Let's Do This Right

[standenup]

1. Ashes of American Flags

2. I am Trying to Break Your Heart

3. Acuff-Rose

4. Remember the Mountain Bed

5. Sunken Treasure

6. Laminated Cat

7. Jesus, Etc.

8. At Least That's What You Said

9. New Madrid

10. How to Fight Loneliness

11. Radio Cure

12. Wishful Thinking

13. I Got You

14. Hummingbird

15. Pieholden Suite

16. One Wing

17. I'm Always in Love

18. Forget the Flowers

19. A Shot in the Arm

20. She's a Jar

 

put acuff-rose at 3 because it's got a such a powerful melody in the chorus even though the lyrics aren't his best.

[NothingAtAll]

1. Remember the Mountain Bed

2. Jesus, Etc.

3. Hummingbird

4. The Thanks I Get

5. One Wing

6. Too Far Apart

7. Pot Kettle Black

8. Poor Places

9. Pieholden Suite

10. I'm Always in Love

11. You Are My Face

12. New Madrid

13. Side with the Seeds

14. Black Eye

15. Long Time Ago

16. I Can't Keep From Talking

17. Another Man's Done Gone

18. What's the World Got in Store

19. Red-Eyed and Blue

20. Ashes of American Flags

[Mr. Kinsley]

20 is really tough.....I don't think I can do it. 30 maybe, not 20.

 

All I know for sure is that Screen Door wouldn't make my top 100.

So, just do a top 30 and don't tell us your bottom ten!

[Nobody Girl]

19. Sky Blue Sky - Nobody spotlights the seemingly banal details of a scene (rain, the marching band's uniforms, people who've had a few too many drinks) and fills them with this amount of meaning and weight.

I don't know that Sky Blue Sky will make my list (if I'm ever able to actually decide on 20 songs), but it's nice to see it getting some love. I love it and think it's very underrated.

[cmackey34]

1. Jesus, Etc.

2. One Wing

3. Sunken Treasure

4. Theologians

5. Impossible Germany

6. Radio King

7. Via Chicago

8. Less Than You Think

9. Muzzle of Bees

10. Promising

11. New Madrid

12. The High Heat

13. Poor Places

14. She's a Jar

15. Wishful Thinking

16. Forget the Flowers

17. Airline to Heaven

18. Chinese Apple

19. Gun

20. Pot Kettle Black

 

I didn't realize how difficult making this list would be... I also REALLY wanted to include: More Like the Moon, Panthers, IATTBYH, Handshake Drugs and Should've Been In Love... and probably 40 or 50 more. Argh.

[Central Scrutinizer]

Hi everyone. If you didn't get a chance to read my very long-winded opening. Essentially anything Tweedy got a songwriting credit for and sang (just to clarify that you can't vote for Whiskey Bottle even though Jeff did get a credit for that song) is fair game. If you prefer not to vote for the MA songs because of your own personal preferences and guidelines that is more than all right with me, but please note that you can. The best of the Mermaid sessions is as good or better than anything Wilco has put out and thus I feel people should be able to vote for it. Elton John isn't any less of a songwriter because he didn't write the lyrics to any of his songs, he is for putting out Candle in The Wind every ten years, but that's a debate for another thread.

 

--Mike

It's cool that you're doing this.

 

I would dissuade against including MA for a few reasons.

 

One I'd say the Elton John analogy isn't apropos specifically for Tweedy as songwriter found an audience as much (if not more) for his lyrics than his melody lines and song structure.

 

Two, his melody lines and strong structure are arguably a collaborative process among the various Wilco incarnations and Tweedy's primary influence/collaborator at the time, which further emphasizes his lyrical content.

 

Three, That said, MA is an odd duck of collaboration -- it was the Bernie Taupin-Elton John argument, but without any sort of collaboration (the lyricist on MA couldn't intereact with the musician.

 

I agree that MA is among the most beautiful stuff Tweedy had a hand in and among my favorite Wilco songs. But I think trying to rate them within his original songs is apples/oranges.

