Wilco (The Band): One For the Ages

New To Me

In the days leading up to Memorial Day weekend in 2002, I bought Yankee Hotel Foxtrot simply because of all of the positive buzz.  I had known about Wilco because of Uncle Tupelo, but never really got into them.  Younger in my musical journey, YHF was just as many describe it: a challenging record. The first time I listened to it was in a car in the desert on the way to Las Vegas from Los Angeles. I didn't really know if I was ecstatic or aggravated about the varied and complex sounds.  As I wrestled with my opinions of it, I realized that the fact I was torn and confused about my opinion after the first listen was what made it so excellent.  

It took me a few more listens to like it and then maybe one more to love it.  Over seven years later (and richer because of all  of Wilco's canon in my collection), I consider YHF one of my favorite albums of all time from one of my favorite bands.  I still find new sounds in it and learn new things.  On the eve of their seventh (and a half) studio album, I called up Yankee Hotel Foxtrot again and damned if I don't find something new I love every time I hear it.

Since my initial discovery, I have gone into the Wilco back-catalog, taking in each and every stellar turn and phase the band has experienced: A.M. (1995), Being There (1997), Mermaid Avenue (1998), Summerteeth (1999), and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002). Wilco has since released the equally challenging and musically diverse A Ghost Is Born in 2004 and Kicking Television, the live album in late 2005.
 
Two years ago, Tweedy and company recorded the cathartic, relaxing, calm AFTER the storm theme of Sky Blue Sky.  And now we are on the precipice of Wilco's latest release, Wilco (The Album). And I must say, if there is one band that is perfect for New To You, it's Wilco. Unafraid to take chances in branching out (like Radiohead), exploring a new sonic landscape is what seems to drive Jeff Tweedy to continue to make music. If you listen to their work, the sound has gone from decidedly alt-country to rock-pop and into more cerebral, almost deconstructive sounds, only to more recently channel their inner-70s arena rock and a more mellow, mature mood with an infusion of blues and almost Grateful Dead-like rock n roll.  

Vitals:

Band Members:

The band has now seen the same group of musicians together for almost five years: Jeff Tweedy (guitars, vocals), John Stirratt (bass, backing vocals, and the only other original member), Glenn Kotche (drums), Mikael Jorgensen (keyboards, multi-instrumentalist), Nels Cline (lead guitarist) and Pat Sansone (piano, keyboards, guitar).

Main former members include the immensely talented Jay Bennett (who tragically passed away last month, may he rest in peace), drummer Ken Coomer, and Leroy Bach.

Conceived:

1994, after Uncle Tupelos Jay Farrar and Tweedy went separate ways (the former started Son Volt, the latter formed Wilco). Somewhat bad blood pooled for quite some time and to this day, Tweedy and Farrar are distant acquaintances at best. Initially Farrar's talents were more acclaimed, but over time Tweedy has been willing to grow musically and take more chances with Wilco's sound.  Farrar has been largely unwilling to move beyond the original Uncle Tupelo sound.

Wilco has gone on to record 6 studio albums (and two with British troubadour Billy Bragg based on the unreleased songs of Woody Guthrie, a live album Kicking Television recorded in Chicago, a documentary movie I am Trying to Break Your Heart about the making of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, for which it also won 2 Grammys.

Roots:

The heart of the Midwest in Belleville, Illinois, although the band now calls Chicago home. They record most of their material in The Wilco Loft, a large space near downtown that is a musicians playground. Seemingly every type of instrument to find the right sound, check out the 2003 documentary I Am Trying To Break Your Heart to see more of the space.

Sound & Sounds Like:

Born of the alt-country gods of Uncle Tupelo, Wilco's early first record A.M. retains much of the country/rock feel. Tweedy moves more into straight-forward rock with recklessness and shaky emotional ground on Being There and learns how to create a well-produced organ and keyboard-backed sound with the breezy and fun-loving Summerteeth. All boundaries and barriers were broken with Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Wilcos sound became rock n roll with extended experimentation in all sounds and ambiance.  2004s A Ghost Is Born displays more jamming and free-form rock, an extension of producer Jim ORourke's philosophy to serve the song, playing wherever it takes you (read more here). There's no denying that at the time, Wilco and Sonic Youth were kindred spirits in the way they were grinding their axes.

