Robby Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Do you think this conversation took place? Tony: OK, so what are you going to call the album?Jeff: I dunno, we're kicking around a few ideas.Tony: So when do you want to release it?Jeff: We decided to give it away for free over the internet in the summer, release it on CD in the fall, and put the vinyl version out at the beginning of the Christmas season.Tony: You want to try to sell the same album on vinyl during Christmastime that you gave away for free in the summer? Don't you think it'll get a little lost in all the competition that's out there at that time of there year?Jeff: Well, what's our competition going to be at that time?Tony: Oh God, it's the same old fare. Another James Bond movie, another Hunger Games movie, another Star Wars movie..Jeff: Hmmm. Let me get back to you on that title. Probably never happened... Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Moss Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Amazing album. Spending my time switching between this one and the new Isbell which is beyond amazing. These 2 will be in my player for a long while. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
parisisstale Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Getting Mats' Within Your Reach somehow with You Satellite & everything Malkmus with Cold Slope.... ...loving more & more!!! Haven't traveled for shows in a few years but now super-energized for my Utah trip next month to see the boys! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
twoshedsjackson Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Amazing album. Spending my time switching between this one and the new Isbell which is beyond amazing. These 2 will be in my player for a long while.Same here. I'm trying not to binge too heavily on Star Wars (it's not going well Quote Link to post Share on other sites
paulcalypse Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 New Mac Demarco leaked, too, if you liked his set at Solid Sound. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Cold as Gasoline Posted July 20, 2015 Author Share Posted July 20, 2015 Add me to those who are binge-listening both Star Wars and Isbell's new album. Enjoying both so much I don't want to listen to anything else! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JMal Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Thanks to a weekend of long drives I listened to the record at least a half dozen times and I LOVE it! It's the kind of raw, fuzzy record they've hinted at with tunes like "I Might" or "I'm A Wheel" but the concept feels fully realized here. Jeff & Nels' guitar work shines along with Glenn's drumming. And the tracks themselves feel less crowded instrumentally. I think the last few records may have suffered from 6 guys all adding something to the soup of EVERY song. I don't hear six unique voices on these songs which is refreshing and reminds me a bit of AGIB. Really looking forward to seeing these songs live! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Magnetized Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Add me to those who are binge-listening both Star Wars and Isbell's new album. Enjoying both so much I don't want to listen to anything else! Ditto! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
twoshedsjackson Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 New Mac Demarco leaked, too, if you liked his set at Solid Sound.I didn't, but thanks! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
theashtraysays Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 And the tracks themselves feel less crowded instrumentally. I think the last few records may have suffered from 6 guys all adding something to the soup of EVERY song. I don't hear six unique voices on these songs which is refreshing and reminds me a bit of AGIB. Really looking forward to seeing these songs live!That's the thing that I noticed (and like) most about this record. They sound like A BAND. In the best possible way, melded together and just bringing some rock. There were hints of that as you said in several other songs over the past 10 years with this lineup, but this album seems to capture it across all the tracks really well. A couple other observations after several spins over the weekend...I love how You Satellite is in the center of the record. It's a great song that just fills up my entire mind when I listen with a good pair of earbuds.... gorgeous.But once again, the record follows that mind-melter of a song with a sudden braking moment in "Taste the Celing" (reminds me of Bull Black Nova --> You and I).I think that More... could be a single. RNG might be too much for the masses single-wise, but I think it's the most foot-tappingly catchy tune in a long time.The record seems to be "experimental" (whatever that means) without strictly reverting to feedback noise and sound effects. 33 minutes is probably a good thing. I wouldn't mind a couple more songs, or a couple of these stretched out... but it's kinda cool to loop back to EKG after Magnetized when you're on repeat. Definitely leaves me wanting more, which is good. I loved the surprise release aspect of this. It really "fits" with the style of the songs, which are more full frontal attack than waltzes.I still think the title and the cover are weird.-- Put those 2 things together (surprise release / kitschy title & cover), and it's especially good. Can you imaging the chatter and dissing here and in the media if the title and cover had come out well ahead of the actual music? If we'd had to wait for weeks to hear the songs on a cat-covered ode to a blockbuster movie franchise, we would have all been a wreck by now. Well played Wilco. Great record. Great delivery. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
