I don't know that I'll put aside smugness as much as point out that calling us "poor unfortunate Tweedy neophytes" is kind of a weak on the overall smugness scale.

See, if I were striving to be a patronizing hipster wannabe, I would say that while the Uncle Tupelo albums are great, they never quite captured how great they were live. I think back to a particular night in 1989 when I saw them at Cicero's Basement down in the Loop. I was on the list, of course. Yeah, Uncle Tup back in the day (those of us who saw them then get to call then Uncle Tup. We even have our own handshake).

Actually, I wasn't on the list. I never got on the list at Cicero's. Jerks!

Barring that, you can always dismiss Tweedy completely and say Jay Farrar was the real genius. That's easy.

All that being said, this have given me a good excuse to spend the morning with the Uncle Tupelo catalog. It's been a while and I wonder how I would have ranked them several years ago because I'm pretty sure my opinions have changed a lot. I remember, for instance, liking Still Feel Gone a lot more once upon a time, but this morning it sounds a little too over produced for my taste. I also used to really think March 16-20, 1992 used to be their real high point as a band, but this morning I'm gravitating much more towards No Depression and Anodyne. Go figure.

1. Wilco Summerteeth
2. Uncle Tupelo Anodyne
3. Uncle Tupelo No Depression
4. Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
5. Billy Bragg & Billy Bragg Mermaid Avenue, Vol. 1
6. Wilco Being There
7. Uncle Tupelo March 16-20, 1992
8. Wilco A.M.
9. Wilco Still Feel Gone
10. Billy Bragg & Wilco Mermaid Avenue, Vol. 2

I'm with pE in that I can't see including the Golden Smog albums and I'm going to take the easy way out and reserve judgement on A Ghost Is Born because it's just too close right now.

Now Playing: Indiana leading UConn 47-38 with over 16 minutes left in the second half...what's THAT all about?!!

quote:

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Originally posted by LinnTate:


See, if _I_ were striving to be a patronizing hipster wannabe, _I_ would say that while the Uncle Tupelo albums are great, they never quite captured how great they were live. I think back to a particular night in 1989 when I saw them at Cicero's Basement down in the Loop. I was on the list, of course. Yeah, Uncle Tup back in the day (those of us who saw them then get to call then Uncle Tup. We even have our own handshake).

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I wasn't living in the STL at that time, but I did get to see Uncle Tupelo on the tours for either No Depression or Still Feel Gone (can't remember the years now) and Anodyne in the ATL. Small clubs (the first in a TINY bar!).

On the UT news front, next week there's a really cool benefit here in St Louis for Habitat for Humanity and to benefit Alejandro Escovedo and Soul Asylum's Karl Mueller that features the debut of the NEW Son Volt (Dave Bryson on drums, Andrew Duplantis on bass, Eric Heywood on pedal steel, and Brad Rice on guitar) along with a solo Jay Farrar set, and performances by the Bottle Rockets, Richard Buckner, and Anders Parker (of Varnaline). I'll report back to you on the show in the live thread...

I've posted something over in the section on Critics and Publications about the Wilco Book.

Check it out...

quote:

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Originally posted by m.leland:
The Flaming Lips did Yankee Hotel Foxtrot better than Wilco, three years before, on a record that will stand the test of time. Take Tweedy's vocals off Yankee and you have an average bore that's going to ultimately sound dated in 10 years when somebody decides it needs an expanded reissue. So, yes, I think A Ghost Is Born is "better"; nothing from it smacks of vapid filler. And, while I don't consider it a brilliant work by any stretch of the imagination, it seems to have a voice that carries beyond the age in which Wilco wrote it.

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Which Flaming Lips album does YHF better than Wilco, or do you mean on the whole?

What on YHF do you consider filler?

I'm curious because I've not really thought about The Flaming Lips in relation to Wilco, but that might be own biases listening to Wilco since their alt-country days. The filler question is really interesting to me as my complaint over A Ghost Is Born initially was, "Huh...some of those tracks sure do sound like filler to me..."

Now Playing: "Hi-Speed Soul" Nada Surf Let Go streaming on Seattle's KEXP

Which Flaming Lips album does YHF better than Wilco, or do you mean on the whole?

The Soft Bulletin.

What on YHF do you consider filler?

Most of the second half — "I'm the Man Who Loves You" being the lone exception. I don't see much difference between "Kamera" and "Pot Kettle Black", if you need me to pick on a particular moment.

I'm curious because I've not really thought about The Flaming Lips in relation to Wilco, but that might be own biases listening to Wilco since their alt-country days.

I wouldn't compare them if someone unfamiliar with one or the other asked. But the arrangements, the vocal harmonies, the kitchy cool — everything on Yankee was already done, and better, on The Soft Bulletin. They're different albums to be sure, with different influences, but the similarities (or those I perceive, to be fair) are obvious to me.

I see the connection between the Lips and Wilco, but I don't really like Wayne's voice. I find the Lips appealing in small doses, but not much more than that.

I whole-heartedly disagree about the back of YHF being filler (I like "Pot Kettle Black" and "Kamera" and can clearly discern the difference between them) but to each their own, I guess.

quote:

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Originally posted by philosopherEric:
On the UT news front, next week there's a really cool benefit here in St Louis for Habitat for Humanity and to benefit Alejandro Escovedo and Soul Asylum's Karl Mueller that features the debut of the NEW Son Volt (Dave Bryson on drums, Andrew Duplantis on bass, Eric Heywood on pedal steel, and Brad Rice on guitar) along with a solo Jay Farrar set, and performances by the Bottle Rockets, Richard Buckner, and Anders Parker (of Varnaline). I'll report back to you on the show in the live thread...

