Summerteeth

[the letter k]

During the course of the past year or so, I've been able to get my hands on a few of Jeff's solo shows, and for whatever reason (I'm guessing the grass) while watching Sunken Treasure last night, it finally dawned on me: If Summerteeth was mixed differently, I think it would be far and away Wilco's best album.

 

The accoustic versions of all of the songs, IMO, or heads and shoulders better than the studio versions. Especially on a song like ELT. Those lyrics are phenominal, and they seem to just get lost in the music on the album. Everytime I hear one of his solo shows, I keep thinking about how much I love the Summerteeth songs, so i go to listen to the album and don't like them near as much.

 

Just my two pennies.

[aricandover]

it's still my favorite

[JUDE]

It is probably my favorite as a whole also. Followed by Being There.

[Mr. Heartbreak]

It's not my favorite, but it has my two all-time favorite Wilco songs, Via Chicago and She's A Jar.

Agree on the arrangements and mixing. I think they were ultimately a big reason for Jay's being ousted (which has been discussed to death on here, I know...I'm just sayin').

[Analogman]

Nothing'severgonnastandinmyway (Agian)

How To Fight Loneliness

 

I like those two songs.

[ponch1028]

I love Summerteeth: live, studio, solo acoustic.

 

Just one man's opinion.

[Gobias Industries]

YHF is still my favorite album as a whole (most consistent, in my opinion), but Summerteeth is probably second, and it has some of Tweedy's best work.

[mpolak21]

During the course of the past year or so, I've been able to get my hands on a few of Jeff's solo shows, and for whatever reason (I'm guessing the grass) while watching Sunken Treasure last night, it finally dawned on me: If Summerteeth was mixed differently, I think it would be far and away Wilco's best album.

 

The accoustic versions of all of the songs, IMO, or heads and shoulders better than the studio versions. Especially on a song like ELT. Those lyrics are phenominal, and they seem to just get lost in the music on the album. Everytime I hear one of his solo shows, I keep thinking about how much I love the Summerteeth songs, so i go to listen to the album and don't like them near as much.

 

Just my two pennies.

 

I agree, Summerteeth is a loaded album and one of the best of the nineties. But if it had been mixed a little sparser and maybe had a couple tunes knocked off, it would be one of the greatest albums ever made. There are sometimes where Bennett's production is spot on, like She's a Jar, In a Future Age, A Shot in the Arm, Pieholden Suite, but there are certainly moments were it's a little overcooked. Yet in Bennett's defense there were two guys making all the overdubs and I have a hard time believing he snuck into the studio and added forty keyboard tracks without Tweedy knowing what was up. It's great to hear those songs live in a solo and even the full band setting, but they obivously had a pretty tough time making it and the songs seem to be extremely personal (then again you could apply the same arguement to YHF and Ghost as well).

 

Anyway, It's probably my third favorite overall behind Foxtrot and A Ghost is Born, but I love the album. It was my introduction to the group. Great songs, and really solidified Wilco has one of the best bands of the last ten years.

 

--Mike

[tongue-tied]

i'd probably listen to it more if it were reworked back in the day. right now my order of frequent listening goes:

 

AGIB

BT

YHF

Mermaid Stuff

ST

AM

 

a different approach to the recording would help, also cutting off the bonus tracks and one or two of the weaker songs. i think it would probably stay in the same spot in my mind critically, but listened to much more.

[Darkhorse]

i love it except for can't stand it, and i hate the synth on i'm always in love but adore the solo version. it may be that the synth sounds exactly like the buttons being pressed on the register at work (we found this out somehow)

[froggie]

when you wake up feeling old

[explodo]

I love it. As it is.

[bobbob1313]

I think it is helped by the production. I think ELT is head and shoulders better on record than live.

 

And Via Chicago is so much better on the record than it ever has been live.

[Wilco LP #7]

During the course of the past year or so, I've been able to get my hands on a few of Jeff's solo shows, and for whatever reason (I'm guessing the grass) while watching Sunken Treasure last night, it finally dawned on me: If Summerteeth was mixed differently, I think it would be far and away Wilco's best album.

 

The accoustic versions of all of the songs, IMO, or heads and shoulders better than the studio versions. Especially on a song like ELT. Those lyrics are phenominal, and they seem to just get lost in the music on the album. Everytime I hear one of his solo shows, I keep thinking about how much I love the Summerteeth songs, so i go to listen to the album and don't like them near as much.

