Blackberry Rust Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 It is instructive to know if a certain critic has a cozy relationship with a band, or has an axe to a grind, or has been treated poorly, etc. It's similar to when publications disclose when they are part of a corporation that they happen to be reporting on. Also, it's fairly easy to count to three. Didn't really take any time at all. My particular gripe was that it was a pretty indulgent (and poorly written) reivew. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
tommyjacobs Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Not everyone... Hell, he's actually stressing some people out. I agree with you. Why do people take a band personally? Because Jeff feels like family to me. It's ridiculous, I know, to feel that way about a man I don't have a real relationship with, but I do feel that connection to him - or his public persona, at least. When I was in high school, Jeff was the soundtrack to cutting out early to make out with my crush. He was the first dance at my wedding and the music I turned to in my divorce. Wherever I was in life, Jeff's music was there in some form. I don't know the guy at all, but his music has meant a great deal to me and to others. That's why we take it personally. He's enriched my life more than I can ever repay him, and I'll always love him for that. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Magnetized Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Because Jeff feels like family to me. It's ridiculous, I know, to feel that way about a man I don't have a real relationship with, but I do feel that connection to him - or his public persona, at least. When I was in high school, Jeff was the soundtrack to cutting out early to make out with my crush. He was the first dance at my wedding and the music I turned to in my divorce. Wherever I was in life, Jeff's music was there in some form. I don't know the guy at all, but his music has meant a great deal to me and to others. That's why we take it personally. He's enriched my life more than I can ever repay him, and I'll always love him for that. I love what you said and I agree completely. While the specifics of my feeling of connection may be different from yours (I'm older than you, for one thing), I too feel an absurd personal connection with Jeff that I've never experienced with any other artist, no matter how much I may have loved and admired their music. It begins with the voice, which speaks to me directly like none other, and from there extends to his words, his music, his character, his integrity, his intellectual confidence, his quiet persistence, his emotional nakedness, his vulnerability, his swagger, his awkwardness and his humor. Most of all, the way he always, always pursues his own creative vision and keeps his essential core protected and reserved. No matter how much he shares with us, I never get a sense that he's "just one of us." As to whether a negative review upsets me, well, not usually. All those qualities I ascribed to Jeff above make me believe he can absorb it all and separate the wheat from the chaff. And maybe it all contributes to his continual growth. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Doug C Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Tommy,Thanks for the reply. I understand what you are saying. It good that the music of Jeff Tweedy was/is there for you and provided what you needed/need. Music, Jeff Tweedy's and others, plays a central role in my life. The power that it has to affect my emotional state is truly wondrous. Family plays a similar role. The difference is that i honestly don't give a damn what anyone else, most of all a critic that I have no relationship to, thinks about a band/musician/album/song that I love. Nor do I care what they think about my preferred TV, movies, books, etc. I might laugh or think about how people experience things differently but that's the extent of my reaction. I will sometimes banter with a friend about art, but that's for the fun of banter, not from some supposed personal slight. As far as being like family, I don't care what someone thinks of my family because I know the truth. Even as a kid, I remember laughing when another kid insulted my mom. I knew that she wasn't a skanky ho, so I didn't care. It's different when what someone is saying causes pain,such as when my daughters were younger or my grandchildren now, but I seriously doubt that Jeff Tweedy is emotionally harmed by negative Star Wars reviews or by critics feeding the 'dad rock' label, so I don't feel the need to defend his honor on the internet. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Albert Tatlock Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Mojo - 4 stars WilcoStar WarsdBpm |CD/DL/LPJeff Tweedy’s men channel the force as they release their ninth studio album, complete with inscrutable title.By Chris NelsonJuly 21, 2015 WHETHER YOU TAKE your Wilco ruminative or raucous, there’s plenty to soak in here. In fact, the two strands often intertwine, as when the melody behind More… pulses like an ambulance siren but somehow still soothes.Star Wars confirms that Wilco now fully own a unique American noise wherein nothing is wholly traditional or wholly experimental. But if the band’s own sense of self is stalwart, the characters they detail are consistently unmoored.Have your pick of lyrics: “I change my name every once in a while” (Random Name Generator); “From where we end, to where do I begin” (Where Do I Begin); “I know why you don’t really know me” (Taste The Ceiling). These are cold-sweat obsessions to shake you in the dark. The fever breaks with the closing Magnetized, but nighttime is as close the next touch of the play button. http://www.mojo4music.com/21151/wilco-star-wars/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BobDylan'sBeard Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 I reviewed the new album for my friend's site. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
lost highway Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Star Wars confirms that Wilco now fully own a unique American noise wherein nothing is wholly traditional or wholly experimental. But if the band’s own sense of self is stalwart, the characters they detail are consistently unmoored. http://www.mojo4music.com/21151/wilco-star-wars/ This guy gets it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
rhino4evr Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 I'm going 8.1 from pitchfork. No BNM Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Mr. Heartbreak Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 I reviewed the new album for my friend's site.Nicely done. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Zalisha Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 In my opinion, my favorite song of Jeff's is Where Do I Begin how his wife is suffering cancer, I believe it is cancer. And though it is a short song, has a lot of meaning to it. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BobDylan'sBeard Posted July 21, 2015 Share Posted July 21, 2015 Nicely done.Thank you! In my opinion, my favorite song of Jeff's is Where Do I Begin how his wife is suffering cancer, I believe it is cancer. And though it is a short song, has a lot of meaning to it. I was just playing that on guitar, and while I was reading the lyrics/chords thinking about that. In this sense "From where we end to where do I begin" is a really powerful and sad line - the whole song is probably one of my favorite "love" songs, at least sad ones. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Albert Tatlock Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 http://prettymuchamazing.com/reviews/wilco-star-wars Quote Link to post Share on other sites
