Kamera vs. War on War

[chanman1128]

I hate doing this, and I apologize because I know a lot of you guys don't like to compare this type of shit. But both songs are fantastic, and I think they are similar. I asked a few of my friends and it was pretty much split, and I wanted to see what the forum likes better.

 

if i HAD to choose, Id go Kamera.

[mpolak21]

Well, I am all for anything that lets me talk about Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

 

Six times out of ten when I listen to Foxtrot, War on War is my favorite thing on it. It gets my vote. I just love the tune and the line "you have to learn how to die if you want to be alive." Kamera is tremendous as well, I can get lost in Glenn's percussion and the wall of sound guitars and keyboards and listen to it on repeat dozens of times.

 

--Mike

[Excitable Boy]

Kamera might be my favorite Wilco song period.

[LouisvilleGreg]

"War on War" still slays me all these years later, my favorite on YHF and top 5 all time. That song actually helped me get through some hard shit back in '02. The only time I ever cried at a Wilco show was hearing "War On War" live around that time. The more appropriate thread should have been between all of the versions of "Kamera." I'm partial to the big rock demo version. I wish they would play it that way live.

[theashtraysays]

True story / weird coincidence: I made a playlist on my ipod that I keep in my car this morning which consists of all the versions of Kamera / Camera I have (7 in total including live versions) just because I love all the variations of that song. It also picked up the R.E.M. version from Reckoning!

[froggie]

Kamera for me

[AJ673]

Kamera all the way!

[JAK2112]

War on War, no competition. One of those perfect Wilco songs, blew my mind at Dutchess Stadium last summer

[English St]

War on War. But I need a Kamera to my eye too.

[Sir Stewart]

Kamera is the best Wilco groove ever.

[LouieB]

War on War slightly edges out Kamera to me....

 

LouieB

[u2roolz]

To me I think Pot Kettle Black & Kamera make a better match up.

Listen to the record and live bootlegs and tell me if the band confuses the beginning of either song and you're still not sure for a few bars and go "ok..it's Kamera etc." (a YHF outtake )

 

One show in particular the band is somewhat clearly kind of doing the intro to Kamera and it's supposed to be Pot Kettle Black, so they eventually speed it up to be Pot Kettle Black. Or the intro to Pot Kettle Black slowed down would sound like Kamera? I wish I remembered which show it was. Time to start digging.

 

Well, now that I did my research I think the thing is that they start off Kamera with a more aggressive electric guitar rather than on the record and that kind of sounds like Pot Kettle Black at least for 5 seconds. What I did remember sadly was that the intro to Pot Kettle Black reminds me of The Cure's In Between Days.

 

But I did find that the 9-1-07 & 10-17-07 shows did sound like they were playing Kamera instead of Pot Kettle Black in the intro which they correct themselves on very quickly.

[tongue-tied]

I like Kamera's lyrics, but on record, War on War has more energy.

[Sir Stewart]

The only minus for War On War for me is the repetition of the title ("It's a war on war/It's a war on war...") ...doesn't sound good to me, wish they'd not done it.

[choo-choo-charlie]

The only minus for War On War for me is the repetition of the title ("It's a war on war/It's a war on war...") ...doesn't sound good to me, wish they'd not done it.

 

I think the melody is better in "Kamera," and agree with you on the point of the repetition in "War on War." I think the best versions of both songs are on YHF.

[Moss]

The only minus for War On War for me is the repetition of the title ("It's a war on war/It's a war on war...") ...doesn't sound good to me, wish they'd not done it.

 

 

Yep, this is the reason I went with Kamera.

[Guest Ordinary Beehive]

I love both songs but I'll go with Kamera.

 

"You have to learn how to die if you want to be alive" is one of the very best lyrics Tweedy has ever written though.

[Guest Speed Racer]

While I do like the lines in War on War, I really prefer the lyrics of Kamera overall. "Which lies have I been hiding?" "I'm counted out, and no one knows how far." "I'm counting on / A heart I know by heart / To walk me through this war / Where memories distort."

 

It's also an incredibly versitile song, which I just love. So many different ways to play the song to convey so many different feelings with the same lyrics and melody.

 

I also don't really like the repetition of the title phrase in "War on War," but I do like how they layer the vocals and it builds to the "learn how to die" part.

[W(TF)]

This is actually a really tough poll. I agree with most of the things that have already been said.....but War On War is just a bit too indespensible for me. I vote WoW.

[MCHowdy]

Damn hard decision. I'm going with WOW only because it sounded terrific during the "Acoustic" set during An Evening With Wilco. And great harmonies.

[Tanner]

Kamera vs. Baby Blue

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C53QAuOoSgc

[MCHowdy]

Kamera vs. Baby Blue

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C53QAuOoSgc

 

Didn't want this to go unresponded to. You are EXACTLY right! And I love me some Badfinger.

[mountain bed]

I'm partial to the big rock demo version. I wish they would play it that way live.

Yes. I LOVE that version. This is a real toughie, but I'll go with Kamera by a nose. Love the lyrics, and I love to play that tune.

[welch79]

Well, I am all for anything that lets me talk about Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

 

Six times out of ten when I listen to Foxtrot, War on War is my favorite thing on it. It gets my vote. I just love the tune and the line "you have to learn how to die if you want to be alive." Kamera is tremendous as well, I can get lost in Glenn's percussion and the wall of sound guitars and keyboards and listen to it on repeat dozens of times.

 

--Mike

 

the only thing i'd change about this post for it to be my thoughts exactly is changing the six to seven times outta ten.

 

war on war. good jam, love the lyrics, fun to crank...plus it bats cleanup on yhf. home run every time.

[Ghost of Electricity]

Kamera- the lyrics, the backing vocals, the percussion, and also the fact that it's "lightness" comes as somewhat of a releif after the "heaviness" at the end of IATTBYH. And yes, I never tire of talking about YHF either, so I might have to change my mind later just to have an excuse to keep talking about it.

 

And geeze, I still miss Jay...