(The Album) - One Week Later

[othersongs]

I picked up the disc on Tuesday of last week and it's been played a half dozen times a day since, I'm trying to slow it down a bit to make it last... it's a short record. Hopefully the vinyl will make all things new again when it comes.

 

Anyway, here are some thoughts

 

Wilco (the Song) - I have been getting tired of this song fast. I actually am now starting the album at Deeper Down, because this is like a novelty song. Still a good tune, but a bit annoying after a while.

Deeper Down - My favorite way is the loud noise at the beginning that starts this song. I love this subtle song a lot, a great way to start the album too.. clears your pallet.

One Wing - One of my favorite Wilco tunes and one of the best on the album. Melodies are so beautiful and it really harkens back to the sound of SBS, which I loved.

Bull Black Nova - Actually the song I liked the least when I first took a one listen to the leak in May, now this face-melter of a song has become in my top 3 of the album, I look forward to hearing it

 

You And I - A nice enough tune, if I had to compare it to "Sky Blue Sky" as the equivilent position on SBS, then I muchly prefer Sky Blue Sky song. This tune is pretty and all, but it lacks edge that makes you want to hear it a year from now.. It's one saving grace is that it fits nicely to the ears after BBN...

You Never Know - The best song of the year so far. I know it's not edgy enough for YHF/BT fans, but I love the pop element of the tune, the electric parts are so goosebump like, and it's a perfect summer song. Love the original melodies too.

Country Dissappeared - in my top three songs, I love this tune. Excellent vocals, and the percussion is solid as it is in SBS.

 

Solitare - A nice break from the full band. A grower of a tune. I love this tune, reminds me of "please be patient with me".

Ill Fight - A really great Wilco song.

 

Sonny Feeling - Still Can't get into this tune, however, I like it because it sounds like old school wilco, this tune could have been on AM or SummerTeeth. So for that reason I like it.

Everlasting - There are good parts to the song, I just wish it were longer. It seems like a multi-part song that doesn't elaborate on one part long enough, this should be a 5 or 6 min song at least.

 

 

In conclusion, SBS was my favorite album of 2007 - 2009 so far so W(TA) had huge expectations, and so far the album has lived up to 95% of my expectations.

 

Looking forward to hearing the vinyl... a lot of you have been saying that it's a whole different sound.

[nodep5]

One week later:

 

Wilco (The Song): fun, singy songy and my 2 1/2 year old loves saying "Wilco" "Wilco", sets the tone for this album that this isn't going to be deathly serious

 

Deeper Down: I love the vocals, whispered then inflection, but this track doesn't stand out on its own, which is a problem on an album that isn't intended to be a cohesive statement like YHF

 

One Wing: The song on this album that sticks in my head the most and I can't wait to hear everytime. Beautiful song.

 

Bull Black Nova: I'm with you, the song that initially did nothing for me and now I'm telling everyone that edited down this could be a modern rock radio hit. Intense and that bass is just awesome.

 

You And I: Love the whispered vocals and duet (doesn't happen in Wilco land much) Everyone is afraid here of this becoming a big song and that it would suck for Wilco's big song to not say anything. Well, it is what it is and if you like Bread or America then this is for you. (It is for me)

 

You Never Know: Enjoying this more. Once again, it is simple catchy and if you like light early 70's this is for you.

 

Country Disappeared: Initially my favorite, losing a little for me. I love the vocal and soul of this song but kind of just dies at the end

 

Solitiare: Beautifully recorded. This one sounds great on vinyl and is good for late night listening. Not so much in the car.

 

I'll Fight: Awesome song, my one beef is that it is a tad long and rambly. It confuses the mind a bit toward 3/4 way through.

 

Sonny Feeling: Don't get it. Don't get the lyrics, the music is standard fare Wilco toss off music. The low point on this record

 

Everlasting Everything: Beautiful song that is ruined by dramatics. The last two tracks hurt this record IMHO.

