How about a new Wilco record?

[jbray]

Um, then there's this via the band's FB: https://www.facebook.com/wilcohq/photos/a.127996970420.136900.8290410420/10153437544455421/?type=1&theater

 

Does anyone else think this looks more like album art than a concert poster/press shot? Or is that just me...

It's clearly photoshopped, so I doubt it. If the band is willing to photoshoot a camel's birthday party, this would be a walk in the park. The Notorious Wilco Brothers, however, is very interesting...

 

edit: not ever having listened to the Byrds, I didn't notice the reference to that album.

[BobDylan'sBeard]

I'm pretty sure that's just a fun photoshopped pic for that concert. I did think maybe they would be doing like, covers of the Byrds, but that seems like an odd thing for the band to do, cover another band's songs for the whole show.

 

I mean, they did do that cover show in 2013 at SS, but that was a different thing altogether.

 

Probably, just a tribute to the Byrds, one of JT's favorite bands.

[lost highway]

That's my favorite Byrds album.

 

In fact if you listen to "Draft Morning" or "Change is Now" you can hear some proto-YHF folk rock postmodernism.

[Blackberry Rust]

That doesn't sound like a soft spot to me.

 

Yeah, I agree - I should have expanded on that a bit. It's his guitar playing with Wilco which drives me up the wall.

 

I really like Nels' more avante garde stuff with the Nels Cline Singers and other colabs. His articulate skronk(?) is frequently excellent and for me he ranks right up there with other noisy folks like Thurston Moore, Lee Ranaldo, David Grubbs, etc. I was geniunely suprised when he joined Wilco as it seemed like a bit of a weird fit and I didn't think that his approach would mould with Wilco's material; but the skronky tendencies of Ghost would have certainly played in his favour and if the Kicking Television tour of 04-05 is anything to go by, it paid off to an extent. From thereon though, his presence in Wilco has been a bit like having John MacLaughlin (at his most exhausting) sit in.

 

I don't want it to seem like I'm ragging too much on Nels; as a fellow muso I'm glad he got the gig and increased his profile (and bank balance). Ultimately in an ideal world I'd have Jim O'Rourke there trading licks with Tweedy*...though we know that would never happen, especially after O'Rourke's apparently acrimonious departure form Sonic Youth in 2005 on the basis of hating certain countries they'd visit and vowing never to return**. 

 

* Loose Fur's two albums and the two live shows from 2002. In the case of the latter, check these out if you haven't.

 

** Lee Renaldo recounts in a 2006 interview that on the 2005 tour O'Rourke carried around a big world map and would cross out countries (with a big red pen) vowing never to return to them again.

[Blackberry Rust]

That's my favorite Byrds album.

 

In fact if you listen to "Draft Morning" or "Change is Now" you can hear some proto-YHF folk rock postmodernism.

 

That's my favourite Byrds album and one of my favourite albums of all-time.

 

I could hear elements of it across Summerteeth as well.

 

Another remarkable thing about Notorious is that it's only 29 minutes long. On that note, it would be interesting if Wilco were to cut a relatively short album; not as a brief as 29 minutes, but rather aim for the duration of Radiohead's King of Limbs (2011) - a shade over the 35 minute mark. Regardless of whether or not you like that album (I rate it as one of the band's best), such an approach would maybe refine the writing and production process. However, as we've seen demonstrated by Sukirae, Tweedy's opted to go in the opposite direction in recent times.

[tinnitus photography]

though we know that would never happen, especially after O'Rourke's apparently acrimonious departure form Sonic Youth in 2005 on the basis of hating certain countries they'd visit and vowing never to return**. 

 

 

** Lee Renaldo recounts in a 2006 interview that on the 2005 tour O'Rourke carried around a big world map and would cross out countries (with a big red pen) vowing never to return to them again.

 

and now he never leaves Japan!

[Al.Ducts]

I want the new Wilco record to feature less Tom Petty and more Tom Verlaine.

[rhino4evr]

As much as Jim ORourke gets credited as a great producer, his new album is recorded at such a low volume, that I have to basically crank my stereo to hear it. Forget about hitting shuffle, as I then get blasted. I have no idea why you would release an album that quiet.

[LouieB]

Feeling really old when someone mentioned they have never listened to The Byrds. I kind of figured that was everyone's favorite group.

 

LouieB

[tinnitus photography]

Feeling really old when someone mentioned they have never listened to The Byrds. I kind of figured that was everyone's favorite group.

 

LouieB

count the number of Byrds fans here.

[lost highway]

As much as Jim ORourke gets credited as a great producer, his new album is recorded at such a low volume, that I have to basically crank my stereo to hear it. Forget about hitting shuffle, as I then get blasted. I have no idea why you would release an album that quiet.

Lower volume=greater dynamic range and less side effects from compression. You already know this from listening to A Ghost is Born.

[LouieB]

I was being facetious obviously.  There are very few Byrds fans anymore.(and I have no idea where that picture was taken,)

 

LouieB

[smells like flowers]

Byrds fan here, Louie!

