Vacant Horizon

I'd love to see all the song titles and how then ended up where they are.  I also hope for another Tweedy album at some point.  So great.

My impression of WTA has improved over the years, though for me it's still a half-baked product blighted by some strange production choices. In some ways it reminds me of The Byrds' last couple of albums (particularly 1971's Byrdmaniax). Like that album, WTA's got some nice material on it (One Wing, Everlasting) but stuff like You Never Know and the atrocious Sonny Feeling really damage the listenability for me as a whole. I've always been really vexed by Bull Black Nova - the groove and structure is incredible, but everything else is so forced it just comes off as a pastiche of something Wilco did well elsewhere. Thank goodness they left Dark Neon and Glad It's Over off it as well - on par with Sonny Feeling and Sunloathe as contender for worst Wilco track of all time.

Byrdmanix comparison is scathing!  :-)  I actually like Dark Neon and Bull Black.  Dark Neon would've been a good replacement for Sonny and Glad It's Over for I'll Fight.  The rest I can live with.

There is a contingent of NY fans who just become more convinced of his on going genius with every successive shitty album he puts out. I really do wonder if we are hearing the same music. Check Thrashers Wheat blog if you want a taste. Crazy.

For me, even listening to vintage Neil reminds me of the cartoon character he's become over the last decade. I keep waiting for him to get to the end of the joke and quietly release the acoustic masterpiece he's been sitting on for the last 15 years. Then, like Dylan, go on the never ending solo acoustic tour. With stage banter about how bad Landing Water was.

The itun s music app is an absolute nightmare. For the most part I've just gone back to CDs.

Similar situation. Had a classic and loved the low tech interface. Got a touch used for $80. I absolutely hate it. I actually prefer to just keep all my music on the Mac and just put current obsessions on a shuffle. Alas, I lost it.

I really can't believe how much classics are. They are as much as when they came out.

I think I recall Tweedy saying in some interview a year or so after WTA was released that he wished he had paid more attention to the song order because he believed that would totally changed the way the album was received.  He obviously took that to heart with the Whole Love.

I wonder what the order could've been.

Bull Black

Wilco

Deeper Down

One Wing

Dark Neon

You And I

Country

Solitaire

Everlasting

I guess I should be embarrassed to admit I've always really liked You Never Know. Go ahead, heap boatloads of scorn and ridicule on my head, I'll have to take it. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

It's got a great solo! Now, if Sonny was your fav then embarrassment would be in order

What I don't get about the recent drama (last few years) is that the band had this amazingly prolific period with Before the Frost (double album of amazing songs!), Log Cabin DVD, Warpaint, Warpaint Live, Croweology, acoustic/electric tour.  What happened?  It seemed the band was moving in a direction of what CRB has become.  Band politics are interesting.

Betty was hard to miss.  Right up there bopping around!

I think the first two albums come from the same sessions.  All of them in the same room, recorded live.  Very warm, immediate sound.  They just split the songs up.  I think it worked.  Average length being 10 minutes per song.  Phosphorescent seems to have been recorded completely different.  More produced?  Not sure, just doesn't sound the same.  Definitely some overdubs with acoustics etc.  I hope the new one is more like the first two.

It is pretty fun having a band like this around.  Touring regularly and putting out new music every two years.  

The Betty Blend I've been listening to is 12/15/12.  It's a bit rough.  I'd like to get some really good live versions of the New Earth Mudd stuff.  I'd also like to hear their take on some of the Before the Frost Crowes stuff.  But Chris has said that he is only playing stuff he wrote by himself, not with his brother. 

Cool!

Yeah, for a Head it was very cool to see her at the 'boards'.  God bless that woman and her ears!

He definitely is a nonlinear thinker. 

My hunch is that they'll settle in with a drummer and bassist.  I hope they get a more dynamic bassist (a la Phil) rather than one just playing root notes on the bottom end.  Would add so much to the jammy stuff.  I think they're in it for the long haul.  They tour so damn much.  Been to Atlanta several times since their inception.  Coming again in June.

I actually love the random synth stuff from the keys player.  However, I wish he'd use that a bit more sparingly and stick with the same instrument for entire songs (rhodes, organ etc.).  I really love the original stuff because it's not just basic song structure.  There's always a cool breakdown or suite arrangement.

Incidentally, got a Betty Blends last night.  Listening today.  So far so good.  Betty was at the last Atlanta show, so there should be more Blends coming out soon :-)

I'd love to see Roger Waters doing a varied set rather than the Wall.

Oh yeah, Sonny Feeling is not so good.

It had potential but seemed to have developed into a novelty song.

BTW, when there are only a few good songs on an album I'm always torn as to whether I should rip the entire CD on iPod, just buy the downloads, sell CD after ripping.  The perils of the digital age.

Great thread.  I am not a Crowes fan and could give a shit about the recent drama.  I absolutely love CRB.  Those first two albums are killer.  I still haven't digest Phosphorescent Harvest or any of the Betty Blends.  I'm also so curious about their repertoire.  Of course I know all the Dead stuff, but they play a bunch of deep tracks from random artists. Not sure about their versions of New Earth Mudd tunes.  Wasn't a fan of that project.