 

 

Overall, It is nice to have new Wilco music. This is an accessible record that will likely leave most of us die hards a little flat, but reconciling the fact that we have some songs that will fit in with thier catalogue nicely.

[Guest Francis X. Hummel]

I posted this in the first impression thread...

 

My first impression was that I really liked You Never Know and that was about it. I've given it a solid listen or two everyday since I bought it, and it has grown on me some but not too much. It's not a bad album. It's just not something I've fallen in love with [yet]. I've come to really like Wilco (the song) and One Wing, and still really like You Never Know. I can't stand You and I, I'm not big on Everlasting Everything and I'm already sick of Bull Black Nova. The remainder of the songs are fine but nothing special to my ears.

 

I agree with a few others that One Wing is easily the shinning moment of this record. It's amazing and I'm stunned that I didn't like it from the start.

[Golden Smoghead]

I was a little underwhelmed on the first listen, but definitely this album has grown on me a ton. I haven't even given it enough spins for a track-by-track, but "Sonny Feeling" popped on my iPod today at work when I was zoned out, and I was like, "wow what's this great song I don't think I've heard before?" I had a similar experience yesterday with another track (not sure which but it was another of the more pop-y tunes too).

 

Personally I have just never ever gotten into SBS, so it's great to have new Wilco to listen to, I think I have been subconsciously holding my breath and fearing I will never like another new Wilco song (or something).

[Jesusetc84]

Still so much better than SBS.

[auctioneer69]

I was a little underwhelmed on the first listen, but definitely this album has grown on me a ton. I haven't even given it enough spins for a track-by-track, but "Sonny Feeling" popped on my iPod today at work when I was zoned out, and I was like, "wow what's this great song I don't think I've heard before?" I had a similar experience yesterday with another track (not sure which but it was another of the more pop-y tunes too).

 

Personally I have just never ever gotten into SBS, so it's great to have new Wilco to listen to, I think I have been subconsciously holding my breath and fearing I will never like another new Wilco song (or something).

 

 

Really, really like it. I have made a mix for my i-pod of the new album and about 45 Wilco favourites of mine. Is it groundbreaking? No. But it's a worthy and very good addition to the Wilco canon. Favourites: Wilco (The Song), Deeper Down, Solitaire, Everlasting Everything, Sunny Feeling and especially One Wing and Bull Black Nova. I struggle with "I'll Fight" which despite a decent middle-eight is the only song on the album I dislike. Perhaps because of the poppier nature of this album , I have also gone back to Summerteeth with some vigour too.

[LeeT4321]

It's starting to grow on me...

[barnyard pimp]

 

Country Disappeared: Initially my favorite, losing a little for me. I love the vocal and soul of this song but kind of just dies at the end

 

When I hear the end I wonder how many minutes of tape rolled while they each tried to one-up each other with the final chord (or cymbal swash, which I believe is how it finally ends).

[DAngerer09]

I've listened to this album a TON since the leak and my initial opinions of it haven't changed much. I like most of it, but still wish they would have pushed the envelope a bit further in the studio. But, I really like the album and the song I hated at first, Country Disappeared, has grown on me a ton. Still not big on Solitaire and Everlasting Everlasting though.

[Gabe32]

nowhere near sky blue for me. lacks cohesiveness. it seems to be a mix of super-serious songs followed by silly/fun/sing-along songs. sky blue sky was one long, really elegant track. much more organic than wta...

[DAngerer09]

sky blue sky was one long, really elegant boring track

[Gabe32]

country disappeared, solitaire, bull black, you and i, deeper down, everlasting everything are tons of fun eh?

[LouieB]

I continue to like the album alot and have some of the tunes stuck in my head. I wish three things however....

 

1. More Nels

2. More Glenn

3 Less of Pat playing repetitive triplets.

 

LouieB

[Jesusetc84]

I'm not getting why people aren't liking certain tracks. Country Disappeared especially, feels like a long lost classic from the early 70s. I could totally hear The Band or Gram Parsons singing that. Solitaire is pure Simon and Garfunkel, and Everlasting I haven't quite been able to pinpoint, but it's down right majestic.

