Jeff Tweedy talks about New Album to Spin

[Magnetized]

Supremely rational and evenhanded person that I am, I guess I can see both sides, but I lean toward civility, if it comes down to a choice. And sometimes it really does come down to a choice. There are boards that are so damned unpleasant to read--nothing but one flaming, assholey comment after another--that you can't separate the wheat from the chaff and you just say screw it, I don't want to be a part of this group. That's when I really appreciate having moderators, especially when they're smart and exercise good judgment for the most part. That's not to say that we might not differ on occasion about what is stepping over the line, but I never have felt that the moderators here get any kind of a thrill from wielding their power, or that they do it to excess.

 

I love the freedom of the Internet and the fact that it can bring together a group of people from all over the world who share one specific, often narrow, interest. But I hate--HATE!--the flaming, personal attacks and oneupmanship and general douchebaggery that happens online. Would any of us want to be at a party or in a discussion in real life where people threw around insults and jabs like that? Maybe some people would, but I wouldn't.

 

I think of a board like this as a community. There's no way we're all going to agree on everything--THAT would be boring and useless--but I just see no reason to be obnoxious within your self-created community.

[shabba rich]

Thanks for filling me in on that. There isn't much on W(ta) that shows "the greatness of this songwriter and this band", in my opinion. If you want to like shitty albums because you think it's cool, you just go right ahead.

 

Every album has its strong points and weak points. I will agree that WTA has more weak spots than YHF. But someone who can't see that One Wing and Bull Black Nova are great tracks is someone who can't see what made Wilco great in the first place, IMO.

 

There are a couple of other tracks on WTA that I love but are not so objectively clear-cut "great" songs. Personally I will be happy if the new album has 4 or 5 tracks that I love even if the rest of it is dreck. Isn't it too much to ask that every song be great?

[Skian]

You people are wacky! Something is way wrong here. Did you forget the news?

Wilco has a new album coming out this Fall and there is a possiblity that it just may be a double album.

WTF people!

I can't believe the turn and tone of this thread.

Shall we blame Wilco for stringing you out for so long between albums.

Would you all behave a little better or be a little nicer if Wilco would produce an album a year? I doubt it.

You would surely find something to piss and moan about.

Grow up!

[Shakespeare In The Alley]

Is it better to piss and moan about an upcoming Wilco album or to piss and moan about how other people react to news of an upcoming Wilco album?

[Guest Speed Racer]

I think people here are saying the quality isn't great on the records that do come out. So no, Skian, I don't think people would be happier if they released *more* albums.

[dark]

I am just looking forward to this new Album ... odd, a friend of mine tried to turn me on Wilco when YFH came out ... hate to admit I didnt get it at the time but I eventually got turned on to them years later via live stuff ....now I like just about everything (a few exceptions). I suspect the new CD will be the same for me .... some stuff will resonate immediately and other stuff will have to grow on me ....in the end Tweedy and Wilco dont owe me anything except to honestly express themselves and I think that's a given that they will do just that.

[lost highway]

Suddenly the thread becomes negative, as people prepare to like, or not like something they haven't heard yet.

 

I already know I like the album and if you don't like it I don't like you. If you really like the first half but not the second of both SBS and W(TA) we should go get margaritas.

 

Has this thing leaked yet?

 

I was trying to be absurd here for humor, but if it only added to negativity- sorry for a misplaced joke.

 

I'm really excited about goings on. I don't see why anyone should end up feeling bad about Wilco making records. Get well soon everybody.

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

It's a really interesting dynamic that developes between fans of dearly loved bands/artists. Some feel the band/artist has lost their way, while others feel that the band/artist is evolving.

 

The only thing that gets a rise out of me anymore is the absolute manner in which some people deal with items that are matters of opinion. I'll be honest here. I used to majorly post on the usenet Springsteen boards but chose to move on when I could not post about the music without getting into an internet feud every other post. At least then the contention arose AFTER PEOPLE HAD ACUTALLY HEARD THE RECORD. I'm not suggesting that anybody leave, and I have no intention of leaving. I think the passions we express arise because we so desperately love this band.

 

Anybody feel the need to call me out, do so. Don't use the old elementary school teacher method of scolding the entire group when you have somebody pointedly in mind.

 

Anyway...I am anxiously awaiting the realease of the new record and hope I live long enough to have in imprinted on my frontal lobes.

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

And by the way,I find it fascinating in a personal sense that I find myself so well and fully smitten by an (let's be honest)obscure cult band. I only know two other people who have even heard of this band. And here I am ready to go to the matresses for this band.

[Scott Gyrrr]

...And here I am ready to go to the mattresses for this band.

I'm not familiar with this expression but I'm sure Wilco appreciates your sexy contribution.

[mpolak21]

I'm not familiar with this expression but I'm sure Wilco appreciates your sexy contribution.

 

It's a mafia term introduced in American pop culture by The Godfather: http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/159900.html

[Wise Enough]

Wilcos album is due out in September.

 

My baby is due out in September.

 

The real question is can I make another human quicker than wilco can make a record??

 

Game on.

[Bosco]

It also means your wife is wrong.

 

Now that's funny!

[jff]

I don't think Tweedy has much of an interest of meeting with fans under those circumstances.

 

And I think we all agree that those people provided the dopiest scene in the documentary. What we fail to admit is that we are all glad it was them in that moment and not any one of us. What can anyone say that's interesting and meaningful when the entire meeting is forced and unnatural? Fans don't belong backstage after a concert, no more than we should be invited into the clubhouse after the game. Wrong time, wrong place.

 

Save for the groupies, of course.

