Jeff In Rolling Stone

[pillowy star]

“Jay was a really amazing musician and he really helped Wilco to grow as a band during the years he was with us. It was a tragic, sad end.”

Irish Times article

 

Thanks Brianne. Beautiful.

[H.Stone]

Jay Bennett is mentioned, and Tweedy still seems reluctant to give him much credit.

 

 

“Jay was a really amazing musician and he really helped Wilco to grow as a band during the years he was with us. It was a tragic, sad end.”

Irish Times article

 

 

That sounds like Jeff's released statement after hearing about his death. I think long-time Wilco fans think MUCH more of Jay than things I've read from Tweedy.

 

 

The reality is that, for you, Jeff will never say enough to appropriately honor Jay. At least if you stop pretending the words haven't been said and acknowledge that you simply don't believe them, we could save a few posts per thread.

[jakobnicholas]

The reality is that, for you, Jeff will never say enough to appropriately honor Jay. At least if you stop pretending the words haven't been said and acknowledge that you simply don't believe them, we could save a few posts per thread.

 

 

Grumpy much?

 

 

I sense Jeff was just done with Jay. And I don't really blame him. Then, when Jay started talking about deserving more money then dropping a lawsuit, Jeff understandably was probably pissed all to hell.

 

I'm just saying, it's my sense that Jeff isn't over all that yet. He's human.

 

But as an outsider, who loved both Jay and Jeff and the music they made together, I wish Jay got more credit.

 

I don't recall McCartney OR Lennon bending over backwards to compliment each other after the break-up. Finally, 20-plus years after, I read many quotes from Paul saying how blessed he felt to be able to be THE ONE who got to write with John Lennon. He's given kudos galore to Lennon.

 

Some day, maybe Jeff will do the same with Bennett.

[Backstage Pass]

I don't recall McCartney OR Lennon bending over backwards to compliment each other after the break-up. Finally, 20-plus years after, I read many quotes from Paul saying how blessed he felt to be able to be THE ONE who got to write with John Lennon. He's given kudos galore to Lennon.

 

It's a well known fact that Lennon did like McCartney's "Coming Up".

[H.Stone]

Grumpy much?

 

 

Nah, not really. Although it is annoyingly cool here today.

[Beltmann]

Although it is annoyingly cool here today.

No kiddin'.

[Maddie Hope]

This is all I can get from RS.com, either I'm missing something or I just don't get it. Could someone that has the article post it? Please...

 

FEATURES

Jeff Tweedy Lets Go

Wilco's frontman used to be the most tortured guy in rock & roll. Then he learned the hardest thing of all: keeping it simple. By Will Dana

[H.Stone]

No kiddin'.

 

Not much of a "last weekend"!

[mpolak21]

It's a well known fact that Lennon did like McCartney's "Coming Up".

 

That makes one of us.

 

--Mike

[bobbob1313]

The Tweedy article inspired me to change the design of the football preview issue for the school paper here. Still haven't read it though.

[Sir Stewart]

There is a story behind Jay's dismissal from Wilco. A story that really only Jay and Jeff know. Just like the story of the breakup of the Beatles. We have ideas, theories, based on allusions and cryptic statements; but WE were not privy and will never be privy to the truth of the details.

 

This is the nail-on-head bottom line.

But it's the mythology of rock - speculation is part of the fun.

[euthe]

I wish it was much longer, but not a bad piece.

 

Jay Bennett is mentioned, and Tweedy still seems reluctant to give him much credit. Rather, Tweedy says Bennett acted like he was the co-leader of the band, when he clearly wasn't. And that bothered Tweedy. I kinda wish Jeff could just say that Bennett added a LOT to Wilco's sound and song-structures, but that the 2 had personalities that couldn't co-exist. Then Tweedy says how he likes the current lineup, because adults work together better than babies.

 

 

It's all interesting, especially after the MAGNIFICENT Beatles article in the same issue. Lennon and McCartney clearly had major issues with each other. It's maybe a little apples and oranges to compare Lennon/McCartney to Tweedy/Bennett, but it's interesting to read how Lennon and McCartney (AND Harrison) were able to put up with various shit to allow themselves to keep creating great music. Especially McCartney, who LOVED to be able to write songs alongside Lennon.

 

I'm not claiming that Tweedy could have done a better job of keeping Bennett in Wilco, but as a fan of their music together, I wish he would have. The Beatles were able to put out the White Album in the midst of basically hating each other. Each member had a set of songs and essentially used the other members as studio musicians. And they later were able to put out Abby Road and Let it Be.....pretty decent records, most would agree.

