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What's the consensus on Wilco (The Album)?


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Great: Wilco (The Song), One Wing, You Never Know, Country Disappeared, I'll Fight, Dark Neon, Jolly Banker

Good: Deeper Down, BBN, You and I, Sonny Feeling, Everlasting Everything,

Meh: Solitaire

 

Verdict: Just as good if not better than SBS--which I love. Don't know why we're comparing it to AM, but I think there are tracks on WTA that stand up with some of the band's best work: Wilco (The Song), One Wing, I'll Fight.

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I love it, some people expect bands to survive for twenty years but get pissed when they evolve to do it. This is where Wilco is at right now. Jeff might have put it best at the Cincinnati show this year after a rather chilly reception to Sonny Feeling, he said(paraphrased) "in two years you'll be beggin for us to play that one"

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I love it, some people expect bands to survive for twenty years but get pissed when they evolve to do it. This is where Wilco is at right now. Jeff might have put it best at the Cincinnati show this year after a rather chilly reception to Sonny Feeling, he said(paraphrased) "in two years you'll be beggin for us to play that one"

Jeff comes off as really full of himself sometimes.

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I think it's interesting how there seems to be wide disagreement about which W(TA) songs are great, good, or meh. I suppose that speaks well about its ability to connect with varied listeners.

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Guest Speed Racer

Jeff comes off as really full of himself sometimes.

 

Really? To me, that statement comes off as a joke, self-depricating in an ironic way, you know? I make jokes like that all the time, so I can't take that seriously. The man's confident to be sure, but I can't say he's full of himself and believe he's any worse that you or I.

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Seems silly to include the b-sides, so I'll skip that.

 

Great: BBN

Good: I'll Fight, Deeper Down, One Wing,Country Disappeared, Wilco (The Song)

Meh: Sonny Feeling, You Never Know, You & I, Everlasting Everything, Solitaire,

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Overall, months later, I've gone from initially being completely unimpressed with the album-- to liking the album somewhat-- to not ever listening to the album. I am hoping they'll release some live material so I can hear the music live again. I think that will perhaps garner more enthusiasm for the particular songs I do like. I would love a good clear quality version of You and I, sans Feist. I never ever got into Su(o)nny feeling.

 

Overall this album is just not strong in my opinion. After a hundred plus listens, it feels simplistic and repetitive and, at times, annoying. I've got the Vinyl that I'll spin from time to time, but I doubt it'll stay in my playlists. I'm hoping they do some more Loose Fur, Autumn Defense, and various side project material to get away from Wilco for a while and get the creative juices flowing a little more.

 

 

It's definately Jeff's album.....It's one he wanted to make.......(heard that one before?)........I'm sad.....

 

-Robert

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I don't know...it's definitely no YHFT or ST, creatively speaking but for me, there's definitely still an element of creativity there. It just seems to represent a different perspective than the other albums, and really, I think thats good. it's a keeper for me. I listen to it often but unlike the other two I mentioned, it has to come out of the cd player after a couple of complete rotations and there's definitely a couple of songs I skip frequently...You Never Know comes to mind.

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Hey people...2002 called. It's not coming back.

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Hey people...2002 called. It's not coming back.

Not waiting for 2002, but I never had expectations for the next album. Nonetheless, I consider Wilco (The Album) a pretty good album.

 

Artists have learned to age and keep their refreshing spontaneity in their music (see Sonic Youth, Yo La Tengo, maybe the Fall is more fitting for our example since they keep changing line-ups).

 

Also, I don't see any light in I'll Fight (insert What Light joke here so we can move on) that the rest of you like.

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Hey people...2002 called. It's not coming back.

This sentiment is getting really old. I haven't read one comment where anyone said they want another YHF. No one wants Wilco to repeat themselves, and I think that's why some of us have qualms with this record. They failed to take a step forward with this one.

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I didn't want to dive into this hate-orgy of a thread, but after some thought I think this could be my second or third favorite Wilco record. There. I fucking said it.

 

Thank you for having the balls to say it.

 

For me at the moment it's #4. If I may coin a phrase, I find W(TA) to be a sort of aural arms-open-wide, sonic shoulder for me to cry-y-y-y on.

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Other than a few initial spins, I haven’t listened to it since its release. Most of the songs remind me of other, better Wilco songs, so I’d rather just listen to those songs, than pale imitations of those other songs, is what I like to do. This one sounds like a career retrospective, which, hopefully, is some sort of jumping off point for a more unique, creative sounding next album.

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Wilco and consensus generally don't go together. With the exception of Foxtrot (which it's safe to say, almost everyone loves) every album they've released over the past 10 years has people who hate and love it within the fanbase.

 

I can't think of any Wilco fan I know who doesn't also love "Being There." Maybe some Uncle Tupelo fans hate it. But not Wilco fans. For most hardcore Wilco folks "Being There"(moreso than A.M.) was what turned them on to the band. I can't think of any real Wilco fans who dislike "Being There."

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Guest Speed Racer

I can't think of any real Wilco fans who dislike "Being There."

 

I can think of quite a few who wish it were one disc with fewer than 19 songs, though.

 

As for my feelings on W(TA), I love it. I don't rank my Wilco albums so much as consider each of them a distinct tool to be added to my tool box. I would never, ever listen to YHF when I was in the mood for SBS, because they don't serve the same function for me - it would be like trying to clean a window with a hammer. I listened to W(TA) a lot when it first leaked, but all of this talk about SBS v. W(TA) has gotten me listening to SBS again, so that's been in heavy rotation right now. AGIB will probably always be my favorite Wilco record, and I didn't expect W(TA) to shake that up.

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Seems silly to include the b-sides, so I'll skip that.

 

Great: BBN

Good: I'll Fight, Deeper Down, One Wing,Country Disappeared, Wilco (The Song)

Meh: Sonny Feeling, You Never Know, You & I, Everlasting Everything, Solitaire,

 

For me, I'd move One Wing to Great and You and I to Good. Agree with all else. My first post, I feel alive inside

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I don't rank my Wilco albums so much as consider each of them a distinct tool to be added to my tool box. I would never, ever listen to YHF when I was in the mood for SBS, because they don't serve the same function for me - it would be like trying to clean a window with a hammer.

 

'Effing brilliant, on the money, couldn't agree more.

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