Do you like Wilco?

Loved Uncle Tupelo, and Wilco just doesn't have the urgency they did live.

So critically overrated in the US that I might *almost* not get mad if Tom were to describe them as irrelevant rockist crap.

I'm glad that none of these people going on about 'rockism' mean it seriously.

But, hey, it's all in good spirit.

(and I say that as someone who's indifferent to Bragg musically, and left the Tolpuddle rally early last year because his performance was resembling a self-parody and I couldn't take it so close up, but I'm glad he's around.)

While I agree, remember that the whole thing was in the can before 9/11, and untouched thereafter. Which makes it all kinda spooky, methinks.

wl: That's why it works so well- it's a 9/11 album untainted by post 9/11 sentiments!

"Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" = r0x0r (tries to be Flaming Lips)

"Summer Teeth" = sux0r (tries to be Beach Boys)

Word.

"Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" = r0x0r

True dat.

(tries to be Flaming Lips)

Errr... don't hear it.

"Summer Teeth" = sux0r

Nah.

(tries to be Beach Boys)

Word.

Daniel your aesthetics are in severe need of regime change.

I know! I should paint my room pink...

performance of "Hate It Here" (with added horn section) on SNL tonite fucking RULED

looking forward to the second cut ("Impossible Germany" maybe?)

Agreed. I never liked that song before just now.

ok for 2nd song "Walken" was AWESOME choice although I wasn't as blown away by the performance. uh, performance-wise.

the "Hate it Here" was totally inspiring , best-band-in-the-uni type stuff. The "Walken" was sort of "eh". which is kinda doubly weird becuz "walken" is the Little Feat-aping track that lends itself to such band solidarity. kinda seemed like the boys did not really grab that one like they could've. oh well. they sounded great.

What's the provenance of that Nudie suit Tweedy wore?

Leave it to a Wilco thread to feature the word "provenance".

Out of curiosity, has anyone looked into whether or not their role in Volkswagen commercials resulted in the 'Nick Drake effect?' Sales-wise, not mortality-wise, mind.

like, after wilco's adds woksvagen accidentally overdosed on anti-freeze?
i'm 'pparently mis'standing something there, amn't i?

no

I thought it was odd that VW uses non-lp trax in the ads.

haven't paid attention since YHF which is a pleasant-bordering-on-interesting listen. I always had a soft spot for Being There cause when it came out my Faces and Big Star Third/Sister Lovers love was at its peak. I think I eventually came around to Summerteeth, too.

Summerteeth is the only Wilco cd I have, actually. I'm sorta lukewarmin' to it, mildly.

THe New Haven a few weeks back show was pretty great. Nels Cline and Glenn Kotche really bring the band to the next level.

meant to say New Haven show

has there been a backlash to the backlash on Sky Blue Sky?

has there been a backlash to the backlash on Sky Blue Sky?

I think so. The disc got lukewarm reviews when it was released (overall not bad, tho; I think the disc has a 79 METASCORE), but then it turned up on lots of critic's Top 10 lists last year. And it deserved to be on those year-end lists, I think. Great, underrated album.

I hope Nels Cline stays with the band. Such a good, innovative guitarist.

I have to say I resisted them for a long time- living in Chicago, it's sort of like too much to also listen to Wilco. Its like reading "Devil in the White City" on the CTA. And the boring people and middlebrow radio dj's of Chicago are just nuts for Wilco. But that's a stupid reason to avoid them, plus I ran out of music, and I gave in. So now I think they're great. Especially, She's a Jar, Jesus etc, and Handshake Drugs.

I used to have a similar opinion to jsimp. Fuckin hated these guys. and yeah, largely due to the lunkhead north-side beer garden lunkhead idiocy of the whole think. But quite frankly I never even liked Uncle Tupelo back in the day. And then I remember when 'A.M.' came out and "Xrt" used to cane that ridic "Passenger Side" track, where Tweedy's all oh yeah dude I am totally ROLLING ANOTHER NUMBER. just sounded so fucking weak. ain't no Neil Young.

but then a couple things happened. Friend had a free extra ticket to one of the Vic shows that ended up on that 'Television' live CD or whatever its called. so I went. and I enjoyed myself. Seeing Nils Cline live was a revelation ( his first stint with the group .. he of course not on 'Ghost is Born' which those shows were supporting.) Also closing that show with the great Charles Wright cover did buy my respect

then 'Sky Blue Sky' came out and random samples trickled over to me .. random tracks where I heard some Cline guitar that appealed and perked my ears up .. then finally stumbling upon them guesting on 'Prairie Home Companion' (i am a fan) where they fucking ripped and i heard the ghost of my guy Cipollina in Cline's liquid flow.

