Preferred B Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 How did I forget the Monkees? Okay, all kidding aside, I realize that these songs I'm mentioning are different in intent from Wilco (the song). They're more (super cheesy) introductions or explanations of who the band is and what they do. But I just can't believe none of these songs occurred to me before now. Link to post Share on other sites
jakobnicholas Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 I listened to the stream. JUST ONCE. Impressions: - First, THANK YOU Wilco for the stream! You're awesome. - Overall, I like it a lot. Wilco HAS NOT started it's nose-dive like R.E.M. did on Reveal. I don't think Wilco can/will ever have the magic it had from Being There to Ghost is Born, but Tweedy's still got a LOT to offer. - Wilco (the song) is fantastic. Easily rests besides Wilco's best poppy "fun" songs like I Got You and I'm Always in Love. LOVE the lyrics. Listening to your favorite music CAN be a great balm to problems and troubles in life. - Solitaire, to me, is the stand-out gem. Absolutely INCREDIBLE song by Jeff! - I pretty much love all the subtle beauty throughout the album, from Deeper Down (this might grow to be my favorite post-AGIB song) to the nice finishing flourishes on Everlasting Everything. Nels' outstanding musical abilities are very noticed and his lines and touches add to the texture of the album. But I personally prefer the simpler or quirkier sounds found on Being There and Summerteeth. But Nels' subtle, maybe more reserved touches I think fit these songs better than on Sky Blue Sky. - I'll Fight's not superb, but it has a Mermaid Ave., When The Roses Bloom Again feel that automatically makes it very good. - Sky Blue Sky had Hate if Here. Wilco (The Album) has You Never Know. For me, it's a clunker. It's just too forced, lyrically and musically. Sonny Feeling's a little better, but I think these 2 are my least favorite songs. - You and I works for me. Somehow Jeff's voice keeps it sweet and real and doesn't let it get stupid and corny. - Bull Black Nova is a HUGE step up from the awkward Walken and Shake it Off. Wow! And as GREAT as it is, I think it will grow into something greater live. Link to post Share on other sites
Synthesizer Patel Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 I just bought all of the Sundazed Boxtops re-issues, as well as, the Moby Grape bonus track cd compilation they just put out. I think it would be interesting to hear Wilco do something like that - it would probably be cool in a live setting. I don't know the Boxtops so well. I know that Dann Penn wrote a bunch of their songs, and I know The Letter and I Cry Like A Baby off the top of my head (which is great - also Cher does a great version of that song too). How many albums did the Boxtops put out, and are they all worth getting, then? Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Speed Racer Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 - Wilco (the song) is fantastic. Easily rests besides Wilco's best poppy "fun" songs like I Got You and I'm Always in Love. LOVE the lyrics. Listening to your favorite music CAN be a great balm to problems and troubles in life. Glad you loved the album, but DAMN - I'm Always in Love has always struck me as an incredibly bittersweet/sad song. Link to post Share on other sites
jakobnicholas Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 Glad you loved the album, but DAMN - I'm Always in Love has always struck me as an incredibly bittersweet/sad song. You're right. I was referring to the sound. Much like R.E.M.'s The One I Love, I'm Always in Love is a fun crowd pleaser, no matter the intent of the lyrics. Wilco (the song) maybe will be even better live because it's an ode to fans' love affair for their favorite bands and music...AND it's rockin' and fun. Link to post Share on other sites
gogo Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 Because it's trying to be fun and irreverent, and achieves it. But, I don't think Wilco (The Song) does that - certainly not on the same level anyway. I think Wilco would kill for a "Dance To The Music" where they could freestyle and bring the crowd up to high level whenever they felt like it - you can't really see that happening with Wilco (The Song) although it would have been a perfect idea for a song to have attempted that on.I understand what you're saying, I just don't agree with it. Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 I don't know the Boxtops so well. I know that Dann Penn wrote a bunch of their songs, and I know The Letter and I Cry Like A Baby off the top of my head (which is great - also Cher does a great version of that song too). How many albums did the Boxtops put out, and are they all worth getting, then? It's all about Alex's voice - to me, anyhow. Go to Youtube and look up Neon Rainbow. The Letter/Neon Rainbow (November, 1967) Cry Like a Baby (April, 1968) Non-Stop (July, 1968)Dimensions (September, 1969) I think maybe Jeff could do Neon Rainbow in a solo setting. Link to post Share on other sites
