I saw Wilco tonight... and...

[joelpatterson]

This was in Northampton, Massachusetts, The Pines Ampitheater, beautiful outdoor venue in a park. The opening band, Low, was pretty intriguing--somber, moody, droney tunes, pushing-on-the-edge-of-the-envelope lyrics like "If you need a murderer... someone to do your dirty work..." And a song about if he goes deaf, at least he will still see and feel...

But... this "Wilco" band sounded like THE most generic, recycled mish-mash of every 70's band the world has known! In fact--it sounded like someone had loaded the catalogs of The Beatles, Smokey Robinson, and The Archies into a computer, and it was endlessly recombining the riffs, and repeating each riff a minimum of four times.

Very disorienting experience, to be standing in the midst of a bobbing sea of humanity, wondering what it was all about... there was nothing "bad" about their sound, in fact it was GORGEOUS, and very comforting in its familiarity, even hearing the songs for the very first time. But there wasn't a whiff of... how to put this... originality. Creativity. Something new.

I imagine there's fans out there, who would love to contradict me, and go ahead, rip me to shreds, but if anyone can explain why these guys have a following, I would dearly love to know.

[hangman]

Low is a great band. they have a pretty extensive catalog too. Very worth checking out.
Wilco... I can see how they would come off that way. I dig them though... but I certainly follow Low more closely than Wilco. (bought Lows new album the day it came out, bought wilco's when I found it used)

[hangman]

I suppose the other thing... is that the beatles arent around, Smokey is pretty old, and the Archies are.... well they're the archies.
Point is, not a lot of bands doing that stuff as well as wilco does.

[Silver Sonya]

Wilco is on a "traditionalist" trip this year. It's one of many phases you might catch them in. They can actually be fairly radical and creative. The band changes from year to year, in terms of personnel and aesthetic.

Their new record bums me out a little bit because I love the more conspicuously "experimental" side of their music (late period records like "Summerteeth," "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" and "A Ghost Is Born"... I particularly like "Hotel"...). The new record is pleasant (especially the opening song) but is ultimately not that satisfying.

My feeling runs parallel to yours, to a limited extent. If I want to hear Neil Young's "After The Gold Rush" or "Everyone Knows This Is Nowhere," then... I'll put those records on. I don't really like to hear modern bands mining that vein without introducing a new element to it. Y'know?

Red House Painters later period work digs into a "classic rock" mode pretty hard, but soaks it with such personality and mood and flavor that it does not come off as "antique" or conservative.

I know Wilco's new record is aiming for the same thing ("It's new but also classic-sounding"... so says the record company marketing rhetoric) but for my tastes, it misses the mark.

By a mile.

- C

[craigmorris74]

Hmm, I thought they sounded like the Band after they stopped writing good songs (summerteeth era especially). I guess they're pleasant and all, but so overrated. Their greatest career move was stirring up interest by getting having their record rejected by the major. Oh, that record was a nice Kid A reactionary move. What's popular in the underground perplexes me a bit. Low I can handle though.

[chrispick]

Low and Wilco -- sounds like a great double-bill to me.

RE: Wilco - Both "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" and "A Ghost is Born" are of an experimental vein. Check those albums out to hear their more progressive, unconventional side.

I like all their stuff. This latest tracks represent a revisiting of their alt-country roots, I think. Very The Band / Crazy Horse, as stated above.

Nothing wrong with that, so long as it sounds good.

I'm not one to think that one style of music is the sole domain of one artist or era. The self-reflexive ebb and flow of pop music is part of what makes it cool.

[Seamus TM]

I just bought this album today. I have to say that I am liking it quite a bit. I have been following Wilco since "Summerteeth", though I think "Being There" is a pretty amazing work.

Wilco reminds me of Radiohead in that they are both bands that I started out loving (i started in on Radiohead with "Pablo Honey", but fell in love with "The Bends", and "OK Computer" still leaves me speechless"... then they started to change radically... I still love Wilco. I find the new album "comforting", like Joel mentioned. It doesn't hurt that it sounds great, too.

I bought Modest Mouse's new one at the same time. I haven't been able to get through the whole thing yet. It sort of hurts my brain and I think that I might have bled out of my eyes a little bit. I liked that last one, though.
You want to talk about originality... at least Wilco didn't rip themselves off.

[hangman]

yeah... new modest mouse blows.

as far as wilco... everyone else does make a good point. The new one is certainly not their most inovative work. so don't completely write them off.

[wm_b]

For whatever reason I ended up watching the DVD that came with the CD a few more times than the actual CD. I like most of those performances better, mistakes and all. The new Wilco CD was a breath of fresh air for me since I had spent the first 5 months of the year on a super complicated, dense, synth, distorted gtr, vocal heavy CD that was released the same day. AGIB doesn't get as much play as YHF from me.