 

While I'll admit that it's not the most original album, W(TA) wears great influences on it's sleeve; and let's be honest, that's been a part of Wilco since Being There. There have always been songs that were conscious nods to the classics that inspired Tweedy. I don't see why it offends you so here.

 

The only track I'm not all about is "Sunny Feeling" which is too boogie rock for my tastes. The bridge is the only part of the song that really impresses me.

[Guest Speed Racer]

I'm not getting why people aren't liking certain tracks.

 

Because they don't enjoy listening to them.

 

The only track I'm not all about is "Sunny Feeling"

 

Take this poster, for example.

 

A week(s) later I still don't care for Deeper Down or One Wing (Deeper Down is going to win me over much sooner than One Wing), and definitely don't like I'll Fight. I did come around to Country and Everlasting, though, and I'm glad I did.

[Sir Stewart]

While I'll admit that it's not the most original album, W(TA) wears great influences on it's sleeve; and let's be honest, that's been a part of Wilco since Being There. There have always been songs that were conscious nods to the classics that inspired Tweedy. I don't see why it offends you so here.

Aside from the George influence on "You Never Know", I haven't read much talk (complaining or otherwise) about "influences" on this album; rather, the talk which I think you are referring to is focused on the "familiar" sound this album has. To me, it's the first Wilco album that sounds like a Wilco album. And that's not good to me. And all this talk (in the press) about how the band seems "confident being Wilco" on this record I think is a bunch of whogivesashit. When have I ever listened to an album and thought "Boy, this sounds like they really are comfortable in their skin. This band has a good perspective of itself. What a good record." Pfft.

Disclaimer: not that I feel Wilco owes me anything. Sharing negative thoughts about a work of art can be wrongly interpreted as wishing something was different. I don't. The album is what it is. That's fine.

[Jesusetc84]

sky blue sky was one long, really elegant boring track

 

With the exception of "Impossible Germany", every song on SBS had something I didn't like about it. For example "You are My Face" starts out beautiful before degenerating into a "RAWK" stomp. It goes from this beautiful whispery ballad to an awful Phish jam. Prior to SBS, Wilco always had interesting ways to accentuate a whispery ballad, and interesting ways to change them up. Songs like "Wishful Thinking" and "She's a Jar" were handled with much more grace.

[Jesusetc84]

Aside from the George influence on "You Never Know", I haven't read much talk (complaining or otherwise) about "influences" on this album; rather, the talk which I think you are referring to is focused on the "familiar" sound this album has. To me, it's the first Wilco album that sounds like a Wilco album. And that's not good to me. And all this talk (in the press) about how the band seems "confident being Wilco" on this record I think is a bunch of whogivesashit. When have I ever listened to an album and thought "Boy, this sounds like they really are comfortable in their skin. This band has a good perspective of itself. What a good record." Pfft.

Disclaimer: not that I feel Wilco owes me anything. Sharing negative thoughts about a work of art can be wrongly interpreted as wishing something was different. I don't. The album is what it is. That's fine.

 

The album to me is a great set of melodies, and an enjoyable album. Sky Blue Sky was neither of these, chosing instead to pepper half formed songs with wanky guitar.

 

Contextually, yeah it's something they've done before, but that doesn't make the material any less strong.

[nodep5]

Just a thought here: The more people on this board try to convince others that SBS is the worst album ever released, the relevance of this board will become just another obsessive/impossible to please/ranting fan site that no one cares to visit because it is all negativity.

 

I'm cool with SBS not being someone's gig, but you'd think it was a Starship album considering the way people talk about it around here. IMHO it stands up alot stronger than other Wilco albums in retrospect.

[Jesusetc84]

IMHO it stands up alot stronger than other Wilco albums in retrospect.

 

I don't see this at all. I feel like every Wilco album from 1996-2004, including the MAs, are head and shoulders above it.

