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How Is Kicking Television holding up?


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i like a real crisp official audio. sue me.

 

As do I, but a soundboard recording is pretty darn official...I mean minus the band having it for download on the webstite... it is exactly the sound that was made on stage, basically a show that mixed itself. Like I said, there are some that I feel sound better than the 930 club recording that Wilco gave out...I don't think they sound as good as KT because they weren't mixed again and all, but the setlists are a lot better, and you get a complete show

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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.

I too prefer Jeff's soloing on all of the old songs and that's what turned me off about Nels when he first started. There was something about way Wilco attacked those songs before Nels came along that I miss. What pre-7/2004 shows are your favorites?

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For me, this is the album that really got me into WILCO. I think it holds up way better than the DVD or 930 shows, I think those are pretty bland compared to KT. I haven't listened to a lot of pre Nels boots but would love to hear some, not to hijack or anything, but what's a decent quality pre nels show to seek out? I really hope we get to see KT reissued on vinyl with all the other ones coming out.

 

SG

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Lot of valid comments. I enjoy most of KT quite a bit, in spite of it being a "production" as Lauren asserted. (and has been discussed here ad nauseum)

 

Mis->Company->TLG->Hell is a great sounding run, and the versions of One By One and Airline are fantastic too. These are all certainly great versions and sound seamless enough to suspend my disbelief over whatever studio dub trickery may have been added later. Comment is a fave, I kind of cherry pick the rest. As for Handshake Drugs - I haven't heard a "bad" live performance but to me it seems Jeff and Glenn hadn't quite perfected the "want me to _DO_" emphasis at that point...I like the later versions better.

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For me, this is the album that really got me into WILCO. I think it holds up way better than the DVD or 930 shows, I think those are pretty bland compared to KT. I haven't listened to a lot of pre Nels boots but would love to hear some, not to hijack or anything, but what's a decent quality pre nels show to seek out? I really hope we get to see KT reissued on vinyl with all the other ones coming out.

 

SG

 

For me, it's KT, then Ashes, then 930. For great pre-Nels boots, start here:

 

http://www.owlandbear.com/2009/05/26/download-jay-bennetts-best-shows

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Like Speed Racer, I like live recordings to be "documents" of a full show. But when I go to KT, I don't really go to it with the expectation of a document. For me, it's a sampler rather than a document, and there's nothing wrong with having a kick-ass sampler loaded with terrific live versions of many of my favorite Wilco tunes. I listen to it frequently--probably more regularly than any other official Wilco release.

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For me, it's KT, then Ashes, then 930. For great pre-Nels boots, start here:

 

http://www.owlandbear.com/2009/05/26/download-jay-bennetts-best-shows

 

I would seriously look into the soundboard recordings of the three St. Louis shows... equal and even better at times than 9:30...

 

By the way, I can't decide which version of ALTWYS I like better: Ashes or KT... both awesome

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I would seriously look into the soundboard recordings of the three St. Louis shows... equal and even better at times than 9:30...

 

By the way, I can't decide which version of ALTWYS I like better: Ashes or KT... both awesome

 

Aren't the Pageant shows from a year or two ago? I thought he asked for pre-Nels stuff...

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Guest Speed Racer

I too prefer Jeff's soloing on all of the old songs and that's what turned me off about Nels when he first started. There was something about way Wilco attacked those songs before Nels came along that I miss. What pre-7/2004 shows are your favorites?

 

Pre- 7/2004, with Nels, I like:

the Otto's run

Chicago: 2004-06-12

Pittsburgh: 2004-06-06

I also forgot about the Wiltern run in November, which is fantastic, and the Halloween shows.

 

My favorite pre-Nels shows are:

 

1997-05 Fillmore run

1997-10 First Ave run

2000-07-27

2000-07 Fillmore run

2002-10-30

2002-03-11

2003-05-01

2003-09-04

2003-09-19

2003-09-20

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For me, a live recording is not a 'document'. I approach them as organic works that are reinterpretations of existing work. A live recording gives the artist the opportunity to revisit, refocus and restate their musical view of material.

 

A few of you guys are music fundamentalists..."It's the SHOE!!!!"

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Guest Runaway Jim

i think it holds up very well and listen to it rather often.

 

i'm also not a fan of live compilations - would prefer a recording of an individual show. but KT and Phish's A Live One both get a lot of action on my ipod. because they simply contain amazing versions of some of my favorite songs from each band.

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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?

 

Why? Because this was Wilco at their peak, before they hit the comfort zone. 'Ashes' and 'ALTWYS' are untouchable here. These versions are of a band finding their stride and some fresh inspiration every night. Four years on I feel that there's a touch of going-through-the-motions when they play live, however slick they are. Back then Tweedy gave the impresssion that his life depended on it, just like all the best rock'n'roll. It's all a bit comfortable now.

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Pre- 7/2004, with Nels, I like:

the Otto's run

Chicago: 2004-06-12

Pittsburgh: 2004-06-06

I also forgot about the Wiltern run in November, which is fantastic, and the Halloween shows.

 

My favorite pre-Nels shows are:

 

1997-05 Fillmore run

1997-10 First Ave run

2000-07-27

2000-07 Fillmore run

2002-10-30

2002-03-11

2003-05-01

2003-09-04

2003-09-19

2003-09-20

Thanks Speed Racer. I have two of these shows and they are two of my favorite. I'll need to check out the rest on the archive.

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My opinion on KT is that it does capture this raw energy of playing a fresh batch of songs from AGIB, before playing them over and over and gaining night to night comfortability...

 

However I honestly don't think the way the songs are played is that different from four years ago, so you aren't listening to that different of a band.

And yes, ALTWYS from KT ranks among the best. I love the Ashes one, but this version is so piercing and was more meaningful then... It might just be the sound from the different recordings, but it is so piercing, raw, and shrill in the best way..

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I do still like KT. AGiB is my favorite record and there are some great moments here.

 

ATLWYS is picture perfect.

 

Love the spartan Hell is Chrome. The solo is sublime.

 

The opening drums of Misunderstood still gives me chills.

 

The Poor Places -> Spiders transition is classic.

 

Yeah, it holds up.

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For me, a live recording is not a 'document'. I approach them as organic works that are reinterpretations of existing work. A live recording gives the artist the opportunity to revisit, refocus and restate their musical view of material.

Makes sense to me. :thumbup

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The more I think about it, KT, to me, has more edge to it than Ashes. The SBS material sounds great on Ashes, but I prefer the KT versions of most everything else.

 

I know... ALTWYS is just more searing... like burning magnesium as some people describe it

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