Synthesizer Patel Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 It's all about Alex's voice - to me, anyhow. Go to Youtube and look up Neon Rainbow. The Letter/Neon Rainbow (November, 1967) Cry Like a Baby (April, 1968) Non-Stop (July, 1968)Dimensions (September, 1969) I think maybe Jeff could do Neon Rainbow in a solo setting. oh, i have heard Neon Rainbow now that i've checked it out, i've heard it before. I also found them doing a version of Soul Deep which I'd only heard by Clarence Carter (an old blind Southern Soul artist from the late 60s & 70s) and I love the song. I think I might try and get me some Boxtops - don't know why I've never tried before, cos I too love Alex Chilton's voice and Dan Penn's songs (and that type of writing), and also that whole country-soul thing. This is kind of the opposite of that southern soul thing, where they are actually country boys being influenced by soul instead of soul artists being influenced by country. Edit: Do you like Southern Soul/Deep Soul music? Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Speed Racer Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 Because it's trying to be fun and irreverent, and achieves it. But, I don't think Wilco (The Song) does that - certainly not on the same level anyway. I think Wilco would kill for a "Dance To The Music" where they could freestyle and bring the crowd up to high level whenever they felt like it - you can't really see that happening with Wilco (The Song) although it would have been a perfect idea for a song to have attempted that on. Wow, I still can't believe there's a discussion about Wilco 'aspiring' to perform something like "Dance to the Music." I really don't know how to explain or justify my distaste for the song - I guess I've heard it at too many, LET'S GET PUMPEDDDDDDDD!!!! events to enjoy it anymore, not that I did to begin with. Link to post Share on other sites
Synthesizer Patel Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 Wow, I still can't believe there's a discussion about Wilco 'aspiring' to perform something like "Dance to the Music." I really don't know how to explain or justify my distaste for the song - I guess I've heard it at too many, LET'S GET PUMPEDDDDDDDD!!!! events to enjoy it anymore, not that I did to begin with. well don't worry, cos it's not gonna get played anymore, is it. the world has found a replacement crowd pleaser to take it's place. Link to post Share on other sites
Analogman Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 oh, i have heard Neon Rainbow now that i've checked it out, i've heard it before. I also found them doing a version of Soul Deep which I'd only heard by Clarence Carter (an old blind Southern Soul artist from the late 60s & 70s) and I love the song. I think I might try and get me some Boxtops - don't know why I've never tried before, cos I too love Alex Chilton's voice and Dan Penn's songs (and that type of writing), and also that whole country-soul thing. This is kind of the opposite of that southern soul thing, where they are actually country boys being influenced by soul instead of soul artists being influenced by country. Edit: Do you like Southern Soul/Deep Soul music? It's alright - but I don't really own any of it. Link to post Share on other sites
Dude Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 Personally, I think comparing WTS to Dance to the Music is comical. The former is a more conventional rocker, the latter is more a party song. I kind of lump Dance to the Music in the same category as Groove is in the Heart by Deelite - it's well executed party music, but it shares a different vibe altogether than WTS. It's like suggesting that Dylan should incorporate some P-Funk shoutalongs into his set or something - you're taking what works for one genre and trying to apply it to a completely different genre where it wouldn't work with the same effects. Link to post Share on other sites
Synthesizer Patel Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 It's alright - but I don't really own any of it. I don't like it when it veers too close to the blues and they start wailing away for 10 minutes, but the really good singers don't need to do that to get across the emotions. Some of the really good stuff is virtually black country music. There are quite a few acts that have put out some lost classics - especially if you look a little bit further afield than Otis Redding or Eddie Floyd etc... (not that they aren't great) Link to post Share on other sites