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Did you catch this show, pE? How was it?

Now Playing: "The Late Greats" Wilco A Ghost Is Born (Nonesuch)

It was excellent...I'll post something about it on the live shows thread...

quote:

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(I like "Pot Kettle Black" and "Kamera" and can clearly discern the difference between them)

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"Pot Kettle Black" is a little more uptempo and uses the drums much more than in "Kamera."

I am new to Wilco, so my knowledge isn't very good but so far my favorite song is "Heavy Metal Drummer." I haven't purchased any of their cds yet, but I plan on it on my next paycheck, I'm thinking that I will get A Ghost is Born.

While I do love me some Wilco, I can't say A Ghost Is Born is in my top five. Without a doubt, Summerteeth is my favorite Wilco album.

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is my favorite Wilco, closely followed by Being There.

I would like to start by stating that nowhere on any Wilco record are there songs as great as Radio Cure and I Am Trying to Break Your Heart. I believe Tweedy's songwriting hit it's apex on YHF, particulary these songs. However, there are enough weak moments on YHF that you could make a strong case that Summerteeth is an overall better album.

My ranking:
1. Summerteeth - Every song is a gem. A great album, and one of the best of the 90's in my opinion.

2. YHF - Just barely below Summerteeth. Many moments of absolute brilliance, but a few "just ok" songs that bring it down just a notch, such as War on War, Poor Places, and Reservations.

3. Being There - As stated by everyone who's ever reviewed this, it would be a very, very good 10 or 11 song album. Although, I do like most of it.

4. A Ghost is Born - Too many hit or miss moments. I love Hell is Chrome, Company in my Back, Theologians. But there are just too many songs that I'm aching to hit skip on, like Spiders (Kidsmoke), Handshake Drugs, Less Than You Think.

5. AM - Average at best. The entire Uncle Tupelo catalog is better. Just a couple good songs, and many of the lyrics I find painfully bad.

I ALSO think that "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart" may very well be their best song, but I have a very-personal reason, and it's not like it's a song which is "overly-accesible". What's your reason, Hophead or any other (non-)hopheads out there?

I'd have to second and third "I AM Trying to Break Your Heart" and "Radio Cure." Though I absolutely love "Poor Places" so I dont think it merits YHF to be #2....

I only started listening to Wilco in 2003, but since then they've probably been the band i've listened to the most. I saw them in January that year live, and it was amazing, i only new a handful of songs but it was an amazing 2.5 hr show (their first time in Australia). And it was even better because i bootlegged it!
Heres how i rate the albums :
Firstly i can't say im a fan of Uncle Tupelo, and the Mermaid Avenues albums are a bit hit and miss. I am a huge Flaming Lips fan as well but i have never even considered the two bands had any similarities! The dude from Tripping Daisy (Tim ?) sounds and relates a hell of a lot like Wayne, but not Jeff.

1. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - a faultless record basically.
2. A Ghost is Born - maybe its helped how i reburnt the album without the 10 mins of noise after less than you think.
3. Summerteeth - i had this on mp3 in a random order for ages before i had it on cd, so it doesn't flow like the others to me.
4. Being There - contains my all time fave Wilco song Sunken Treasure. Its good how although its a double if you cut one of the Outtasites you can fit this on one cd - good for the car
5. AM - quite samey i guess but it doesn't mean its bad.

They're are all good albums basically. With AM clearly the weakest.

[QUOTE]Originally posted by Hophead:
I would like to start by stating that nowhere on any Wilco record are there songs as great as Radio Cure and I Am Trying to Break Your Heart. I believe Tweedy's songwriting hit it's apex on YHF, particulary these songs. QUOTE]


I totally agree. "I am Trying to Break Your Heart" is not just the best Wilco song, but one of the best songs written in recent memory. The way it swells to the end when Jeff Tweedy screams out "What was I thinking when I let go of you"...now I want to go listen to it. Here is my order of albums though...

1. YHF - I think this is the most consistent track-for-track Wilco effort. I don't find the second half weak at all.

2. Summerteeth - "...standinmyway" is a great song, so is "Can't Stand It," and so is "She's a Jar," and so is...well you get the idea.

3. Being There - "Someone Else's Song" is number one hidden Wilco gem.

4. Ghost Is Born - Underrated album, although the ten minutes of fuzz at the end of Less Than You Think seriously impairs the album's playbility.

5. AM - n/a

Well, I'm in the 1% minority again. The entire point of A Ghost is Born is in the 10, well, actually 12, minutes of "fuzz" (that ain't no fuzz), so I can understand why the album is "underrated" and "misunderstood" (quoting myself.)

So enlighten us Mark f...how does the last 12 minutes of 'Less Than You think' make the point of "A Ghost is Born"?

I don't mind the headspace 'fuzz' that is fussed about. It doesn't make the album though. Could it do without it? No. It is there to stay and I never delete the track or fast forward it. I like that it creates a zone-out space and then comes back with The Late Greats. I like A Ghost Is Born, but then again I like noise and love them live.
Best track, as you can tell is Muzzle of Bees. If this song received any airplay...but, then again, thank God it didn't.

1. YHF
2. A Ghost Is Born
3. Being There
4. Summerteeth

quote:

Originally posted by paxsoprano:
So enlighten us Mark f...how does the last 12 minutes of 'Less Than You think' make the point of "A Ghost is Born"?

This won't enlighten anyone, but I can be a pretentious asshole again.