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wilco
http://forums.theskyiscrape.com/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=759		 Page 32 of 78
Author:  washing machine [ Fri July 19, 2019 4:41 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: wilco
surfndestroy wrote:
Would 'Kicking Television' be a good starting point?

I'd say so. That's a great live album and the tracklist reads like a best-of from that era. However, that album marks the first Wilco release featuring Nels and Pat, who didn't record anything with them in the studio up until that point, so the songs sound much different than on the albums. Particularly the early songs. My bet is that after you hear Kicking Television, you'll immediately want to hear A Ghost is Born and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
Author:  tragabigzanda [ Fri July 19, 2019 5:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: wilco
Ehh...half the fun with this band is their studio creativity. I’d start with a studio album. And I’d suggest either Sky Blue Sky or Wilco The Album.If you don’t latch on to either of those, you probably won’t like any of the more experimental stuff they have to offer
Author:  verb_to_trust [ Fri July 19, 2019 5:33 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: wilco
Message From Mid Bar on the Deluxe edition of Whole Love is nice
Author:  tragabigzanda [ Sun July 21, 2019 8:12 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: wilco
So I listened to The Whole Love twice this week. I've definitely been too hard on the album, there are some great moments; but then I can also better articulate the issues that I have with it.

Not since Yankee Hotel Foxtrot has the band indulged in this much studio wankery, though while the experimentation on YHF seemed to enhance what were, at a basic level, some really stellar songs, here it most often comes across as putting lipstick on a pig, with a few notable exceptions. There are also some issues with the performances and mix that leave some of the stronger material feeling fairly anemic.

Art Of Almost -- No big changes here for me. I always thought this was the strongest track on the album, and a catalog highlight.

I Might -- This one grew on me a bit this time out. I think it's a good, straight-forward followup up to the heady album opener, and I really enjoy the sardonic lyrics and occasional abrasive sounds contrasted with the happy, bouncy music. But the mixing issues that plague the album first become present here, with the fuzzed-out guitar licks sitting way back in the mix in favor of the bass and acoustic guitars, the Farfisa organ, and the toy xylophone. It sucks the edge out of the song, and makes for something that works in context and might really rip live, but is fairly forgettable once you move on to the next track...

Sunloathe -- This is one of the more egregious examples of a dull composition slathered in production that tries to impart a feeling of rich emotion. All the Chamberlin keyboards in the world can't save a song rooted in a boring chord progression.

Dawned On Me -- This was a really nice surprise. This song did nothing for me before, but I love it now. It's got the great laid-back groove that Wilco has been trafficking in for a while now, and chorus is super catchy, and the production choices elevate the strong composition underneath.

Black Moon -- No changes here for me. It's a good song with some nice production, but they've done it elsewhere before to better effect.

Born Alone -- Another highlight. I never appreciated this song before, but I love it now. It's a really fun track that I'm glad is on my radar now.

Open Mind -- Similar to Black Moon, it's fine, but not one of their stronger tracks.

Capitol City -- This one underwent the biggest change for me. I HATED this song before, I thought it was so hokey. Now I love it. Maybe it was something about the day that I listened to the album twice, during my drive to/from Bozeman, easy traffic, lovely weather, I was feeling easy going and pretty happy to have the first day in a while that was fairly loose in my schedule and to-dos...Something clicked and I just found myself tapping my feet and hands along, soaking up all the ear candy. What a fun song, and a great use of their studio skills, to flesh out a composition that owes an equal debt to Tin Pan Alley and the circus. Love it!

Standing O -- ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBAWL?! This song is pretty fun. But it feels really hampered by the production. Those drums and guitar leads should really cut through, but they feel blanketed by the bass guitar and other embellishments. I bet it's a blast live.

Rising Red Lung -- I really dig Nels's work on this one, but it's otherwise a fairly forgettable track.

Whole Love -- This one grew on me quite a bit too. I really like Tweedy's falsetto, and the general bass-heavy production vibe really suits this track. I also dig the jangly electric guitars.

One Sunday Morning -- I always loved this song, and that hasn't changed.

