Rolling Stone ranks SBS as #42 this year

[darkstar]

Yeah I'm not trying to trash the Dead, I listen to them fairly often (Workingman's Dead, American Beauty, and Europe '72 mainly). I wasnt able to see them in concert (Jerry died when I was four) so maybe that's why I can't say they are as good as a lot of people belidve. But from 70-72 they were really great (they had the best lineup then in my opinion). Wilco is similar in the fact that the band has always been changing in terms of whose in it.

 

Right on ( I didn't take your comments to be trashing the Dead, it's all good ) I won't hijack the thread by going on and on about the Dead but if your interested check out the "Where to start with the Grateful Dead" thread in someone else's song....you can find some reccomendations for further listening....if you are interested and haven't already seen that thread.

[mountain bed]

The only similarities between the GD and Wilco are imo they are a fantastic live band ( as darkstar said) and they don't rely on any rock star gestures in order to get the music across - they just play their asses off.

 

If they weren't such a great band live I wouldn't be nearly as crazy about them as I am.

[50footqueenie]

Wilco have done pretty well in end of year lists, considering the lukewarm response to SBS when it first came out in May.

 

Here in UK land they made No 5 in Uncut magazine and No 10 in today's Guardian reader's poll - ie not voted by the London-centric music media, but by music fans. (And I hasten to add not me, as I didn't see they wanted people to vote!)

 

So maybe now can we finally dispel this myth that they ain't popular in the UK?

 

Anyway best wishes to all Wilco fans worldwide at this time of year - wherever you are. Keep safe and keep enjoying the music!!

[Relatively Clean Rivers]

The only similarities between the GD and Wilco are imo they are a fantastic live band ( as darkstar said) and they don't rely on any rock star gestures in order to get the music across - they just play their asses off.

 

If they weren't such a great band live I wouldn't be nearly as crazy about them as I am.

 

Definately! I loved Wilco on their studio records but it wasnt until I saw them live that I was completely in awe of everything they do. (Sky Blue Sky is the most incredible album of their career- if anyone can listen to the vinyl LP do it..its unbelievable!)

[hwllo]

In fact, they are much better than the Grateful Dead.

 

 

come on now. wilco shows are great but they aren't that much different from what you hear on the records or in other performances. the grateful dead threw something new at you every single show. you could hear the same song two nights in a row and it would be completely different

[Relatively Clean Rivers]

"come on now. wilco shows are great but they aren't that much different from what you hear on the records or in other performances. the grateful dead threw something new at you every single show. you could hear the same song two nights in a row and it would be completely different "

 

I don't think an amazing live band needs to completely change the songs from night to night in order to be good, I think the material is strong enough for Wilco that they dont need to change it around (but if you see them play "California Stars" or "Too Far Apart" or "Ashes of American Flags" or "Sunken Treasure" now you'll see the songs have evolved). Watching them play live is great because you can see the interaction of the group and see how in tune everyone is with each other. They play flawlessly and with energy and passion, so when you see them you realize they are the real deal, a complete "band" if there ever was one.

[hwllo]

"come on now. wilco shows are great but they aren't that much different from what you hear on the records or in other performances. the grateful dead threw something new at you every single show. you could hear the same song two nights in a row and it would be completely different "

 

I don't think an amazing live band needs to completely change the songs from night to night in order to be good, I think the material is strong enough for Wilco that they dont need to change it around (but if you see them play "California Stars" or "Too Far Apart" or "Ashes of American Flags" or "Sunken Treasure" now you'll see the songs have evolved). Watching them play live is great because you can see the interaction of the group and see how in tune everyone is with each other. They play flawlessly and with energy and passion, so when you see them you realize they are the real deal, a complete "band" if there ever was one.

 

 

ok, the songs have changed a little, but is that more of an evolving thing or a "we have a new band every few years so it physically can't sound the same way" thing.

 

i love wilco, i don't find their songs boring, but perhaps a little repetitive since a lot of the same songs are played night in/night out, but that's fine.

