Jump to content

Has Tweedy "turned out all Bono"?


Recommended Posts

The fruits of bored labor can sometimes snap me out of said boredom. While bored I was using the search function at jayfarrar.net, looking in vain for an old thread and came across the following gem of a post. It was on a thread asking if anyone was going to see Wilco on their current, Sept-Nov. 2004, tour. I am hoping that it will spark some replies here but I certainly could be wrong.

 

This was posted by Duckman of Bergen, Norway on Thursday, September 16, 2004:

 

"I just can't get around to liking Wilco...

I've really tried, bought A.M and Summerteeth, and downloaded the rest of the albums.

And I really like the stuff Tweedy did in Tupelo, so it's kinda' sad that he's turned out all Bono.

 

So I've just given up."

 

I guess that it has to do with political speechifying? I remember the MSG NYE 2004 show we attended where Tweedy made some anti-Repub cracks. But "all Bono"?

Link to post
Share on other sites

No. If that persons point of reference for a political activist rock star is Bono then they shouldn't be trusted because that type of thing has only been around since the 80s...obviously :ninja

Very unoriginal theory by whoever that was. I understand why people get upset when musicians make political commentary during a live setting, but to completely give up on them is infantile.

I never understood the "shouldn't be discussing politics, they should only be rocking and asking me to put my hands up and/or lighters out". So artists, actors and musicians should just shut the fuck up when it comes to this because their platform is too big? Stop your whining and start a blog. Unreal. Most people want to know who so and so is banging, but anytime they begin to tell us about their beliefs people go berzerk.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I think the line that gets crossed is when an artist is more known for his/her politics than their music. I haven't been a fan of U2 since the first couple of albums so I don't follow their music much at all -- but right or wrong that seems to be the perception of Bono to the average person. Much of that I'm sure is by being vilified as the prototypical activist musician, but I think his willingness to be outspoken on many political causes/issues is at the root of it.

 

I don't think Tweedy is anywhere close to being in Bono territory, at least not yet.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I think the line that gets crossed is when an artist is more known for his/her politics than their music. but right or wrong that seems to be the perception of Bono to the average person. Much of that I'm sure is by being vilified as the prototypical activist musician, but I think his willingness to be outspoken on many political causes/issues is at the root of it.

 

I don't think Tweedy is anywhere close to being in Bono territory, at least not yet.

 

Last time U2 played the Dallas area it was the crappy new behemoth Cowboy stadium. I didn't attend, but instead was at a Alice Cooper show at a small venue in downtown Dallas. On the way home after the gig there was a motorcade that i passes complete with Dallas PD leading and tailing the 5 stretch limos leaving the stadium. It was surly U2 in that motorcade. Looked very similar to a politicians motorcade.

 

During the AGIB tour i waited out side a Phoenix venue, and after Tweedy greeted all of us that waited for him, he jumped into a POC late model Ford pinto and drove away.

 

i would agree Tweedy is not anywhere close to being in Bono territory... and least in terms of his motorcade ego! :thumbup

Link to post
Share on other sites

Last time U2 played the Dallas area it was the crappy new behemoth Cowboy stadium. I didn't attend, but instead was at a Alice Cooper show at a small venue in downtown Dallas. On the way home after the gig there was a motorcade that i passes complete with Dallas PD leading and tailing the 5 stretch limos leaving the stadium. It was surly U2 in that motorcade. Looked very similar to a politicians motorcade.

 

During the AGIB tour i waited out side a Phoenix venue, and after Tweedy greeted all of us that waited for him, he jumped into a POC late model Ford pinto and drove away.

 

i would agree Tweedy is not anywhere close to being in Bono territory... and least in terms of his motorcade ego! :thumbup

 

And now he probably has a

volkswagen_5.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

It may have been just because of the time frame that Tweedy may have been more political. It was before, during and after an election where Bush was running and re-elected, and Tweedy, a liberal, was probably more vocal about the condition of the country/world with that particular Republican in charge. He was the same (or maybe more so) in 2008. Still, I don't think Tweedy has even approached Bono level.

 

I'd rather performers perform than preach or pander. Entertain me while I escape the world for a couple hours, please. That's what I'm paying for.

Link to post
Share on other sites

That is a strange picture. What in hell?

 

I think that I will PM Duckman and ask him what he meant. After reading the post again, I don't get the feeling that politically active Bono was what he was getting at. Either way, it has to be the oddest Tweedy criticism that I have ever come across

Link to post
Share on other sites

What I find interesting about Duckman's comment is that it seems to me that Uncle Tupelo seem to make many more "political" statements than Wilco ever made in their music.

I am a latecomer to Uncle Tupelo, but in exploring Jay & Jeff's lyrics in UT songs I find several political lyrics if not those that at least describe the plight of the lower working class.

Songs like Graveyard Shift, Fall Down easy, Sauget Wind (yes I realize that these were penned by Jay)could be considered a lot more political then Jeff covering "Political Science" and dedicating it to Dick Cheney.

Link to post
Share on other sites

First there was "I Got You, Babe"

 

67ed113a.jpg

 

Then there was "You and I"

 

ac424981.jpg

 

Candy duet pop songs, green shirts, watches, fucked-up hair, and crotch-reaching. All we need is a Tweedy smile and Jeff will be "all Bono."

Actually, that picture of Jeff has always reminded me of another great songwriter, the Un-Bono

john-prine-328.jpg

Link to post
Share on other sites

What I find interesting about Duckman's comment is that it seems to me that Uncle Tupelo seem to make many more "political" statements than Wilco ever made in their music.

I am a latecomer to Uncle Tupelo, but in exploring Jay & Jeff's lyrics in UT songs I find several political lyrics if not those that at least describe the plight of the lower working class.

Songs like Graveyard Shift, Fall Down easy, Sauget Wind (yes I realize that these were penned by Jay)could be considered a lot more political then Jeff covering "Political Science" and dedicating it to Dick Cheney.

 

It was a cover of a traditional, but "Coalminers" is another good example.

Link to post
Share on other sites

It was a cover of a traditional, but "Coalminers" is another good example.

 

Actually, 'Coalminers' was a Jay selection, not a Jeff one. I would definitely suggest checking out Man In the Sand if you haven't already. Jeff is clearly uncomfortable with the political agenda that Billy Bragg had for the Mermaid Avenue album and didn't make much effort to disguise his displeasure. I don't even think Woody Guthrie saw himself as political as Billy Bragg was trying to make him out to be. As the difficulty Dylan faced during the 60's, Guthrie was merely refecting upon what he saw from his perspective about the times and people who didn't have enough imagination of their own latched unto him and wanted him to be their spokesperson. Every time I hear about the incident at Newport with Dylan opening with 'Maggie's Farm', it would be amusing if it were true that Dylan was singing that song directly to the elder statesmen of the folk movement, as in saying, 'I'm not your monkey and I'm not going to play your games', but I can only speculate that is the case as I do not want to attach more meaning to that song than intended.

 

By the way, there is no way that Jeff could ever turn out all Bono. He would love have to love himself more than God for that to be the case.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...