Stumbled into a store a couple weeks later, noticed the 2lp of SBS on the wall, and bought it, fuck it. Really kinda fell in love with it. Still hate Tweedy's voice a lot of the time but the band is swell. Like Tweedy when he does Lennon on 'Hate It Here' and Lowell on 'Walken'. I dig the band.

but yeah, fuck the north side.

You guys are right. The worst thing about Wilco is their hardcore fans.

I have been known to troll around their discussion group boards and it is striking at the hate the addition of Nels Cline has inspired in many of them. It's almost as if they are saying "How dare they stop being so alt-country."

If you ask me, they didn't get good until they got weird(er).

Its like reading "Devil in the White City" on the CTA.

lol

but yeah, fuck the north side.

He's still got it, folks!

(xpost) that is weird, because Summerteeth and YHF are their weirdest albums, and Nels wasn't involved in those, and Jay Bennet was. I'd say Ghost and Sky Blue Sky are their most folky albums since AM.

The worst thing about Wilco is their hardcore fans.

Until recently, I had no idea Wilco had a lot of "hardcore fans." I guess -- maybe unsurprisingly -- there aren't many of them living in South Florida.

I have been known to troll around their discussion group boards and it is striking at the hate the addition of Nels Cline has inspired in many of them. It's almost as if they are saying "How dare they stop being so alt-country."

That's amazing to me. Cline is so agile and talented. I hope they keep him in the band.

that is weird, because Summerteeth and YHF are their weirdest albums, and Nels wasn't involved in those, and Jay Bennet was. I'd say Ghost and Sky Blue Sky are their most folky albums since AM.

The thing w/the Bennett albums his he did so many overdubs with so many different instruments. (Didn't he claim that he played 75% or so of the instrumentation on YHF?) whereas the last couple are more homey, "band" records.

Until recently, I had no idea Wilco had a lot of "hardcore fans." I guess -- maybe unsurprisingly -- there aren't many of them living in South Florida.

Yeah, I'm friends with at least two or three people (here in Chicago) who would probably describe themselves as hardcore Wilco fans.

I used to love them so much. Being There and especially the first Mermaid Avenue album. Summerteeth had its moments, and obviously YHF is a force. But after that they just left me cold.

The beginning of the end was when Jeff Tweedy started to believe he was a poet.

this came out last month:

Greetings friends,

As we hope you've noticed, we've been lying low on the emails, trying to avoid being part of the last-minute discount, order-now-before-the-holiday-crush deluge of spam that is presently blowing up your inbox.

That said, we do want to thank all of you out there for making this, yet again, a great year for Wilco. Thanks to you guys for supporting the band & the entire Wilco org. by continuing to turn up in droves at shows and frankly, for buying stuff. Your support makes everything possible.

We've got a lot to look forward to in to '09 -- many cool things on the horizon. First, we (w/ Nonesuch) will be releasing Wilco's first concert film/DVD, and despite the obvious negative connotations associated with that category, we think you'll really like this one. It's called "Ashes of American Flags" and was put together by our friends Brendan Canty and Christoph Green at Trixie Films (Sunken Treasure, Burn to Shine, etc.) Filming took place on the band's February '08 tour and includes material from Cain's Ballroom in Tulsa, The Ryman in Nashville, and more. "Ashes of American Flags" should hit store shelves and the internet in February/March '09. Look for clips and other information at Wilcoworld.net beginning in January.

Post-holidays, the band will head back to the loft to resume work on their next studio album which we suspect will see the light of day in Spring '09. Again more details, streams, photos etc. coming to the site soon. So hang in there.

Re: touring: Well, there's not much until Spring. Jeff Tweedy has a handful of solo shows in late January (Kalamazoo, MI; Champaign, IL; Ann Arbor, MI). Ticket information here. Nels Cline also has a run of shows in January, info here. And there'll undoubtedly be other solo-ish events popping up here and there. But Wilco have no shows planned between now and April as they'll be pretty much hunkered down in the studio. We are in the final phases of working out a handful of gigs in southern US (April) and an extensive tour of Spain (May) followed by, most likely, the usual summer hijinks with a new record and gigs everywhere imaginable.

So, without further adieu, happy sledding through the holidays and into the New Year. And remember, when it comes to gift giving, it truly is the thought that counts (spoken like a true last minute shopper....). On that note, we'd be remiss if we didn't add that there's a sale on in the Wilco store and we've extended it through January 15. So feel free to, you know, order something and put a note in the card, saying "coming soon....", or whatever.

thanks again for everything. Here's to you guys. Happy Holidays... with love.

the HQ staff.

been listening to sky blue sky again lately and i think it might actually be my favorite album of theirs now. simple and pretty, but as if they'd stretched things way out on YHF and now are trying to distill that weirdness back into more measured song forms and instrumentation. and the lyrics are great.

Thread title reminds me of that one kid in the Beasties' "Fight for Your Right" video: "Do you like Willllco?"

