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Unlikely Japan...?


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i'm kind of getting there as well. it kind of feels like a mash up between Deeper Down and Bull Black Nova in some parts, and the ending is quite awesome. I think I like it better than Impossible Germany.

 

First thing that I hear is Panthers. This is an amazing track, and I'm glad they decided to release it on vinyl. Can't wait to give it a spin on the turntable.

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Hey,

 

Yeah, I think I hear a little bit of what everyone has said and than some. Panthers didn't even cross my mind until someone just mentioned it. The intro to Unlikely Japan reminds me of Deeper Down's intro.

But it still is unlike anything they've done. I like that notion.

 

Would you pay for a box set of such stuff? I think it would be an interesting idea if such material popped up on the official site and was offered like The Jolly Banker. But with a different charity for donations. I know sometimes they've given away tracks like Cars Can't Escape. I'm not sure how well a Wilco box set would do in record stores. Maybe sold exclusively through the official store? And ultimately it may be too early in their career, but I don't think I'd like to wait until I'm old and gray.

 

Thoughts?

 

Kristofor

 

PS It makes me wish that we'd get more "singles" to just get these B-sides. My dream idea would be to release a box set with singles for each & every song with artwork done by different artists and one b-side to go with track A. It does sound rather huge and unobtainable, but I think to me every Wilco song paints a picture in my head and this would be a nice collection to obviously have. Saying that I guess I wouldn't complain if we get remastered albums with bonus tracks in a few years. Oh well time will tell.

 

Edit: I guess maybe at some point someone might want to try a "survey" on here to see what the fans' opinions are on boxset vs. remastered albums w/bonus vs. official site/free download or donation.

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Back to the box set discussion. it's almost an inevitability that we'll get one someday. I'm sure that Jeff would look at it happening anytime soon as a way of waving a flag of surrender. It is indeed something that tends to happen very late or post-breakup in a band's lifeline. As far as it containing B-sides and rarities, sure, that would be great, but what I'm really worked up about is all of that which we don't know at all. Like the other songs John wrote for A.M. that weren't included, all of the reported "Being There," tracks as well as who knows how many more "Wilco book cd" type of cuts, the more free form stuff, rare DVD footage is a must in new box sets these days. I would gladly pay $100 for something like this with no problem. There are so many B-sides that are as good if not out and out better than the eventual album cuts that were picked over them.

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wonder why this track didn't make the cut for AGIB...

 

Yeah the more I listen the more I'm blown away. I think after about 10 listens now I like it better than all but 3 AGIB songs, more than anything on SBS, and more than anything save for "Bull Black Nova," on WTA.

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Ah, the B-Side fetishism. I agree that it is good. I enjoy this track. I have no idea where you could stick it on AGIB where it would work with the flow. I also think the Vocoder effect (along with the pure electronics) at the end might take it so far outside of the Wilco vocabulary it might not work on any Wilco record unless there was a lot more of that (which I might not like at all).

 

It definitely has a commonality with the atmosphere of Panthers (which I also fetishize). I have never found a Wilco B-Side that I thought could fit right in the tracklist (except maybe Cars Can't Escape) but I've only found like once Wilco B-Side that I didn't fully enjoy. Someday a rarities disc could make a lot of people really happy. I can only wonder if this little Unlikely Japan gem has been sitting around unmentioned for this many years there must be some others.

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Ah, the B-Side fetishism. I agree that it is good. I enjoy this track. I have no idea where you could stick it on AGIB where it would work with the flow. I also think the Vocoder effect (along with the pure electronics) at the end might take it so far outside of the Wilco vocabulary it might not work on any Wilco record unless there was a lot more of that (which I might not like at all).

 

they've obviously toyed with the whole electronic thing (in the vein of the ending of this song) in the studio quite a bit. The ending of Hummingbird from the book cd reminds me a lot of the ending of Unlikely Japan.

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It would be great if they did a mini tour where they just went on stage for 2 hours and just played music like in the Book cd. I remember someone in the band mentioning discussing a tour like that. It certainly would mix things up somewhere down the road.

 

Kristofor

 

Edit: Or for the next Residency have one night's 2nd set be strictly like mentioned above.

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I'd pay for a boxset. I'd like a tighter focus on the post-YHF sessions leading up to A Ghost is Born, particularly the dBPm album that was talked about in some of the April 2002 press coverage of the band when Foxtrot came out. I listen to the Wilco Book CD as much as anything they've ever put out. Wilco has had consistently great B-sides, and I've gotten pretty decent listening results by toying with the track lists and subbing a few of them in. I replaced I'm A Wheel with Panthers on a playlist of AGIB, and actually liked that version a little more. Right now I'm working on putting together a hybrid Ghost/Wilco Book/AGIB B-sides mix, I'll let you guys know what I come up with.

 

--Mike

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This is a good B-side in that it doesn't fit anywhere else. As for the praise about this song, I love how this songs becomes the perfect example of two distinct Wilco fan camps. Wilco fan camp #1 (like the song oriented Wilco and generally likes the new album because it is full of nice melodies and solid songs), generally speaking were likely fans from the start and have noticed the one constant has always been Jeff's ability to write pretty melodies. Wilco fan camp #2 (likes the more "experimental" Wilco and thinks SBS and WTA are pedestrian). They draw comparisons to "Unlikely Japan" and Radiohead Kid A, which are perfect because Radiohead's inability to consistently write melodic songs has always made them less enjoyable for me. "Unlikely Japan" is like that, no melody to draw you in. Anyway, I guess I gave away which camp I am in, but I'm glad this song is just a B-side.

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This is a good B-side in that it doesn't fit anywhere else. As for the praise about this song, I love how this songs becomes the perfect example of two distinct Wilco fan camps. Wilco fan camp #1 (like the song oriented Wilco and generally likes the new album because it is full of nice melodies and solid songs), generally speaking were likely fans from the start and have noticed the one constant has always been Jeff's ability to write pretty melodies. Wilco fan camp #2 (likes the more "experimental" Wilco and thinks SBS and WTA are pedestrian). They draw comparisons to "Unlikely Japan" and Radiohead Kid A, which are perfect because Radiohead's inability to consistently write melodic songs has always made them less enjoyable for me. "Unlikely Japan" is like that, no melody to draw you in. Anyway, I guess I gave away which camp I am in, but I'm glad this song is just a B-side.

 

I like both. What am I?

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