Synthesizer Patel Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 Personally, I think comparing WTS to Dance to the Music is comical. The former is a more conventional rocker, the latter is more a party song. I kind of lump Dance to the Music in the same category as Groove is in the Heart by Deelite - it's well executed party music, but it shares a different vibe altogether than WTS. It's like suggesting that Dylan should incorporate some P-Funk shoutalongs into his set or something - you're taking what works for one genre and trying to apply it to a completely different genre where it wouldn't work with the same effects. I'm only comparing it in terms of how both set out to achieve something, and one of those two achieved it and the other didn't (in my view). One is fun, upbeat, and still sounds good to me after 40 years whilst the other is wearing a little thin after 2 days (it's in my head, but not in a good way). Is Wilco (The Song) not supposed to be a fun song, readymade for concert crowds to cheer at, then? I know which one you can dance to, if (and maybe this could be an on-going competition) if anyone on the board can find a video of anyone dancing to Wilco (The Song) and not looking stupid I'll give them a prize. It'll be a good prize. So what does Wilco (The Song) want to achieve? Pigeon-hole their fans? Make some sly joke about how their music isn't gonna help you much? Cos that's how I take "Wilco will love you baby" to mean - it's like a Randy Newman lyric - don't take the obvious to be the meaning. It reads to me like it's written almost like a commercial - actually think about it in terms of the meaning behind It's All Good on Dylan's last album, and that's kind of the feeling I get from it - if I really wanted to take it seriously. Link to post Share on other sites
myboyblue Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 For what it's worth, I can't stand "Dance to the Music" and I think "Wilco (the song)" is solid. Could be a difference of opinion. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Speed Racer Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 I'm only comparing it in terms of how both set out to achieve something, and one of those two achieved it and the other didn't (in my view). One is fun, upbeat, and still sounds good to me after 40 years whilst the other is wearing a little thin after 2 days (it's in my head, but not in a good way). Is Wilco (The Song) not supposed to be a fun song, readymade for concert crowds to cheer at, then? I know which one you can dance to, if (and maybe this could be an on-going competition) if anyone on the board can find a video of anyone dancing to Wilco (The Song) and not looking stupid I'll give them a prize. It'll be a good prize. So what does Wilco (The Song) want to achieve? Pigeon-hole their fans? Make some sly joke about how their music isn't gonna help you much? Cos that's how I take "Wilco will love you baby" to mean - it's like a Randy Newman lyric - don't take the obvious to be the meaning. It reads to me like it's written almost like a commercial - actually think about it in terms of the meaning behind It's All Good on Dylan's last album, and that's kind of the feeling I get from it - if I really wanted to take it seriously. Jeff said explicitly in one interview or another that it's actually straightforward and means just that - shit sucks, but at least you have good records. Not tongue-in-cheek at all. DTTM and GIITH are both generic LET'S GET PUMPEDDDDDDD!!! songs, great for Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, watching the Bulls lose, and slapping shin-guards on the kiddies at soccer tournaments; WTS is very place-specific. I think it's a fun homage to fans; my guess is someone came up with a killer riff, those lyrics worked, and they're going to enjoy people pogo-ing to it at concerts. If you want a crappy song to dance to at a wedding, good lord, you've got millions. This, in my opinion, is a great track to kick of a bad-ass Wilco concert (or, dare I say it, a bad ass Wilco record). edit: Ooooh, it would be a fun way to finalize that divorce! "Wilco will love you, but I sure as hell don't!" The album cover is a camel with a hat on next to a party cake - what do YOU think the band is trying to achieve with this record? Link to post Share on other sites
cryptique Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 I'm a major Sly & The Family Stone fan, but I've never had much use for "Dance To The Music." "Wilco (The Song)" isn't my favorite, but I think it's quite successful at doing what it sets out to do. Link to post Share on other sites
