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Help Me See the Appeal of Spiders


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I've hated this song from the June 2004 release date. I try to get into it every few months but I always end up loathing it. I hate it for the lack of melody, unecessary length, amateur breakdown that sea to phone it in with barchords. Electronically beat with guitar noise. This song has no appeal to me. I like thier experimental stuff. I love bull black nova, I love the noise on via Chicago but this has nothing special and is a seizure enducing glorified 10 min click track.

 

Wilco is my fav band. I love everything else from them but this song. But I always see so many people loving on this song.

 

Help me see the appeal. What do you like about it?

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Exactly, you have to find a version where they just tear it up, I discovered a version from the Tanglewood show in 08 like this. It really gained a lot of energy as a live song as compared to the recording, and I think that's why people enjoy it so much. It's just a really fun song (albeit with strange lyrics).

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The AGIB version reminds me (in a good way) of Stereolab. Which is appealing in and of itself.

 

The solo Tweedy version (and the pre-AGIB live versions out there) are also excellent, despite the entire nature of the song being different.

 

It's a good song that can survive two radically different approaches.

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It's my wife's favorite Wilco song so you just never know. I love it. When that heavy part kicks in it makes it all worthwhile. Jason Isbell is quoting that song in the middle of "Never gonna change" so I'm sure he must agree.

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It's always been one of my favorite Wilco tracks. I didn't really 'get' it the first few times I hard it but after a while it grew on me and something about the rhythm and Jeff's lead guitar and how they go together draws me and it's very addicting. :lol :

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Help me see the appeal. What do you like about it?

I first heard it as a Jeff solo acoustic song, and that version is quite beautiful. Great lyrics, the melody is more up front, nice little acoustic guitar riff. I fell in love with it then and felt a real connection to it.

 

Then the full band started playing an arena-rock version of it before AGIB (think "Not for the Season" from the YHF demos) that was pretty fun, though the vocals/lyrics are overshadowed a bit. The album version is my least favorite rendition, though I still enjoy it.

 

I don't know what your situation is, but I'm married with kids, which is partly why the song strikes a chord with me as well.

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That last veres is the coolest verse ever written. If you have the concert program, there's an interview with Jeff by his sons. They ask what his favorite song to play live is -- Spiders because, "I get to freak out on the guitar for like 10 minutes ... because freaking out on the guiter for 10 minutes is really good for your soul."

 

And that's why I love Spiders -- a mindless explosion of words and music that is a complete release -- which is realy good for my soul, man.

 

"I just do as I am told...."

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This song is great because it translates so easily from the full band in full freak-out mode with thousands of people screaming to Jeff playing it solo acoustic in an soft, intimate setting -- and both are equally enthralling.

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Great, surreal lyrics. I was going to post a few lines from it but frankly, it's all good:

 

Spiders are singing in the salty breeze

Spiders are filling out tax returns

Spinning out webs of deductions and melodies

On a private beach in Michigan

 

Why can't they wish their kisses good

Why do they miss when their kisses should

Fly like winging birds fighting for the keys

On a private beach in Michigan

 

This recent rash of kidsmoke

All these telescopic poems

It's good to be alone

 

Why can't they say what they want

Why can't they just say what they mean

Come clean, listen and talk

Hello private callers, IDs blocked

 

The sun will rise, we'll climb into cars

The future has a valley and a shortcut around

Who will wear the crown of drowning award

Hold a private light on a Michigan shore

 

You fool me with a kiss of kidsmoke

From a microscopic home

It's good to be alone

 

I'll be in my bed

You can be the stone

That raises from the dead

And carries us all home

 

There's no blood on my hands

I just do as I am told

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I've always thought the live Spiders is one of the best things they do live. It's just about the only nod to jamming Wilco does. Always reminded me of Phish's "First Tube".

 

When the apocalyptic noise from the end of Poor Places is filling the room, and the stage is covered with dry ice smoke....and then Spiders just sneaks in. That's Wilco at their best in concert (imo of course).

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The solo Tweedy version (and the pre-AGIB live versions out there) are also excellent, despite the entire nature of the song being different.

I've always been a big advocate of the early versions from 2002. I like them much better than the final product or the current versions, and encourage people to track them down.

The one from 3/11/02 is an excellent example, and clocks in at just over 6 minutes. Not exactly overlong.

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tweedy's solo version of this is awesome. if that's how it started out and then developed from there that's even more awesome. anybody know for sure?

 

You should check out the Alpha Romeo Tango section at the bottom of the Wilco Archives off of Owl & Bear. If I remember correctly those versions of Spiders (and any early version) are shorter, and have that tweedy solo riff going on throughout the song.

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The AGIB version reminds me (in a good way) of Stereolab. Which is appealing in and of itself.

 

The solo Tweedy version (and the pre-AGIB live versions out there) are also excellent, despite the entire nature of the song being different.

 

It's a good song that can survive two radically different approaches.

 

Sterolab yay! :thumbup Every band could use a little more of their influence.

 

My girlfriend is really not a fan of Spiders, but I still find a way to love her in spite of that.

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