Wilco: The Thread

[wolof7]

Also see them live

[EverythingChanges]

I'd say go in order and experience their evolution:

- Being There
- YFH
- A Ghost is Born
- Kicking Television
- SBS

SBS is a wild card; some say it's their weakest effort. I totally disagree with those sentiments, I love SBS. It is definitely their more relaxed effort and you may even catch some Grateful Dead experimental infulence in it. It's the first with Nels Cline's genius on guitar (see: Impossible Germany, You Are My Face etc., Walken, etc.).

I would say that if you like what you hear, Summerteeth is a must as well, Being There was their last to feature flat out alt-country influence. Summerteeth is vital because it added a flair of pop-rock experimenting which informed their seminal album YFH, plus it's a fun catchy album.

For a completists sake definitely check out AM, it's great but not a perfect album by any means. The only album IMHO that's skippable is Wilco.the Album. 2011's the Whole Love is a great fun album too.

Thanks for the tips, I will definitely try to listen to them in chronological order.  A Ghost is Born sounds great so far!

I have heard a bit from the Whole Love and I really liked what I heard, I'm sure it could be a Christmas present this year.

As far as live shows go, I really want to catch them when they come close to me.  Their live shows remind me of MMJ to a certain extent.  They just keep playing and playing and I love that!

[exist10z]

YHF is one of the greatest albums ever, but to me A Ghost is Born is easily their second best.

I like Sky Blue Sky a lot, way underrated in my opinion.  It would be a good just because it has Impossible Germany, even if it didn't have anything else, but it does.

Being There is good too, more mellow alt-country-ish.

I love everything by Wilco, so it's not like I'm unbiased...

[e_wind]

I'm a fairly new fan, so maybe I can help. I started with YHF (one of the best records of all time), and it took me a while to "get it", but once I did I absolutely fell in love. It's so different, but brilliant in every way. One thing that helped me "get" Wilco though, is the song The Art of Almost on The Whole Love. That song blew me away and the combination of that and YHF showed me how talented Jeff Tweedy really is.

So, after YHF, I went for The Whole Love a little bit because it was brand new, but really I dug into A Ghost is Born the most. YHF is a better album, but AGIB is my personal favorite Wilco album.

From there I went in order, like wolof said, (Being There, A.M., Being There, Summerteeth, Sky Blue Sky). All records are amazing in their own right, and have different sounds (similar to another band we all know and love around here). I totally skipped Wilco (the Album) because I've never heard anything positive about it. I still haven't listened to it.

But now, about a year after really, really diving in, I am really stuck on listening to recordings of Jeff Tweedy Solo shows, and they are tied with Pearl Jam as my second favorite band of all time. Jeff Tweedy is probably the only person that I feel the same about that I feel about Jim. Just an all around amazingly talented and interesting person. It's unreal how much of his emotion bleeds out through his music. Sometimes listening to Wilco can be as much of an emotional event as breaking up with a significant other.


And that's my positive rant of the day. If you couldn't tell I'm on a really bizarre Wilco kick right now.

Also see them live

A must. Like MMJ, walking out of your first wilco show is the beginning of the rest of your lift.

[zanjam]

I'm a fairly new fan, so maybe I can help. I started with YHF (one of the best records of all time), and it took me a while to "get it", but once I did I absolutely fell in love. It's so different, but brilliant in every way. One thing that helped me "get" Wilco though, is the song The Art of Almost on The Whole Love. That song blew me away and the combination of that and YHF showed me how talented Jeff Tweedy really is.

So, after YHF, I went for The Whole Love a little bit because it was brand new, but really I dug into A Ghost is Born the most. YHF is a better album, but AGIB is my personal favorite Wilco album.

From there I went in order, like wolof said, (Being There, A.M., Being There, Summerteeth, Sky Blue Sky). All records are amazing in their own right, and have different sounds (similar to another band we all know and love around here). I totally skipped Wilco (the Album) because I've never heard anything positive about it. I still haven't listened to it.

But now, about a year after really, really diving in, I am really stuck on listening to recordings of Jeff Tweedy Solo shows, and they are tied with Pearl Jam as my second favorite band of all time. Jeff Tweedy is probably the only person that I feel the same about that I feel about Jim. Just an all around amazingly talented and interesting person. It's unreal how much of his emotion bleeds out through his music. Sometimes listening to Wilco can be as much of an emotional event as breaking up with a significant other.