I will probably catch the show at the greek theater in August.

[roger]

yeah - i read an interview with tweedy and he said he just wanted to write some 'nice songs'.....they are nice songs - not trying too hard and certainly not trying to hide their influences....so i can understand that first time around you were not that blown away! plenty of great stuff in their back catalogue tho....and i'm sure their next will be different once again....they are a great band to follow!

[PhilE]

I dont know much Wilco- I was given a copy of YHF by a band I was working with a few years back and absolutely loved it.
So I was interested when 'A ghost....' came out but it left me pretty cold. Everything else I've heard by them (odd bits and pieces only) was dull to my ears.
YHF is a great album though and the DVD of that time is a great watch too.

[Gone]

if anyone can explain why these guys have a following, I would dearly love to know.<!-- / message --><!-- sig -->

It is all about familiarity.

Same reasons AE's buy Neve's, API, and still like tape.



D

[Chapiro]

Well...

I read about about this band here on gearslutz and went and got the CD and I hated it. Every single thing the songs the sound etc. I agree that there is not a single original thing with the songs and the recording sounds like a garage recording to me. I just did not wanted to be scolded here by posting my opinion. Sorry to all slutz who love this band but Im sorry I wasted my money on this thing.dfegad

[C/G]

Originally Posted by Chapiro

Well...

I read about about this band here on gearslutz and went and got the CD and I hated it. Every single thing the songs the sound etc. I agree that there is not a single original thing with the songs and the recording sounds like a garage recording to me. I just did not wanted to be scolded here by posting my opinion. Sorry to all slutz who love this band but Im sorry I wasted my money on this thing.dfegad

I love Wilco but the new CD isn't doing much for me yet. It's alright, not unbelievably excellent, but alright so far.

Maybe I need some more time with it.

Who cares if fellow GS'ers scold you for not liking it. You can't like everything.

Although I saw Wilco live and thought it was bloody excellent and one of the beter shows I've seen lately.

Edit: After reading some of these posts, I can disagree that the new recording sounds cheap. I think the album sounds great.

[Silver Sonya]

Originally Posted by Chapiro

I agree that there is not a single original thing with the songs and the recording sounds like a garage recording to me.

The recording is a garage recording. Recorded in their practice loft. And it is not good at all. No depth, no detail, no three dimensionality, no soundstaging. Sounds like a lot of home-recorded records, except it's actually a band with money and good taste who should know better.

One nice thing about it: doesn't sound like any sound-replacement or "hyping" was applied. It's dull but it's honest.

-- c

[seaneldon]

on the contrary, i'm listening to the 6-21-07 show right now and i hear a well rehearsed band playing well written songs, and they seem to be having a very good time doing so. but maybe my ears are clogged and my perception of good music is suffering from opposite day syndrome.

[numrologst]

I've actually enjoyed all the sounds of the wilco records. I wouldn't call the records dull sounding at all. I think the production is interesting and it doesn't hurt my ears to listen to any wilco album.

Wilco has gone through many transformations and incarnations. And I think each transformation is great in its own right.

Not everybody is going to like wilco, and not everybody is gonna get what their doing.

Sky Blue Sky might not be innovative in 2007, but there really aren't a whole lot of bands that are doing what they do. SBS got back to the basics... The song... I only hear a few bands that are doing this. And i strongly believe that Wilco is doing it the best.

[feyshay]

It seems that most bands steal from what has been done in the past. Tweedy was on Uncle Tupelo, which are said to be the originators of Alt-Country. What they did on those albums is fantastic, but not that much different from late Byrds, Gram Parsons, Neil Young.
Wilco came out of that Alt-Country. Their first really experimental song was the opener on Being There. They broke things open on Summerteeth, YHF and a Ghost is Born. It must be difficult for a band to have such expectations (to continue to change) and have to live up to that. (Think U2.)
I do think that the albums I mentioned above were quite innovative and creative. I haven't heard the most recent.
They do have their straight-out rockers that can sound like The Faces. They tend to go to those songs because they rock in concert. I find many of those songs kind of bland.

[BIGT-1]

For me, it's pretty simple: Tweedy's lyrics, voice, and the musical frame that Wilco create around them resonate with me. Love them.

Sure, if I want to hear After The Goldrush (which is often), I'll put that on. But I can't for the life of me find "Sunken Treasure" on any of Young's records.

[Gravity8058]

You guys must be high, it's a great record -- for the song craft!

[electropoet]

wilco-most over-rated band i have ever heard...i have most of their albums.

son volt blows them away.

