unposed_question

Me too. Is it my imagination or have the live versions lately sounded much differently than they used to? The string parts seem to have given way to more synth. which is pretty disappointing. Maybe someday they'll perform it with an orchestra, that would kick ass!

 

BTW, Dan rules!

I'm a *huge* fan of the Hammond Organ (one of the many reasons I love Wilco) so it doesn't bother me so much, but it does alter the mood of the song. The live versions of "Jesus, etc." mostly bug me because of the crowd sing-along. Never in a million years would I have guessed that it would become one of those songs.

Someone out there much smarter than me must know this, but didn't they play a version with strings on either Leno or Letterman? I think it's somewhere out there in the ether.

Jesus, Etc was, in fact, the last song written for the album. Notice how different the vibe is from the rest of the album. It could almost fit on "Sky Blue Sky"

I think Jesus, etc. fits in quite well with the vibe of YHF. How is it different from the casual, mellow songs of Kamera

or Pot Kettle Black, and Ashes of American Flags?

This is easily one of my favorite Wilco songs, due to the combination of the lyrics and the strings. At first, I thought I was

listening to a Steely Dan song. Oh how wrong I was.

How is "beatle-esque" possibly bad, though?

Been there, done that. If I want to listen to the Beatles, I'll pull out a Beatles album. What I like

about Wilco is when they fuse their influences into a new sound. Sometimes, though, their

sound is a little too similar (for my taste) to something else I've heard before.

You certainly have to question the thought processes of someone who can't get something as basic as the lineup for AGIB correct.

I still maintain that IG will be the most enduring song off SBS, though I understand the complaints that have been registered against it. Any new album by definition is going to have its naysayers, either because it goes in a new direction or because it fails to cover new ground. For my taste, the album is alot more understated and straightforward than what I was "expecting" but no surprises here, I'm not in the band so I didn't have much input. As a fan, I'm still going to show my support for their work by purchasing the CD and attending a show if I can. God bless Wilco!

It sure sounds like horns to me in the middle of the song, but I'll give it another listen. A little too Beatles-esque for

my taste, but still my second favorite song on the CD thus far.

There is a short blurb/interview with Jeff Tweedy in the current issue of EW, the one with the Sopranos

on the cover. In keeping with the theme of the cover, Jeff uses 2 forms of the f-word in the interview.

As another person who does a boatload of image manipulation for magazines, I can say with confidence that every single photograph you see in any major magazine has had a minimum of 5 minutes of retouching done to it.

I think Rose McGowan has some work done to herself, cosmetologically speaking. If you see her on last week's cover of Entertainment Weekly, it doesn't even look like her face. Same with the RS cover.

Reason 3,718,387 why WILCO ROCKS. I hope they have some footage of the guys playing Impossible Germany.

What information do you have about them playing Glenn's piece in San Francisco in October?

I think it was Spin magazine that had a photo of the band (Tweedy, Coomer, Stirrat for sure...mabye Bennett, can't remember)....and they were in their pajamas, like having a sleepover slumber party. Anyone remember that?

I DO think Tweedy/Wilco will be on the cover some day. And I think it'd be very cool.

RS sucks. They should have put Wilco on the cover after either YHF or AGIB with the words "America's

Best Rock n' Roll Band" on it, similar to what they did with REM around the time of Document. I suppose

since it took them so long to do it for REM they probably will do it now with SBS.

As for live shows and such, I'm fine with what they've been doing for the past two albums, which is providing more subtle, atmospheric versions of their songs on the studio, making them a launchpad for some great live shows. At first, I was skeptical about "Impossible Germany" on the record, but after a lot of listens, it has this great intimate, mellow vibe that couldn't be captured live.

I couldn't agree more. The songs on the record have alot of texture and depth and listening to them on headphones is a world away from hearing them performed live. Some songs like ALTWYS or Spiders demand to be heard live to give it that personal immediate touch. Other songs, like Jesus, etc. by comparison, lose that intimacy when played live and come across flat compared to the album version. I am finding that with "Impossible Germany" it actually works both ways: some parts of the song demand to be heard live, and other parts are best heard through the headphones.

My take on it as follows: it's about communication difficulties in a relationship, long distances being one of them. The importance that each partner puts on the other's willingness and ability to listen.

I don't think "Impossible Germany Unlikely Japan" has any literal significance, other than possibly alluding to being on the road and far away from a spouse. In poetry, what is being said is not as nearly important as how it is being said. I wouldn't be surprised if Jeff Tweedy the poet songwriter just liked how the words sounded and fit with the rest of the song's lyrics. As a result, the words themselves become a metaphor for the overall song. Someone off the street would see the words "Impossible Germany Unlikely Japan" as nonsensical; a Wilco fan would see them and think about the song and what it says to them.

I'm gonna hold off buying the album for a while his time, I'm sick of them rereleasing the album with bonus disc/extra tracks etc 6 months down the line, I had to rebuy the last two albums and not gonna fall for it again. mp3 downloads artn't the same as having the actual bonus disc IMHO!

I wasn't aware they offered actual discs for those extra tracks. I thought it was just through the internet by inserting the original CD. Are you in the States?

Has anyone heard if Wilco is planning to offer any special downloads if you buy the album? They have done that for both YHF and AGIB, so I wonder if they will do anything upon the release in May or further down the road.

Impossible Germany

Either Way

 

Did they tone down the heavy guitars at the end of Impossible Germany? Live, the ending of the song is much louder.

Impossible Germany for me, too. Nothing else is sticking like this song.

I've only heard 2 live versions of the song but the ending doesn't sound too different from the album version.

Let me think about that and get back to you.

"Am i the only one who thinks impossible germany is probably the worst song on the album? A decent solo from nels, but the outro is the cheesiest hogwash I could imagine them releasing... the guitar tones and hooks remind me more of music played as background on the weather channel than of the inventive and energetic band I know and love."

I have to respectfully disagree. I would be willing to wager a beverage of your choice that Impossible Germany will be the defining song of this album. I realize it's already appeared on their tour, but I think it's the most thoughtful and melodic song on the album and the one that will have the most resonance in the future. Instead of cheesy hogwash and cable tv background music, I hear a song in the vein of "Jesus, etc." and "ALTWYS", two of their best songs of recent years.

For me, the appeal of ALTWS is two-fold: the powerful lyrics that underly the quiet beginning (is he really saying that?) followed by the cataclysm of sound that becomes this utter catharsis of guitar playing. I feel like I am peering into Jeff Tweedy's soul and am completely drawn in, even though I feel guilty for it.

Rolling Stone.com used to have a video of them playing this song live at Coachella. It was amazing. To watch the interplay between Jeff and Nels, to see Glenn powering through on the drums, and then watching each member of the band working together, it's a spiritual thing to see it. I feel as if Jeff and Nels are engaged in some form of combat up there on stage, and Jeff's concentration is just incredible.

Did anyone get a chance to tape the show? I was back in Milwaukee last week, but had to be at work or I would have stuck around. Please email me if you would be willing to make me a copy. Thanks!