After my second listen, I was trying to figure out what exactly what I was feeling... Then I put on Sky Blue Sky, and it was obvious by the time Impossible Germany came on: "Oh right. These songs are all stripped down to just a straight band setup, and they are all awesome. The Whole Love is lacking in good compositions."

Still, I'm glad to have done this because I feel like I have an EP's worth of new Wilco music that I never really appreciated before.
Author:  Kevin Davis [ Sun July 21, 2019 10:19 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: wilco
tragabigzanda wrote:
Capitol City -- This one underwent the biggest change for me. I HATED this song before, I thought it was so hokey. Now I love it. Maybe it was something about the day that I listened to the album twice, during my drive to/from Bozeman, easy traffic, lovely weather, I was feeling easy going and pretty happy to have the first day in a while that was fairly loose in my schedule and to-dos...Something clicked and I just found myself tapping my feet and hands along, soaking up all the ear candy. What a fun song, and a great use of their studio skills, to flesh out a composition that owes an equal debt to Tin Pan Alley and the circus. Love it!


:hooray: :heartbeat:
Author:  digster [ Sun July 21, 2019 11:46 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: wilco
I've been a bit hit or miss on Wilco shows, but by far my favorite show I've seen them play was on The Whole Love tour. Poor Places into Art of Almost is a hell of a way to kick off a concert.
Author:  tragabigzanda [ Sun July 21, 2019 11:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: wilco
Yeah that sounds like an awesome opener
Author:  Norris [ Sun July 21, 2019 11:56 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: wilco
Yeah I saw them open with those two in 2012 and it was fantastic.
Author:  washing machine [ Mon July 22, 2019 5:13 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: wilco
Good recap, trag. I don't feel the same way, but I like reading about the way you listen to music.

I dusted off AM today and I really had fun with it. I don't know if it was enough to move that album up in my rankings at all, but it reminded me that it's a pretty strong debut for any band. That lineup was tight. Forgot how good Dash 7 is.
Author:  tragabigzanda [ Mon July 22, 2019 5:17 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: wilco
washing machine wrote:
Good recap, trag. I don't feel the same way, but I like reading about the way you listen to music.

I dusted off AM today and I really had fun with it. I don't know if it was enough to move that album up in my rankings at all, but it reminded me that it's a pretty strong debut for any band. That lineup was tight. Forgot how good Dash 7 is.


Well it sounds like we're similar in that we recognize a handful of songs we really like, though they're not all the same ones.

washing machine wrote:
Strat wrote:
I also really enjoy I might, sunloathe, dawned on men, Born Alone, and One Sunday Morning

Not sure why this album gets such a negative review.

I think it’s because you just listed the only memorable songs on there. I don’t mean to sound snarky or dismissive, but I don’t know how else to say it. There’s just not that many good songs on there and it’s not cohesive at all.
Author:  washing machine [ Mon July 22, 2019 5:22 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: wilco
We'll always have Dawned on Me. The more I listen, the more it's just a top-tier Wilco song all around.
Author:  washing machine [ Mon July 22, 2019 5:24 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: wilco
Not the best video quality, but this performance makes me smile. Is that Paul on keys? Weird to see someone besides Kotche on drums. They're all having so much fun!

Author:  Strat [ Mon July 22, 2019 5:30 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: wilco
Sure love me some early Wilco. Shit.

That recent live show they released hits my sweet spot.
Author:  washing machine [ Mon July 22, 2019 6:38 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: wilco
Strat wrote:
That recent live show they released

I was unaware of this. :shock:
Author:  verb_to_trust [ Sun July 28, 2019 10:47 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: wilco
I listened to WARMER today. I like it quite a bit, probably more than WARM. I think I'll be surprised if I like the new Wilco album any better than either. The current lineup steps all over each other too much. Tweedy has the melodies but they get buried.
Author:  tragabigzanda [ Sun July 28, 2019 10:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: wilco
verb_to_trust wrote:
I listened to WARMER today. I like it quite a bit, probably more than WARM. I think I'll be surprised if I like the new Wilco album any better than either. The current lineup steps all over each other too much. Tweedy has the melodies but they get buried.

