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Unlikely Japan...?


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Here's a little something I came up with, it's a bit of a work-in process and a big nod goes to the great Basil II, who originally came up with a couple of these track sequences the majestic Barnyard into Wishful into Diamond Claw is all him. I pulled a pretty big cheat and put a Loose Fur song, Chinese Apple as my closing track, but it's one of the best songs Tweedy has ever written, and it sounds to me at least like it would have worked perfectly on AGIB.

 

1. Pure Bug Beauty (Wilco Book)

2. Hummingbird (Soma) (Wilco Book)

3. Unlikely Japan (You Never Know B-Side)

4. Company in My Back (AGIB)

5. Here Comes Everybody (Wilco Book)

6. Muzzle of Bees (AGIB)

7. Rottnest (Wilco Book)

8. Handshake Drugs (More Like The Moon EP version)

9. Barnyard Pimp (Wilco Book)

10. Wishful Thinking (AGIB)

11. Diamond Claw (Wilco Book)

12. Company in My Back (AGIB)

13. Spiders (Kidsmoke) (AGIB)

14. Chinese Apple (Loose Fur)

 

No ATWYS or Hell is Chrome, two of my favorites on Ghost, but I couldn't quite make them work anywhere here, one day I'll get this alternate AGIB of mine perfect or at least almost as good as the original, until then here's to imperfection.

 

--Mike

 

 

That's some good work Mike, I think I'll work up that batch myself, and although it's cheating I too like the Chinese Apple closure.

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I would love a PM of this as well. Why hasn't this and Dark Neon been made available as bonus content for W(TA) like The Thanks I Get and One True Vine were for SBS???

 

I was just thinking about that... where are the extra downloads? When you open the CD it just has all the songs encoded in .AIFF- no folder for extras.

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I have to to admit that I didnt like this tune all that much at first, but it has really clicked and I am loving it more and more. It certainly has the feel of a B side, but it's still pretty great (IMO). I am a sucker for droning acoustic guitars.

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I have to to admit that I didnt like this tune all that much at first, but it has really clicked and I am loving it more and more. It certainly has the feel of a B side, but it's still pretty great (IMO). I am a sucker for droning acoustic guitars.

I kinda feel the same. Really disliked it at first but it has grown on me.

 

Still unsure about the Autotune voice at the end ...

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Still unsure about the Autotune voice at the end ...

 

Could be wrong but I think it's a Vocoder not an AutoTune. I'm liking the track more and more, if they had released it we never would have heard the end of "American Radiohead" comparisons though.

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REALLY dig this tune. I love how the strummed guitars kick in halfway through each verse.

 

So does anyone know more about this tune? If it was recorded in 03, I assume this was around the AGIB days?

 

This is the only info I've seen on it beside what's on the back of the vinyl. Same songwriting credits as Theologians so probably written during AGIB. Anyone know any info about Chris Girard?

Unlikely Japan (7-inch b-side)

Jeff - vocals / vocoded voice

Mikael - acoustic guitar, piano, synthesizers

Glenn - drums

Chris Girard - Bass

 

Written by Tweedy / Jorgensen / Girard

Produced by Wilco

Recorded and Mixed by Mikael Jorgensen at Soma Electronic Music Studios, Chicago in 2003

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This is the only info I've seen on it beside what's on the back of the vinyl. Same songwriting credits as Theologians so probably written during AGIB. Anyone know any info about Chris Girard?

 

he was (is?) a musical partner of Mike's

 

from Pronto's bio page:

 

In the summer of 1998 Mikael moved to Chicago and helped construct SOMA Electronic Music Studios (John McEntire, Tortoise), where he was to be employed for several years following. In 2000, Jorgensen and fellow Chicagoan Chris Girard were working on music together.
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Yes. As I understand it, this was basically a Chris+Mike tune that Jeff and Glenn later came in to lay down some vocals and drums for.

 

That explains why it's quite a bit different than your typical Wilco stuff. I need to check out more Chris+Mike stuff now. :yes

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Looks like you'll get a chance soon. :thumbup

 

Wilco's Jorgensen sets solo release

 

 

 

 

Track Listing

1. Tectonics

2. Ginny Wrapped in the Sun

3. Einladung

4. Catch That Martian

5. The Cheetah

6. Biarritz

7. Tardigrades

8. Roebling

9. The Monster

10. Soybot

11. Marsella Rambla

12. rRan

 

and info:

 

The Cheetah is a collection of songs and musical experiments that were created between 2000 and 2004 by

Mikael Jorgensen, Chris Girard and Greg O’Keeffe, with guests Rob Mazurek and Noel Kupersmith.

 

Mikael acquired his first synthesizer, a Sequential Circuits 6-Trak, circa 1984, and slowly built up a collection of

drum machines and hand-me-down instruments from Bob James (yes that Bob James). The growing stockpile led to Mikael making charming bloopy music in the sanctuary of his bedroom, escaping elements of socialization,

teenage rebellion, illicit beer drinking and reefer toking. Memories from these days differ greatly than their portrayal in popular narratives of the day, i.e. “Uncle Buck,” “Rattle & Hum,” or “Legend.”

 

Frustrated with the limitations of the technology (‘twas booting from a floppy y’all), Jorgensen abandoned computer-based music for nearly a decade, until, while working at John McEntire’s innovative SOMA Electronic Music Studios in Chicago, IL, he was introduced to modular synthesis and the musical computer programming

platform called MAX/MSP by Cycling ’74. With the knowledge absorbed during the “Lost Years” at DeVry Tech(true story), this all seemed, technically and musically, very promising.

 

The Cheetah is the product of discovering these new technological music-making tools, and documenting the resulting inspiration. What’s not documented is the swearing when the computers crashed. Pronto doesn’t need the selling point of having a “Parental Advisory” sticker on this record.

 

TRACKS 1-7 (2000-2001)

Longtime friend and guitarist Chris Girard was very curious about these new tools as well, and the two began working and swearing together with the freedom from expectation. The decision was made to bring these ideas

into SOMA and utilize the full complement of electronic instruments and effects - the only things missing were drums and cynicism. Drummer Greg O’Keeffe, who played with Girard and Jorgensen previously in Chicago-via-New Jersey group Movere Workshop, was summoned to Chicago from Brooklyn, NY to provide the rhythms for these ideas. With the help of cornetist Rob Mazurek and bassist Noel Kupersmith, the first seven songs of The Cheetah were completed.

 

TRACK 8 (2003)

“The Monster” is a Jorgensen-only recording - drums and keyboards. It laid the groundwork for the track “Monster” off All Is Golden. Lots of Rock-Si-Chord and MS20 on this bad boy.

 

TRACKS 9-12 (2001-2003)

Over the course of the next few years, Jorgensen joined Wilco, became very busy, and as a result, all things Pronto slowed considerably. The last three tracks on The Cheetah were compositions that were completed in Jorgensen’s apartment (you know, the one where the auto repair garage had frontage on the alley facing the

bedroom and not the street), and at The Wilco Loft. For some reason, the juxtaposition of the Bob Geldof sample and the cash register ring seemed appropriate and extremely hilarious. Time will have to tell.

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