choo-choo-charlie Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 "This eight-song EP, comprised primarily of tracks from Wilco's most recent album The Whole Love, also finds them unearthing older song-oriented material that suggests they're getting back to the business of being a pop band."Full review: http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/16227-itunes-sessions/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sweet Papa Crimbo Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 "This eight-song EP, comprised primarily of tracks from Wilco's most recent album The Whole Love, also finds them unearthing older song-oriented material that suggests they're getting back to the business of being a pop band." Full review: http://pitchfork.com...tunes-sessions/ As opposed to what? A Klezmer, funk fusion band? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kalle Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 They really never give them their due on that site do they? Pretty sure WTA is still their highest rated album since YHF, which is absolutely insane. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
KevinG Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 As opposed to what? A Klezmer, funk fusion band? If they had recorded a Klezmer, funk fusion band they would have gotten a 8.9. Wilco is not cool enough for Pitchfork. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bleedorange Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 I thought it was a pretty good review. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Oil Can Boyd Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Pitchfork's Wilco history: Summerteeth 9.4MA2 6.3YHF 10.0More Like the Moon 7.0A Ghost is Born 6.6Kicking Television 8.3Sky Blue Sky 5.2Wilco the Album 7.3The Whole Love 6.9 I don't have too many issues with this. I give AGIB and TWL higher numbers, Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rareair Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Pitchfork's Wilco history: Summerteeth 9.4MA2 6.3YHF 10.0More Like the Moon 7.0A Ghost is Born 6.6Kicking Television 8.3Sky Blue Sky 5.2Wilco the Album 7.3The Whole Love 6.9 I don't have too many issues with this. I give AGIB and TWL higher numbers, agree. i would move W(TA) down and SBS up a little. but i also like shake it off. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Turnips Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 I didn't find the itunes session that great unfortunately, the album tracks on TWL sound better than they do here. The older cuts and the Nick Lowe tune were OK but this EP is definitely not essential listening. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
nalafej Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 I didn't find the itunes session that great unfortunately, the album tracks on TWL sound better than they do here. The older cuts and the Nick Lowe tune were OK but this EP is definitely not essential listening. I second this... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
worldrecordplayer Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 Pitchfork's Wilco history: Summerteeth 9.4MA2 6.3YHF 10.0More Like the Moon 7.0A Ghost is Born 6.6Kicking Television 8.3Sky Blue Sky 5.2Wilco the Album 7.3The Whole Love 6.9 I don't have too many issues with this. I give AGIB and TWL higher numbers,Agreed. TWL gets like a 9.8 in my book. And I would give SBS a higher mark. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
choo-choo-charlie Posted February 2, 2012 Author Share Posted February 2, 2012 They still maintain that AGIB is Wilco's most "difficult" album. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Kalle Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 I don't have a problem with the iTunes session review, it's pretty accurate, they left off a lot of the really interesting songs in favour of the pop songs, performances are good but that's about it. It's just crazy to even consider AGIB as their second worst album since Summerteeth, or to even consider WTA the third best. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mpolak21 Posted February 2, 2012 Share Posted February 2, 2012 I'd put them more like this:Summerteeth: 10.0Mermaid Ave 2: Wilco's half gets an 8.5, Billy's gets a 5.5.YHF: 10.0More Like The Moon: 7.0AGIB: 9.3KT: 8.0SBS: 6.3WTA: 5.8TWL: 8.6 Don't have the iTunes session yet, can't rate it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
HungryHippo Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 They still maintain that AGIB is Wilco's most "difficult" album.Album reviews never really bother me, but their lack of love for AGIB is just insane. That record is just as good, if not better, than YHF. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
choo-choo-charlie Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 Album reviews never really bother me, but their lack of love for AGIB is just insane. That record is just as good, if not better, than YHF. I agree. They had to engage in their usual backlash against an artist they'd been praising for a few years. It still baffles me that W(TA) is the highest rated album after YHF. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