Wilco (The Album) is like Beethoven compared to Wilco Schmilco. That is a bad record.

Schmilco sounds like what it is - the uninteresting outtakes from those sessions

W(TA) sounds like Tweedy actively persuing sub-Fleet Foxes/Feist blandness

I guess up until YHF he had an effective foilcollaborator/multi-instrumentalist/co-writer/producer in Bennett

W(TA) is easily their worst. The bookends on The Whole Love are worth the try.

Best record post-YHF to me is Star Wars, and I actually enjoy Schmilco.

I am curious if the extra stuff on these re-issues have already seen the light of day on the box set, which is, for the most part, pretty great. And I happen to love Schmilco. It's like Star Wars awkward little brother.

I couldn't get through 3 songs of that b sides comp

And Bull Black Nova is the only redeeming thing about W(TA).

"Alpha Mike Foxtrot" (a code for Adios M-F) is a bounty of riches. I love the band through YHF and it's got lots of live cuts from that period as well as fun alt takes and b-sides. The stuff from their later period was eye-opening for me. There's a track that sounds like a Fall outtake! And I've often found bands detritus is fascinating where they're being experimental or the song doesn't fit the album's vibe.

I saw them twice on the current tour and they were fantastic.

And Bull Black Nova is the only redeeming thing about W(TA)

"Deeper Down" is lovely

http://www.weepaperpeople.co.uk/2017/10/08/wilco/

https://wilco.kungfustore.com/new-items/jeff-tweedy-bobblehead-wil920.html

My fandom in their salad days just baffles me, When I hear the songs now they sound rote and forced and dumb

To the point that I assumed one of their songs as my handle here..
Shame

Never like them before Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, didn't like them after. Still one excellent record though.

Yes, Mermaid Ave. is excellent

You're too hard on yourself, "California Stars" is great.

They were one of my favorites for a while. I like everything until Sky Blue Sky, which was meh and everything after has been decent to meh. I gave up after Schmilco, which was decent.

I can drive around when I visit my hometown and "Misunderstood" still does something. Between Being There and A Ghost Is Born they really gelled into a great band and then they stiffened up. I'm glad Tweedy is healthy and out there doing his thing.

I seem to remember liking his first solo album well enough.

I made time and space to listen to “impossible deutschland” when it came out and man was that a waste of time

calstars no disrespect but you are usually the one bumping these threads to question your past fandom

they're america's Pearl Jam.

calstars no disrespect but you are usually the one bumping these threads to question your past fandom

I don’t think you can call what Jeff does “singing,” he’s more of a loud talker who uses inflection

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSo5ByudFAsD7zbr-pGRY96glfFB1miQ5UOfOmBnmYSf5XVHsvzPLABzXbqJnkst-gScNM&usqp=CAU

"And that's a problem because ... ?"

Yeah him too
Never bought into louis

I haven't been to a show in possibly a decade, and I haven't gone back to anything off their recent albums (2015's Star Wars is probably the last one I'd revisit), but I'm still a fan. I was glad to have been around them in Illinois and to follow them from Being There through Sky Blue Sky during that time. I thought they got a lot better for a while and then cooled off bit, but even the ones I had reservations about (Being There, A Ghost Is Born, Sky Blue Sky) grew on me - what I didn't about them seemed more insignificant as time went on. Mermaid Avenue is a whole other thing for me - I love Guthrie and they're definitely interpretative albums - but along with YHF they're my favorite Wilco albums and I love how their music seemed to evolve after doing each one.

I usually don’t care much about lyrics. But “I must be high” is especially cringe:

“You
Always wanted more time
To do
What you
Always wanted to do”

It’s simple — nothing wrong w that. Early Wilco reminds me of my college friends so I’ll always have a soft spot for them. I’m still able to enjoy Summerteeth and Being There quite a bit.

Same. <3 I was a big Uncle Tupelo/ Wilco/ Sun Volt fan at one point. Around 2000/2001 my bff and I dragged a friend to see them in RI. Said friend has very eclectic taste but favors punk/hardcore. etc. He's still furious about it and says it was the worst musical experience he ever had.

I listened to California Stars recently for the first time in maybe 15 years? Still a fantastic song.

just noticed they put out a new live album on streaming a month ago. it's just a compilation of soundboard recordings from the last decade or so, so it doesn't really live up to the idea of what a proper sequel to kicking television could be, but there's a bunch of songs recorded at the show i was at last year which are cool to hear again

the last two albums (& last year's ep) were their strongest work in a while, "bird without a tail / base of my skull" is already deservedly a live staple

How is that 2014 Capitol Theatre box set?

i didn't even know they put out a box set of those shows, it seems to just be the soundboard recordings they previously released as part of their roadcase series but they've put out so many of those (over 100 shows now) i have no idea which are the particularly worthwhile ones

The last time they really wowed me was Star Wars.