 

Just my two pennies.

 

I totally agree. I was about to start this same thread, and fouind it already here. ELT acoustic blows me away.

[chisoxjtrain]

i love it except for can't stand it

 

i remember reading somewhere (greg kot book?) that "can't stand it" was something that reprise mixed to try to make the band more commercial. i personally think that production-wise bennett made some good and some bad decisions. she's a jar, i'm always in love, my darling, and pieholden suite are examples of great songs on this album. i think this album has too many tracks, like we're just friends and (i know i'm going to get yelled at) nohing'severgoingtostandinmyway(again). i love how to fight loneliness was done on the bonus dvd of iattbyh.

 

my 2 cents

[TCP]

I really like the studio version of ELT, they synth sounds great, it's just a really rockin, summer, song. I don't think it translates well on the solo versions, not like some of the folkier Wilco songs.

I like the production, I think it's a great example of how protools can be fucking GLORIOUS. I think if The Beatles were around these days, they'd be experimenting in a way a lot like Summerteeth. That's my 2 cents.

[danelectro]

I think ST is the best Wilco has done.

[mountain bed]

I really like the studio version of ELT, they synth sounds great, it's just a really rockin, summer, song. I don't think it translates well on the solo versions, not like some of the folkier Wilco songs.

I'm sure to be in the minority here,but that may be my favorite song on the record(at this time,anyway )

For some odd reason,it reminds me of mid-'60's John & Paul (esp. the vocal harmonies) in a very good way.

There's definitely more 'important ' songs on ST,but when ELT comes on the volume always goes UP.

[thisyearsgirl]

to risk starting the whole "let's rank the albums" thread again, i will just say that summerteeth, as-is, was always and still remains my favorite wilco album.

[froggie]

I'm sure to be in the minority here,but that may be my favorite song on the record(at this time,anyway )

For some odd reason,it reminds me of mid-'60's John & Paul (esp. the vocal harmonies) in a very good way.

There's definitely more 'important ' songs on ST,but when ELT comes on the volume always goes UP.

 

that happens during nothingsevergonnastandinmywayagain

[oatmealblizzard]

I love this album. Its in my all time top 10.

[TCP]

I don't understand why Reprise only thought "Can't Stand It" was the only song worthy of being a single, ELT and Nothingsevergoing... are worthy singles (and moving too YHF so is HMD).

[Nonlinear Nonfiction]

bas‧tard / bas-terd

1. a person born of unmarried parents; an illegitimate child.

2. something irregular, inferior, spurious, or unusual.

 

I can't remember where it was (it might have been July 2, 2006 in Duluth but the shows I was at sometimes blur with the ones I download)... anyways... Jeff referred to Summerteeth as Wilco's "bastard" album. Anyone know when/where that was?

 

Nontheless, I think that's the best way I've heard that album categorized. It might be their best album (depends on the day of the week for me). But, it's definitely a little out of place compared to the other albums. Maybe if it was mixed differently, it would live up to the supersonic expectations we've come to expect from YHF or AGiB, and of course one cannot ignore the quasi-pop feel that seems absent from every other Wilco record. I, for one, have a difficult time believing that Wilco albums could be improved. There is a hint of destiny in their albums in that one somehow leads the next.

 

For those of us that bought A.M., thought "wow, this is damn cool"...waited for Being There, fell in love... waited for Summerteeth, thought "where are they going with this?"... waited for YHF (wondering all along if it would ever be released) and then waited for AGiB ...Summerteeth makes perfect sense - I wish all Wilco fans (the majority of which probably heard Summerteeth and A.M. sometime after YHF came out) had the opportunity to go back and relive the evolution of the greatest band in the world.

[froggie]

I can't remember where it was (it might have been July 2, 2006 in Duluth but the shows I was at sometimes blur with the ones I download)... anyways... Jeff referred to Summerteeth as Wilco's "bastard" album. Anyone know when/where that was?

 

i'm pretty sure he was a referring to AM. on one his shows he said (paraphrasing) "this song's from the bastard child of the wilco catalogue"

[Nonlinear Nonfiction]

i'm pretty sure he was a referring to AM. on one his shows he said (paraphrasing) "this song's from the bastard child of the wilco catalogue"

 

Nooo...maybe he said that about A.M. also! hah, I wouldn't be surprised...but I'm almost positive he said the same thing about Summerteeth. No matter, I still feel the same about that album.