And that's my positive rant of the day. If you couldn't tell I'm on a really bizarre Wilco kick right now.

Also see them live

A must. Like MMJ, walking out of your first wilco show is the beginning of the rest of your lift.

I agree with everything you said, being a fairly new fan myself.  I tried for years and years and did not get it at all, and it's only recently clicked for me.  Now they're in top five territory for me.  And I am sure I will just continue to get sucked in as I get more into them.

When certain Wilco songs come on I just feel like spontaneously crying, they're just that good/emotional.  And then I crack up, thinking of Nigel Tufnel saying that D minor is really the saddest of all keys and people weep instantly when they hear it.  But I do sometimes have that reaction.  It's bizarre that music can do that to you.

[exist10z]

I agree with e-wind and zamjam, in the overall assesement of the band, one of my top 10 all-time, and top 5 still currently active. As overused and cliche as this is, Tweety really is a genius.

I would also recommend anyone that hasn't seen I Am Trying To Break Your Heart, the documentary of the making of YHF, do yourself a favor and see it.

A great non-album track, and there are quite a few, is their cover of Woody Guthrie's 'Jolly Banker', and there's some stuff on compilations that's quite good as well.

One last thing, w/r/t Wilco (the album), I think that it get's a really bad rap.  Is it one of their best?  No, not when their best are YHF and AGIB.  But, compared to 'normal' bands, it's still a solid effort and worth the time (eventually).  I guess, having listened to Wilco for maybe 10+ years, Wilco (the album) is a little different for me, in that I NEEDED it when it was released.  So I gave it a lot of good listens and developed an affinity.  I suppose if I got into them more recently, and had the backlog of their entire catalogue, it wouldn't seem as impressive or necessary, but when you have listened to everything over and over, getting new Wilco music is always a treat.  I guess I only say this, so that two years from now, once you have somewhat exhausted the rest of their catalogue, you don't hesitate to go to Wilco (the album), because it's still comparatively pretty damn good.

It's actually kinda funny, I just put on Wilco (the Album), just to confirm what I was writing above, and to pick out a few tracks to recommend, and realized - I recommend almost all of them.  Really, it's filled with great tracks.  Don't dismiss it...

[EverythingChanges]

I've not really listened to the Wilco self-title yet, but You and I is on there and I love that song!

I'll keep in mind all of the advice I'm reading.  Impossible Germany...Wow.

[oistheone]

I've definitely gotta echo the love for Wilco: The Album. I have NO IDEA why it gets trashed the way it does. Well, maybe I do -- there ARE some clunkers contained within. But if you just wipe-out "Everlasting Everything" and MAYBE "Deeper Down", this is up there with my favorite Wilco albums. And some of my all-time favorite Wilco tracks are contained within.

"Country Disappeared" is just sonic beauty. A wonderfully simplistic melody that stays in my head for days after listening. And I think "Solitaire" might be the most beautiful song Tweedy has ever penned. The BASS DRUM on this track breaks my heart. Full credit to Kotche on that one, what other drummer can tug at the heartstrings with percussion?! Beautiful slide work on this track as well.

"Wilco: The Song", "Sonny Feeling" and "You Never Know" are just so FUN. Pure pop bliss -- how can anyone not dig these songs? Maybe they aren't earth-shattering, but each song has something that keeps me coming back -- the chorus guitar feedback in "Wilco: The Song", the fuzzy slide solo freakout coda on "Sonny Feeling", the pounding piano in "You Never Know". Love these tracks.

I'd put "Bull Black Nova" on the same shelf as "Spiders" -- it's a paranoid pulse that grooves into a sonic blackhole. Listen to this bad boy with headphones and brace yourself.

Overall, I'd say this is a very worthy entry into the Wilco catalog, and fans would be missing out on some great music by not giving it a chance!

[e_wind]

welp, i guess i gotta go to the record store

[Shug]

"Country Disappeared" is just sonic beauty. A wonderfully simplistic melody that stays in my head for days after listening.

