How Is Kicking Television holding up?

[Livin' in New Orleans]

With all of the live recordings available, and the Ashes audio tracks, the 930 club show and such, how does Kicking Television hold up?

[cmackey34]

In my opinion, it's still the best live Wilco release. I love the setlist, the quality of the recording and performances. It really is wonderful.

[Livin' in New Orleans]

I gotta say... the AGIB material is extremely good... even after hearing the band play it after 4 or 5 years... something about them playing it fresh off the album release made it so good

[Wilco2332]

I think it still holds up as their best live work, I had to comment because their cover of If All Men Are Truly Brothers has been popping up on my ipod lately and I have to admit what a great job they do on that song. Best versions of The Late Greats, Hell Is Chrome and a very nice Poor Places/Spiders transition as well.

[Livin' in New Orleans]

I think it still holds up as their best live work, I had to comment because their cover of If All Men Are Truly Brothers has been popping up on my ipod lately and I have to admit what a great job they do on that song. Best versions of The Late Greats, Hell Is Chrome and a very nice Poor Places/Spiders transition as well.

 

Agreed..although I LOVE the version of the Late Greats from the "Ashes" DVD.. I am very biased towards NOLA though... however, BEST version of Spiders I have heard

[choo-choo-charlie]

It still stands as my favorite live recording as well. It was the first Wilco disc I ever bought and damn fine introduction to the band at that time. The sound quality is phenomenal, and there's so much muscle behind all of the tunes. Plus, being from Kansas City, I dig the KC shout out in the applause following "Hell is Chrome."

[IRememberDBoon]

I miss Hell is Chrome

[Guest Speed Racer]

I have owned it since the day of its release, and have never listened to it all the way through. I have listened to it when the tracks come up in shuffle on my Wilco playlist (which has all the releases and b-sides, but only my favorite bootleg audio); every time they do, I think, "Why on EARTH did I put this live track in my playlist?"

 

So, I guess it doesn't hold up very well for me.

[alecrothman]

With all of the live recordings available, and the Ashes audio tracks, the 930 club show and such, how does Kicking Television hold up?

 

 

Which 930 club show are you talking about? If it's one of the ones from '08 I need to somehow get a copy. I know they aired one of the two shows on NPR, so I'm thinking it's probably that one, though I would love to have a recording of the 2/26/08 show. I don't think a set list will ever get better than that (for me at least): http://www.wilcobase.com/event.php?event_key=1107

 

As for KT, it's easily got some of my favorite recordings on it. That version of Handshake Drugs and One by One are great.

[you ever seen a ghost?]

Which 930 club show are you talking about? If it's one of the ones from '08 I need to somehow get a copy. I know they aired one of the two shows on NPR, so I'm thinking it's probably that one, though I would love to have a recording of the 2/26/08 show. I don't think a set list will ever get better than that (for me at least): http://www.wilcobase.com/event.php?event_key=1107

 

As for KT, it's easily got some of my favorite recordings on it. That version of Handshake Drugs and One by One are great.

 

 

i'm sure he means the one you could download officially if you pre-ordered the Ashes of American Flags documentary. it is from 2008, i think, not sure which night.

 

-justin

[Livin' in New Orleans]

i'm sure he means the one you could download officially if you pre-ordered the Ashes of American Flags documentary. it is from 2008, i think, not sure which night.

 

-justin

 

That's the one.. and it is the second night of those shows.. The sound is good, but no KT. There are many soundboard recordings just like the 9:30 club show that are just as good and better. You guys should check out the webcast versions of the Pageant shows on Owl and Bear. Soundboard quality with awesome setlists.

[SGL]

KT was my introduction to Wilco, so it will always have a special place in my heart. But to answer your question, yes it still holds up quite nicely

[Livin' in New Orleans]

I have owned it since the day of its release, and have never listened to it all the way through. I have listened to it when the tracks come up in shuffle on my Wilco playlist (which has all the releases and b-sides, but only my favorite bootleg audio); every time they do, I think, "Why on EARTH did I put this live track in my playlist?"

 

So, I guess it doesn't hold up very well for me.

 

Say Whaaaaaaaaaat?!

[Guest Speed Racer]

Say Whaaaaaaaaaat?!

 

First, I think the early incarnation of Wilco Mach 6 tended to overplay on some tracks (I still feel that way about the line-up), and I very rarely prefer Nels soloing where Jeff previously did (Ashes, for instance, I think is an abomination). And by very rarely, I mean never. I love hearing Nels on new tracks, where he plays what he wants to play, but I don't like his interpretation of Jeff's solos, especially on AGIB stuff.

 

Second, I cannot stand when live albums don't document a full concert. I don't like it when the tracks do not appear in the order they were played, and when the albums are a compilation of several nights. That's just the way it is for me. It's not a document of a studio venture, it's not a document of a concert, it's a compilation of stuff, and I'm not super into compilations.

 

Third, there's a quality to the performances I just don't like. I don't know if it's because they know they were being taped or what. All of the live tracks I prefer are boots, but all of the live tracks I prefer are also pre-7/2004, save for the 9/2005 versions of Walken.