 

As a fan, it would be VERY intersting to hear what a late 90's Wilco White Album might sound like. Imagine Tweedy, Bennett, Stirrat and Bach each putting 3-6 songs on a big double disc.

 

 

That's a shame he mentioned the baby thing - he's acted like a baby countless times. The band now, although technically sound and still putting out (sort of) good music, has lost the passion, the loose rhythm and the dynamic they had with Bennett. They're essentially soulless. The new lyrics are awful and with each album post Bennett it's almost laughable what's being produced. They still put on a great show. I think of them as a live band only.

 

I don't know if anyone who follows Wilco will admit to preferring the last three albums more than Being There, Summerteeth, or YHF. If they do, they probably think the Grammys mean something and they love popular radio. That's proof positive that something is missing and will never be renewed.

 

Now they're just pandering and cashing in - who can blame them? Private schools aren't cheap.

[Shakespeare In The Alley]

That's a shame he mentioned the baby thing - he's acted like a baby countless times. The band now, although technically sound and still putting out (sort of) good music, has lost the passion, the loose rhythm and the dynamic they had with Bennett. They're essentially soulless. The new lyrics are awful and with each album post Bennett it's almost laughable what's being produced. They still put on a great show. I think of them as a live band only.

 

I don't know if anyone who follows Wilco will admit to preferring the last three albums more than Being There, Summerteeth, or YHF. If they do, they probably think the Grammys mean something and they love popular radio. That's proof positive that something is missing and will never be renewed.

 

Now they're just pandering and cashing in - who can blame them? Private schools aren't cheap.

This is easily one of the dumbest statements I've ever read on post-Jay Wilco.

[uncool2pillow]

They're essentially soulless.

 

Now they're just pandering and cashing in - who can blame them? Private schools aren't cheap.

Yeah, it's amazing they didn't just duet with Christina Aguilera.

 

I'm not a huge fan of W(TA), but you are engaging in some serious hyperbole here.

[euthe]

This is easily one of the dumbest statements I've ever read on post-Jay Wilco.

 

Yeah, it's amazing they didn't just duet with Christina Aguilera.

 

I'm not a huge fan of W(TA), but you are engaging in some serious hyperbole here.

 

 

Yeah. Hyperbole or not, sometimes the truth sucks. My honest opinion is the new album is soulless and lacks any inkling of the great stuff wilco produced in the nineties into the millennium.

 

When Jeff takes obvious shots postmortem he opens himself up to hyperbolic ridicule. We'll see what the future holds for wilco and specifically Jeff's conscience. What a sad, sad end to what had previously been a great artistic friendship. Hopefully he can put the ego away and admit Jay helped wilco build a dedicated fan base. Hopefully he'll pay a legitimate tribute to someone who poured his heart and soul into making great music, to which Jeff is now the main beneficiary.

[Sir Stewart]

When Jeff takes obvious shots postmortem he opens himself up to hyperbolic ridicule.

You misspelled a couple of words there:

When Jeff takes obvious shots postmortem he opens himself up to ridiculous hyperbole.

So I fixed it for you.

 

I can understand where you're coming from - I don't think anyone would argue that the Wilco of today is looser and more ragged than the Wilco of 1999. But the way you frame your argument is outrageous.

[mpolak21]

This is easily one of the dumbest statements I've ever read on post-Jay Wilco.

 

Mr. Bean was all down hill after they shitcanned the Teddy Bear.

 

--Mike

[Shakespeare In The Alley]

Yeah. Hyperbole or not, sometimes the truth sucks. My honest opinion is the new album is soulless and lacks any inkling of the great stuff wilco produced in the nineties into the millennium.

 

When Jeff takes obvious shots postmortem he opens himself up to hyperbolic ridicule. We'll see what the future holds for wilco and specifically Jeff's conscience. What a sad, sad end to what had previously been a great artistic friendship. Hopefully he can put the ego away and admit Jay helped wilco build a dedicated fan base. Hopefully he'll pay a legitimate tribute to someone who poured his heart and soul into making great music, to which Jeff is now the main beneficiary.

You almost have a point. I can fully understand not liking the newer Wilco records. But you've written them off completely, which is ridiculous.

 

And it's not egotistical for Jeff to take shots at Jay. It's not like they had a healthy relationship before Jay died. Tragic as it was, that can't possibly negate all the shit that went down between them. Expecting Jeff to endlessly praise Jay right now is ridiculous. He's handling the situation well, I think.

 

Basically, Jeff knows Jay was crucial to his artistic development. But the freshest Jay-related thing in his mind is still the bitterness, and the lawsuit. So obviously that's what will come out in interviews. It's not egotism, it's human nature.

