The inevitable sell out post

[oceanman]

Thank you fat.boy.,this only shows that if you just recently had the idea that Wilco is a sell out,you missed a whole era of it.

[ction]

But that song carries emotional information and transports him back to a poignant time, place and event in his life (20 minutes ago on the internet complaining about people selling out). Now it's all poisoned and perverted.

 

edit: i should have quoted socbret here as a reference for my response but i can't so i didn't.

[oceanman]

Hummingbird

(for advertising purposes only)

 

His goal in life was to own a Vee-Dub

Riding alone, town after town, toll after toll

A family four-seater with an engine like an egg-beater

 

We appear in commercials

If its a car or just a beer

the bucks can fix anything

A German import who'd have thought it important

to consult with our fanbase

 

So we never did

 

Remember to dismember me

For trying to support my family

But the car goes fast, like a hummingbird

 

My goal in life was to write some good tunes

The type of sound that gets around then shot down

by dissenters

But in the deep chrome bumpers of Volkswagen campers

I don't see any reflection

but my own

 

Now I have cash like a mountain

No need for sleeping bags underneath the stars

when I can lie awake counting

And great wads of cash beats a Wall Street Crash

So I don't have to

Die poor

**With extreme apologies to Jeff Tweedy and the rest of the blokes in Wilco

How long did you work on that?

[FixedBayonet]

About ten minutes?

Bayonet

[oceanman]

About ten minutes?

Bayonet

Impressed!

[froggie]

move over Weird Al!

[Beltmann]

R.E.M. continued this into the 90's, turning down millions to use 'Its the End of the World as We Know It' for Windows 95, saying "our music is not for sale"

That's strange, I could have sworn I bought Monster when it was for sale.

 

And it appears that REM has licensed its songs, including "It's the End of the World as We Know It", more times than Wilco has. Did REM sellout? Or did they finally arrive at the pragmatic conclusion that their earlier stand was predicated upon abstract, unfounded fears? Frankly, I don't care: I like "It's the End of the World as We Know It," and Monster means the same to me as it ever did.

[Beltmann]

Thank you fat.boy.,this only shows that if you just recently had the idea that Wilco is a sell out,you missed a whole era of it.

Speaking of negative associations that ruin songs, let me tell you about how much I hate the music video for "Outtasite." Whenever I hear that song, I think of those stupid parachuting shots and feel like all of the world's happiness is no more.

[oceanman]

I bought ski gogels.

[Beltmann]

I bought ski gogels.

I bought Being There. I didn't see the trap being set for me by our brave new world.

[FixedBayonet]

yo Froggie - been meaning to give you a shout-out since the Enmore show - I saw you blokes down the front there (I was in the stupid general standing section behind you). What a show. And yeah, I'm sorta the Weird Al/Wilco tribute act around these parts. Sydney that is.

Word up.

[Good Old Neon]

I respect those who have offered valid criticism regarding my opinion, and if I have offended you in any way, I apologize (I

[Guest Speed Racer]

I respect those who have offered valid criticism regarding my opinion, and if I have offended you in any way, I apologize (I

[bldad]

There's a Wilco song used in a car commercial.

 

Also, there is a war going on in Iraq.

[jhh4321]

Although I haven't read all 10 pages of replies to this, here is my 2 cents.

 

If the fact that your favorite band has a song in a car commercial or a CD for sale at Starbucks affects the connection you make with their music or the enjoyment you get out of listening to their music, then I can see your frustration. But the way I see it is "good for them." Yes music is an art but its also a marketable commodity, if Jeff and the band are making some extra bucks on the incredible music they create, good for them, they are amazing musicians and songwriters. The world's best athletes are compensated for their skills with hundreds of millions of dollars, why shouldn't the world's best artists have the opportunity to do the same?

[thermocaster]

I respect those who have offered valid criticism regarding my opinion, and if I have offended you in any way, I apologize (I

[Chendizzle]

But for me, if history serves, they won't. In fact, I can't think of a single song or artist whose context changed merely because I once heard a snippet in an ad. The ad eventually faded away and was forgotten, while the song lives on in the state that I prefer to hear it--as art.

 

You clearly haven't heard the Mellencamp song, "Our Country", played roughly 178 times a second in every tv market. When commercial time came during this past football season, you knew it was coming, and you knew it was gonna drive you batshit.

 

Who's country is it John?

 

THIS IS OUUUURRRRR COOOUUNTRY!

 

Fade away good sir? No, I am scarred forever. Fuck you Chevy Silverados.

[bobbob1313]

Who gives a fuck?

[froggie]

> Who gives a fuck?

 

[mkush001]

from a sociological standpoint, it would be interesting for everyone to state their age/income/shoe size/occupation/# of years of being into wilco/hair color/least favorite tarantino movie, and whether or not they think this is wilco selling out. this will not only provide an interesting sociology survey, but it will allow posters to make fun of other poster's jobs, shoe size, etc. while calling them selfish assholes. also i would like beltmann to state whether or not he/she is a professor.

[mkush001]

great idea!! i'll start! 19/none/12/student/3/brown/Jackie Brown and yes i do think this is wilco selling out, unless jeff needs the money to buy a personal submarine. or even a big submarine for the whole band to enjoy.

[ction]

Who gives a fuck?

 

jnickerson does. But that's only because he works for Honda.

[Analogman]

I respect those who have offered valid criticism regarding my opinion, and if I have offended you in any way, I apologize (I

[AshtraySays123]

Hey, new poster here, so carve me up as you wish, but one of things that draws me to Wilco is Jeff Tweedy's constant mantra that he just wants people to listen to his music, whether he's talking about free downloads, sharing or, I imagine, selling songs to a car company. Here's an excerpt from Stop Smiling Issue 19. (Totally unrelated to this topic, but proves my point)

-------------------

 

SS: You don't want your music to fall into a niche category?

 

JT: I don't care. I'd rather have it be in people's hands. That's really not my place to decide how many people will appreciate it or not. I'd rather let people have the chance of hearing it, because I want people to hear our music. That's one of the reasons we went with Nonesuch. Their mentality is similar to an indie label mentality. But it felt like they really had the resources to do it and not be overwhelmed by the scope of it. One hundred thousand records is a lot of records on an independent label. It can impact the system and the cash flow in a way that can be destructive and problematic. I think, in the end, we made the right decision. Our goal is to make records we like and have as many people as possible hear them.

--------------------

 

So if people hear this really cool song during a commercial, hit the Web to find out who sings it, and ultimately become fans, I can't see any reason to be upset about this. Jeff wins - more people hear his music. That's the absolute eptiome of an artist.

[quosh]

They've been making roof-racks for VW for years, it's a secret door in the loft which takes you to the factory... you just have to remove Abba's 'Dancing Queen' CDS from the shelf and the wall revolves...

 

http://www.nexusuk.org/sell/roofrack/

 

 

Alex