via Chicago (the song)

[GregorySamsa]

I always liked Via Chicago, but never understood the dissonant crashing, until I read somewhere that they were trying to capture the feeling of walking through Chicago and being caught in the thunderous roar of the El train. That little detail elevated the song in my mind from a great song to a brilliant and successful conceptual idea. If you've ever been under the el as it passed above, you understand how abrubtly it can disrupt your thoughts. They capture both the sound and feeling of the el so well. I love how Tweedy keeps singing as the roar occurs above him. Being a Chicagoan whose thoughts have often been interrupted by the sound of the el above, I cannot help but applaud the conceptual idea as well as the excellent execution.

[Guest Runaway Jim]

I had never thought of that concept, nor heard that that is what they were going for until this thread.

 

Despite loving that concept, I don't love hearing it in the song.

 

Also, much of the time, I don't even notice the L roaring above me.

[Guest Speed Racer]

much of the time, I don't even notice the L roaring above me.

 

Much of the time, I don't notice the roaring in the song. Generally speaking, I don't like things to stick out in the music I'm listening to.

[marc w]

I always liked Via Chicago, but never understood the dissonant crashing, until I read somewhere that they were trying to capture the feeling of walking through Chicago and being caught in the thunderous roar of the El train. That little detail elevated the song in my mind from a great song to a brilliant and successful conceptual idea. If you've ever been under the el as it passed above, you understand how abrubtly it can disrupt your thoughts. They capture both the sound and feeling of the el so well. I love how Tweedy keeps singing as the roar occurs above him. Being a Chicagoan whose thoughts have often been interrupted by the sound of the el above, I cannot help but applaud the conceptual idea as well as the excellent execution.

 

 

Ermm, wasn't that a joke? It has nothing to do with the el train.

[Shining Sunbeam]

I have to say - I wonder how you can be a fan of Wilco if you're not into that stuff!

 

I'm not totally against it. I think it's done beautifully at the end of You Are My Face. For me, however, it's too heavy handed in via Chicago, though the explnation about the El train provides just the explanation I was looking for when I started this thread and gives me a new context in which to think about it.