 

Maybe I misinterpreted that scene, but I thought those were record company and music press people, and not fans. I would never make fun of a fan who gets toungue-tied when they meet a band or artist they like, but people who work in the music industry should be able to ask a question that is somewhat intelligent.

 

The Courtney Love comment, if it was from a fan, was a regrettable one-liner. If it was from an industry person, it was insulting and ignorant.

[jff]

Wilcos album is due out in September.

 

My baby is due out in September.

 

The real question is can I make another human quicker than wilco can make a record??

 

Game on.

 

Are you considering having double babies?

[Guest Speed Racer]

Maybe I misinterpreted that scene, but I thought those were record company and music press people, and not fans. I would never make fun of a fan who gets toungue-tied when they meet a band or artist they like, but people who work in the music industry should be able to ask a question that is somewhat intelligent.

 

The Courtney Love comment, if it was from a fan, was a regrettable one-liner. If it was from an industry person, it was insulting and ignorant.

 

Huh. I think people are putting a lot of weight into this scene that it doesn't deserve. Most of them were industry people, and they/Jeff were schmoozing. And there was a camera there. And, by his own admission, Jeff was stoned out of his gourd during that period. So people are showing off for the camera, he's anxious/post-show drained, and people are schmoozing - that by itself automatically means people (Jeff and other company) are going to say really banal shit. And that's what we saw. It wasn't ignorant, it wasn't insulting, it was a lame-ass joke. Thank god cameras don't follow me around all the time.

[Guest Speed Racer]

At least then the contention arose AFTER PEOPLE HAD ACUTALLY HEARD THE RECORD.

 

This thread is not about the new record. This thread is about a new interview (now two interviews, I suppose) which happens to be about the new record. No one's getting all contentious about songs they haven't heard; in fact, most of the contention is about albums already out of the gate.

[Preferred B]

I will donate my entire salary for three months to support the bandwidth of VC if the new 7", "I Might," is not a mid-tempo piece about falling short in love and life.

Woo, VC may thank you! Last weekend I attended our Hotel SnS basement show, and Jeff played this song. It's hard to know for sure from the acoustic version, but my somewhat hazy memory indicates that it sounded pretty rocking. Not sure I could speak to the overall lyrical content, but I think there was a line about setting kids on fire...

 

 

I was trying to be absurd here for humor, but if it only added to negativity- sorry for a misplaced joke.

Hey, I laughed.

[Guest Speed Racer]

Shit. I should have done some reconnaissance before posting that. Meh, I'll fork something over if I'm wrong, certainly. Money and the mouth and all that.

[Synthesizer Patel]

This thread is not about the new record. This thread is about a new interview (now two interviews, I suppose) which happens to be about the new record. No one's getting all contentious about songs they haven't heard; in fact, most of the contention is about albums already out of the gate.

 

for me, this thread isn't even about 2 interviews. it's about what people have said about those 2 interviews and quoted jeff tweedy as saying, cos i can't be bothered to read them myself. i like it more that way, cos it' means i'm a lot more likely to get the wrong end of the stick on something, and therefore be riled up enough to make some comments. i might even try doing this with the new album: get someone else to hear it first and then ask them to hum me the songs.

 

the point about all this "not liking something straight off cos you haven't spent time listening to it" is all i really get annoyed about. if you're going to take that view then you also have to take the view that people who say they love the album straight away are also fallible to making errors on judging the quality of the music. it's also the same as when people say "it's just your opinion that you don't like it, but everyone elses opinion on it is EQUALLY as valid" - that view of things, to me, makes everyone's opinion not have EQUALLY high value, it makes everyone's opinion have EQUALLY low value, or rather - no value at all. this is because it completely removes the element of knowledge and ability out of the equation, putting everyone on an equal playing field of musical or artistic understanding - and as we can assume that no human being can know absolutely everything about a given subject (here being music), it must follow that every human being must know nothing about the subject, if we are to all be equal.

[Preferred B]

Well, I'm sure you could spin lyric interpretation pretty much any way if you really wanted to.

[jff]

Shit. I should have done some reconnaissance before posting that. Meh, I'll fork something over if I'm wrong, certainly. Money and the mouth and all that.

 

You always need a "wiggle word" when you put money on the table. I narrowly escaped having to donate $100 after a comment I made about curling as an olympic sport.

[Guest Speed Racer]

Truth.

 

I also have to say I think the tentative title of "Get Well Soon Everybody" comes off a little...smarmy? Condescending? Self-righteous?

[jff]

the point about all this "not liking something straight off cos you haven't spent time listening to it" is all i really get annoyed about. if you're going to take that view then you also have to take the view that people who say they love the album straight away are also fallible to making errors on judging the quality of the music. it's also the same as when people say "it's just your opinion that you don't like it, but everyone elses opinion on it is EQUALLY as valid" - that view of things, to me, makes everyone's opinion not have EQUALLY high value, it makes everyone's opinion have EQUALLY low value, or rather - no value at all. this is because it completely removes the element of knowledge and ability out of the equation, putting everyone on an equal playing field of musical or artistic understanding - and as we can assume that no human being can know absolutely everything about a given subject (here being music), it must follow that every human being must know nothing about the subject, if we are to all be equal.

 

This is basically why democracy has failed.

[ih8music]

I also have to say I think the tentative title of "Get Well Soon Everybody" comes off a little...smarmy? Condescending? Self-righteous?

I'd go for "observant" -- things are pretty fucked up these days, on many levels.

 

That title will only work if the songs add commentary on the current state of affairs, of course -- which I'm sure a lot of VCers will hate.