jimtweedy1977 Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 I went back and listened to SBS yesterday. After listening to "You Are My Face", I had to pick up the melted remains of my face. Holy cow. I still maintain that "I Hate It Here" is a fantastic song. I can't wait to hear it live. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
SarahC Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 "Leave Me (like you found me)" is my new auto-biographical song. Good grief. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
awatt Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 Sink...sank....sunk... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beltmann Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 Also I cannot help but feel that if they were going to put something with a light-hearted feel on it like Hate It HereI can't imagine ever describing "Hate It Here" as light-hearted. One of the reasons I love it is because it evokes such deep-seated melancholy. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
WilcoFan Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 F the lovers, I got your back on the On & On & On hate. Worst Wilco song in recent memory, though Shake It Off is running a close second. I look forward to the inevitable bonus tracks that will let me make Shake It Off go away permanently.It doesn't sound much like that song fragment and it's easily my favorite moment on the record, but it being based on an older song (didn't make the connection until your post) is a little... Impossible Germany got a bit neutered for the record, it's yet another in a now long line of songs that come across much better live. Someday Wilco will make a record that captures the energy of their best live shows. Maybe. Same goes for Walkin' and What Light too. Maybe it's just that the loft is haunted with the ghost of Sammy Davis Jr. or something. "Hey now baby, don't put too much 'wow' into that song, slow it right on down now, yeah, man, yeah!"  I'm surprised by the hate for "Shake It Off" by a lot of people. If Wilco plays this live the way I think it should be, it will be a centerpiece for the live show. There's so much potential in that song to just own all in a live setting. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
kidsmoke Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 I can't imagine ever describing "Hate It Here" as light-hearted. One of the reasons I love it is because it evokes such deep-seated melancholy. I see what you mean, Eric, but after hearing it at our LR show, and hearing Susan announce its "real" title...."The Liar's Song".....I still crack up when he begins the lyrics.  A great song, any way you look at it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
coast to coast Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 I can't imagine ever describing "Hate It Here" as light-hearted. One of the reasons I love it is because it evokes such deep-seated melancholy.  I know its not a funny song, but parts of it are jokingly light-hearted to cover up the melancholy like the line   "What am I gonna do, what am I gonna do, what am I gonna when I run out of shirts to fold?!?"  Its ironically funny, cos its not meant to be funny at all.  I have to go to work! Dammit. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 Everyone's right! Hate It Here's greatness partly comes from the balance between comedy/sadness. "WHAT AM I GONNA DO WHEN I RUN OUTTA LAWN TO MOW!?" gets me every time because it's both a ridiculous notion and a painful cry for help/understanding of the human condition (yeah, I went for it - this album's got The Human Condition stamped all over it).The rest of its greatness comes from: it is awesome and it rocks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
uncle wilco Posted March 15, 2007 Author Share Posted March 15, 2007 i'm completely on board with this album now. I've been listening to it each of the last few nights and even my kids [ages 2,4,6 & 8] are liking it...or maybe they're just humoring me. my wife...she's a lost cause. if a song doesn't involve an artist who uses choreography and back-up dancers, she's not into it. i did catch my daughter dancing around to "hate it here" though. that's probably my favorite song at the moment. even though i don't expect this to be a commercial breakthrough for jeff and company, it's certainly a terrific artistic moment for wilco. and another "must have" for any wilco fan. i really hope they don't make us wait too far into the tour to finally play k.c., i really want to hear it all live. Â two months from today we'll be able to enjoy this fine album in all it's glory. i can't wait to buy my "official" copy. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
M. (hristine Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 Tweedy's vocal track on Hate It Here is fucking awesome. (listening on headphones, "oh I hate it ...") Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rareair Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 i did catch my daughter dancing around to "hate it here" though. that's probably my favorite song at the moment. my 3 year old daughter drops everything she is doing during "shake it off." she loves to shake it off. shake it off. shake it off.  good times. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
imsjry Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 I'm surprised by the hate for "Shake It Off" by a lot of people. If Wilco plays this live the way I think it should be, it will be a centerpiece for the live show. There's so much potential in that song to just own all in a live setting. Didn't they open with it at the killer Auditorium show I went to in November? I think so. I loved it then, and I love it on the disc. How can you guys not love when that keyboard and groove kicks in? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Jules Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 Didn't they open with it at the killer Auditorium show I went to in November? I think so. I loved it then, and I love it on the disc. How can you guys not love when that keyboard and groove kicks in? Yes, they did. Some didn't love it as the opener, but I dug it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Speed Racer Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 Haha, one thing I love about 'Hate it Here' is how it reminds me of my dad. When he got laid off in January of 1998, he started snowblowing our block and the next block's sidewalks/walks. He had no clue to do with all his free time, so he just kept snowblowing... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
