Rank The Studio Albums

[TCP]

An important note from last night's Wilco concert regarding (potentially) this thread, courtesy bbop:

Perhaps the funniest bit from Jeff, though, came midway through the main set when went he went on a mini-rant about people ranking albums and the like (has he been reading that rather annoying thread in another section of this forum, I wonder?) At any rate, unprompted, he thought aloud: "Why do people rank records? It's like ranking friends. ... You meet a new person and say, 'This guy's way better than the guy you grew up with.' Just think about it and submit some writing to our Web site if you want to pursue the analogy." Jeff then went on to jokingly equate ranking records to ranking Monet paintings, quipping, "Waterlillies? Meh."

Based off that I will now update my Wilco album standings to a 10 way tie between AM, Being There, Summerteeth, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, A Ghost Is Born, Sky Blue Sky, Wilco (The Album), The Whole Love, Star Wars, and Schmilco. ALL RECORDS ARE EQUAL! 

[Albert Tatlock]

But some records are more equal than others. And as for double albums on vinyl, 4 sides good, 2 sides bad!

[lost highway]

He really shouldn't read this shit.

[randomname]

Perhaps the funniest bit from Jeff, though, came midway through the main set when went he went on a mini-rant about people ranking albums and the like (has he been reading that rather annoying thread in another section of this forum, I wonder?) At any rate, unprompted, he thought aloud: "Why do people rank records? It's like ranking friends. ... You meet a new person and say, 'This guy's way better than the guy you grew up with.' Just think about it and submit some writing to our Web site if you want to pursue the analogy." Jeff then went on to jokingly equate ranking records to ranking Monet paintings, quipping, "Waterlillies? Meh."

 

 

Now I feel bad for participating in this thread. As atonement, I have compiled the list below:

 

1. Water-Lilies, Reflection of a Weeping Willow

2. Water-Lilies and Agapanthus

3. Yellow and Lilac Water-Lilies

4. Water-Lilies (study)

5. The Water-Lily Pond and Bridge

6. The Bridge over the Water-Lily Pond

7. Water-Lily Pond, Water Irises

8. Water-Lily Pond, Symphony in Rose

9. The Water-Lily Pond (also known as Japanese Bridge)

10. Water-Lilies, Evening Effect

[Uncle Skujelo]

Maybe slightly off topic, but I just listened to Sky Blue Sky for the first time in a very long time, and I'm floored. It's beautiful. I must rank it much higher than I previously did.

[Kicking Television]

1) A Ghost is Born

2) Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

3) Being There

4) Summerteeth

5) Schmilco

6) Sky Blue Sky

7) Star Wars

8) The Whole Love

9) A.M

10) Wilco (The Album)

[kidsmoke]

Maybe slightly off topic, but I just listened to Sky Blue Sky for the first time in a very long time, and I'm floored. It's beautiful. I must rank it much higher than I previously did.

 

I know, right? The title song knocks me off my feet every time.

 

 

But I don't know how you guys can rank the albums...to me it'd be like ranking animals, they're all a bit too different to compare:

 

Uh.....

 

tiger

horse 

dog

giraffe

hamster

elephant

cat

lion

cow

shark

 

and I know I left some out!

 

 

Oh, oh! Goat has to be in there somewhere...maybe about halfway even...and raccoon is really good, too....

[lost highway]

I know, right? The title song knocks me off my feet every time.

 

But I don't know how you guys can rank the albums...to me it'd be like ranking animals, they're all a bit too different to compare:

 

Uh.....

 

tiger

horse 

dog

giraffe

hamster

elephant

cat

lion

cow

shark

 

and I know I left some out!

 

 

Oh, oh! Goat has to be in there somewhere...maybe about halfway even...and raccoon is really good, too....

 

Barry disagrees.

 

[jbray]

I know, right? The title song knocks me off my feet every time.