 

the grateful dead on the other hand was a freak of nature, they were all so good at what they do and they are the pinnacle of a live band because CDs don't do them justice one bit. they didn't make their name because of records they made it by touring. while wilco is a great live band, i think they've made their names through records

[the_fliz1]

come on now. wilco shows are great but they aren't that much different from what you hear on the records or in other performances. the grateful dead threw something new at you every single show. you could hear the same song two nights in a row and it would be completely different

 

Just because a band doesn't dramatically cahnge a songs structure or go on long drawn out jams doesn't mean that the music isn't different. A lot of live stuff is a lot better and different than the recorded stuff. Just listen to any song off of YHF and then listen to the live version and they will be different.

[RaspberryJam]

I posted this on another thread, but it is relevant to this one:

 

 

OK, I KNOW I'm inviting the wrath of the rock gods AND showing my age here. But I can't help myself.

 

I've seen 25+ Greatful Dead shows, and I have to say, I've enjoyed every single Wilco concert more. Let me explain myself. With the Grateful Dead, I got into it late in the game, my first show was in 1985. All of the shows were in big auditoriums then and only got bigger-arena shows. Then, it was a crapshoot whether the concert was going to be good or not. Expectations were high, we had all heard "epic" concert bootlegs, and were hoping that this was going to be one of them. Then, it was freakin' exhausting. 15 minutes into a song, sure, they were jamming, but sometimes, I have to say the only word for it is "masturbatory." And also, it was such a scene. Too many people, many who were not there for the music.

 

My husband and I get in this debate all the time. He says I didn't get it. He's wrong, I totally got it. I went to concert after concert, enjoyed myself immensely, the magic moments were, indeed, magic. There just weren't that many of them, per show.

 

Now, Wilco. I get many magic moments, every show. I walk away invigorated, not exhaused. The music is amazing, they go those same places the Dead went, they go quicker, they come back cleaner, I'm talking to YOU, Nels. The shows are smaller, and the folks I meet there are real music fans.

 

Now that I've exposed my true self, I'll crawl back into my cave, ashamed. May I burn in rock hell.

 

That said, I love how two of my favorite bands ever are compared, and it's AWESOME that I have the opportunity to love a great band that is actively touring. And Darkstar, I already know how you feel.

[Relatively Clean Rivers]

I posted this on another thread, but it is relevant to this one:

 

 

OK, I KNOW I'm inviting the wrath of the rock gods AND showing my age here. But I can't help myself.

 

I've seen 25+ Greatful Dead shows, and I have to say, I've enjoyed every single Wilco concert more. Let me explain myself. With the Grateful Dead, I got into it late in the game, my first show was in 1985. All of the shows were in big auditoriums then and only got bigger-arena shows. Then, it was a crapshoot whether the concert was going to be good or not. Expectations were high, we had all heard "epic" concert bootlegs, and were hoping that this was going to be one of them. Then, it was freakin' exhausting. 15 minutes into a song, sure, they were jamming, but sometimes, I have to say the only word for it is "masturbatory." And also, it was such a scene. Too many people, many who were not there for the music.

 

My husband and I get in this debate all the time. He says I didn't get it. He's wrong, I totally got it. I went to concert after concert, enjoyed myself immensely, the magic moments were, indeed, magic. There just weren't that many of them, per show.

 

Now, Wilco. I get many magic moments, every show. I walk away invigorated, not exhaused. The music is amazing, they go those same places the Dead went, they go quicker, they come back cleaner, I'm talking to YOU, Nels. The shows are smaller, and the folks I meet there are real music fans.

 

Now that I've exposed my true self, I'll crawl back into my cave, ashamed. May I burn in rock hell.

 

That said, I love how two of my favorite bands ever are compared, and it's AWESOME that I have the opportunity to love a great band that is actively touring. And Darkstar, I already know how you feel.

 

This should be the post of the year! You got it right on.

[darkstar]

I posted this on another thread, but it is relevant to this one:

 

 

OK, I KNOW I'm inviting the wrath of the rock gods AND showing my age here. But I can't help myself.