"Wilco: The Song", "Sonny Feeling" and "You Never Know" are just so FUN. Pure pop bliss -- how can anyone not dig these songs? Maybe they aren't earth-shattering, but each song has something that keeps me coming back -- the chorus guitar feedback in "Wilco: The Song", the fuzzy slide solo freakout coda on "Sonny Feeling", the pounding piano in "You Never Know". Love these tracks.

Yes, yes, yes!!! 

Two covers worth seeking out:  Wilco doing 100 Years From Now on the Gram Parsons tribute album (totally Exile-era Stonesy piano pounding beauty, not unlike You Never Know) and Golden Smog's version of The Faces' Glad and Sorry with Gary Louris and Tweedy harmonizing.  When I hear that, I'm in fucking HEAVEN!!!!

[MrWhippy]

But now, about a year after really, really diving in, I am really stuck on listening to recordings of Jeff Tweedy Solo shows, and they are tied with Pearl Jam as my second favorite band of all time. Jeff Tweedy is probably the only person that I feel the same about that I feel about Jim. Just an all around amazingly talented and interesting person. It's unreal how much of his emotion bleeds out through his music. Sometimes listening to Wilco can be as much of an emotional event as breaking up with a significant other.

Great point about Tweedy solo shows.  He's just such a spontaneous performer and he will really try anything live in a solo acoustic context.  Really, there is not a single song in his repertoire that he won't play solo, and that's pretty amazing.  I just wish he played solo a bit more, it's a bit of a rarity to get to see him solo.

[EverythingChanges]

So far Impossible Germany and Hell is Chrome are becoming some of my favorites! beautiful!

What is Wilco's equivalent to Steam Engine? Something epic and plays wonderfully live?

[exist10z]

So far Impossible Germany and Hell is Chrome are becoming some of my favorites! beautiful!

What is Wilco's equivalent to Steam Engine? Something epic and plays wonderfully live?

LOVE Hell Is Chrome, a favorite for me, then again there's like 50 favorites for me from Wilco, so...

Also give an extra listen to Pot Kettle Black (YHF) and Company In My Back (AGIB), these are two of my absolute favorites, but don't get quite as much love as some others and are played less live.  I just love these two songs.

As for a Wilco Steam Engine, not sure there is such a thing.  I would say the bands are a bit different, despite some similarity, and Wilco doesn't necessarily 'jam' as much.  Wilco just writes brilliant technically crafted songs, that sometimes jam.  If I had to make a comparison, and I don't really feel that comfortable comparing anything to live Steam Engine (maybe the Allman's In Memory of Elizabeth Reed), I guess I would suggest maybe: Spiders (Kidsmoke), I Am Trying To Break Your Heart or Ashes of American Flags.

[oistheone]

To me, Wilco's "Steam Engine" is "At Least That's What You Said". This song floors me, every single time.

[MrWhippy]

So far Impossible Germany and Hell is Chrome are becoming some of my favorites! beautiful!

What is Wilco's equivalent to Steam Engine? Something epic and plays wonderfully live?

That's a good question.  The things that come to mind to me as Wilco's Steam Engine are:

Impossible Germany ('nuff said)
Ashes of American Flags (builds to a great Nels Cline solo at the end)
At Least That's What You Said (As e_wind said, also builds to a great, cathartic jam)
Poor Places (ends in a great noise jam)
Via Chicago (great bursts of chaotic noise throughout)

I think the movie "I am Trying to Break Your Heart" has been mentioned, but I also strongly recommend "Ashes of American Flags," which is much more of a pure concert film than a documentary like IATTBYH.  It's beautifully and very interestingly filmed at tour stops in five different cities.

[e_wind]

So far Impossible Germany and Hell is Chrome are becoming some of my favorites! beautiful!

What is Wilco's equivalent to Steam Engine? Something epic and plays wonderfully live?

That's a good question.  The things that come to mind to me as Wilco's Steam Engine are:

Impossible Germany ('nuff said)
Ashes of American Flags (builds to a great Nels Cline solo at the end)
At Least That's What You Said (As e_wind said, also builds to a great, cathartic jam)
Poor Places (ends in a great noise jam)
Via Chicago (great bursts of chaotic noise throughout)

I think the movie "I am Trying to Break Your Heart" has been mentioned, but I also strongly recommend "Ashes of American Flags," which is much more of a pure concert film than a documentary like IATTBYH.  It's beautifully and very interestingly filmed at tour stops in five different cities.