[Dude]

When Jeff takes obvious shots postmortem he opens himself up to hyperbolic ridicule. We'll see what the future holds for wilco and specifically Jeff's conscience. What a sad, sad end to what had previously been a great artistic friendship. Hopefully he can put the ego away and admit Jay helped wilco build a dedicated fan base. Hopefully he'll pay a legitimate tribute to someone who poured his heart and soul into making great music, to which Jeff is now the main beneficiary.

 

I think above everything else, Tweedy isn't the kind of guy to sugarcoat or flat out lie about how he feels about a situation. He clearly has a lot of mixed emotions on Jay, and there seems to be some genuine sadness over his loss, as well as feelings that he made the right decision to part ways with him. I think most people who have been following his music over the years appreciate Tweedy's honesty and candor, and his statements on Bennett reflect how he really feels right now, not some prescripted statements eulogizing the guy.

[jakobnicholas]

This is the Jeff/Jay part of the RS interview. Inside the parenthisis is MY thoughts:

 

Rolling Stone: The band these days seems to operated so smoothly. How is it different from the one that made "Summerteeth"?

 

Jeff: Well, that band was very strained; it wasn't a cohesive unit (Jay wanted more say in the music). Summerteeth had a really fracturing kind of environment (Jay and I had different visions for how songs should sound). Jay Bennett in particular was emerging as a divisive force within the band (Jay didn't always agree with Jeff). He kind of positioned himself as my right-hand guy (many times he was...which is probably why the music was so glorious. Those 2 made great music together.) when he was with me, and positioned himself kind of as "Who does that guy fucking he is?" (I think maybe Jeff gave Jay a lot of control of sound on Being There and Mermaid...enough that Jay expected that he'd get a lot of say for Summerteeth. Jay may have wrongly thought he was the Paul McCartney to Jeff's Lennon) when he was with the other guys. And not to speak ill of the guy (uh...you kind of just did), obviously, but that caused a lot of friction. Then, as we made Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, that situation got worse and worse (Jay got in the way of my vision of YHF), to the point where it alienated everybody, not just myself.

 

Rolling Stone: Is it easier now that you are the clear leader of the band?

 

Jeff: I don't think it ever wasn't clear (maybe it wasn't clear to Jay when Jeff let Jay contribute A LOT to Being There and especially Mermaid Ave. Jay must have rightly felt he earned his keep). It was maybe less clear to me, so that's easier. At the same time, Wlco has always aspired to be a collective experience (a band with a clear leader, and players that take orders when expected to do so). And there's more comraderie now than ever (the band doesn't disagree with Jeff much). It probably has more to do with being a band full of grown-ups. Bands full of babies don't last very long (another shot at Jay? Also, bands full of grown-ups don't usually make as exciting of music as bands with more egos). They just can't.

[bleedorange]

This is the Jeff/Jay part of the RS interview. Inside the parenthisis is MY thoughts:

 

Rolling Stone: The band these days seems to operated so smoothly. How is it different from the one that made "Summerteeth"?

 

Jeff: Well, that band was very strained; it wasn't a cohesive unit (Jay wanted more say in the music). Summerteeth had a really fracturing kind of environment (Jay and I had different visions for how songs should sound). Jay Bennett in particular was emerging as a divisive force within the band (Jay didn't always agree with Jeff). He kind of positioned himself as my right-hand guy (many times he was...which is probably why the music was so glorious. Those 2 made great music together.) when he was with me, and positioned himself kind of as "Who does that guy fucking he is?" (I think maybe Jeff gave Jay a lot of control of sound on Being There and Mermaid...enough that Jay expected that he'd get a lot of say for Summerteeth. Jay may have wrongly thought he was the Paul McCartney to Jeff's Lennon) when he was with the other guys. And not to speak ill of the guy (uh...you kind of just did), obviously, but that caused a lot of friction. Then, as we made Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, that situation got worse and worse (Jay got in the way of my vision of YHF), to the point where it alienated everybody, not just myself.

 

Rolling Stone: Is it easier now that you are the clear leader of the band?

 

Jeff: I don't think it ever wasn't clear (maybe it wasn't clear to Jay when Jeff let Jay contribute A LOT to Being There and especially Mermaid Ave. Jay must have rightly felt he earned his keep). It was maybe less clear to me, so that's easier. At the same time, Wlco has always aspired to be a collective experience (a band with a clear leader, and players that take orders when expected to do so). And there's more comraderie now than ever (the band doesn't disagree with Jeff much). It probably has more to do with being a band full of grown-ups. Bands full of babies don't last very long (another shot at Jay? Also, bands full of grown-ups don't usually make as exciting of music as bands with more egos). They just can't.

