"I faked my way through that whole set, trying to guess what syllable I could logically mouth next."

Comments

1
A Ghost Is Born is Wilco at their shoegazing worst imho. Far too much wandering warbling. There were a couple of great songs on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (Heavy Metal Drummer always and forever amen) but it didn't have that "I could listen to this whole album over and over again" appeal of Summerteeth. I've only heard one song off the new album, but so far so good, and the album name (Schmilco) is a welcome indication they're not taking themselves too seriously.
2
This is what passes for journalism now at the Stranger? Perhaps you could regale us with stories of your Livejournal account next.
3
@2 This is opinion writing. Also, you have clearly literally never read the Stranger, or an alt-weekly anywhere, ever, it appears.
4
I LOLed at your priest. Enjoyed the essay.

What do you want @2, Serious David Brooks Business pieces about Wilco?
5
@2 I enjoyed it. Slog covers everything from politics to the arts.
6
There is nothing that certain cranky Slog readers hate more than music content on Slog.
7
This is fucking garbage.
8
Kathleen don't listen to these haters, I thought the article was pretty funny and interesting. I hope this becomes a regular article.

I could never get that into Wilco, aside from a few songs. I think I tried after the hype had gotten way out of hand and they just couldn't live up to the hype. Or maybe it's just not my thing.
9
@6 - Seriously. Remember when they got rid of Line Out and people flipped out? Get a grip people, there's always a story on development or bicycles or socialist city council members right around the corner that awaits your rage.
10
..I loved the title of this. y'all could substitute 'boys ' with ' white people ' and I'd give you a feature on Nugent.
of course it was a white boy, for me, so...
11
Ahahahaha no this is a good pretext for a series of articles, so suck it @2. Oh god so many crappy bands were tolerated in my early 20's. Then I realised life is too short to listen to some third rate NIN knockoff.
12
@9 I'm pretty sure they haven't had a full time music editor since summer of 2015
13
I also couldn't get into Wilco forever. I knew of Uncle Tupelo and that first record (A.M., still don't like it much) and just assumed they were music for backward ballcap wearing/beer chuggin' midwestern frat boys. I got roped into working security for one of their shows on the Being There tour (promoter was a friend and swore I would enjoy it, and I was young enough to try anything once) and was put on the frontlines, with my job for the night to stand in the front row directly in front of Jeff Tweedy and then leap up magically when he stagedove and hold his guitar cable up so it didn't get tangled in the crowd. I spent the night surrounded by said beer chuggin' frat boys (no telling how much Miller Lite spilled on my shoes), but about 3 songs into it, I was on board. By the time they played a cover of "The Immigrant Song", with Tweedy leaping over my head and their roadie coming out with a fully stocked deli tray that he hurled into the crowd as he took over lead vocal duties, I was sold.

Being There was my gateway, Summerteeth is still the crown jewel of the catalog, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is the "pumpkin spice latte" of their catalog (with some great moments in there, for sure) and everything else is pleasant enough but not earthshattering. Also, not sure who this studio engineer is that didn't like Summerteeth, but please let us know so some of us don't try to record with him.
14
I love Jay Bennett era Wilco. Being There and Summerteeth are both absolute masterpieces. After he got himself fired, it just wasn't the same band. A Ghost Is Born is so, so bad. And everything after it is okay, it just can't measure up to their best.
15
Tried to like Wilco (and Uncle T and Son Volt), it's just not there for me. Some youtube live videos are engaging.
18
Can't bring myself to like them because Tweedy is such a doosh. That said, I did kinda like their collaboration with Billie Bragg covering Woodie Guthrie.

I had a friend speculate that Wilco is the Eagles of the 90's, that was in the 90's. Still seems apt.
19
Shit, I just saw: "Part One". It's going to be series. Next week: Modest Mouse or RadioHead?

Please wait...

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