I need to give Warmer a spin too. I liked Warm well enough but it was quickly forgotten.
Author:  washing machine [ Mon July 29, 2019 9:55 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: wilco
About to dive into his book. I love that there's suddenly almost too many Wilco-related things to digest at one time. In 2019.
Author:  tragabigzanda [ Mon July 29, 2019 10:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: wilco
Tape Op mag just did a whole issue on Wilco and The Loft (their studio). They interviewed Jeff, Spencer, engineer Tom Schick, the guys in Low...

Jeff's interview was excellent. He shares the same gripes about the sound of Summerteeth that I do. PM me if anyone really wants a PDF copy, I'll get it to you.
Author:  verb_to_trust [ Wed July 31, 2019 10:04 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: wilco
Jeff Tweedy didn’t want to record new music for the sake of making an album.

The Wilco frontman spent the last couple of years putting out solo music and publishing his memoir in which he details the ups and downs in his life. So when it came time to get the band back together, Tweedy wanted to make sure it felt right and that he had something new to say.

In his words, “nobody needs more Wilco music.”

“That concept was more of a way to motivate ourselves, to try a little bit harder to make something more meaningful to us,” Tweedy told HuffPost at Build Series. “Not just to reconfirm an audience ... We want to be serious about this.”

It didn’t hurt that there was a lot of material from which to draw. The last Wilco album, “Schmilco,” landed in September 2016 ― before Donald Trump was elected president. The political goings-on over the past couple of years prompted Tweedy to think about how people are faring during this time.

“I didn’t want to comment directly on the moment we’re in politically. Our overall national climate is a fairly disturbing one for most of the people I spend a lot of time with. And at the same time, I thought that making a record without there being any kind of reference to that would be sort of dishonest,” he said.

Although direct lyrical references to the political climate are few, Wilco channeled the feelings through the actual music.

“I think it’s more there in the way the drums are recorded and the way that the sonic landscape of the record is a little disturbing in spite of there being some pop songs and a sensitivity to one’s more personal type of feelings, not about the world at large,” Tweedy said. “Which I think is an important thing for everybody to concern themselves with is self-care. You can’t weigh your troubles against the world’s troubles all the time. I think you should be a good neighbor. I think you should be a good citizen and be willing to work and sacrifice to help other people … But you’re not going to be much use to anyone if you’re not taking care of yourself as well.”

That self-care, Tweedy said, also involves finding happiness during these dark times.

Hence the name of the new album. “Ode to Joy” is about “preserving that part of yourself that’s able to experience joy.”

The first single, “Love is Everywhere (Beware),” dates back to January 2017 ― around the time of the Women’s March, the protest held the day after Trump’s inauguration.


I remember feeling very uplifted by the experience of marching with hundreds of thousands of people and feeling un-alone, or feeling like there’s a connection and there were people who were paying attention and feeling upset about the same things,” Tweedy said. “And at the same time, I also had a panic attack that day ― that this is not going to be enough and that’s what that song is kind of about. Is this going to be enough and ultimately, I don’t think it is. Just to reconfirm that we have privilege and we’re OK. I think it’s going to require some sacrifice that a lot of people are going to be challenged to commit to.”


Tweedy wrote the songs for “Ode to Joy” on an acoustic guitar and recorded them with the band at his home studio, dubbed The Loft, in Chicago. He describes this new batch of material as big folk songs.

For the most part I think what we are going for was to make the folk songs still be pretty evident and at the same time, create a monolithic, brutal structure underneath it. Which is an accurate depiction of what I feel right now. I feel like I’m singing about my feelings when there are kids in cages,” Tweedy said, referring to the immigration detention practices of the current administration. “I think that’s a tough thing to adjust yourself to as an artist and that was the best I can do to comment on it without … giving them too much. I don’t want to give them as much of that energy.”
Author:  tragabigzanda [ Wed July 31, 2019 10:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: wilco
This sounds awesome.
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