augurus Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 So this is the thread where if someone disagrees or judges your favorite band, you reveal your opinion and defend it even though there's no attack on your opinion? If you read the The Whole Love review, the writer only complained about the inconsistency. Besides, the scores are just an arbitrary guide. If you converted the 100 point system [just move that decimal over to the right] to stars system, you guys would not be complaining at all. Wilco (The Album) would receive 3.5 to 4 stars out of 5. Rolling Stone's initial score doesn't draw as much ire as Pitchfork when they only gave Yankee Hotel Foxtrot a 4 out of 5. They had to engage in their usual backlash against an artist they'd been praising for a few years.What the hell are you talking about? Seriously, back up this backlash of yours. They really never give them their due on that site do they?Never? Let's run through the praise Pitchfork has thrown into Wilco's lap. Being There and Summerteeth in top 100 albums of 1990s.Via Chicago at 74 in top 100 tracks of 1990s.Yankee Hotel Foxtrot in top 10 albums of 2000s.Handshake Drugs in top 500 while I Am Trying To Break Your Heart, Poor Places, and Jesus, Etc. are in the top 100 tracks of 2000s.Constant tour and news coverage with hints of approval and amusement.Positive tour reviews.Positive video reviews. Man, Pitchfork just hates Wilco. I mean, if they didn't put their whole discography in that top 100 tracks list, they must really have something against them. All of these songs are like perfect, and no one, I mean, no one, can disagree, ever. They're just wrong. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
choo-choo-charlie Posted February 3, 2012 Author Share Posted February 3, 2012 In an interesting twist, I think the first Wilco review I ever read was on Pitchfork, for Kicking Television. And it was right after I had bought it the day it came out. It said "so this is what A Ghost is Born is supposed to sound like." And I thought AGIB sounded pretty damn good as is. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rhino4evr Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I was pretty disappointed with "Itunes Sessions" mainly because there have been a bunch of better short live releases for the album like Tiny Desk Concert and From the Loft. The Itunes sessions seemed like just more of the same...no better or worse then what has been realeased. However for non-Wilco fanatics that may have missed the other stuff, it's still a nice little EP. PS - I think including Nick Lowe here instead of an additional Wilco song was a poor decision. I didn't pay money to listen to Nick Lowe...maybe if they did I Love my Label it would have made more sense? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Al.Ducts Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I'll echo some of the thoughts on this. I thought it was a fine session but it seems like they choose the same set of songs from the new record every time they do something like this (maybe falling back on easy rockers? ). It would have been cool to hear Sunloathe or Capital City or maybe even Message From Mid-Bar to spice things up a bit, but that's wishful thinking I guess. I do think they played the songs pretty tight on here and it was fun to hear Passenger Side but still a little lukewarm for me. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mpolak21 Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 Man, Pitchfork just hates Wilco. I mean, if they didn't put their whole discography in that top 100 tracks list, they must really have something against them. All of these songs are like perfect, and no one, I mean, no one, can disagree, ever. They're just wrong. I think we have a different read on this. I don't think the tenor here is that all Wilco albums should be given 10.0's, in fact, a lot of people think they overrated Wilco The Album. But I do agree falling back on the "pitchfork builds bands up, they get big, and then they break them down on their next album" is a little simplistic. I find the site has a generally pretty good read on when bands start going downhill or at least release albums of subpar quality. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. Heartbreak Posted February 3, 2012 Share Posted February 3, 2012 I am not a huge fan of Pitchfork, but I don't think they can be blamed entirely for the seeming divergence of those ratings. It should be noted that the reviews are done by different people, so they really should be viewed as "one reviewer's opinion" as opposed to "Pitchfork's opinion." Quote Link to post Share on other sites
hwllo Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 I am not a huge fan of Pitchfork, but I don't think they can be blamed entirely for the seeming divergence of those ratings. It should be noted that the reviews are done by different people, so they really should be viewed as "one reviewer's opinion" as opposed to "Pitchfork's opinion." that is true, but I definitely feel pitchfork has a certain agenda. newspapers tend to be slanted to the right or the left even though different people write the articles Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Turnips Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 I am not a huge fan of Pitchfork, but I don't think they can be blamed entirely for the seeming divergence of those ratings. It should be noted that the reviews are done by different people, so they really should be viewed as "one reviewer's opinion" as opposed to "Pitchfork's opinion." Actually, I thought the review scores were an average taken from multiple listeners, that's why sometimes the score doesn't always match the tone of the review. I could be wrong Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Oil Can Boyd Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 Actually, I thought the review scores were an average taken from multiple listeners, that's why sometimes the score doesn't always match the tone of the review. I could be wrong This article from the NY Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/15/arts/music/15pitchfork.html?pagewanted=all) seems to confirm that: "The ratings are not assigned lightly. “Over and over we revisit decisions before they’re on the site,” said Scott Plagenhoef, the editor in chief. Albums are discussed via e-mail and on a staff message board. The review is then assigned to a writer trusted to deliver the group’s opinion. Reviews have individual bylines, but they represent the Pitchfork hive-mind." Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. Heartbreak Posted February 4, 2012 Share Posted February 4, 2012 Aha. Shows how much I know about P-fork, which is to say, essentially nothing. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.