bobbob1313 Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 best moment of this thread: joss ackland having the eureka moment that the reason he and speed racer haven't agree is taste. Not hating, I legitimately found that funny. Link to post Share on other sites
Dude Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 I'm only comparing it in terms of how both set out to achieve something, and one of those two achieved it and the other didn't (in my view). One is fun, upbeat, and still sounds good to me after 40 years whilst the other is wearing a little thin after 2 days (it's in my head, but not in a good way). Is Wilco (The Song) not supposed to be a fun song, readymade for concert crowds to cheer at, then? I know which one you can dance to, if (and maybe this could be an on-going competition) if anyone on the board can find a video of anyone dancing to Wilco (The Song) and not looking stupid I'll give them a prize. It'll be a good prize. I couldn't, but then again Wilco isn't a dance pop band like New Order, Depeche Mode, etc. Wilco's a rock band, and at shows people "rock out" to their music, which usually involves quietly nodding your head for the most part, tapping a foot, etc. You get the occasional air-guitar / air-drum playing dork, but they a small minority, thank goodness. So what does Wilco (The Song) want to achieve? Pigeon-hole their fans? Make some sly joke about how their music isn't gonna help you much? Cos that's how I take "Wilco will love you baby" to mean - it's like a Randy Newman lyric - don't take the obvious to be the meaning. It reads to me like it's written almost like a commercial - actually think about it in terms of the meaning behind It's All Good on Dylan's last album, and that's kind of the feeling I get from it - if I really wanted to take it seriously. I get the impression it's a love letter to fans in a sense, but one delivered with a grin, if that makes any sense. It's more or less a fun song, but fun in a different sense than Dance to the Music. As Speed Racer said, Dance to the Music is like Who Let the Dogs Out, where Wilco the Song is like T.Rex's Bang a Gong (Get it On). Link to post Share on other sites
Synthesizer Patel Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 The album cover is a camel with a hat on next to a party cake - what do YOU think the band is trying to achieve with this record? Haven't got a clue, it could have been a falcon attacking a bunch of swallows for all the difference it'd have made. It's just an average album cover. Link to post Share on other sites
kidsmoke Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 How did I forget the Monkees? Okay, all kidding aside, I realize that these songs I'm mentioning are different in intent from Wilco (the song). They're more (super cheesy) introductions or explanations of who the band is and what they do. But I just can't believe none of these songs occurred to me before now. Well crap, that song's ruined for me forever. Brianne, Maudie, Edie, TIME OUT!!!! Link to post Share on other sites
Synthesizer Patel Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 blah blah blah, wingle wangle, shhhh! oh, i don't know. i give up! i'm just thinkin' on my feet. i know i'm right - it's just my brain in refusing to allow me to tell people why at the moment. i may return later. Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Speed Racer Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 oh, i don't know. i give up! i'm just thinkin' on my feet. i know i'm right - it's just my brain in refusing to allow me to tell people why right at the moment. Because it's a matter of taste? Link to post Share on other sites
jakobnicholas Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 So what does Wilco (The Song) want to achieve? It seems WAY obvious to me. And I like Wilco's intent and execution. "Do you dabble in depression". "Someone twisting a knife in your back". "Are you being attacked." If something in your life sucks and bringing you down, Wilco is always there. Pop in a cd of Wilco that you love. Get out of your funk. If you don't like Wilco, pop in a White Stripes disc or ABBA. Let music be your "pillow to cry on". I think it's genius song, done in a fun, rockin' way. Link to post Share on other sites
Central Scrutinizer Posted May 14, 2009 Share Posted May 14, 2009 It seems WAY obvious to me. And I like Wilco's intent and execution. "Do you dabble in depression". "Someone twisting a knife in your back". "Are you being attacked."... so pop in "She's a Jar." Link to post Share on other sites
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