Newbie seeking guidance from fans

[hemi]

Hi there,

 

friends were listening to Wilco at a get together this summer. Never heard of them before. My musical tastes haven't really left the 70's and 80's.......Huge Springsteen fantatic myself.

 

I picked up "Being There" from '96 (double album I think) though I haven't dove into it yet.

 

Any advice from fans on where to start? Best tunes, etc.?did I make a bad choice for my first purchase?

 

Thanks

 

Gary

[aricandover]

Being There is a great place to start. I would move forward from there, then once you have everything, go back to Uncle Tupelo leading you into A.M.

[a_quiet_domino]

I have two recommendations:

 

Either go chronologically (i.e. work your way up to YHF, or else you'll probably hate it when you first hear it)

 

Or get Kicking Television--it's kind of like a greatest hits of Wilco.

[cryptique]

Being There is a great place to start. I would move forward from there, then once you have everything, go back to Uncle Tupelo leading you into A.M.

Seconded.

[Sir Stewart]

Being There is a great place to start. I would move forward from there, then once you have everything, go back to Uncle Tupelo leading you into A.M.

Thirded. This formula should be a law, actually.

[LouieB]

I would buy Kicking Television and see if this band meets your needs based on what it sounds like today.

 

LouieB

[Edie]

I would go see a live show STAT.

[viatroy]

Thirded. This formula should be a law, actually.

 

It isn't?

 

Dive right into Being There -- I listened to that album almost exclusively for two years.

 

BTW, there is no bad Wilco album ... and they're all very different. I'd be hardpressed to say there was a bad Wilco song.

 

 

and ... get your ass to a show!

[OOO]

I vote for YHF first, cause thats how I did it, and its generally accepted that I listen to things better than most people around here.

[Atticus]

wouldn't it be fun to re-discover this greatness again?

 

You've got a lot of smiles coming your way friend.

[hemi]

All good advice......

 

Thanks All

 

looking forward to it

[wheelco]

Being There was the perfect pick up

 

I agree with getting Kicking Televison next to hear some of the more recent songs and to hear how they're sounding live now with the current lineup

 

If you're still interested then get Mermaid Avenue and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

[WilcoFan]

I started out with Summerteeth. I suited me well and I knew that Wilco was it for me about the 8th note in.

[Atticus]

I started out with Summerteeth. I suited me well and I knew that Wilco was it for me about the 8th note in.

 

can you name that tune in.... 4 notes?

[WilcoFan]

can you name that tune in.... 4 notes?

 

 

I could. No clues, nothing.

[bobfrombob]

All good advice......

 

Thanks All

 

looking forward to it

Can't argue with any of the advice... I would "work up" too. Welcome to a fellow Bruce fan (there are a number of us here)

[bobbob1313]

I'd say YHF is the best starting point, simply because it's their best album.

[jethro]

I'd say YHF is the best starting point, simply because it's their best album.

It really depends on what kind of music you like, when I first heard Being There it was a little too country for my punk rock ears but I got over it.

 

I'd say Being There is the record that gives the most back if you give it the time, Summerteeth is the most immediately engaging because of the music, YHF is the most solid first-to-last. AGIB probably isn't something most people would jump right into and love unless they're into 70s prog rock. A.M. reminds me of the new songs except it's generally more lyrically and musically ambitious but minus the overwhelming piano. (Kneejerk defenders, put down the keyboard, the only people who can convince me otherwise are Wilco and they haven't been answering my email. )

[OOO]

I'd say YHF is the best starting point, simply because it's their best album.

 

I concur.

[Gobias Industries]

I would say BT because it's easiest to get into. Not their best or their worst, but most accessible, at least to me. It's where I started.

 

Follow the law.

[HighFives]

you need to listen to Being There for a manditory 3 months. Then work your way up. If you enjoy it all go back and get AM and the UT stuff. I myself had BT for the manditory 3 months then got YHF apon its release, went to Summerteeth after that then got A Ghost Is Born when it leaked. Got the other stuff after that. They are now my all time fav. band so it worked for me at least.

[froggie]

mermaid avenue was my introduction (loved california stars, even though i cant stand it now)... then summerteeth turned me into a fan. if you dont mind some over-production, go for summerteeth

[hemi]

thought you'd like to see this:

 

thanks for all the suggestions

 

http://www.pastemagazine.com/action/article?article_id=3003

[ansheld]

thought you'd like to see this:

 

thanks for all the suggestions

 

http://www.pastemagazine.com/action/article?article_id=3003

 

That is the weirdest list I've ever seen. Beyond the top 10 it is so random. What on earth is their definition of a song-writer?

[Thurston Howell III]

thought you'd like to see this:

 

thanks for all the suggestions

 

http://www.pastemagazine.com/action/article?article_id=3003

 

Tweedy is easily the only member of the top 35 who is younger than 40, and generally MUCH younger than the names around him. Nice compliment.

 

Anyway, greetings fellow serious Springsteen fan. Unless you just hate Tweedy's voice, I would proceed to YHF after Being There. It's pretty much impossible to judge Wilco on just one disc anymore (unless, like i said, his singing bugs the crap out of you) because the sound has changed so much. Much is made about the effects and the longer tracks (which are beautiful in their own way) on YHF, but I dare anybody to find another album with as much "catchy" in the freaking 7-9 slots. That album has hooks to spare; it just isn't *all* about the hooks.

 

After that, I would proceed directly to Kicking Television since you obviously appreciate good live music, and if you get this far and are still interested then you will dig the current live lineup.

 

Come to think of it, if you enjoyed the Seeger Sessions and Tom Joad type material, then you'll be in good shape for the more countryish tracks on Being There. Both guys have work directly connected to Guthrie and a sizable appreciation for earlier American music, for sure. Try to find a recording of Wilco covering "When The Roses Bloom Again"; it's a beautiful older cover that is the type of thing one can imagine Bruce doing, too.

 

Then again, if you can't stand that part of Springsteen's stuff, there's plenty of rock in BT and YHF, too ... some of it's just a bit weirder than Bruce would ever get. Thus ends the run-on post. Enjoy!

 

rcb

 

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