 

But I don't know how you guys can rank the albums...to me it'd be like ranking animals, they're all a bit too different to compare:

I mean it's different for everybody, for me it's about ranking the emotional impact or connection I have to the records. I don't rank them for quality. I'm sure there are people who rank them similarly or even to show their distaste but everybody is entitled to their opinions and reasons, I guess. I'd also say that's why you see a lot of people posting about tiers of their preferences instead of hard lists. If I let you know that I listened to A.M. five or six times in the month of September so far alone, what does that say about how little the list really means, you know?

 

Here is my incomplete list (Schmilco is too new for me):

 

AGIB

YHF

SBS

SW  \

ST    |

           - Sch. (Somewhere in this grouping) 

BT    |  

tWL  /

AM

WtA

 

Maybe slightly off topic, but I just listened to Sky Blue Sky for the first time in a very long time, and I'm floored. It's beautiful. I must rank it much higher than I previously did.

One day, I believe this record will get the due it deserves. It's a beautiful record with an awful lot of lyrical depth and emotional nuance. I'd say it's the most unique record in the catalog at this point.

[sonicshoulder]

Barry disagrees.

 

This picture contains compact discs, a corded telephone and an ash tray....ahhhh the good old days. 

[Uncle Skujelo]

I mean it's different for everybody, for me it's about ranking the emotional impact or connection I have to the records. I don't rank them for quality. I'm sure there are people who rank them similarly or even to show their distaste but everybody is entitled to their opinions and reasons, I guess. I'd also say that's why you see a lot of people posting about tiers of their preferences instead of hard lists. If I let you know that I listened to A.M. five or six times in the month of September so far alone, what does that say about how little the list really means, you know?

 

Here is my incomplete list (Schmilco is too new for me):

 

AGIB

YHF

SBS

SW  \

ST    |

           - Sch. (Somewhere in this grouping) 

BT    |  

tWL  /

AM

WtA

 

One day, I believe this record will get the due it deserves. It's a beautiful record with an awful lot of lyrical depth and emotional nuance. I'd say it's the most unique record in the catalog at this point.

 

I'm sure it has been said many times, but after YHF and AGIB I think many were disappointed that Tweedy scaled back the sonic canvas in favour of something more simple and direct, and this was seen as something "lesser". I will admit to being in this camp, but years later I'm discovering that "simpler" can be "better" when the songs are this good.

[lost highway]

This picture contains compact discs, a corded telephone and an ash tray....ahhhh the good old days.

Back when the dis "that's a Cosby sweater" invoked well-placed nostalgia instead of trauma.

[a-me-with-a-you]

I'm sure it has been said many times, but after YHF and AGIB I think many were disappointed that Tweedy scaled back the sonic canvas in favour of something more simple and direct, and this was seen as something "lesser". I will admit to being in this camp, but years later I'm discovering that "simpler" can be "better" when the songs are this good.

 

I tend to respect that they just had two experimental-ish albums in them, better this way than to see the ghosts of that quality in a third/fourth experimental album. They had something to say/express and they accomplished that, end of story.

 

Concerning simple or complex songs, I go back and forth on my preference, both in the Wilco catalogue and on a larger scale. I'm in the camp of the layered ones lately, therefore my album order is:

 

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

A Ghost is Born

 

(gap in quality)

 

Summerteeth

Being There

Sky Blue Sky

The Whole Love

 

(gap in quality)

 

Wilco (The Album)

 

(gap in quality)

 

A.M.

 

I fully realize The Whole Love is a better album than Sky Blue Sky but it don't have as much of a personal connection to it, the time it came into my life, the significant times I spent listening to it. I'm nearing 30 now and back in 2007 I felt everything a little deeper it seems, I guess this is close to everyone else's experience, more stability but less intensity. Note 2: I love all of these albums above of course.

 

Schmilco's too recent to include and I'm having a really hard time finding motivation to explore Star Wars... I've really fallen for You Satellite so I have a tiny bit of hope the rest of the album will follow. I've tried several times and got discouraged. How do people generally rank the songs on that album? 

