Jump to content

The Whole Love -- Some Perspective


Recommended Posts

There have been some great songs from the post 2004 lineup as well, but the depth is not there for me on many of them.

 

Word. But I'm so glad they're not stingy with the pre-Ghost songs when playing live! I think they (Jeff, in particular) understand very clearly how important and resonant the earlier material is to long-time fans. And they do continue to feed the beast at shows... (our living in the past, of which I too am fairly guilty).

Link to post
Share on other sites
  • Replies 114
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Top Posters In This Topic

The question posed is "should we expect greatness at this point?". With this band and this lineup, I absolutely do. And they have consistently delivered for me, on recordings and live. Ok, I wouldn't say WTA is "great", but I like most of the tunes on there, a lot. and SBS is definitely a great album in my book. I'm amazed at how frequently it gets dissed around here. I am ready to bestow the "greatness" label to The Whole Love. Absolutely, and unequivocally.

 

Other bands at the 16 year mark? That would put the Dead at 1983. The only studio release they put out after that year that can even be considered "good" was In the Dark. Their biggest seller, with some really good songs, but nowhere near the creative greatness of American Beauty or the songs on Europe '72 or Live/Dead, etc.

 

Maybe someone more knowledgeable about Neil Young can place his output at the 16 year mark, but I figure there's at least one "great" album in there. Harvest Moon was '92, that's past the 16 year mark.

 

Dylan has Modern Times.

 

Bottom line for me, I continue to expect greatness from Tweedy and Wilco, and they have delivered with TWL. And the live performances with this lineup are off the hook.

 

Link to post
Share on other sites
Guest kechefs

The question posed is "should we expect greatness at this point?". With this band and this lineup, I absolutely do. And they have consistently delivered for me, on recordings and live. Ok, I wouldn't say WTA is "great", but I like most of the tunes on there, a lot. and SBS is definitely a great album in my book. I'm amazed at how frequently it gets dissed around here. I am ready to bestow the "greatness" label to The Whole Love. Absolutely, and unequivocally.

 

Other bands at the 16 year mark? That would put the Dead at 1983. The only studio release they put out after that year that can even be considered "good" was In the Dark. Their biggest seller, with some really good songs, but nowhere near the creative greatness of American Beauty or the songs on Europe '72 or Live/Dead, etc.

 

Maybe someone more knowledgeable about Neil Young can place his output at the 16 year mark, but I figure there's at least one "great" album in there. Harvest Moon was '92, that's past the 16 year mark.

 

Dylan has Modern Times.

 

Bottom line for me, I continue to expect greatness from Tweedy and Wilco, and they have delivered with TWL. And the live performances with this lineup are off the hook.

 

 

This

Link to post
Share on other sites
Tom Waits Rain Dogs.

 

Tom Waits - Mule Variations.

Bob Dylan - Blood on the Tracks.

 

Although I think the dynamic is slightly different for a solo artist than that of a band. I do agree that there aren't many bands putting out there best stuff sixteen years into there career. (Unless you count Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds).

 

One great album from a band that have been around for a long time was 'Snowflake Midnight' by Mercury Rev. However, since this record seemed to be ignored by the world at large maybe I'm in the minority on that one!

Link to post
Share on other sites

Not so sure about that. Someone has said that this new record, similar to the last one, is a "sample platter" of Wilco, and I guess I would tend to agree. I do think it much better executed, but their ability to defy expectation and not conform to stereotypes in the past was largely due to their restless explorations of new forms. It seems that has, for the most part, stopped, and they have found "a sound" to work with and are content developing that sound. Granted, "the sound" is quite varied.

Link to post
Share on other sites

Really. From a couple listens this is a really good album from a really good band, which shows a modicum of originality, plays to the bands strengths, and has enough enough to keep us interested and not pissed off. For a band approaching 20 years in business what else can you expect? Everyone in the band sounds great (particularly John, although Nels particular style seems submerged), the songs are good, the singing is great, there is enough pathos to keep people moved, there is plenty to keep the Radiohead fans on board, plenty for the dads, nice effects and keyboards (the ghost of Jay Bennett), etc. Its going to sell great, inject some new songs into the set lists and keep both new and old fans talking for a year or so. Good job all around.