[Sir Stewart]

Just a thought here: The more people on this board try to convince others that SBS is the worst album ever released, the relevance of this board will become just another obsessive/impossible to please/ranting fan site that no one cares to visit because it is all negativity.

 

I don't think anyone's really trying to convince anyone of anything. At least I'm not reading anything that way. I love SBS, and I can see that plenty of Wilco fans don't like it. Lotsa people seem to like the new one a lot, and I don't really. -shrug- It's just interesting to talk about.

[Guest Speed Racer]

For example "You are My Face" starts out beautiful before degenerating into a "RAWK" stomp. It goes from this beautiful whispery ballad to an awful Phish jam. Prior to SBS, Wilco always had interesting ways to accentuate a whispery ballad, and interesting ways to change them up. Songs like "Wishful Thinking" and "She's a Jar" were handled with much more grace.

 

But I don't think YAMF is a whispery ballad...I don't think that the second half would be as lyrically effective without the tempo/style change. There's a mood shift that occurs halfway through that I think the music shuffles in, in a way only an instrumental break/shift (which neither WT nor SAJ really have in that same way) can facilitate.

 

Just a thought here: The more people on this board try to convince others that SBS is the worst album ever released, the relevance of this board will become just another obsessive/impossible to please/ranting fan site that no one cares to visit because it is all negativity.

 

It's natural to compare a new record to its predecessor. Search the archives for when SBS came out, and you'll find lots of talk about Ghost, and Ghost re: YHF. The unscientific poll will tell you that roughly 70% of us prefer WTA, so its natural for us to post about the new album favorably and SBS less favorably when discussing the two.

 

We still get lots of Nels v. Jay threads, but the board hasn't become just another ranting fan site. Or it has, and those who are bothered by that left, which anyone is welcome to do at any time.

[Jesusetc84]

Just a thought here: The more people on this board try to convince others that SBS is the worst album ever released, the relevance of this board will become just another obsessive/impossible to please/ranting fan site that no one cares to visit because it is all negativity.

 

 

I don't think it's a starship album; I just think it's a very slight album among some of the best albums of the past 20 years.

[Jesusetc84]

But I don't think YAMF is a whispery ballad...I don't think that the second half would be as lyrically effective without the tempo/style change. There's a mood shift that occurs halfway through that I think the music shuffles in, in a way only an instrumental break/shift (which neither WT nor SAJ really have in that same way) can facilitate.

 

 

 

It's natural to compare a new record to its predecessor. Search the archives for when SBS came out, and you'll find lots of talk about Ghost, and Ghost re: YHF. The unscientific poll will tell you that roughly 70% of us prefer WTA, so its natural for us to post about the new album favorably and SBS less favorably when discussing the two.

 

We still get lots of Nels v. Jay threads, but the board hasn't become just another ranting fan site. Or it has, and those who are bothered by that left, which anyone is welcome to do at any time.

 

To me personally, the instrumental shift was kind of a cop out. I'm not fond of that part of the song at all. I've never been a huge fan of Wilco roots-rawkin it, as I think they have much more interesting tools in their repetoire than that.

 

On the second point, I agree with you whole heartedly. The point of a message board is to disect and discuss the music of an artist thoroughly; not just to rank the albums in order of release and post pictures of your toddlers in Wilco t-shirts.

 

If someone thinks it's lame to discuss the merits of Wilco's various albums, they probably shouldn't post here. At the very least, they should avoid threads where strong opinions are discussed.

[auctioneer69]

Just a thought here: The more people on this board try to convince others that SBS is the worst album ever released, the relevance of this board will become just another obsessive/impossible to please/ranting fan site that no one cares to visit because it is all negativity.

 

I'm cool with SBS not being someone's gig, but you'd think it was a Starship album considering the way people talk about it around here. IMHO it stands up alot stronger than other Wilco albums in retrospect.

 

I second that emotion. I love SBS and while I may pick holes in individual songs I really enjoy listening to the album all the way through. I'd like to think we could disagree harmoniously re: SBS.