[lost highway]

Schmilco's too recent to include and I'm having a really hard time finding motivation to explore Star Wars... I've really fallen for You Satellite so I have a tiny bit of hope the rest of the album will follow. I've tried several times and got discouraged. How do people generally rank the songs on that album?

If Random Name Generator doesn't inspire you to explore you can probably hang it up. That song feels like a single and a mission statement for the record to me.

[a-me-with-a-you]

If Random Name Generator doesn't inspire you to explore you can probably hang it up. That song feels like a single and a mission statement for the record to me.

 

I didn't like that one until I found the version of the Pitchfork Music Festival in 2015, now I'm leaning towards thumbs up for that one. Actually, because of how soft Schmilco's sound was I grabbed back to Star Wars for the first time in months and months, remembering I disliked it on first listen but also thought it was an edgy, interesting try. I don't want to be 'that guy' who's always dissing new albums because he doesn't have the capacity to evolve, but on the other hand, how come I loved the Whole Love on first listen, you know?

 

Edit: okay, I'd like to change my order to bump up Summerteeth to second place above AGIB. 

 

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Summerteeth

A Ghost is Born

Being There

 

(gap in quality)

 

Sky Blue Sky

The Whole Love

 

(gap in quality)

 

Wilco (The Album)

 

(gap in quality)

 

A.M.

 

 

Basically in no particular order. In other words, this could also read:

 

01. YHF/ ST/ AGIB/ BT

02. SBS/ TWL

03. WTA

04. A.M.

 

I have over 5000 plays of them and I appreciate nearly the whole discography deeply and still think it's quite clear YHF is their best album and I think it's a little typical of a fan forum to declare another album above it. 

[WilcoTheologian]

So here is my list, and I am sure people will definitely disagree with my order haha. But I have arranged them in order of replay ability. At least to my ears. So the number one album is the most played, while the number 10 is the album I have the most trouble playing on a whim. I love every Wilco album, I just prefer a record that I can digest in one sitting, or on a car ride. So that's me! Here is my list, 1 being my favorite, and 10 being my least favorite (which is still epic cause it's Wilco. Duh.)

 

1. Being There ( I listen to this album the most often for sure. I get in the car, realize I want to hear Wilco, and easily select this as my first option. I love every song, and know that a lot of fans agree! Since most Wilco concerts I've been to get a rousing cheer for any song off this album.)

 

2. A Ghost is Born (I do not listen to this album as much as the other top 5 on this list. But I just love it so much. From Hell is Chrome to The Late Greats, this album is my brain performed by Wilco. Good for the days I just want to sit down and digest a complex record.)

 

3. Schmilco (On the first listen I was not that excited. But after a week of listening to this album it quickly moved up my list. I love early Wilco, but this album is definitely an incredible work of art. I did not like sukierae too much, so I feel like Schmilco is the album I wished sukierae would have been.)

 

4. Star Wars ( Once again I did not really like this album on the first listen. It was so unWilco to me. But after a year this album is go to road trip music for me. I can lsiten to it over and over without getting tired of it. Plus it's the only album all of my nonWilco fan friends enjoy.)

 

5. A.M. ( I am always surprised when People list this album so low. I love A.M. so much! I used to not though. I was not a country guy, and I'm still not. But over the years I have enjoyed folk music more and more, so this album grown on me!)

 

6. The Whole Love ( I do not listen to this album often, but when I do it is epic! The first Wilco show I ever went to was for this tour, and that show hooked me imedietly. I love this album, especially when the pull out these songs in concert! Art of Almost is my Oh Yeah! Concert moment.)

 

7. Wilco The Album (My dad had been a Wilco fan forever. I was never into them, or really never gave them a chance. So when I was at the library I saw this on the new relases rack and grabbed it for my dad. Of course I fell in love with Wilco that night and have enjoyed it ever since.)

 

8. Sky Blue Sky ( This is probably my least listened to album. I enjoy it, but after awhile I wonder is this still playing? Still a great album, but not my go to for sure.)