 

LouieB

 

I've been wondering about this, about sales and commercial performance of The Whole Love, just because it's dBpM's first release and Jeff struck an odd, slightly anxious tone regarding commercial success in the Chicago Mag article. At least that's how I read. Will it sell well? You think? Of course the die-hards and perhaps casual fans will run out on release day, but will it be a commercial success? Will it at least build on WTA's numbers?

Link to post
Share on other sites

Let me drop off some band names too like Sonic Youth and Yo La Tengo: their ages are well beyond their recognition and they still have some of the best output in the world.

I would add Los Lobos to that list. They're last release being one of their best. 30+ years together, a band that's never gotten the recognition which I believe they so deserve.

Link to post
Share on other sites

The Flaming Lips did not peak (IMO) until The Soft Bulletin sixteen years into their careers. Yoshimi (which is a great record) came 19 years in. It's all perspective and relative. Also, Wilco's albums take longer for me to digest than most bands because there is a great depth that takes time to understand (excluding AM and WTA). So, I am going to reserve my judgement until ....Iater.

Link to post
Share on other sites

It seems that has, for the most part, stopped, and they have found "a sound" to work with and are content developing that sound. Granted, "the sound" is quite varied.

Take away Jeff's distinctive voice, and do you think that's still the case?

Which reminds me that I was hoping for another song with John on lead vocals, but we didn't get that.

Link to post
Share on other sites

 

and that is one amazing Tom Waits album. I didn't realize that

was 16 years in for him.

 

My math was wrong. That was more like 12 years in. There wasn't a new album at the 16 year point for Tom, but the next one was Bone Machine at 19 years. Still, pretty damn badass and forward looking for 16+ years into a music career. Definitely not someone who was losing steam.

 

In short, I don't buy the argument that a band shouldn't be expected to produce top quality work after they've been in the game for 15+ years.

Link to post
Share on other sites

the 'almost' video on youtube my have skewed my expectations. i was hoping for weirder. this is a fine effort, but it seems to be in quite the same vein of wilco as their last two records.

 

agree! i'm easy to please and will listen to TWL...but would love to see them push the limits a bit further.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I think once people absorb this masterpiece it may be ood to go back and listen to everything from YHF on. The Whole Love is pure genius, and this will be borne out by multiple listens, but everything that came before led to this. IF Wilco The Album was a sonic shoulder to cry on, Whole Love is a sonic smile to rely upon. Whole Love will go down as one of best albums of last century, but I can see why what preceeded it was important asto how they got here. This album istruly inspiring.

Link to post
Share on other sites

I think once people absorb this masterpiece it may be ood to go back and listen to everything from YHF on. The Whole Love is pure genius, and this will be borne out by multiple listens, but everything that came before led to this. IF Wilco The Album was a sonic shoulder to cry on, Whole Love is a sonic smile to rely upon. Whole Love will go down as one of best albums of last century, but I can see why what preceeded it was important asto how they got here. This album istruly inspiring.

Whole Love is not even out yet. How can it be one of the best albums of last century? Also I think they had a few great albums before YHF. I love the new one and think it's Wilco's best since AGIB but make some sense when you're talking about it.

Link to post
Share on other sites
If people are going to be required to make sense around here it wouldn't be much fun.

 

Correct. To quote David St. Hubbins. "Too much, there's too much fucking perspective now". God bless St. Hubbins, the patron saint of quality footwear if I recall.

Link to post
Share on other sites

 

 

Correct. To quote David St. Hubbins. "Too much, there's too much fucking perspective now". God bless St. Hubbins, the patron saint of quality footwear if I recall.

 

My father, brother and I re-created one of the finer moments of that film when we went to Graceland. At Elvis' grave we sang Heartbreak Hotel off key exactly like they do in the movie, ending with the great lines you quoted as it does in the scene. I'm pretty sure the people standing in line with Elvis fannypacks on didn't quite find as funny as we did.

 

--Mike

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...