 

[Dude]

This is the Jeff/Jay part of the RS interview. Inside the parenthisis is MY thoughts:

 

Rolling Stone: The band these days seems to operated so smoothly. How is it different from the one that made "Summerteeth"?

 

Jeff: Well, that band was very strained; it wasn't a cohesive unit (Jay wanted more say in the music). Summerteeth had a really fracturing kind of environment (Jay and I had different visions for how songs should sound).

 

Jeff let Jay do whatever he wanted on Summerteeth, actually. He had free reign - ever take a look at the liner notes for Summerteeth? There are a zillion Bennett overdubs on all the tracks. The fracturing didn't occur between him and Jay on Summerteeth (I think they were pretty tight then), but between Jeff, Jay and the other guys. The Greg Kot book discusses this quite a bit, John and Ken kind of felt sidelined and marginalized by everything Jay was doing on the tracks. That's what Jeff is talking about I think when he says the band wasn't a cohesive unit.

 

I think the only real conflicts about how the songs should sound came at the very end of the YHF sessions, when Jeff had Jim O'Rourke mixing the album and Jay was frantically cutting his own mixes and overdubs. Quibbling with the final decision on that seems odd, especially if you love YHF like most people do, as most agree the final mix of that album sounds amazing.

[MattZ]

I am not really sure what you are looking for here, jakobnicholas. Partnerships break up all the time, and when they do, there's a bad taste in the mouth of the two parties. Doesn't matter if it's a married couple or business partners or songwriters. It also doesn't matter how great the partnership was before it went sour. It's just the way it is. I would bet that Jeff has a lot of love for Jay, but he's also got a lot of anger and frustration. Everyone involved here is human.

 

(and fwiw, I think Jeff has handled all the questions about Jay with grace. He has been very respectful, and I think he has complimented Jay in every one of these pieces that I've read. The last words Jay said to Jeff were "I am suing you" (figuratively, of course))

[jakobnicholas]

Jeff let Jay do whatever he wanted on Summerteeth, actually. He had free reign - ever take a look at the liner notes for Summerteeth? There are a zillion Bennett overdubs on all the tracks. The fracturing didn't occur between him and Jay on Summerteeth (I think they were pretty tight then), but between Jeff, Jay and the other guys. The Greg Kot book discusses this quite a bit, John and Ken kind of felt sidelined and marginalized by everything Jay was doing on the tracks. That's what Jeff is talking about I think when he says the band wasn't a cohesive unit.

 

I think the only real conflicts about how the songs should sound came at the very end of the YHF sessions, when Jeff had Jim O'Rourke mixing the album and Jay was frantically cutting his own mixes and overdubs. Quibbling with the final decision on that seems odd, especially if you love YHF like most people do, as most agree the final mix of that album sounds amazing.

 

 

My main point is that I think Jay was led on by Jeff, intentionally or not, to think he had as much say in the music as Jeff did.

 

Clearly, Jeff had something bigger and more specific in his mind than Jay did when making YHF. But I can understand Jay being a little upset that Jeff (seemingly) was making all the final decisions on songs, when it's obvious Jay was maybe making equal decisions on Summerteeth and Mermaid.

 

(I agree the final YHF mix is amazing. But I actually like the YHF demos even MORE.)

[jakobnicholas]

I am not really sure what you are looking for here, jakobnicholas. Partnerships break up all the time, and when they do, there's a bad taste in the mouth of the two parties. Doesn't matter if it's a married couple or business partners or songwriters. It also doesn't matter how great the partnership was before it went sour. It's just the way it is. I would bet that Jeff has a lot of love for Jay, but he's also got a lot of anger and frustration. Everyone involved here is human.

 

(and fwiw, I think Jeff has handled all the questions about Jay with grace. He has been very respectful, and I think he has complimented Jay in every one of these pieces that I've read. The last words Jay said to Jeff were "I am suing you" (figuratively, of course))

 

 

I have HUGE respect for Jeff....one of the best songwriter's ever. And he's deserving of being the head of Wilco.

 

But it's interesting how Jay Farrar, Jay Bennett and Billy Bragg all seemingly had or have odds with Tweedy, yet Jeff seems to be the only one who comes out smelling like a rose. Most....on this board especially...always talk more like Farrar and Bennett were the bad guys, not Tweedy. I think they're all the same....not good OR bad...just strong-willed people with their own unique creative vision.