 

9. Summerteeth (Feels a bit dated to me. But my sister loves this album. Maybe that is why I never listen to it haha.)

 

10. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (This album probably suffers from hype syndrome for me. I enjoyed it the first time around, and love Jesus Etc. Probably my favorite song. But I just never listen to it. It's too noisy and in your face for me. I love the songs live, but have trouble getting through the album. I am probably the only Wilco fan to think this way! Haha)

 

 

[a-me-with-a-you]

Okay WilcoTheologian, that's a fresh take 

 

Orders are gonna differ but as for me, I save up play time of my favorite albums, the more I play it, the more I wear the songs out and after a while they stop surprising me and that makes me sad. YHF is far from my most played Wilco record just because I like it so much. 

 

Btw: you do realize Summerteeth's retro sound is intentional? It's a love letter to the Beach Boys era.

[mus2009]

I've been listening to Sky Blue Sky as fall kicks into gear, and this album has continued to grow on me nearly a decade later with how simply honest & beautiful it is. For whatever reason "Leave Me (Like You Found Me)" has hit me hard on this recent round of spinning SBS.

[Uncle Skujelo]

Yeah, I've been on a massive WILCO kick lately, and SBS just keeps getting better and better to my ears. Strangely, AGIB is starting to slide to mid pack. AGIB has many wonderful songs, but it also has excess, which is something WILCO is rarely guilty of.

 

On a slight side note, I just received all four Uncle Tupelo albums (2003 editions, Legacy edition for No Depression). I can't wait to hear how they "fit" into this epic story.   

[Analogman]

That's nice. Although it must be a weird trip to go backwards. Now you need some Son Volt.

[ction]

The ones with Jay Bennett are better than the ones without Jay Bennett.  Of the albums without Jay Bennett, the one with Brian Henneman is better than the ones without Brian Henneman,  

[choo-choo-charlie]

The ones with Jay Bennett are better than the ones without Jay Bennett. Of the albums without Jay Bennett, the one with Brian Henneman is better than the ones without Brian Henneman,

A.M. is better than AGIB? Depends on the day for me. Today, having spun AGIB only vinyl for the first time in a long while, I'm not sure there's a better record.

[Uncle Skujelo]

Man, this is so hard to do, and it changes every month. FUCK I love Wilco!! This month:

 

1. YHF

2. Summerteeth

3. SBS

4. TWL

5. Schmilco

6. Star wars

7. AGIB

8. WTA

9. BT

10. AM

[DaydreamNation]

1. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

2. Being There

3. A Ghost Is Born

 

4. Summerteeth

5. The Whole Love

6. Sky Blue Sky

 

7. A.M.

8. Schmilco

9. Star Wars

10. Wilco (The Album)

[Uncle Skujelo]

 

 

On a slight side note, I just received all four Uncle Tupelo albums (2003 editions, Legacy edition for No Depression). I can't wait to hear how they "fit" into this epic story.   

 

Forgive me, for I know this is somewhat off-topic, but I am having a hard time finding the Uncle Tupelo thread.

 

Wow, UT was good! The first album burst right out of the gate on a very high note. I really admire the Peter Buck produced 3rd album. I'm surprised to find that Anodyne, of all their albums, ie the Major Label Debut, The One That Was Supposed To Hit It, is the hands down weakling of the 4, to my ears. No Sense In Lovin' must be the worst song that Tweedy has ever put his lips to. There is something seriously lacking in Anodyne that was present in the other 3.

 

IMHO A.M. continues on this unfortunate path. It sounds rushed and half baked to me. But Being There is the great leap forward. Wilco really begins with BT.

 

On another note, I still cannot grasp how great YHF is. The older I get, the more this monumental album grips my brain. Wilco have done wonderful things over the last 15 years, but there was a special magic with YHF which may never be recaptured. All the stars aligned. It's otherworldly. I think Tweedy knows this, and he purposely tries not to emulate it in any way, shape or form. What Wilco does now is wonderful (I love SW and Schmilco), but it is a different thing than YHF.