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Being Jeff Tweedy: Life with Wilco (article)


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Being Jeff Tweedy: Life with Wilco

By Jim Harrington

Oakland Tribune

 

Jeff Tweedy's day is booked solid. He's got a full schedule of phone interviews, promoting his band's upcoming tour dates, as well as some errands to run for his wife.

 

The Wilco leader is in full multitask mode as he takes a call, fielding questions while his "honey-do" list leads him through the streets of Chicago. Not helping matters is that the Windy City just had experienced its first major snowfall of the season, which has traffic tied up in knots.

 

"It drives me crazy," the 44-year-old singer-songwriter mutters. "It's like no one has ever seen snow before."

 

continue reading: http://www.mercurynews.com/music/ci_19800620

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Really enjoyable, although it does use the old 'from the ashes of Uncle Tupelo' line.

 

Next album release, we need to come up with a drinking game based on reviewers using that phrase.

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Well that's a first.

 

Yeah...I re-read it and I said 'aw hell'.

 

Sleep deprivation...that's my story and I'm sticking to it.

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Really enjoyable, although it does use the old 'from the ashes of Uncle Tupelo' line.

 

Next album release, we need to come up with a drinking game based on reviewers using that phrase.

 

I agree with that...really good article but that statement is like beyond stale.

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I agree with that...really good article but that statement is like beyond stale.

 

Actually, maybe we should embrace it.

 

Make t-shirts or somesuch...

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Good article, but this quote doesn't square with reality:

 

"Thus, without selling a ton of records or making flashy videos, TV appearances or reality shows, Wilco has developed an ardent and loyal fan base."

 

You'd be hard pressed to find a band that's made more TV appearances than Wilco.

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The other quote from the article that seems odd is the statement from Jeff where he supposedly said that they play the entire new album at almost every concert. That's definitely not true--it's more like maybe 8 songs--and I can't imagine that Jeff would have actually said that. I suspect it was an unintentional misquote.

 

Otherwise, it was a really good article from someone who's obviously a fan!

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Good article, but this quote doesn't square with reality:

 

"Thus, without selling a ton of records or making flashy videos, TV appearances or reality shows, Wilco has developed an ardent and loyal fan base."

 

You'd be hard pressed to find a band that's made more TV appearances than Wilco.

 

the roots?

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The other quote from the article that seems odd is the statement from Jeff where he supposedly said that they play the entire new album at almost every concert. That's definitely not true--it's more like maybe 8 songs--and I can't imagine that Jeff would have actually said that. I suspect it was an unintentional misquote.

 

Otherwise, it was a really good article from someone who's obviously a fan!

 

Don't see it as a misquote myself, 8 or 9 songs per night qualifies as most. The quote leads on from a comment about the last album from which they generally only played 5 or 6 songs per night. As a back catalogue grows it must become harder to leave out the favourites, standards or whatever.

 

--K

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'so is wilco over-rated?' i hate this kind of stuff. jeff is so kind. i'd respond...'you really don't have anything else than that?' why do these hacks continue to ask and write the same thing? it goes to show you that when you really know a subject it's quite scary how 'wrong' most news stories are.

 

i'd like reviewers to ask how they get a certain sound on the album, what do you do while on tour, what are you listening to now, solo album, when do you write, how do you write, tell us about writing X.

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'so is wilco over-rated?' i hate this kind of stuff. jeff is so kind. i'd respond...'you really don't have anything else than that?' why do these hacks continue to ask and write the same thing? it goes to show you that when you really know a subject it's quite scary how 'wrong' most news stories are.

 

i'd like reviewers to ask how they get a certain sound on the album, what do you do while on tour, what are you listening to now, solo album, when do you write, how do you write, tell us about writing X.

 

Agreed 100%. It's gotta be frustrating to be the interviewee and being probed with the same regurgitated questions ad nauseam.

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Ooo, not good proofreading here.

 

"Aside from the creature comforts of touring, compared with what touring use to be like 20 years ago"

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