I too love Neal Casal.  He and Chris write well together.  Any fan of CRB and Casal needs to check out the music he put together for the Dead Fare Thee Well intermission.  Circles Around the Sun.  Great stuff!

You Never Know may be one of the worst songs ever and can firmly be labeled dad rock for it's sentiment (sorry Jeff).  And W(TS) reminds me too much of Kojak, which is never a good thing.

 

Having said that I actually like You and I, although I totally understand why others are less enthusiastic. I think it is one of the best songs on the album. Black Bull Nova reminds me of my old tank green Nova, so I'm okay with that.  Sky Blue Sky has a fantastic cover, but I hate the camel on the cover of W(TA), not sure why.  Whereas the lovely images of the flock of birds is so evocative of the songs on SBS, the camel (plodding and dull) sort of represents the feel of W(TA). 

 

LouieB

I didn't like the cover either and caught lots of flack stating such things on this board.  SBS album cover is just classic.

WTA would've made a good ep with The Wilco song being a non album single like The Thanks I Get.  You Never Know is awful as is I'll Fight. There's no words for Sonny Feeling. However, I adore Deeper Down, One Wing, Bull Black Nova and Solitaire. Country Disappeared is pretty good too.

Deep Purple is one of those bands that I'm not really into, but am fascinated by their history.  The various members etc.  They've had some crazy changes over the years.

As far as Morse goes, it's interesting that he has been playing with the band longer than was their heyday, but not really considered part of the band.  The bands that get in seem to be inducted based on their first 10 years of music...the classic years.  Yet they have to be around for 25 years to be eligible.  Very convoluted.  

http://www.jambands.com/news/2016/04/08/bob-weir-says-he-s-open-to-recording-dead-company-album/

Weir and Mayer open to recording Dead and Co album. That would be interesting.  I wish Furthur had done that or at least put out a curated live set with all their originals.  I hate when that 'new' stuff just gets left in the dust.  Kind of like then Other Ones songs or the unrecorded Ratdog originals.  Would love a tight studio take on Money for Gasoline...for example.  I know lots of Heads aren't into the studio output, but i think it has its place.

I was just looking at some photos from last night and noticed CT let Bun play at the ceremony. I think that is pretty cool. I have not yet found out who in Deep Purple was there besides Roger, Gillian, and Ian Paice.

I wonder if Steve Morse was inducted with them.  He's been in DP for over 20 years now.  Longer than any other project of his.  Also, did Cetera show up for Chicago?  I know of some folks who planned on going just for that.

Sugar Baby, also on Love and Theft, is also a classic. I could argue that there are several other good to great songs on that and subsequent album, but certainly Mississippi and Sugar Baby stand with his best. 

Yeah, I love that entire album as well.  

As far as the recent albums go, although the song choice might be suspect, the band sounds great!

I have a hard time getting excited about his recent records. The last song I really liked was Mississippi, from 2001. I have listened to every record since, and have not found anything to my liking. I got to hear lots of growling, though.

Mississippi is a classic.  I really like the version on Love & Theft.  All the other random versions on Tell Tale Signs are interesting, but not as good.

Definitely one of those interesting situations where all of them together was the ultimate.  JGB was pretty close though.  Loved John Kahn.  What also made the Dead cool was the fact that there were two major songwriters both of which were amazing.  Add in Phil and you've got for some very interesting song combinations.

Yeah, it makes me wonder what the variables were for the Dead that allowed those hot streaks to happen.  Was it something mundane about touring life that was going right for everyone in the band all at the same time?  No one was in a bad mood for a few weeks?  Something made band members feel particularly connected or more interested in usual with doing something they did a lot of?  In all the books and interviews  I've read about the Dead, I don't recall that topic being explored very deeply.  I recall a few quotes in David Gans' first book from Jerry and Bob about not trying to force it and also passing responsibility for the good and the bad nights off onto the mysterious thing/force that made the music come together or not.  Something along the lines of "You can't make it happen when it ain't happening, as hard as you try, and when it is happening its almost as hard to mess it up"

Probably not magical.  I'm sure when Bob felt like the show rocked Phil thought it sucked..at one time or another.

For me, the Garcia/Hunter songbook is why Jerry was the king of the Dead, so to speak. I mean, imagine a band whose repertoire consists of Picasso Moon, We Can Run and Pride of Cucamonga.

Love Pride!

I was thinking about this issue recently.  Bobby really didn't write that many tunes for the band.  Hence, lots of covers.  I do not like him singing lots of Garcia songs.  That has been a huge problem with the post jerry incarnations.  Would've been really special if he just sang a few like Touch or Brokedown.

and 3 days after Wichita 11-15-72 they played another monster Playin' in Houston 11-18-72.  This one is intense, just a bit shorter than the Wichita, but may be one of the greatest performances by the Dead ever.  Wow, they are going off!!!

 

https://archive.org/details/gd72-11-18.set2-sbd.cotsman.9002.sbeok.shnf

 

November 1972 is one of those months for the Dead when they could do no wrong, "Can't stop the train, gotta let it roll on".

 

Kinda like May 1977, April 1978, October/November 1979, June 1985.

it is fascinating how a band can get on a streak.  it's like they don't even have to try...the instruments play themselves.  not to get too mystic, but it is kind of magical.