NationalDust Posted May 22, 2007 Author Share Posted May 22, 2007 I've talked to a lot of Wilco fans who are generally not big on O'Rourke. Personally, I love him, He has a great sense of humour and he's very adventurous in what he does. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TheMaker Posted May 22, 2007 Share Posted May 22, 2007 Okay, true or false: O'Rourke sounds exactly like Closing Time-era Tom Waits on "Answers to Your Questions?" Answer key: True. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mpolak21 Posted May 22, 2007 Share Posted May 22, 2007 Amazing record, I love Wreckroom and Wanted. I'd give the slight edge to the self-titled, but both are excellent and in my opinion stand along side the best of Wilco and O'Rourke's solo stuff. --Mike Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tongue-tied Posted May 22, 2007 Share Posted May 22, 2007 i think O'Rourke's stuff is better than Tweedy's on Born Again: Answers, Stupid as the Sun, and Thou Shalt Wilt trump everything except maybe Wreckroom and Pretty Sparks. Everything's good though, and I can't really pick which album I like better, the songs on Born Again seem light compared to the drawn out ones on Loose Fur. I guess nothing comes close to the mind-blowing time-stopping nature of those songs, especially Chinese Apple. They're very different albums though. All I can say is that they better start working on number three soon. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NationalDust Posted May 22, 2007 Author Share Posted May 22, 2007 All I can say is that they better start working on number three soon. Amen to that! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ludwig Von Drake Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 Does anyone else think maybe Hey Chicken was written about Bennett? I like Hey Chicken, but when I first heard it my first thought was that it was about Farrar. I'm 99% sure it isn't--or about JB either--at least I hope to hell not, because that would just be kind of sad. But that thought colored my interpretation of the song for a long time. You guys are nuts. There is a theme to the record - it's largely Jeff and Jim mocking the ideals of the religious Right. There's only really 4 songs out of the 10 that don't follow this theme of mocking organized religion. Hell, even with a stretch you can say that Jim's song "Answers" is about him no longer listening to God (as opposed to something a little more light theme-wise, a human relationship that Jim as the narrator had abandoned). "Hey Chicken" is a direct shot on how the religious Right think that their ways are better than everyone else's and how they want everyone to follow their rules. It scares them that there are people like Jim and Jeff who totally ignore them (I'm running free in the back of your head), and even call them out as hypocrites (Hey chicken, you're all talk!). It's a big slap in the face from Loose Fur. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ludwig Von Drake Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 Amen to that! Do you think it'd have that "Millionaire" song that they do in the live shows? I doubt it myself considering how now Jeff's clean and obviously not making that kind of music anymore. But it'd make for a funny song to just put in there as like a skit or something. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NationalDust Posted May 23, 2007 Author Share Posted May 23, 2007 I like Hey Chicken, but when I first heard it my first thought was that it was about Farrar. I'm 99% sure it isn't--or about JB either--at least I hope to hell not, because that would just be kind of sad. But that thought colored my interpretation of the song for a long time.You guys are nuts. There is a theme to the record - it's largely Jeff and Jim mocking the ideals of the religious Right. There's only really 4 songs out of the 10 that don't follow this theme of mocking organized religion. Hell, even with a stretch you can say that Jim's song "Answers" is about him no longer listening to God (as opposed to something a little more light theme-wise, a human relationship that Jim as the narrator had abandoned). "Hey Chicken" is a direct shot on how the religious Right think that their ways are better than everyone else's and how they want everyone to follow their rules. It scares them that there are people like Jim and Jeff who totally ignore them (I'm running free in the back of your head), and even call them out as hypocrites (Hey chicken, you're all talk!). It's a big slap in the face from Loose Fur. It was just a question, I don't think I deserve to be called "nuts" for it. I picked up on the theme, but it could've been that they were calling out all kinds of people, not necessarily all of them having to do with religion, you know? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jakobnicholas Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 It was just a question, I don't think I deserve to be called "nuts" for it. I picked up on the theme, but it could've been that they were calling out all kinds of people, not necessarily all of them having to do with religion, you know? You're not nuts. My first thought when hearing "Hey Chicken" was that it written about Farrar...the song came out not long after some quotes from Farrar were circulating about Jeff being an a-hole in the Uncle Tupelo days. Farrar seemed a little off-base bringing up things from long ago. It probably was written thematically for the album, but who knows...I think it's a possibility that Tweedy had a couple things in mind when writing the song. And it may in fact be about specific "religious Right" people, but I don't think Loose Fur wants to mock ALL organized religion. Jeff has had quotes that religion can be a good thing. But, yes....like most organizations or groups, there are some extremists and idiots and whackos that deserve to be mocked. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