And, BTW, Real Estate reminds me of the Byrds a little, on their records anyway. That sound didn't translate much to the live outdoor setting at SS. My friend's husband calls it "jingly jangly music." I do like some jangly guitars.

[Ottawateeth]

http://exclaim.ca/Music/article/nels_cline_completes_work_on_new_solo_lp_hints_at_new_wilco_album

[LouieB]

Nels just doesn't make enough records.  The guy is such a slacker.

 

LouieB

[jbray]

Feeling really old when someone mentioned they have never listened to The Byrds. I kind of figured that was everyone's favorite group.

 

LouieB

I'm sorry! I should have clarified that I have of course heard of the Byrds and have listened to their music. I have not given them much attention and have not listened to anything outside of a "greatest hits" capacity. There is a lot of music from 1960 till today, it can be quite daunting to try and cover it all, but I will get on it now.

[dontknownuthin]

Hey - you poppin' my stones?

 

They should get Old Sourpuss to produce their next album.

[Blackberry Rust]

Feeling really old when someone mentioned they have never listened to The Byrds. I kind of figured that was everyone's favorite group.

 

LouieB

 

Huge Byrds fan here. I attribute my obsession to the fact that my dad had a fairly comprehensive collection on vinyl when I was growing up, but the 1990 CD boxset was the gateway drug that got me fully hooked during my high school days. I'm also a strong defender of their late 1969-1972 work - especially Ballad, Untitled and Farther Along. These albums are still critically overlooked in my opinion.

 

Once they settled on the stable 1970-1972 line-up of McGuinn/White/Battin/Parsons they became one of the finest live groups of that period. By 1972, things were disintegrating but they were going for broke on stage:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfEfxAjeH9s

 

I'd also recommend to anyone who hasn't heard it yet, to seek out Gene Clark's solo album No Other from 1974. It's an extraordinary record.

[Blackberry Rust]

Lower volume=greater dynamic range and less side effects from compression. You already know this from listening to A Ghost is Born.

 

 

In addition to this, this is why O'Rourke has only released his albums in uncompressed file formats and not mp3s.

 

The guy is a hardcore audiophile.

[LouieB]

Huge Byrds fan here. I attribute my obsession to the fact that my dad had a fairly comprehensive collection on vinyl when I was growing up, but the 1990 CD boxset was the gateway drug that got me fully hooked during my high school days. I'm also a strong defender of their late 1969-1972 work - especially Ballad, Untitled and Farther Along. These albums are still critically overlooked in my opinion.

 

Once they settled on the stable 1970-1972 line-up of McGuinn/White/Battin/Parsons they became one of the finest live groups of that period. By 1972, things were disintegrating but they were going for broke on stage:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HfEfxAjeH9s

 

I'd also recommend to anyone who hasn't heard it yet, to seek out Gene Clark's solo album No Other from 1974. It's an extraordinary record.

Someone who understands.  The later records are all quite good.  Check out the show from Albert Hall that was released a few years ago.  I was in the last row of the balcony, but it was still amazing. Untitled is one of my all time favorites.  But enough about the Byrds.  I guess it is time to go back to arguing about Jim O'Rouke.  Actually there is plenty of production experience within Wilco now. They can do their own production.

 

LouieB

[Robby]

A few more words about the Byrds, especially Untitled - it brings back a lot of memories. Two album set  - one record live, one studio. It was actually available for check out at the Idaho Falls Public Library where I worked for between 1970 - 74. I loved the live record. The studio record was ok, but there was a cringe-worthy song - Chestnut Mare. I say that because I cringe when I think how much I liked that song at the time. But could you imagine if Jeff Tweedy writing lyrics like this:

 

I'm going to catch that horse if I can

And when I do I'll give her my brand

And we'll be friends for life

She'll be just like a wife

I'm going to catch that horse if I can

[LouieB]

We should just start a Byrds appreciation thread.  Sure it is uneven, but it isn't terrible, not even Chestnut Mare.  We need more talk about the Byrds and less about the Beach Boys.

 

LouieB

[blureu]

Agree!

 

We should just start a Byrds appreciation thread. Sure it is uneven, but it isn't terrible, not even Chestnut Mare. We need more talk about the Byrds and less about the Beach Boys.

 

LouieB

[Blackberry Rust]

Agree!

 

 

Done!

 

http://viachicago.org/topic/50981-the-byrds-appreciation-thread/

[rhino4evr]

Lower volume=greater dynamic range and less side effects from compression. You already know this from listening to A Ghost is Born.

 

I've listened to Ghost is Born a hundred times, I have no problem the way it is mixed or how loud it is.

 

I understand that there is greater dynamics when things arent brickwalled (or whatever the audio nerds call it), but Simple Songs is just way too low. He also recorded his vocals much lower then the drums, and other intruments on the records. Resulting in a mumbled vocal delivery.

 

You can say this was all his "master plan", and is part of the charm of the album, but I feel the album actually suffers for it. It's more distracting then interesting. Listening to a record should be a somewhat seemless and easy process. Making me have to work, to hear you, is not a good thing.