BonoIsMyMuse
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Wilco (The Leak)!
OK, I'm ready to give my first impressions. But first, here's my current rankings of Wilco's discography and requisite explanations:
1. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (A)
I don't care how cliche the choice is, I don't care how much this album has been fellated by others, this is the closest Wilco has come to making a perfect album. The production suits every song, and the vibe of the album permeates every second, with no moments that truly break the spell. But this album has substance too; play any track here on acoustic guitar and it's just as affecting, while the lyrics are fascinating to dissect, if not wholly comprehensible. One of the best of the decade.
2. Summerteeth (A-)
This was the first Wilco album I purchased, and we go way back. I have a lot of memories associated with this album, and I hold it very dear to me. I actually picked it up with the assumption that it wasn't going to be one of Wilco's more intense records, but I never took the lyrics into account. Featuring tales of domestic abuse, suicide, and self-loathing, this album features the most unsettling set of lyrics Tweedy ever penned. Unlike A Ghost Is Born, however, the band chooses to play down the darkness of the lyrics here, instead emphasizing its indelible melodies and thrilling instrumentation. And it is indeed a fun listen. But for those who seek to dig a little deeper, it's all too clear that these Summerteeth are rotting from the inside out (yes, I went there). One thing it does have in common with AGIB, however, is a pronounced lack of consistency. The great moments kick my ass (She's A Jar, A Shot In The Arm, I'm Always In Love, etc.), but would anyone shed a tear if Pieholden Suite or My Darling never existed? Just the same, this, along with YHF, are the two Wilco albums you MUST own. Once you've done this, go see them live. After that, you won't have to ask me which album to buy, because you'll want them all.
3. Being There (A-)
I don't hae much to say about this one. It's "merely" a couple discs of truly great music. The sheer amount of quality here overcomes any lack of identity this album may have. It's kind of country, kind of rock, occasionally avant-garde, but always a great listen.
4. A Ghost Is Born (B+)
As you all know, I have a very conflicted relationship with this record. Some days, it cuts right through me and I can't help but appreciate its genius. On others, I find it to largely be a pretentious bore. The truth is somewhere in the middle. There is indeed a lot of unnecessary masturbatory avant-garde noodling at play here, but the funny thing is that those moments actually inspire the majority of the album's best material. It's the more straightforward tracks (excepting Hummingbird and, on some days, I'm A Wheel) that actually hurt this album the most for me. Does Theologians or The Late Greats add one fucking thing to this album? Are they REALLY necessary? Wouldn't this album hit a lot harder and flow a lot better if it weren't tempered by these sticky-sweet pop songs? If they're going to indulge themselves half the time, the true spirit and positive qualities of artistic indulgence are inevitably lost, and we're left with a confused hybrid that appeals in some way to all of us, but never hits any of us the way it should. But, in spite of all that, it must be said that there is ALWAYS brilliance to be heard here, no matter your mood, and no matter your expectations. 4 of my top 10-15 Wilco songs are from this record (At Least That's What You Said, Muzzle Of Bees, Handshake Drugs, Wishful Thinking), and that's something no other Wilco album can boast.
5. Wilco (The Album) (B+)
Gotta say that I'm with the consensus on this one: really strong songwriting at play here, highly enjoyable, probably better than Sky Blue Sky, and certainly more exciting. One Wing is THE song here, but it won't be truly brilliant until a more extended rendition is performed live. As I listened, I could feel the epic solo coming on and then......nothing. It ended. And I know this is shallow, but it's one of my biggest problems with the album: where the fuck is Nels Cline? I know guitar solos aren't the biggest deal, but I can't help but be disappointed by the lack of them. Furthermore, the entire middle of the album is pretty middle of the road, safe, and lacking teeth. The songs are solidly written and everything, but meh. Like our good pal No Net On The Horizon, however, the album has some great moments on the edges, and I definitely want to explore those further.
6. Sky Blue Sky (B)
Occasionally heartbreakingly beautiful, occasionally very dull, mostly palatable, soothing Wilco music that I would always enjoy listening to when it's on but seldom actively seek out.
7. A.M. (B)
Lots of good times on display here, but it's simply not what I listen to Wilco for. Just the same, if I Must Be High were on the new record, we would all be praising it for its playfulness and tuneful qualities.
okay this is totally the "SBS meets Summerteeth" record, but holy shit, CI was right about the title=mix of everything
Oh and I had to pull off the "YEAH I'M SO FUCKING COOL LISTENING TO MY IPOD IN CLASS" just because this thing, well it's a new Wilco album haha
01. "Wilco the Song"-wow, they nailed this one. Brings a smile to my face, I couldn't stop singing it today when I wasn't listening to it. I love the vocals and the wails were nailed.
02. "Deeper Down"-GLENN KOTCHE RULES. that is all I have to say. and of course Jeff's vocals and the amazing slide guitar, which is all over this record.
03. "One Wing"-as Justin said, this was prevented from being "Impossible Germany" pt.2 in the studio by being crafted into an awesome pop song for the first bit with an incredible guitar part (sounding like something off Turn On the Bright Lights or "Time Bomb" by the Dismemberment Plan) before giving us short bits of guitar freakout, which is only the precursor to......
04. "Bull Black Nova"-WOWOWOWOWOWOWOW...all I could say when I heard this. This is less "Spiders" than what was said, it's alot more sinister and in your face than "Spiders" and seems alot proggier on the guitar standpoint. But Jeff's vocals are something like we've never heard here. This sounds like something off Gimme Fiction in a way, just Wilco-ed.
05. "You and I"-Not a bad song at all, Feist sounds great and I'm a sucker for slide guitar. Works well, and I love the little bits of Rhodes piano.
06. "You Never Know"-Not top shit as the rest (2+2, CI, etc) say, but nevertheless a great song and I could imagine this being a live favorite in the "Hate it Here" or "Walken" sense.
07. "Country Disappeared"-its pretty, it'll probably be the "Leave Me (Like You Found Me)" aka the slow, beautiful song I love that others don't.
08. "Solitaire"-it flies by me but I really like it, it's sort and the lyrics are fantastic. I'll be singing "Solitaire was all I was playing" for awhile haha
09. "I'll Fight"-organ, not much different from the Bridge School version but I love it. Again, the slide is back.
10. "Sunny Feeling"-THE KIDS ARE STILL CRUEL! I love the AM 70s sound, this song rules and I cannot wait to see it live, it works well and the slide bits are great. This is a fun song, not exactly a "Walken" but its great anyway. I love the lyrics, especially "suburban gangster flow" or whatever.
11. "Everlasting"-Strings and backwards guitar and I love the lyrics and the slow build. It works but it's not a spectacular closer but I still dig.
A 9.5 FOR NOW...time will tell....
I posted this over at ateaseweb (Radiohead site), so users names will be mentioned but I'm too lazy to write more.