 

I've seen 25+ Greatful Dead shows, and I have to say, I've enjoyed every single Wilco concert more. Let me explain myself. With the Grateful Dead, I got into it late in the game, my first show was in 1985. All of the shows were in big auditoriums then and only got bigger-arena shows. Then, it was a crapshoot whether the concert was going to be good or not. Expectations were high, we had all heard "epic" concert bootlegs, and were hoping that this was going to be one of them. Then, it was freakin' exhausting. 15 minutes into a song, sure, they were jamming, but sometimes, I have to say the only word for it is "masturbatory." And also, it was such a scene. Too many people, many who were not there for the music.

 

My husband and I get in this debate all the time. He says I didn't get it. He's wrong, I totally got it. I went to concert after concert, enjoyed myself immensely, the magic moments were, indeed, magic. There just weren't that many of them, per show.

 

Now, Wilco. I get many magic moments, every show. I walk away invigorated, not exhaused. The music is amazing, they go those same places the Dead went, they go quicker, they come back cleaner, I'm talking to YOU, Nels. The shows are smaller, and the folks I meet there are real music fans.

 

Now that I've exposed my true self, I'll crawl back into my cave, ashamed. May I burn in rock hell.

 

That said, I love how two of my favorite bands ever are compared, and it's AWESOME that I have the opportunity to love a great band that is actively touring. And Darkstar, I already know how you feel.

 

There ya go! that masturbatory comment still just cracks me up...I've never heard that adjective to describe 'em. I agree with you...towards the end it got to be a drag with the Dead. They were not playing very well and it was a huge drag dealing with chuckleheads who were there just to get as fucked up as possible and make "the scene". As I said in earlier posts you have a band that right now is really the best live show around...I think they are even going to get better ( if thats possible ). We are lucky to be witnessing an amazing group that is firing on all cylinders and just tearing it up. Who knows what the future might bring but it could be that 5, 10, or 20 years down the road this could well be considered the "golden age" of Wilco. I say we are pretty lucky!

[hwllo]

Now, Wilco. I get many magic moments, every show. I walk away invigorated, not exhaused. The music is amazing, they go those same places the Dead went, they go quicker, they come back cleaner, I'm talking to YOU, Nels. The shows are smaller, and the folks I meet there are real music fans.

 

 

you get the same magic moments every show because the songs are the same every show.

 

i don't want this to sound like i don't love wilco because i do. i just think sometimes they get complacent inside their exhaustingly tight compositions. i've got like 6 wilco shows on my computer and i just picked songs at random that were played at all the shows and all the lengths were within 15 seconds of eachother. while it is nice they are tight, i'd almost like to see them loosen up a little. if nels in tearing up a solo let him go with it instead of ending it after the pre-determined 8 measures or whatever. i just think sometimes they restrict themselves.

 

i think that the grateful dead have greater highs because they go places sometimes they've never even been. listening to those old shows is an experience sometimes. while wilco shows are great i rarely sit there at the end of a song and think 'man i'm blown away'...though it has happened before

[RaspberryJam]

if nels in tearing up a solo let him go with it instead of ending it after the pre-determined 8 measures or whatever. i just think sometimes they restrict themselves.

I'll go along with that.

[Relatively Clean Rivers]

I'll go along with that.

 

I think they are taking the high road by not going into extended jams- thats the easy and obvious path that most bands would take. Besides...Spiders is essentially an extended jam. Wilco is a song based group, and they do what best suits the songs. Now, I'm sure a 10 min solo in Impossible Germany would be cool..but is that necessary? I don't think so at all.

[Analogman]

I think the sad deal here is rock writing has become reduced to _______sounds like__________. This is the reason I quite buying HARP - one can only read "sounds like Neil Young" so many times. I suppose what they ment was the fact that Wilco tour a lot. I don't see how thier music could be compared to Wilco - although UT/early Wilco music shared some influences with The Grateful Dead - I'd say those days are over.

[Spawn's dad]

the only rock magazine that's interested me in the last decade was No Depression, and even that's gone down hill.

[Analogman]

Amen, brother.

[Jimmy Coulas]

What a joke of a list in a sense. How can you even argue that MIA can have the top album of the year?