"Wilco: Sunken Treasure" by Tim Grierson- New Book About Wilco Coming Out 6/10/13

[worldrecordplayer]

So other than me and Col. Hapablap, who else is reading/has read the book? I'm up to the beginning of Summerteeth now and I'm enjoying it overall. I don't think it's as satisfying as Learning How to Die, but that may have to do with my familiarity with the band when I read that book versus the nut I've now become. Also, LHTD had more direct interviews with band members, while this book is more of a compendium of previously published interviews and articles, many of which I've read already. But it's pulling things together in a linear fashion and reminding me of things I'd forgotten as well as some things that are new to me, and there's definitely lots of interesting information about recording processes that I don't think have been published before.

 

I'm finding it a bit of a slog, for some reason--considering the way I usually inhale anything Wilco-related, I'm surprised that I'm only 1/3 of the way through. I think part of it is psychological--I don't want to finish it because I don't know when my next fix will come, so I'm intentionally dragging it out.

 

A couple of other random observations. . . the author admits to having been more of a fan of Jay Farrar than Jeff Tweedy initially, so the book does not read like the work of a breathless fanboy. He's done his research, and I think it's evenhanded in its coverage of some contentious periods in the band's history. Also, even though the author lives in L.A., the publisher is British, so the usual British spellings (colour vs. color, for example) are used. Seems a little odd for a book by an American author about an American band. No biggie, though.

 

I'm looking forward to a nice uninterrupted stretch where I can blaze through the rest of the book from Summerteeth on. I'm surprised , actually, that more of us on this board haven't been posting about this.

This reminds me that I want to read this.  May look to see if its available for download on the iPad, but does the physical book have photos?  If so, I would want a physical copy.

[choo-choo-charlie]

Previous discussion in this thread led me to believe that I wouldn't gain much new knowledge from reading this. Today's posts confirm this for me, particularly the part about no new interviews. Curious to hear if there's any new insights or information on the AGIB recording period.

[Magnetized]

There are pictures. Not particularly great ones but a few I hadn't seen before.

 

As to whether the book is worth buying, I can't imagine NOT buying it. It's less than $25, it's only the second full book written about Wilco, and we're posting on a Wilco message board here!

[linclink]

Waiting for a used paperback copy myself...

[chisoxjtrain]

I've read it all. He didn't interview the band and he pulls heavily from Learning How To Die. He takes parts of other interviews as well. He also gives his own versions of song meanings, which some are wrong. For instance, "The country tinge of ‘I’ll Fight’, with its plain-spoken declarations of love, would be entirely pleasant if one could just ignore the larger story being told, that of a soldier speaking to his girl back home, anticipating what her life will be like once he’s killed on the battlefield," which is wrong. I remember reading an interview the band gave with Relevant Magazine when Wilco (The Album) came out and Jeff explained that "I'll Fight" was originally from a 14 stanza poem he wrote called "Conscript," which is about a Civil War soldier who was paid to take the place of someone else in the war. I guess the problem I have is that if you are going to write a book and pass yourself off as an expert, do some damn research and get your facts right.

 

As far as A Ghost is Born, that chapter was interesting because he interviewed Chris Shaw, who engineered it, and Jim O'Rourke. That was probably my favorite chapter because there was new information.

[choo-choo-charlie]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure he's projecting his own interpretation onto the song. I clearly remember reading the exact same thing about "I'll Fight" around the time W(TA) came out. In fact, I recall several early write-ups/previews of the album had "Conscript" as the song title -- in Rolling Stone, Billboard and Uncut, to name a few.

 

At any rate, like I said, the AGIB is about the only period I'd be interested in learning new stuff about, outside of what can be found in The Wilco Book and the abundance of interviews available online.

[chisoxjtrain]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure he's projecting his own interpretation onto the song. I clearly remember reading the exact same thing about "I'll Fight" around the time W(TA) came out. In fact, I recall several early write-ups/previews of the album had "Conscript" as the song title -- in Rolling Stone, Billboard and Uncut, to name a few.

 

At any rate, like I said, the AGIB is about the only period I'd be interested in learning new stuff about, outside of what can be found in The Wilco Book and the abundance of interviews available online.

 

He did it to more than "I'll Fight." The A Ghost is Born chapter is a really good read.

[Guest Jules]

If someone could transcribe the AGIB chapter here that would be great. Actually a separate thread would be better so I can find it easier.

[choo-choo-charlie]

I'll just find a copy at my local bookstore, read that chapter, then put it back and buy a few other things. Or I'll take photos of every page and share them here.

[Magnetized]

Great ideas, everybody!