The "Sounds Like" discussion with Wilco is tricky regardless of the time period.  I often think that their early work is reminiscent of Waylon Jennings, Hank Williams or more obviously, the great Woody Guthrie. Even though they have evolved their sound throughout the years, Jeff Tweedy and company never seem to forget those country and folk roots. Two perfect examples: one is the collaboration on two albums with Billy Bragg. The Mermaid Avenue sessions are all lost songs that were written by Guthrie, but never put to music. Guthrie's daughter gave Bragg and Wilco the permission to write music for these songs and they remain some of the most thought-provoking and touching songs that Wilco has produced.  Sit back and listen to California Stars for immediate proof.

The other example of never forgetting their folk and country background is where the 2007 release, Sky Blue Sky took them. In some ways, they came full circle with folk songs reminiscent of Nick Drake but with the funk of The Grateful Dead and some blues-inspired riffs that would make Stevie Ray Vaughn proud. I may even be so bold as to state that Wilco is representing both Lennon and McCartney's post-Beatle phases. By that, I mean that some songs on Sky Blue Sky - and now with Wilco (The Album) - sound like Wings at their best and at other times, there is as much beauty in tracks like the opener "Either Way" that it reminds me of songs like "Imagine."

Speaking of Wilco (The Album), my first impressions are that they have created an album that does exactly what the album title alludes to: a greatest hits, but with new songs.  Or put another way, if you were to put their music in a time capsule, this latest release might be the best representation of their entire body of work.  And despite all originality, Id be remiss not to mention that the new Wilco (The Song) sounds strangely familiar to Velvet Undergrounds Im Waiting for the Man riff.  Its fantastic.

Bar Talk:

So many Wilco tidbits out there, so Ill give you my favorites:
· The band name comes from the trucker or airline lingo, "Will Comply" or "Will Copy"

· "The Landing" referenced in the song "Heavy Metal Drummer" (I sincerely miss those heavy metal bands/we used to see on the Landing in the summer) is a reference to Lacledes Landing in St. Louis, near where Jeff Tweedy and his Uncle Tupelo bandmates grew up (Belleville, IL). The Landing was full of bad cover bands and even worse 80s hair.  Tweedy hated it, yet obviously has fond memories of that time in his life.

· With Tweedy, bassist John Stirratt is the only original member of Wilco still in the band.  And as mentioned above, the Wilco world lost an amazing part of its history in early June when former member Jay Bennett passed away from an accidental overdose on painkillers.  Ironically, Tweedy and Bennett were still embroiled in a dispute over royalty rights to earlier records at the time of Bennett's death.
 
· Tweedy suffered migrane headaches for many years, often driving him to nausea. He also suffered panic attacks throughout most of his adult life. In the last few years, after a stint in rehab for taking too many pain pills, he's completely clean. He's even revealed that his knees are getting bad because he's running too much.  His clean-and-sober lifestyle definitely shows through during any live show recently.  The band is playing tighter and sharper than ever, and Tweedy is clearly having a blast.  

· Tweedy's wife once ran the famous rock club, The Lounge Ax in Chicago. Keeping music in the family, his son, still in grade school, is the drummer in a band.

Essential:

The beauty of Wilco is that whatever album you select, the others will be equally new territory for you. In my opinion, buy Yankee Hotel Foxtrot as it stands as one of the great albums of the past 30 years.  From there, I'd think of your exploration as a Choose Your Own Adventure: backwards to Summerteeth for a great fun album or forwards to A Ghost Is Born for something perhaps more complex than YHF.

Sky Blue Sky was probably the band's most mellow album to date.  But we encourage you to take a hard listen as it is filled with gorgeous mellow melodies that surprisingly kick into high gear with some stellar guitar work from Nels Cline and songs that recall everyone from The Rolling Stones ("Side With The Seeds") to Lennon/McCartney ("Please Be Patient With Me", "Hate it Here") with glimpses of The Greatful Dead and Steeley Dan-style guitar work.

For those who know the band intimately as well as those who are new to Wilco, all I can say is enjoy the ride.  And if you are someone who expects the same album with each release, this is not the music for you.  Each release is full of texture, layers, improvisation, and dont forget good old fashioned great guitar riffs.  If Wilco (The Album) is to represent all of that in one recording, then know that Wilco (The Band) is truly one for the ages.

For the ultimate die-hard phone, don't miss the Wilco iPhone App: Here!

LINKS: Wilco - Official Site | Wilco Base - Excellent Community Space for Fans