Wilco Discography Ranking

[CortezTheKiller]

A Ghost Is Born

Being There

Sky Blue Sky

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

A.M.

Summerteeth

[mathew]

A response I posted:

 

 

 

David-

 

Your analysis of 5 of the 6 six Wilco albums was pretty good, representing the basic views of music reviewers for popular newspapers.

 

Yet, your comments about SBS, and your linked review, have serious flaws. First of all, you probably only listened to SBS once, or a couple times. The first time that I listened to SBS, I was somewhat disappointed. Yet, after multiple listens I saw the brilliance of the record. Maybe you could argue that a record ought to hit you over the head the first time you listen to it, but I don't think that's true. SBS is Tweedy's Blood on the Tracks. It represents a giant step forward in an artist's maturity level, both personally and musically.

 

Here are some problems with your analysis:

 

"On every album to date there were at least a few songs on which Tweedy and his cohorts simply rocked."

 

How about "Walken?" Listen to it a few more times. Listen to it live. Tell me that song doesn't simply rock.

 

""What Light" does the best job of synthesizing Wilco's new aesthetic with Tweedy's classic, Americana songwriting style."

 

"What Light" is the worst song on the record. It is borderline disingenuous lyrically, and doesn't do anything that hasn't been done before.

 

SBS has some great lyrical insights that you do not acknowledge. How about, "Nothing more important than to know someone's listening." If that doesn't remind an individual of a close relationship, than he/she should probably get out of it now. The line, "Ceiling fan is on/Chopping up my dreams," is a good a lyrical turn as any of Tweedy's in the past. Also, you could try, "I will try to understand/Everything has its plan/Either way." So many people (Tweedy included) struggle because of their inability to come to terms with the fact that they cannot change their own reality. Tweedy's insight here is a brilliant one, especially for his fans, who have felt his past angst with lines like, "Maybe all I need is a shot in the arm."

 

Finally, SBS is as instrumentally rich as any past Wilco album. Some of this is attributable to Cline, as you assert, Yet, some is also attributable to the members of Wilco feeling comfortable with each other. Maybe the album does sound like yacht rock when your listening to it at low-medium volume driving fifteen miles an hour in your Jetta, but if you turned up the volume a bit, and gave the record a few listens, you may realize that it belongs in the same breath as YHF and Summerteeth, not due to its experimentation, but its musical beauty.

 

 

 

word........I agree with all your SBS input good stuff