linclink Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 I'm glad to see the mostly positive reviews, but think overall the album is still being fairly consistently underrated. One's ever evolving subjective relationship to the work is really the bottom line, & I think history will be ever kinder to this one than the current reviews are.There are two places where you can rate it & have your vote count- metacritic & rate your own music. So, if you are so inclined, stop over & weigh in, if you already haven't...Anyhow, it's showing up on the metacritic radar now, with 12 reviews weighing in for a very respectable score of 83 (out of 100) from critics & 8.8 (out of 10) from users.http://www.metacritic.com/music/star-wars/wilcoIt's doing as well at metacritic, as it is, oddly, poorly over at rateyourmusic.com, where it's behind both "A.M." & "Wilco (The Album" & only ahead of "Wilco The Book CD" & "Mermaid Ave. Vol. III".https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/wilco Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Atticus Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 Most people are really awful at music. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Winston Legthigh Posted July 22, 2015 Share Posted July 22, 2015 I'm really happy with Star Wars. It's been a while since I've enjoyed a Wilco album. SBS, as a matter of fact, was the last one I liked. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Jimbo Jones Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 Pitchfork reviewhttp://m.pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/20838-star-wars/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gryffe Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 Pitchfork reviewhttp://m.pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/20838-star-wars/Just read that. If I had read it without seeing the rating of 7.7 at the top I would think this guy would have rated it at a minimum of 8.3 (and yes, these "to the decimal point" ratings are absurd). The guy clearly knows his Wilco, and it's a thoughtful and fairly detailed review. He just hasn't played Star Wars enough to realise that in Pitchfork terms this album is at least a 9.3. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
i'm only sleeping Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 I'm not sure this is accurate: "Wilco’s ninth studio LP Star Wars is their most accessible". I'm rather sure instead this is true: " if Wilco have another truly great one in them, history strongly suggests it’ll be devoted to sounding nothing like Star Wars." Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Atticus Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 I would guess that W(TA) and/or Sky Blue Sky are their most accessible albums, based upon the number of fans who joined this site after them who seem not to have the rabid affection for the earlier work that most of us old curmudgeons do. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
mus2009 Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 Surprised I agreed with an Ian Cohen review, and it wasn't too pretentious Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jbray Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 Just read that. If I had read it without seeing the rating of 7.7 at the top I would think this guy would have rated it at a minimum of 8.3 (and yes, these "to the decimal point" ratings are absurd). The guy clearly knows his Wilco, and it's a thoughtful and fairly detailed review. He just hasn't played Star Wars enough to realise that in Pitchfork terms this album is at least a 9.3. Pitchfork is a staff aggregate so we're seeing a negotiated score with a designated writer who might have a differing opinion. If I remember correctly, it was similar for The Whole Love in terms of score vs written review. I'm not sure this is accurate: "Wilco’s ninth studio LP Star Wars is their most accessible". I'm rather sure instead this is true: " if Wilco have another truly great one in them, history strongly suggests it’ll be devoted to sounding nothing like Star Wars."Agreed. I would guess that W(TA) and/or Sky Blue Sky are their most accessible albums, based upon the number of fans who joined this site after them who seem not to have the rabid affection for the earlier work that most of us old curmudgeons do.I wouldn't call SBS the most accessible, instead I would point out that if you fell in love with a certain aspect of Wilco early and then had to transition through 5 or less albums of differing approaches and styles, SBS could just be the breaking point. I started on SBS with no preconception on what Wilco was or should sound like and I wore that record down and then picked up YHF once and never listened to it again for a month because of how shocked I was at the difference. Those two records and their contrast actually started my regimen of listening to a new record as often as possible for about two to three weeks before making an opinion. You're not a curmudgeon, you just have a lot of Wilco-related baggage that makes you compare it to what comes before subconsciously or not. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gryffe Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 Pitchfork is a staff aggregate so we're seeing a negotiated score with a designated writer who might have a differing opinion. If I remember correctly, it was similar for The Whole Love in terms of score vs written review. I wonder if Allmusic use the same strategy? I have read reviews on there with 3/5 stars and it doesn't marry up with the written review, which in some cases reads like a 4.5 or a 5. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Atticus Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 You're not a curmudgeon, How dare you, sir/madam? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
BobDylan'sBeard Posted July 23, 2015 Share Posted July 23, 2015 Pitchfork is a staff aggregate so we're seeing a negotiated score with a designated writer who might have a differing opinion. If I remember correctly, it was similar for The Whole Love in terms of score vs written review. Agreed. I wouldn't call SBS the most accessible, instead I would point out that if you fell in love with a certain aspect of Wilco early and then had to transition through 5 or less albums of differing approaches and styles, SBS could just be the breaking point. I started on SBS with no preconception on what Wilco was or should sound like and I wore that record down and then picked up YHF once and never listened to it again for a month because of how shocked I was at the difference. Those two records and their contrast actually started my regimen of listening to a new record as often as possible for about two to three weeks before making an opinion. You're not a curmudgeon, you just have a lot of Wilco-related baggage that makes you compare it to what comes before subconsciously or not. SBS was also how I was introduced to Wilco - not long after I saw i am trying to break your heart. Can't recall if I listened to YHF before or after. Probably I had heard IATBYH (the song) and maybe a few others, like Jesus, before seeing the film but it was VERY soon after I started listening to Wilco. You make a good point though, although the friend who introduced me to Wilco thinks SBS is their best (or at least his favorite) - and this was around the time WTA came out. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
gryffe Posted July 24, 2015 Share Posted July 24, 2015 http://www.undertheradarmag.com/reviews/wilco_star_wars/ http://www.spin.com/2015/07/wilco-star-wars-review/ Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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