Catalog: Wilco
By: Brett Hickman |
Sunday May 20, 2007 |
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Re-Evaluating Wilco's Albums |
| Few artists mean as much to me as Wilco does. Right now they probably mean more to me than any other. Wherever I've been the past 12 years, Wilco has been right beside me, echoing or underlining the highs and the lows, the pain, the sorrow, the laughter, the joy. In singer Jeff Tweedy I see some of myself, at least emotionally (not the success or the talent). His struggle with communication, with art, with friends, with family, etc are my struggles. They're all of his fans as well. That's part of what our connection to Wilco's music and to Tweedy himself is. Empathy, sympathy and understanding. We all try to make sense of ourselves, our lives, our world and our place in it. Tweedy writes about things from his perspective, but we understand it nonetheless. He never writes from on high, never looking down on us. He's us, but perhaps more comfortable financially. And, though I personally have taken him to task for judgments of character (thankfully it seems his communication issues, especially towards bandmates, have improved considerably), I've never stopped liking the man nor his music. How can I disregard the man who made so much music that helped me through some of the roughest moments of my life? Being There was the album I listened to all the time when I was first dating my (now) wife. Summerteeth came along at a terrible time in my life where my son was hospitalized and wrongly diagnosed and was the only thing that kept me sane. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot helped me cope after the events of September 11th (thanks to downloading!). A Ghost is Born was there when I separated from my wife for the summer of 2004. Sky Blue Sky has yet to reveal its purpose for me, but I hope it's of a more positive nature like Being There rather than Summerteeth. The album is more upbeat in its mindset than any album since then, so that's a good sign. So here, for no other reason than to allow me to write about Wilco one more time, is a look back at Wilco's recorded output. From A.M. to Sky Blue Sky it's all here (well, save for Kicking Television: Live In Chicago - B, The Minus 5's Down With Wilco - A+, and all of the assorted side projects - Golden Smog, Loose Fur, Chelsea Walls, Courtesy Move - and solo albums, that is. [Editor's Note: It's the start of a new thing we're doing at Static Multimedia. Next up are The Doors, Sly and the Family Stone and the Smashing Pumpkins.] Enjoy!  A.M. - 1995 - C+ What should have been a giant step forward for Jeff Tweedy is regarded (mostly) as a step back or, at the very least, a standstill. Critics will argue that Tweedy made little to no movement forward from the material he developed on Uncle Tupelo's swan song Anodyne here. The uncertainty is evident throughout: the muted production values (A.M. is the murkiest sounding of the band's albums), the hesitancy in Tweedy's voice and the overwhelming sense of loss that is either perceived or really there. What saves the album is the solid songwriting ("Passenger Side," "Casino Queen" and "Box Full Of Letters" are stellar moments for the still-lyrically linear leaning Tweedy) and the guitar work by Brian Henneman (on loan from The Bottle Rockets and a former Tupelo roadie). The relaxed vibe of A.M. would not be replicated on a Wilco album for 12 years. And no one could predict the change that was coming up next for the band... Notable Track: "It's Just That Simple," sung by bassist John Stirratt, is still the only Wilco song not sung by Tweedy.  Being There - 1996 - A+ With this album my fanaticism with Wilco began. From here on out Wilco albums would not just be passing enjoyment, but ones featuring music that filled my heart, mind and soul. This album's release hit at the same time as my relationship with the woman that is now my wife, too. Seeing the band live from the edge of the stage Thanksgiving eve that year cemented my love for the band (Jeff's wife Sue was in close proximity to me, holding their infant son Sam, who had those giant airplane hangar headphones on to protect his delicate ears). This album is what I am now calling the "Wilco Bridge." Meaning it takes elements of the band's previous sound ("Far Far Away," "Forget The Flowers"), explores a more rock edge ("Outtasite (Outta Mind)," "Dreamer In My Dreams"), all the while pushing things even further on more experimental fare (each disc opener - "Misunderstood," "Sunken Treasure"). This is the sound of a band truly stepping up and making something not only accessible, but artistic. A big chunk of the credit goes to Jay Bennett's (who made his first studio appearance with the band here) enthusiasm and musical knowledge. But it's Tweedy who dives off the edge into uncharted waters. He could have easily cranked out one A.M. after another, but it's in his desire to do something different that facilitates the band's evolvement from this point on. Being There is among my five favorite albums of all time. Notable Track: "The Lonely 1" a gorgeously sad track that underlines the album's themes of the musician/fan relationship.  Mermaid Avenue Vol. 1 - 1998 - B+ If Billy Bragg hadn't enlisted Wilco into collaborating on this collection of Woody Guthrie songs, chances are pretty good it wouldn't have had the impact it did. Bragg's a likable enough guy (this based soley from the Man In the Sand documentary) , but the majority of his tracks lack Wilco's resonance. You could view this collaboration thusly: Billy is the politically charged side of Guthrie and Wilco is the romantic side. Sure they often swap sides (Bragg with "Ingrid Bergman" and Wilco with "Christ for President"), but, for the most part, each stays in their own camp. Bragg fares best when the band is backing him up ("Walt Whitman's Niece") and Natalie Merchant's two vocal turns on "Way Over Yonder In the Minor Key" and "Birds and Ships," do bring a richer palette to the album. But it is Wilco that shines brightest throughout and especially Tweedy who, vocally here, has never quite been as emotive since. Notable Track: "California Stars." Absolutely one of the best songs ever recorded. Beautiful in every way. Even my wife likes it and she kinda hates Wilco. Okay. She hates Wilco. I apologize for her.  