cryptique Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 Good times. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
audiogeek Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 Two observations as I listen through the record for the 3rd or 4th time now: 1. Certain songs on this record cover a lot of similar sonic territory as the Loose Fur "Born Again in the U.S.A." record. There's a lot of moments that I notice with similar guitar tones, arrangements, harmonic structure, etc. 2. This is probably been mentioned on this board already, but the song "Sky Blue Sky" seems like a rehash of the song "Far, Far Away" from Being There (not lyrically, but certainly musically). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lost highway Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 They are both definitely slow country shuffles, maybe even same key. I am gonna step out on a limb here and say I think SBS is better. And I always loved-will always love Far, Far Away. Oh, I dont know if I can say that. The songs are two beautiful sisters, SkyBlueSky is just a bit more lyrically sophisticated. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
You Can Be The Stone Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 F the lovers, I got your back on the On & On & On hate. Worst Wilco song in recent memory, though Shake It Off is running a close second. I look forward to the inevitable bonus tracks that will let me make Shake It Off go away permanently.It doesn't sound much like that song fragment and it's easily my favorite moment on the record, but it being based on an older song (didn't make the connection until your post) is a little... Impossible Germany got a bit neutered for the record, it's yet another in a now long line of songs that come across much better live. Someday Wilco will make a record that captures the energy of their best live shows. Maybe. Same goes for Walkin' and What Light too. Maybe it's just that the loft is haunted with the ghost of Sammy Davis Jr. or something. "Hey now baby, don't put too much 'wow' into that song, slow it right on down now, yeah, man, yeah!"  'On and On' is a weird, mixed bag for me. On one hand, it's thematically, a very powerful way to end the album. On the other hand, it suffers from a 'Yes'-like arrangement at the end, which really detracts it.  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. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
j-rod73 Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 I go way to Uncle Tupelo and love every record Wilco has ever made for very different reasons, and this one is no exception. These songs are unbelievably grave and possess an enormous amount of depth. The bands ear is to the ground and they're listening. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
ction Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 The bands ear is to the ground and they're listening. It would be pretty awesome if they were listening to meerkats. Talking meerkats. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
phortin Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 This is going to go down as one of their best efforts. You'll see. Impossible Germany and Shake it Up will be considered "one of the better songs they play live" at the end of 2007.  This is the first Wilco album where I go "Wow, this is a great song for an album...but it's going to sound completely different in a live setting...And I'm excited for that!" I can't wait for my first show of Sky Blue Sky dominated material! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 This is going to go down as one of their best efforts. You'll see.I know. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beltmann Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 Everyone's right! Hate It Here's greatness partly comes from the balance between comedy/sadness. "WHAT AM I GONNA DO WHEN I RUN OUTTA LAWN TO MOW!?" gets me every time because it's both a ridiculous notion and a painful cry for help/understanding of the human condition (yeah, I went for it - this album's got The Human Condition stamped all over it).The rest of its greatness comes from: it is awesome and it rocks.That's a great line, isn't it? Someone earlier complained that the lyrics are "mundane," but for me the mundane imagery is partially the point, because the simple quotidian imagery is what describes the melancholy of his humdrum routine. To me, mowing the lawn and folding the shirts are metaphors, and so the line "What am I gonna do when I run outta lawn to mow" reveals the guy's realization that what he's doing--consciously getting lost in humdrum routine in order to preoccupy his mind--can't really help him get what he wants, which is to regain some sense of normalcy and self-worth. It may be a "mundane" image, but it's used to evoke a complex emotional state. I agree--it is awesome and it rocks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
j-rod73 Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 Well put. I'll add that the album as a whole addresses the conondrum that aging poses. There are some beautiful lines in these songs. In many ways they've made "the"album once again. I just can't say enough about it. There is a sense of resignation that pervades these songs, but as they travel through one another they create hope. These are the sentiments of a man with some life behind him. Some things he's learned, some remain a mystery, but either way there is an acceptance that bleeds from these songs. Maybe the sun will shine todayThe clouds'll roll awayMaybe I won't be so afraid Quote Link to post Share on other sites
awatt Posted March 15, 2007 Share Posted March 15, 2007 Well put. I'll add that the album as a whole addresses the conondrum that aging poses. There are some beautiful lines in these songs. In many ways they've made "the"album once again. I just can't say enough about it. There is a sense of resignation that pervades these songs, but as they travel through one another they create hope. These are the sentiments of a man with some life behind him. Some things he's learned, some remain a mystery, but either way there is an acceptance that bleeds from these songs. Maybe the sun will shine todayThe clouds'll roll awayMaybe I won't be so afraid All very nicely put, especially last point... But embracing the situationIs our only chance to be free Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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