[Shakespeare In The Alley]

Second, I cannot stand when live albums don't document a full concert. I don't like it when the tracks do not appear in the order they were played, and when the albums are a compilation of several nights. That's just the way it is for me. It's not a document of a studio venture, it's not a document of a concert, it's a compilation of stuff, and I'm not super into compilations.

I wholeheartedly agree with this.

[choo-choo-charlie]

First, I think the early incarnation of Wilco Mach 6 tended to overplay on some tracks (I still feel that way about the line-up), and I very rarely prefer Nels soloing where Jeff previously did (Ashes, for instance, I think is an abomination). And by very rarely, I mean never. I love hearing Nels on new tracks, where he plays what he wants to play, but I don't like his interpretation of Jeff's solos, especially on AGIB stuff.

 

Second, I cannot stand when live albums don't document a full concert. I don't like it when the tracks do not appear in the order they were played, and when the albums are a compilation of several nights. That's just the way it is for me. It's not a document of a studio venture, it's not a document of a concert, it's a compilation of stuff, and I'm not super into compilations.

 

Third, there's a quality to the performances I just don't like. I don't know if it's because they know they were being taped or what. All of the live tracks I prefer are boots, but all of the live tracks I prefer are also pre-7/2004, save for the 9/2005 versions of Walken.

 

Like I said earlier, KT was my introduction to Wilco and is something I'll always go back to and enjoy immensely. What you've mentioned here is the only issue that I have with it: "compilation" live albums. Would have been cool to have access to all three nights (or was it four?) that were taped...there's some great tracks in those setlists that could've made the release. Oh well, their choice, not ours...still great music.

[cooperissup3r]

i like it fine. i know they won't do it, but i really wish they'd release some older live shows.

[Guest Speed Racer]

i really wish they'd release some older live shows.

 

With all of the quality soundboards (and heck, even awesome audience recordings) and DVDs of older shows available, what would you hope to gain from an official release?

[bjorn_skurj]

Not great, as I can't remember the last time I listened to it. I really think they should have waited a couple years to let this lineup (which I think is the ne plus kickass) season before putting out a live album.

[Maggie]

Kicking Television is the reason I finally became a Wilco fan. It turned out to be one of those life changing albums for me, so I'm certainly biased. I haven't listened to the album in full for sometime, but last I noticed it still gives me goosebumps.

 

I still remember witnessing the buildup of "Misunderstood" for the first time. By the time Jeff finished yelling out the "nothings" I was in love.

 

At the time I discovered the CD I'm pretty sure I didn't know that it was a "compilation" concert. It held up as a single document for me, so it can't be too bad.

[Analogman]

I suppose the album will always mean something to me as I was there. I was right in front of the dude who yells out "Heavy Metal Drummer." I don't know the last time I played it. I have over 300 Gigabytes of Wilco shows now. So I am more likely to break out one of those if I want to hear some live Wilco.

[DocShock]

Second, I cannot stand when live albums don't document a full concert. I don't like it when the tracks do not appear in the order they were played, and when the albums are a compilation of several nights. That's just the way it is for me. It's not a document of a studio venture, it's not a document of a concert, it's a compilation of stuff, and I'm not super into compilations.

 

I agree completely with this, that is why I always listen to bootleg shows.

 

And although Ashes was a great DVD documenting of all the cool venues, I would've rather have one of the complete shows.

[choo-choo-charlie]

Compilation-concert complain aside, I'll add that the cover art really [ahem] struck a chord with me as well. I found the bright white light/orb thing to be slightly mysterious and to me, it just represented a band that was white-hot, playing almost all new music that was powerful and vicious, yet also fragile and beautiful at the same time. While it's definitely not the same band that is heard now, I think there's a real electricity in the then-new songs and their raw, unrefined arrangements.

 

That being said, I think "Ashes of American Flags" on the DVD is better than the version on KT, although they're close. Same goes for "Wishful Thinking."

[Livin' in New Orleans]

With all of the quality soundboards (and heck, even awesome audience recordings) and DVDs of older shows available, what would you hope to gain from an official release?

 

I completely understand your opinions... I for one enjoy Nels' solo playing on Jeff's older songs, but then again, I didn't listen to much of the pre-Nels live tracks. And yeah, soundboard recordings are free, and they are just as good, if not better than official releases. (ie 930 club show that the band gave out)

[Livin' in New Orleans]

Compilation-concert complain aside, I'll add that the cover art really [ahem] struck a chord with me as well. I found the bright white light/orb thing to be slightly mysterious and to me, it just represented a band that was white-hot, playing almost all new music that was powerful and vicious, yet also fragile and beautiful at the same time. While it's definitely not the same band that is heard now, I think there's a real electricity in the then-new songs and their raw, unrefined arrangements.

 

That being said, I think "Ashes of American Flags" on the DVD is better than the version on KT, although they're close. Same goes for "Wishful Thinking."

 

The DVD version of Ashes is the best that I have ever heard... I just think the idea and the image of them playing to an empty Cain's ballroom is very eerie and beautiful. The guitar solo, for me, sums up what the DVD is about.. it captures the essence of the fading Americana