy music from wilco, i just see a trend of music thats totally fine and enjoyable but ultimately feels like a bit of a waste of the various talents involved

I doubt Wilco would work with Albini.  Or rather, I doubt Albini would work with Wilco.  I think I read somewhere that he doesn't like their music.

this is a fundamental misunderstanding of albinis job

he recorded a bush album. you think he likes them? if i remember correctly hes not that fond of nirvana either and thats arguably the album hes most known for

if wilco wanted albini and money/schedules aligned, hed record them. it really is that simple. he may be a cynical idealist but hes also a businessman.

having said that, i would be shocked if wilco wanted anyone, let alone albini, to produce. its a shame, cuz albinis work on some jason molina albums proves he can get great sounds from more than just noisy punk bands. but as has been said, he doesnt produce, and hes very hands off. basically the opposite of what i feel jeff needs

i remember when cloud nothings hired him a few years ago then complained that he just sat in the studio playing online poker while they recorded. hes not a guy who will help arrange songs on the fly, and i get the impression thats how wilco works. 

i have nothing against jeffs production, but at this stage in wilcos career, self producing doesnt really get my hopes up too high for an energized wilco album. id like to see someone in studio that can/would really push jeff. no one in wilco right now really fits that bill unfortunately

"notoriously difficult"? according to whom?

isnt albini generally very highly regarded by the bands hes worked with, both for the actual results and for the hands off way he gets them?

hes a crotchety bastard in interviews but bands seem more than happy to keep working with him so im not sure that reputation has any impact on his professional work. if wilco wanted his studio approach, theyd hire him. simple as that

am i the only one who would much rather get a new loose fur album (something mentioned by both jeff and jim as in the works for this year) than wilco?

he can be unhappy all he wants but when he gets the call, whether its opening day or two weeks later, hes gonna play his ass off till free agency and then go to the best deal. if its not in chicago it wont be because of a two week minor league stint half a decade ago. people saying otherwise are just desperate for column material

i do think this will be something the union fights hard to change in the next cba, but as things stand its the right move

Seriously - White Sox in 4th - wow.

 

Interesting how the Cubs handled Bryant, between that and the renovations, the Cubs seem to be on shaking ground heading into the season, from a front office perspective - but both Chicago teams should be fun to watch this year, for a change.

 

(haven't been following it close enough to come up with any predictions.)

really?

because other than scott boras and the players union (heavily biased sources) ive not seen a single person claim the cubs are making a mistake with bryant

two weeks of 23 year old bryant for a full year of 29 year old bryant, especially when that full year will likely be in a season the cubs are better positioned to contend? theyd be out of their minds to even consider that trade. he'll be up the second they lock in that age 29 season. 

not saying the systems fair, but as it stands now the cubs made the absolute right move for the team

i wouldnt be surprised if a lot of yhf alternate cuts and stuff was held back with an eventual anniversary reissue in mind

since you could easily devote an entire disc just to yhf material its almost wasted on a compilation like amf

As usual, I don't agree with Pitchfork's review of a Wilco release...7.0 is way too low for AMF.  Dismissive hipsters don't have time for 4 discs of excellence, I suppose.  

but the review itself was highly complimentary

the text is the specific reviewers thoughts, the number is more of an editorial consensus

http://www.ccmusic.com/music/vinyl/4002036/wilco-alpha-mike-foxtrot-rare-tracks-1994-2014

 

I ordered the vinyl here and used coupon code OCT1425 which brought it down to $63.93 shipped.

much appreciated. i was on the fence about the basement tapes box set and scored it (and alpha mike and some other odds and ends) here for a great price. 

is it so hard to believe that maybe other people do still view those records as their own personal definition of essential?

The cd is 30ish and the vinyl box is $80

where are you seeing this?

i notice this is a nonesuch release, which would explain why it doesnt have anything previously unreleased. that and the simultaneous "hits" comp reminds me of emi releasing a few radiohead compilations after the band left the label. if this gets a cd release (amazon only lists it as mp3 so far) for a reasonable price id pick it up to have all this stuff in one package, but it strikes me more as the label trying to cash in one last time, and thats probably why it comes out in a month and the band has hardly promoted it at all.

it might also explain the title