DiamondClaw Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 My quick take: I like the album, and I love the fact that Wilco is both able to make albums like this and albums like The Whole Love. Star Wars is jagged, fuzzy and jarring. The Whole Love is lush, warm and poppy. I can't really rank one vs. the other and I don't consider one style "better" than the other — I think the versatility Wilco shows in nailing both is the most impressive thing of all. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Muzzle of Dan Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 My quick take: I like the album, and I love the fact that Wilco is both able to make albums like this and albums like The Whole Love. Star Wars is jagged, fuzzy and jarring. The Whole Love is lush, warm and poppy. I can't really rank one vs. the other and I don't consider one style "better" than the other — I think the versatility Wilco shows in nailing both is the most impressive thing of all.Well said! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BobDylan'sBeard Posted July 20, 2015 Share Posted July 20, 2015 Still haven't listened to the new Jason Isbell. Been listening to Star Wars almost on repeat since it was released. After that, will do the same with Isbell probably. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rhino4evr Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Couldn't get into the last isbell record, is this one much different? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Blackberry Rust Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 The more I listen to Star Wars the more I'm hearing a Summerteeth vibe to it - particularly the level of detail to some of the tracks on repeated listens. For me (well, at this moment) this record is a concise mash-up of ST, Ghost and Loose Fur. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tommyjacobs Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 I like this album more on each listen. Still not sold on "The Joke Explained" and to some extent "King of You", but everything else keeps growing on me. Reminds me of Sky Blue Sky in that regard. Being There, Summerteeth, and YHF all blew me away on the first listen - YHF in particular - but Sky Blue Sky I initially was disappointed in but now love. I doubt anything will ever top the Being There to A Ghost Is Born run for me - partly because those are fucking amazing records, partly the timing of when I heard them in my life - but I'm really, really happy Wilco released this record. It feels like one work start to end, as many have noted. It also feels more natural than the past couple of records. They've been on a downward trend the past decade, and I still can't get into the Tweedy record at all, hard as I try. This is an upward spike, and that makes me happy, both because I love the music and because I love the band. They mean a shit ton to me, and I love when they succeed. I must admit that I keep waiting for the ten minutes of ambient noise at the end of "Magnetized" that never comes. Speaking of which, "Magnetized" is one of the best Tweedy songs in the past decade. Simply amazing. "Art of Almost" is the only recent offering I'd put in the same class. Also very happy to hear some lower register Tweedy vocals. I know all the comments he's made about them, but I love his lower register and wish he used it more often. Here's hoping this release keeps climbing up my personal list. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tommyjacobs Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 The free surprise release was also completely awesome. What's the most efficient way to support the band? Buying the record in August is the most direct way, but I've always wondered if the band would be better off if I spent my money a different way (merch, tickets, etc.). Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rhino4evr Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 I don't really think it sounds like Any of their other records. I've given up trying to compare it. It's still wilco, but it's also different enough to stand alone on its own, as their best records do. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gryffe Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 I like this album more on each listen. Still not sold on "The Joke Explained" and to some extent "King of You", but everything else keeps growing on me. Reminds me of Sky Blue Sky in that regard. Being There, Summerteeth, and YHF all blew me away on the first listen - YHF in particular - but Sky Blue Sky I initially was disappointed in but now love. I doubt anything will ever top the Being There to A Ghost Is Born run for me - partly because those are fucking amazing records, partly the timing of when I heard them in my life - but I'm really, really happy Wilco released this record. It feels like one work start to end, as many have noted. It also feels more natural than the past couple of records. They've been on a downward trend the past decade, and I still can't get into the Tweedy record at all, hard as I try. This is an upward spike, and that makes me happy, both because I love the music and because I love the band. They mean a shit ton to me, and I love when they succeed. I must admit that I keep waiting for the ten minutes of ambient noise at the end of "Magnetized" that never comes. Speaking of which, "Magnetized" is one of the best Tweedy songs in the past decade. Simply amazing. "Art of Almost" is the only recent offering I'd put in the same class. Also very happy to hear some lower register Tweedy vocals. I know all the comments he's made about them, but I love his lower register and wish he used it more often. Here's hoping this release keeps climbing up my personal list. Agree with that, pretty much word for word! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