[i'm only sleeping]

In no particular order

 

Sunken treasure

Reservations

Company in my back

Muzzle of Bees

Wishful thinking

Ashes of American flags

In a future age

Deeper down

Shot In The Arm

Cars Can’t Escape

Theologians

Always in love

Via Chicago

How To Fight Loneliness

I’m The Man Who Loves You

Pieholden Suite

At least that’s what you said

New Madrid

Handshake drugs

One wing

[W(TF)]

Ok I guess this is my rough draft...I will grudgingly whittle Jeff down to 20 (very hard) and add some comments on each song when I get some time; probably not in the next few days. These arent in any real ranking order but the first 10 I do consider to be his real Wilco masterpieces, so those will not be coming off the list. Also, its obvious from this set that Jay Bennett deserves major credit on many of these songs for helping make them as poignant and special as they are.

 

Reservations

Via Chicago

War On War

Sunken Treasure

Misunderstood

Shes A Jar

Hell Is Chrome

Jesus etc

Ashes Of American Flags

Poor Places

Remember The Mountain Bed

Wishful Thinking

Shot In The Arm

You Are My Face

In a Future Age

The Lonely 1

Theologians

Sky Blue Sky

How To Fight Loneliness

Radio Cure

I’m The Man Who Loves You

Forget The Flowers

Dash 7

Handshake Drugs

One Wing

Everlasting Everything

 

 

p.s. everyone has the right to their opinions, and yeah its pretentious to make a definitive Jeff 20 list...but if you do publish one as a so-called music critic, (ie the Evan Schlansky list), then the omission of Reservations and Via Chicago are a complete travesty with no possible explanation. IMHO

[jakobnicholas]

p.s. everyone has the right to their opinions, and yeah its pretentious to make a definitive Jeff 20 list...but if you do publish one as a so-called music critic, (ie the Evan Schlansky list), then the omission of Reservations and Via Chicago are a complete travesty with no possible explanation. IMHO

 

 

I agree that Via Chicago is great, but I prefer Pieholden Suite. I'm surprised it's not on your list, as lyrically it packs the same emotional wallop as Reservations and it may be Jay Bennett's single best musical contribution to Wilco. That's saying a LOT.

 

Via Chicago probably WOULD make my top 20 list some days, but not Reservations. Jeff has written a ton of great, quiet songs....Panthers, Lonely One, Fatal Wound, Radio King, Less Than You Think, On and On and On, Solitaire......

 

Reservations is great, no doubt, but why that single song as Jeff's pinnacle?

[Normal Illinois]

Jeff Tweedy's 20 best songs? Who knows, right? (I'm not even sure I know my 20 favorites.) However, here are 20 I really like, roughly arranged by when they were released. There are some notable songs not on my list, e.g. Gun, Cold Shoulder, We Been Had, Casino Queen, Misunderstood, Sunken Treasure, Via Chicago, Company in my back, Theologians, etc.

 

Train

Watch Me Fall

Box Full of Letters

Monday

Outtasite (Outta Mind)

Red-Eyed and Blue

Kingpin

Can't Stand It

I am trying to break your heart

Jesus, etc.

Ashes of American Flags

Pot kettle black

Ruling Class

Spiders (Kidsmoke)

The Late Greats

Long Time Ago

You Are My Face

Wilco (the song)

Bull Black Nova

Sonny Feeling

[fortuleo]

I'll be very interested to know how many songs will have been cited on all our lists !!

(I can sense this sentence is not correct english, sorry about that. But even if it's not, it sure must be amusing word for word french grammar translated in english. Have fun, people !)

[mpolak21]

All final lists due by Friday, August 28th.

[stooka]

Sky Blue Sky

Via Chicago

Gun

The Thanks I Get

Theologians

She’s A Jar

Heavy Metal Drummer

Spiders

Hummingbird

I Must Be High

Impossible Germany

Handshake Drugs

We’re Just Friends

Jesus etc.

Passenger Side

The Family Gardener

Casino Queen

Kingpin

I’m The Man Who Loves You

Bull Black Nova

[DiamondClaw]

Alright, I was told I had to put my list up here, even though composing it meant thinking way too hard and making way too many difficult cuts. In NO particular order AT ALL, here's my top 20:

 

1. Far, Far Away

2. Sunken Treasure

3. I'm Always In Love

4. She's a Jar

5. Pieholden Suite

6. I Am Trying to Break Your Heart

7. Jesus, Etc.

8. More Like The Moon

9. Not For the Season

10. Chinese Apple

11. Spiders (Kidsmoke)

12. You Are My Face

13. Impossible Germany

14. Gun

15. Should've Been in Love

16. Cars Can't Escape

17. Pot Kettle Black

18. At Least That's What You Said

19. A Shot in the Arm

20. I Can't Keep From Talking

 

 

Oof. So many good ones cut!