Summerteeth - 1999 - A- I skip "Can't Stand It" every time I play this album now. That song is the only reason it doesn't get an A+. It sticks out like the sore thumb it is: a recording imposed on the band by Reprise records when they didn't hear a "hit". But the rest of the album is yet another quantum leap forward for Wilco, even if it was less of a collaborative record than previous ones had been. As Greg Kot wrote in his excellent biography on the band, Wilco: Learning How To Die, Tweedy and Bennett were sharing similar dysfunctional hang-ups and were obsessively laboring over the album in the studio. Drummer Ken Coomer and bassist Stirratt often had little involvement at times. It's a classic album in every sense and will probably be debated far more than any other album the band makes. Tweedy has made comments that the music was brighter to take the sting out of the lyrics and feels he wasn't strong enough to lay his thoughts out in a different way. But this is precisely why the album holds up and why it will no doubt do so over generations. It's that wonderful juxtaposition of theme and delivery that makes it so rewarding a listen. Lyrically dark, but musically beautiful, the album is a masterpiece of pop music. Notable Track: This one's hard. "Via Chicago" is truly the album's heart and which more than anything signals the dramatic leap Tweedy made lyrically while also hinting at what would be the next Wilco album. But I have a real soft spot for "Candyfloss" simply because it's a terribly gorgeous song and because it's a wounded bird (it was left off of the album's liner notes and is referred to as a "hidden track"). We'll call this one a draw. Mermaid Avenue Vol. 2 - 2000 - C+ On this second set of Guthrie songs Bragg's participation is far more grating than on Vol. 1, Merchant's quickie "I Was Born" is of little relevance, with Corey Harris' vocal turn on "Against th' Law" bringing the only character to the non-Wilco tracks. There isn't any track as great as "California Stars" here, but "Remember the Mountain Bed" and "Secrets Of the Sea" try their damndest. I find myself skipping most of Bragg's songs here, but in hindsight this doesn't get many spins for "Feed of Man" and "Blood of the Lamb" as well. Notable Track: "Remember the Mountain Bed" simply for Tweedy's gentle vocal. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - 2002 - A I still adore YHF, but it is definitely an example of an album getting too much press. Another complaint, five years later, is that Tweedy's lyrics are too distant here, giving the songs a cold aura. But that distance was definitely right for the time and still suits the songs...somewhat. Glenn Kotche joining the band at this point held up (under intense fan scrutiny) and he proved to be an integral part of what made the album work. Credit Jim O'Rourke (rare for me to say something positive about the man) for saving the band from themselves in the mixing stage. Credit Bennett for keeping the ship together at a crucial time for Tweedy, even though it assured his exit. But credit Tweedy's vision most of all. He's some sort of prescient being in the way that the music, lyrics and mood on YHF mirrored the soul of America at the time. Notable Track: "Poor Places" if for only the fact that I love singing it so damn much. A Ghost is Born - 2004 - B Feeling more like a collection of songs left off of previous sessions rather than a fully realized album, A Ghost is Born (the first album without Bennett since A.M.) only pleases three-fourths of the time. Taking off in one direction and then another gives everything a herky-jerky effect (Crazy Horse guitar smashups! Kraut rock precision! Crazy ass synthesizer experimentation! The Band!). But when the individual songs work the album is in a stratosphere that no other Wilco album had ventured before it. The strongest run of songs are the first three and the biggest "WTF?!" moment is the majority of "Less Than You Think." Tweedy still prickles at the criticism lobbed at the track, but honestly, only a fan of Lou Reed's Metal Machine Music can dig that stretch of wankery. Notable Tracks: "At Least That's What She Said" for its stark honesty and fevered guitar attack. Sky Blue Sky - 2007 - A Recording in a room together, one song at a time, and with Tweedy finally abandoning smoking, proved wonders for the band's latest studio effort. Tweedy, now removed from seemingly everything that illed him before, sings with a clarity not heard since that first Mermaid Avenue album. And his lyrics speak openly and honestly, showing true heart and passion. The music is gentle and beautiful, simply stunning in parts, with guitarist Nels Cline adding remarkable touches to songs. Don't call it "mellow" (Tweedy is getting angrier and angrier the more interviewers describe the album that way to him), call it gorgeous, sun-kissed...anything but "mellow." The "liar" song (as Tweedy's wife calls it) "Hate It Here" still sounds fresh 50+ listens in, while "Side With the Seeds" and "On and On and On" continue revealing new secrets. This album can only get better with time, but for now it's pretty damn good, easily one of the best released in 2007. Notable Track: "Please Be Patient With Me" for its tender pleaing for understanding and forgiveness. |