fortuleo Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 I am an « Hummingbird » guy. I am an « I’ll Fight » guy. Even an « Open Mind » guy. Well. I’m not that open minded concerning music in general, except with the bands I love. And I do love Wilco. Yeah, I’m a Wilco guy. I know this board and the Wilco fanbase in general has evolved from the No Depression age into something completely different, which is only natural considering the line up changes and the reinvention of their sound. But, it is true I’m an « I’ll Fight » person as opposed to a « Bull Black Nova » guy. I don’t care that much if they « rock » or not. I don’t care if they « deconstruct » or « experiment » all the time or not. I’m not a Krautrock fan, nor am I a drone addict. I understand most people here value Loose Fur much more than they value, say, Golden Smog, but not me, I don’t. And what does it even mean ? Isn’t « All the Same to Me » an experimental track ? And « The Ruling Class, » well, isn’t it a catchy infectious country pop number ? With whistling ?? When I listen to YHF nowadays, or AGIB, I don’t even hear the supposed weirdness of these records anymore. I only hear great songs, great little pop tunes, great folk numbers, great rock’n’roll tracks, great playing, great vocals, great sounds. The same could be said about SBS. I remember the not so great reception of that album at the time of its release, its « mellowness » being harshly criticized here. We all know now it is a wonderful record, don’t we ? While listening to it we don’t hear « mellow Wilco » anymore (as if it was a bad thing). We hear « Either Way » and « You Are My Face » and « Impossible Germany » and «Sky Blue Sky, » as fabulous a run of four songs to open an album as any in rock’n’roll. I really hope the same happens with Star Wars. I hope in a few month, we will not only marvel at the rocking droning fuzzing experimentalization of these new songs. I hope we will not only admire the genius of the flow, the brilliance of the sequencing, the fun and surprise and energy of it all but also the enduring quality of the songwriting. I hope the consistency and conciseness of the album as a whole will only lead to reassess the quality of each individual song. I really do. I'm pretty sure that is what will happen. I guess I am a « Taste the Ceiling » guy, as opposed to a « You Satellite » guy, if you will. But yeah, I’m a Wilco guy. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
brownie Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 I guess I am a « Taste the Ceiling » guy, as opposed to a « You Satellite » guy, if you will.And I guess I'm somehow a mixture of both. The segue from You Satellite to Taste the Ceiling is one of my most favorite moments on the album. Although overall, the two I keep playing over and over at the moment are You Satellite and Random Name Generator. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rhino4evr Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 I enjoy both (or all. As I believe there are way more then two) sides of wilco, it's just depends on my mood. Some of their slower folk songs are some of my favorite songs. That being said, I think they were a little over due for a record like this. Considering Tweedy was a long double album filled with mostly slower tracks, this short and more intense album feels like a nice counter. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
u2roolz Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 The FREE Roadcase show is from May 1st in St. Augustine, FL. It was on the login page as a download link. It wasn't emailed yet. I tried to logon to see if it listed any helpful info for potential ticket buyers for tomorrow's presales. I'm wondering if we all get the same Roadcase show. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BobDylan'sBeard Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 The FREE Roadcase show is from May 1st in St. Augustine, FL. It was on the login page as a download link. It wasn't emailed yet. I tried to logon to see if it listed any helpful info for potential ticket buyers for tomorrow's presales. I'm wondering if we all get the same Roadcase show. I got it too - I was there, that's where I met Mr. Heartbreak. An amazing show all around, and I think it shines through on the recording too. I've only listened to the acoustic encore, but, just from these few tracks seems like it's a great recording of what I know was a great show. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
JAK2112 Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 I've been listening to "Magnetized" on repeat. This happens to me with probably a few songs a year, but man Magnetized is such a beautiful song. I love Mikael's synth sound in the opening minute of the song (one of my biggest complaints from the pitchfork set was that it wasn't loud enough). And the fuzzy "Brian May" sounding octave part is absolutely incredible. This song and I are, in fact, Magnetized. 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.