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Thriller an influence for Yankee Hotel Foxtrot?


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I am listening to YHF during lunch while grading tests. 2 students amble in to get some paper towels. The latter part of Ashes of American Flags is playing. One of them says, "You're listening to Michael Jackson's Thriller". :dontgetit I say, "No. This is a band called Wilco". "What?" "The band is called Wilco." "Brewco?" "No. WILCO!" "Oh. (long pause) So they just make noises and stuff? No music or words?" Stifling laughter I reply, "No" while waiting for Heavy Metal Drummer to kick in any second. It does. They listen for a moment, grin the classic teenage grin of 'what bullshit', and head toward the door as one mumbles, "Shit sucks". Oy vey! Sometimes I hook 'em, sometimes I don't.

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They came in just after the final 'filling up shopping bags'.

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O.K. here's some tangents, I played in a band with the drummer on Thriller, the great Leon "Ndugu" Chancelor, . . . also the teen Idol I backed up (when I was 18) went to high school with with M.J. whats EVEN weirder is Jeff Tweedy mentions their hit song in the Sunken Treasure DVD "Heartbeat It's a Lovebeat" whats even weirder is Tweedy wrote something regarding a book about teen Idols, I'll have to find this again, an interesting read, something about about Justin Timberlake's music relating to young listeners . . .

 

o.k. pretty lame tangents, now I gotta listen to AOAF again . . .

 

Of course Ndugu's work with Miles Davis has some nice moments, will look for the myspace French tv link circa 1970 ish

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You should have slammed their heads together and said "See, you are what's wrong with the world. Because I have different musical tastes than you, you assumed something about my personality, instead of concentrating on the more important issue, of why you need to change." Then you scream something witty and tip over the nearest bookshelf / desk / car on top of them, set a small fire and work on your cover story.

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That is a theory I've tested and proven a number of times. Anyone who doesn't at least like a couple tunes is bonafide soulless. I don't know if I speak for everyone on this board, but I don't think it's unreasonable to assume that something about the personality of someone who absolutely loves this band wouldn't necessarily mesh with one who dislikes it, aside from the really obvious disagreements.

 

There's a certain type of person who listens to music a certain way, and then there are people who don't. Sure, it's possible to get along with that second group of people, I guess, but it's a) not as easy and b ) why would you want to?

 

And yes, this does mean that if someone has the exact opposite opinion as me on every other topic except for Wilco, they're probably still going to be my friend. And before someone says it, no, not if it was Hitler. Find another go-to jerk.

 

PS: The more I think about it, I understand where those guys are coming from. All I had to do was lower my IQ by about five beers and watch that Thriller video of the convicts in the Brazilian prison dancing. The orchestra swell could sound a little like it. I guess.

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entropy, there is reason in your post. It is tough for me to see how someone that like's music, even if they are not a fan of the entire Wilco canon, cannot find a few tunes that they dig. 'Even Richard Nixon has got soul'. I can't think of anyone that I feel emotionally close to that completely disavows wilco.

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Yeah, I need to find a better way to articulate it. It's the same sorta thing, that if I see someone wearing a "9/11 Was A Fucking Hoax!" t-shirt or driving a H2 that I can tell I probably don't want to be anywhere near them. It might be bad to judge books by their "covers," but man, I haven't been wrong before.

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after exposing just about everyone i know to wilco since finding tweedy&co 15 months ago, i can claim exactly zero converts. i don't understand it. i mean, it can't be wilco; it can't be me; it must be them! thinking about putting an ad in the biggest state newspaper, calling all potential wilco lovers.

 

edit: wait, my brother loves "war on war" and "california stars." but that's it.

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There's a thread in here somewhere about making the perfect convert mix.

 

I find the best strategy is just to lock someone in the car with you and not to say anything. After awhile they'll say "What is this?" and you can launch on the offensive.

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I find the best strategy is just to lock someone in the car with you and not to say anything. After awhile they'll say "What is this?" and you can launch on the offensive.

excellent idea. i get far too enthusiastic with the run-up. it must create pressure. next time, it'll be your way.

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Some of them put their hand on the back of your head and push you frontwards...

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