I think three of their most bad ass live songs are: At Least Thats What You Said, Misunderstood, and Impossibly Germany. All three are insane live. That Nels Cline.... as Jeff said... "Not only can he play guitar like that, but he smells nice, too."


I also think that The Art of Almost is an insane song, but live it doesn't translate as well, imo.

[EverythingChanges]

So far Impossible Germany and Hell is Chrome are becoming some of my favorites! beautiful!

What is Wilco's equivalent to Steam Engine? Something epic and plays wonderfully live?

That's a good question.  The things that come to mind to me as Wilco's Steam Engine are:

Impossible Germany ('nuff said)
Ashes of American Flags (builds to a great Nels Cline solo at the end)
At Least That's What You Said (As e_wind said, also builds to a great, cathartic jam)
Poor Places (ends in a great noise jam)
Via Chicago (great bursts of chaotic noise throughout)

I think the movie "I am Trying to Break Your Heart" has been mentioned, but I also strongly recommend "Ashes of American Flags," which is much more of a pure concert film than a documentary like IATTBYH.  It's beautifully and very interestingly filmed at tour stops in five different cities.

I think three of their most bad ass live songs are: At Least Thats What You Said, Misunderstood, and Impossibly Germany. All three are insane live. That Nels Cline.... as Jeff said... "Not only can he play guitar like that, but he smells nice, too."


I also think that The Art of Almost is an insane song, but live it doesn't translate as well, imo.

I think you guys are pretty dead on with what I had assumed to be some of the greater live tunes.  Impossible Germany is definitely my favorite song from them right now, but there are so many great ones! I really want the Whole Love album and Summer Teeth now   :happy:

[zanjam]

To me, Wilco's "Steam Engine" is "At Least That's What You Said". This song floors me, every single time.

Agreed. 

[Shug]

like exist10z, I don't think Wilco really has a Steam Engine, but I did try to stretch my imagination and I thought of Sunken Treasure (kinda longer song, starts mellow and has some dissonant noise sections and good lyrics that reach an emotional peak: "Music is my saviour, I was saved by rock 'n' roll, I was tamed by rock 'n' roll, I was maimed by rock 'n' roll, got my name from rock 'n' roll")

or maybe Misunderstood or some of the other songs folks mentioned as live staples/powerhouses.  They've played Impossible Germany at virtually every show for the last 5 years or so and its still amazing and killer.  Nels goes off every time!

Ditto on Mr. Whippy's suggestion of the Ashes of American Flags DVD.  Its my favorite thing Wilco has ever put out, so many insane peaks of brilliance, it blows me away every time.

[e_wind]

So far Impossible Germany and Hell is Chrome are becoming some of my favorites! beautiful!

What is Wilco's equivalent to Steam Engine? Something epic and plays wonderfully live?

That's a good question.  The things that come to mind to me as Wilco's Steam Engine are:

Impossible Germany ('nuff said)
Ashes of American Flags (builds to a great Nels Cline solo at the end)
At Least That's What You Said (As e_wind said, also builds to a great, cathartic jam)
Poor Places (ends in a great noise jam)
Via Chicago (great bursts of chaotic noise throughout)

I think the movie "I am Trying to Break Your Heart" has been mentioned, but I also strongly recommend "Ashes of American Flags," which is much more of a pure concert film than a documentary like IATTBYH.  It's beautifully and very interestingly filmed at tour stops in five different cities.

I think three of their most bad ass live songs are: At Least Thats What You Said, Misunderstood, and Impossibly Germany. All three are insane live. That Nels Cline.... as Jeff said... "Not only can he play guitar like that, but he smells nice, too."


I also think that The Art of Almost is an insane song, but live it doesn't translate as well, imo.

I think you guys are pretty dead on with what I had assumed to be some of the greater live tunes.  Impossible Germany is definitely my favorite song from them right now, but there are so many great ones! I really want the Whole Love album and Summer Teeth now   :happy:

SOOO many good songs on Summerteeth. For one thing, MMJ's Golden and Pearl Jam's Thumbing My Way is Wilco's Via Chicago. Just an awesome, heartfelt accoustic (kind of) song.

Virtually every song on there could be in my personal Wilco "greatest hits. I was gonna list the best on the record but I wouldve ended up writing the first 10 tracks.