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

The only order that stands is #1 through 2, past which I cannot categorize. And add Ruling Class to that list.

 

 

1. Black Eye

2. Ashes of American Flags

3. Theologians

4. Sunken Treasure

5. Pieholden Suite

6. War on War

7. Via Chicago

8. Misunderstood

9. How to fight loneliness

10. Country Disappeared

11. Monday

12. Reservations

13. Laminated Cat

14. Radio Cure

15. I'm a wheel

16. Muzzle of Bees

17. You are my face

18. Handshake Drugs

19. Spiders

20. At Least That's What You Said

 

Ruling Class is always a tough listen for me. I imagine Jeff met more that a couple of 'Jesuses" in his stay at the hospital. I know I will never forget the guy at the payphone who was as pleasant and nice as he could be. He was 'Jesus' too.

[mpolak21]

The only order that stands is #1 through 2, past which I cannot categorize. And add Ruling Class to that list.

 

You voted for twenty songs, you need to knock one off to vote for The Ruling Class.

 

--Mike

[rwilson580]

1. I Am Trying to Break Your Heart

2. She’s a Jar

3. Poor Places

4. Jesus Etc.

5. Gun

6. Via Chicago

7. Shot in the Arm

8. Ashes of American Flags

9. Impossible Germany

10. Spiders (Kidsmoke)

11. Cars Can’t Escape

12. Sunken Treasure

13. Magazine Called Sunset

14. I Am Your Face

15. Misunderstood

16. Pot Kettle Black

17. Not for the Season

18. Bull Black Nova

19. Venus Stop the Train

20. Ruling Class

[Wild Frank]

I'll give this a go. In order:

 

1) Pieholden Suite;

2) Hummingbird;

3) Reservations;

4) Impossible Germany;

5) Theologians;

6) Wishful Thinking;

7) Ashes of American Flags;

8) Jesus Etc;

9) I Am Trying To Break Your Heart;

10) Magazine Called Sunset;

11) Poor Places;

12) Cars Can't Escape;

13) Muzzle of Bees;

14) You Are My Face;

15) Misunderstood;

16) Hotel Arizona;

17) Via Chicgago;

18) How To Fight Loneliness;

19) Pot Kettle Black;

20) Shot In The Arm;

[radiatortunes]

I'm new to VC. Thx for doing this. Here's my 20:

 

1. Sunken Treasure

2. Ashes of American Flags

3 Jesus, Etc.

4. Company In My Back

5. Impossible Germany

6. She's A Jar

7. Misunderstood

8. Handshake Drugs

9. Via Chicago

10. A Shot In The Arm

11. New Madrid

12. I Am Trying To Break Your Heart

13. I'm Always In Love

14. Hotel Arizona

15. Side WIth The Seeds

16. One By One

17. Red-Eyed And Blue

18. You Are My Face

19. Wishful Thinking

20. Country Disappeared

 

Yeah, I know, "Hotel Arizona." I figure I'll catch some noise for that one. Bring it.

[bleedorange]

I'm new to VC. Thx for doing this. Here's my 20:

 

1. Sunken Treasure

2. Ashes of American Flags

3 Jesus, Etc.

4. Company In My Back

5. Impossible Germany

6. She's A Jar

7. Misunderstood

8. Handshake Drugs

9. Via Chicago

10. A Shot In The Arm

11. New Madrid

12. I Am Trying To Break Your Heart

13. I'm Always In Love

14. Hotel Arizona

15. Side WIth The Seeds

16. One By One

17. Red-Eyed And Blue

18. You Are My Face

19. Wishful Thinking

20. Country Disappeared

 

Yeah, I know, "Hotel Arizona." I figure I'll catch some noise for that one. Bring it.

 

The only noise you'll hear from me is "great choice." Love that song.

 

By the way, is there a time for the deadline? I know it's tomorrow. End of the day?

[mpolak21]

The only noise you'll hear from me is "great choice." Love that song.

 

By the way, is there a time for the deadline? I know it's tomorrow. End of the day?

 

I will try to close this this thread around midnight tomorrow. Will tally the votes and have a results thread sometime early next week.

 

--Mike

[mpolak21]

Today is the final day for edits and last minute lists.

 

--Mike