aricandover Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 You're not nuts. My first thought when hearing "Hey Chicken" was that it written about Farrar...the song came out not long after some quotes from Farrar were circulating about Jeff being an a-hole in the Uncle Tupelo days. Farrar seemed a little off-base bringing up things from long ago. yeah, but the song was written well before that article was published. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
quarter23cd Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 I'm perfectly willing to concede that I may be nuts, but that doesn't necessarily make me wrong. I doubt the song was written directly about JF or JB, though, as noted, it did come out shortly after that bit where Farrar aired some old dirty laundry in some magazine and that probably influenced the way I heard the song. I still don't think the song is actually about him, but the thought is there...living rent free, in the back of my head. As for the "religious right" interpretation--yeah, there's definitely a theme running through several songs on the album, but I don't see that happening in this song. With songs like "The Ruling Class" and "Thou Shalt Wilt" they don't exactly shy away from naming their subject. Nothing in "Hey Chicken" suggests to me that they are talking about groups of people, or religion at all...it sounds more like a personal-grudge song. And lines like "just rise above it, man, its been a long time" definitely solidify that idea. So I tend to take that song more literally. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jakobnicholas Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 yeah, but the song was written well before that article was published. Yeah, you're right. But Farrar was still the first thing I thought when I heard the song. The 2nd thing I thought was that I have an idea for an avatar. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
quarter23cd Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 yeah, but the song was written well before that article was published.Maybe it was a late addition. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
willywoody Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 since we're all voting, i vote that it has nothing to do with jay or jay and all to do with jerry, falwell that is. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
quarter23cd Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 The obvious choice: Quote Link to post Share on other sites
NationalDust Posted May 23, 2007 Author Share Posted May 23, 2007 The obvious choice: Of course! Gosh, why didn't I realise? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
awatt Posted May 23, 2007 Share Posted May 23, 2007 Before SBS and Faithless Street, BAITUSA was all I was listening to in my car, over and over and over again. It is a brilliant album. I can't wait for the next one either! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HighFives Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 loose fur is great. s/t is by far better. Any one else think Tweedy's guitar playing on "So Long" sounds a lot like Ian Williams? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
aricandover Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 loose fur is great. s/t is by far better. Any one else think Tweedy's guitar playing on "So Long" sounds a lot like Ian Williams? the Don Caballero guy? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Ludwig Von Drake Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 I love Jim O'Rourke but "So Long" drags on for me 90% percent of the time. That said, I can constantly listen to "Elegant Transaction" over and over again. I love the way Jim mixed the different instruments and they move in and out of the piece and the ending is perfect. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
aricandover Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 I'm a huge fan of both Loose Fur albums. I love "You Were Wrong". I think the live versions of "Laminated Cat" and "The Chelsea Walls Theme" from the December 2002 shows are killer. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HighFives Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 the Don Caballero guy? yeah but more so with his other band storm and stress. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
aricandover Posted May 24, 2007 Share Posted May 24, 2007 I'm not familar with them, but I used to go to every Don Cab show I could get in to, back in the day. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HighFives Posted May 25, 2007 Share Posted May 25, 2007 I'm not familar with them, but I used to go to every Don Cab show I could get in to, back in the day. I haven't heard any don cab so it could be quite similare. On the Storm and Stress album his playing on a few tracks is really messy and cracky like tweedy's playing on so long. both are really good. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mpolak21 Posted May 26, 2007 Share Posted May 26, 2007 I'm a huge fan of both Loose Fur albums. I love "You Were Wrong". I think the live versions of "Laminated Cat" and "The Chelsea Walls Theme" from the December 2002 shows are killer.Totally agree with you and there's something really haunted and unsettling about Millionaire that gets me every time, I'd love it if these guys would tour or at least do a couple of more one off gigs at some point. --Mike Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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