[gevermil]

[QUOTE=electropoet;1346454]wilco-most over-rated band i have ever heard...i have most of their albums.



have to agree

just a band at the right place and right time
like the bodeans and any other americana crap .

some ok stuff
nuthing great

[roger]

to call 'blue sky' a dull, 2-dimensional record is very interesting.....interesting because i want to hear the records that make it sound so rubbish in comparison!!!

it sounds beautiful to me! vintage gear with 2 inch tape recording a good band in good form.....it is a benchmark record for me in 2007 and something that kicked me in the ass - something to aim for ya know?!

that's the great thing about music though ain't it?.......one man's turd is another man's gold......if it was all black and white we would have nothing to discuss round here.

[narcoman]

Originally Posted by Silver Sonya

The recording is a garage recording. Recorded in their practice loft. And it is not good at all. No depth, no detail, no three dimensionality, no soundstaging. Sounds like a lot of home-recorded records, except it's actually a band with money and good taste who should know better.

One nice thing about it: doesn't sound like any sound-replacement or "hyping" was applied. It's dull but it's honest.

-- c

riiiiiiggghhhhtt....

I am no Wilco fan - but it certainly doesnt sound cheap.......

[hangman]

Originally Posted by electropoet

wilco-most over-rated band i have ever heard...i have most of their albums.

son volt blows them away.

I'll give you wilco... But son volt? you gotta be kidding.

[doorknocker]

I never was huge on Wilco, partly because I had a somewhat wrong and superfical perception of them as some 'ironic' avant-trad band that typically are the faves of the likes of 'No Depression' magazine,etc.......

For whatever reason though I ended up buying the new record and I'm TOTALLY blown away!! The band is incredible and Tweedy's songwriting is truly great, there is such a personal and emotional vibe coming thru.

As for the band supposedly being less adventurous here.....do you hear what Nels Cline is doing on guitar? The man is a genius, he can do the most insane micro-tonal out stuff but still he comes up with beautiful and simple parts. I totally love how the songs evolve in some of the longer 'jam' parts (which aren't really jams but highly structured ensemble parts). True, there are no 'outrageous' production values to be found here nor do I see a need for it with such great songs.

The record doesn't hit you over the head with 'great' drum sounds and 'huge' guitars and that's what really appeals to me.

Wilco is definitely a band that, much like the Beatles, doesn't repeat itself and will go to new places with each new record. I'm sure that the next one will be different again but for the moment I'll be happy exploring their back catalogue beyond the few songs I've heard in the past.

If you haven't bought the CD yet, get the special ediition with the DVD, there are truly great live rehearsal performances to be found there, 'Walken' actually tops the issued version IMO. I must have listened and watched it for about 20 times in a row. It's beautifully filmed and gives some insight into the creative process.

As for the production values, they make total sense to me. This is the sound of a band playing together in a room with very little overdubs.Now I'm a big believer in 'the studio as instrument' and I don't care how a specific record is done as long a sit moves me. But Wilco in its current incarnation is a band that really is able to perform live in the studio like a great jazz ensemble or an orchestra would, I think of them as a modern version of The Band.

[redddog]

Oh, the fickle moods of Gearslutz.

This was the album of the year a month ago. I like record very much and to hear someone call it cheap sounding is just ignorant to me. Then again, I happen to like that "Americana crap."

You are a fickle bitch, Gearslutz. A fickle, hurtful bitch.

[roger]

doorknocker/andi......your sentiments ring very true in my ears - but then there may be something wrong with my ears as they aren't telling my brain that this album isn't the bomb!....or maybe it's my brain....dang.

i love that notion that wilco are somewhat of a modern-day beatles IN THE SENSE that they don't repeat themselves.....that is certainly the thing that always thrilled me about the beatles - and i do love it about wilco too!

[PhiloBeddoe]

Originally Posted by joelpatterson

pushing-on-the-edge-of-the-envelope lyrics like "If you need a murderer... someone to do your dirty work..."

Never heard Low, but maybe this would be very cutting edge if it were released 30+ years ago prior to AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds", which is the identical topic probably done better. My guess is there's probably some even older blues song about murder for hire.

[Whitecat]

Originally Posted by PhiloBeddoe

Never heard Low, but maybe this would be very cutting edge if it were released 30+ years ago prior to AC/DC's "Dirty Deeds", which is the identical topic probably done better. My guess is there's probably some even older blues song about murder for hire.

Low kicks ass, they pretty much invented slow-core (although they're known to hate that tag). Nothing like AC/DC at all, and nothing like the blues at all either.

They have a decent-sized back catalogue and have been recorded/produced by Steve Albini and mixed by Tchad Blake among other "names" so it's not like they don't have street cred.

Check them out!