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Wilco (The Prequel): From Uncle Tupelo On...

It is hard to argue that the sphere of influence emanating from Wilco is anything but far reaching. Pre-cursors, side projects, spin offs and friends all contribute to their larger musical Universe.

Think of it as the Wilco extended family; filled with cousins you no longer talk to and friends you still see every day.

The good news is that "this fragile family tree" results in one very fine playlist, filled with great songs that will only reinforce our mantra that Jeff Tweedy and company are some of the most influential musicians of today.

Uncle Tupelo- The Band That Started It All

The band is consider the true north of alternative country ( the mix of alternative rock and traditional country that created a new genre in the late 80s and early 90s). The band started by Jay Farrar, Jeff Tweedy and Mike Heidorn hailed from Belleville, Il and was known for its working class themes and Neil Young influences. They released 4 albums between 1990 and 1993 with Farrar taking the lead on earlier efforts and Tweedy leading the way towards the end. Peter Buck of R.E.M. produced their 3rd album, March 16-20,1992 earning them much critical praise. Buck resurfaces later as a core member of the project Minus 5-Down With Wilco.

Tweedy and Farrar had a falling out and the band parted ways. Farrarr and Heidorn went on to create Son Volt and Tweedy started Wilco, taking Max Johnston and John Stirratt with him.

Here's a VERY early interview with Uncle Tupelo from 1988:

Son Volt- Jay Farrar Zigs While Tweedy Zags

Farrar and company released 3 albums between 1995 and 1998 for Warner Bros as Son Volt. The sound continued in the vein of Uncle Tupelo but with a more mellow, folk vibe on many songs. Their 1995 debut album Trace is considered their masterpiece. The band took a long hiatus in 1998 with Farrar releasing several solo projects and then tried to reform in 2004 but negotiations between Farrar and the other members went south at the last minute forcing him to start over, putting together a new line-up that released Okemah and the Melody of Riot, in 2005 and Search in 2007.

The reputed feud between Tweedy and Farrar often seems to cross over into fandom with many former Uncle Tupelo fans in the Son Volt camp (which stayed true to the bands original sound) and others in the Wilco camp that took a decidely different, more adventurous root.

Here's "Tear Stained Eye", perhaps Son Volt's most beloved song:

Golden Smog- The Uber Super Group

Its hard to say exactly when Golden Smog was born. Rumors abound that members of the loose association of artists began to play together as early as 1987 in Minneapolis, mainly as a cover band and counterpoint to the hard core punk that was dominating the scene then. What's not hard to argue with is the impressive lineup of musicians that have come in and and of this supergroup, most notably Dan Murphy and Dave Pirner (Soul Asylum), Gary Louris and Marc Perlman (The Jayhawks), Chris Mars (The Replacements) and of course, Jeff Tweedy of Wilco. Tweedy appears on the bands first two full length albums, 1996s Down By The Old Mainstream and 1998s Weird Tales and on a few tracks of the reformed band which released a long awaited album Another Fine Day in 2006.

The bands sound at its best is a cross between The Jayhawks and Wilco and Weird Tales would probably make my top 10 Desert Island list. Their latest album Blood on the Slacks, released in April of 2007, is the only one that Tweedy does not appear on at allbut dont let that stop you. Its quite good.

You can really hear and feel the Tweedy influence on these tracks:

Billy Bragg and Wilco- The Lost Songs Of Woody Guthrie

When Woody Guthrie died in 1967 he left behind over 1000 songs he had written that contained lyrics but only sketchy remarks about music. His daughter Nora wanted the lyrics set to music for a new genration and aproached English singer-songwriter Billy Bragg in 1995 about the project who in turn approached Wilco.

The result is an astounding two volume effort, 1998s Mermaid Avenue and 2000s Mermaid Avenue Volume II. The name of the project stems from a Guthrie song about the street where Guthrie lived in Coney Island. The suprising results of this effort garnered the first volume a Grammy nomination for Best Contemporary Folk Album. Bragg and Tweedy worked on several of the songs together, recording in Ireland; splitting up the remainder for individual interpretations. Several of the Tweedy songs are standouts at Wilco concerts with fans yelling out for "California Stars", "One by One" and "Airline To Heaven".

The Minus 5- Down With Wilco

The Minus 5 is a prolific pop collective of musicians founded by Scott McCaughey of Fresh Young Fellows in 1993. The band has released 7 full length albums, each featuring a different lineup save for the inclusion of McCuaghey and R.E.M.'s Peter Buck. The bands most buzzed about release was 2003's Down With Wilco. Many initially thought that this album was a slam against Wilco as opposed to a collaboration. Others referred to it as the cousin to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Its neither and despite having Wilco in the title, its really McCaughey's show; filled with genre bending pop songs that sound like The Beatles and The Beach Boys thrown into a sonic blender. That said, it is Tweedy's haunting voice on "The Family Gardener" that is the albums standout.

Wilco shows up again in a supporting role on The Minus 5s 2006 self titled album, (known commonly as "The Gun Album"), with another standout track "With A Gun".

Jay Bennett- The Influential Wilco Member Moves On

Jay Bennett joined Wilco in 1995 as lead guitarist but soon added the roles of keybordist, lead engineer and co-songwriter with Tweedy. He was a key member of the band through 2001 and appears on Being There, Summerteeth , Yankee Hotel Foxtrot as well as both Mermaid Avenue albums, co-writing several of those songs. What causes the demise and departure of Bennett in 2001 is best viewed in the Wilco documentary I am Trying to Break Your Heart, one of the best documentary films ever produced about music. The film, which cronicles the making of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, clearly shows the mounting tension between Tweedy and Bennett as Jim ORourke's production influence grows.

Bennett went on to release 4 albums since then, the notable one being The Palace at 4 AM recorded with fellow Chicago musician Ed Burch. He also contibuted to a little known album; 1998s The Harry Smith Connection: A Live Tribute to the Anthology Of American Folk Music, where he, Tweedy and Roger McGuinn of The Byrds collaborate on two of the standout tracks, "James Alley Blues" and "Sugar Baby".



Sadly, Bennett passed away in May of 2009 of an apparent accidental overdose from a leaky pain patch containing fentanyl, which he took for a badly damaged hip. He was preparing for a full hip replacement later this year. He was 45.



This mix takes a few great songs from each of these efforts and jumbles them all up. It's a great way to experience the sounds of the extended Wilco universe!

1. "Acuff-Rose". Uncle Tupelo
   
2. "Someday Some Morning Sometime". Billy Bragg and Wilco
   
3. "The Family Gardener". The Minus 5
   
4. "One by One". Billy Bragg and Wilco
   
5. "Medicine Hat". Son Volt
   
6. "Looking Forward To Seeing You". Golden Smog
   
7. "Sandusky". Uncle Tupelo
   
8. "James Alley Blues". Jeff Tweedy, Roger McGuinn, and Jay Bennett
   
9. "Tear-Stained Eye". Son Volt
   
10. "With a Gun". The Minus 5
    
11. "Sugar Baby". Jay Bennett, Jeff Tweedy & Roger McGuinn
    
12. "Radio King". Golden Smog
    
13. "Caryatid Easy".Son Volt
    
14. "California (Live)". Edward Burch & Jay Bennett
    
15. "Airline to Heaven". Billy Bragg & Wilco
    
16. "Still Be Around". Uncle Tupelo
    
17. "Glad & Sorry". Golden Smog
    
18. "Days Of Wine And Booze". The Minus 5