Wilco | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Debuting as a rough-and-tumble alt-country act and evolving into a mature and eclectic indie rock ensemble, Wilco rose from the ashes of the seminal roots rock band Uncle Tupelo, which disbanded in 1994. While Jay Farrar, one of the groups two singer/songwriters, went on to form Son Volt, his ex-partner Jeff Tweedy established Wilco along with the remaining members of Tupelos final incarnation, which included drummer Ken Coomer as well as part-time bandmates John Stirratt (bass) and Max Johnston (mandolin, banjo, fiddle, and lap steel). Guitarist Jay Bennett rounded out the group, which in 1995 issued its debut album, A.M., a collection of spry country-rock tunes that followed the course established in Tweedys earlier work. Wilcos sophomore effort, 1996s two-disc set Being There, marked a radical transformation in the groups sound; while remaining steeped in the style that earned Tweedy his reputation, the songs took unexpected detours into psychedelia, power pop, and soul, complete with orchestral touches and R&B; horn flourishes. Shortly after the release of Being There, which most critics judged to be among the years best releases, Johnston left the group to play with his sister, singer Michelle Shocked, and was replaced by guitarist Bob Egan of the band Freakwater. At the same time, while remaining full-time members of Wilco, Stirratt, Bennett, and Coomer also began performing together in the pop side project Courtesy Move. In 1998, Wilco collaborated with singer/songwriter Billy Bragg on Mermaid Avenue, a collection of performances based on unreleased material originally written by Woody Guthrie. Their stunningly lush third album, Summerteeth, followed in 1999 and met with critical acclaim but only average sales, initiating tensions with their label, Warner Bros. Mermaid Avenue, Vol. 2, which featured more selections from the bands collaborations with Bragg on Woody Guthries unfinished songs, was issued in 2000. Following this release, longtime drummer Ken Coomer decided to amicably leave the band and was replaced by the Chicago-based Glenn Kotche. Wilco then focused on recording their fourth album, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, which ultimately led to the departure of guitarist Jay Bennett and further tensions with their label. Unwilling to change the album to make it more "commercially viable," Wilco bought the finished studio tapes from Warner/Reprise for a reported $50,000 and left the label altogether. Leaked tracks from the album surfaced on the Internet in late 2001, and the stripped-down lineup of Tweedy, Kotche, Stirratt, and multi-instrumentalist Leroy Bach embarked on a small tour to support -- or drum up support for -- the unreleased record. Nonesuch Records picked up the album and officially released it in early 2002 to widespread critical acclaim. Meanwhile, an independent film documenting the drama surrounding the album (I Am Trying to Break Your Heart) followed in the fall of 2002. During the down time after the album was recorded, Tweedy composed and recorded the film score to the Ethan Hawke film Chelsea Walls, which ended up being released around the same time as Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Wilco toured extensively following the release of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, and in 2003 began work on their next album, A Ghost Is Born. While sessions went smoothly compared to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, after the album was finished Leroy Bach left the band in a split that was described as mutual and amicable; guitarist Nels Cline, keyboardist Mike Jorgensen, and multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone joined Wilco for their subsequent tour. Shortly before the albums release, Tweedy surprised many fans by announcing he had entered a drug rehabilitation facility to treat a dependency on painkillers, prescribed to treat a long history of migraine headaches aggravated by panic disorder. Tweedy discussed his health problems in depth, along with the often tangled history of Wilco and Uncle Tupelo, in Wilco: Learning How to Die, a biography of the group written by rock journalist Greg Kot, published to coincide with A Ghost Is Borns release in the spring of 2004. The following year, the group released Kicking Television: Live in Chicago, a 23-track collection recorded in the Windy Citys Vic Theater, an album that was later deemed one of the Top 20 best live albums by Q Magazine. In 2007 Wilcos sixth studio album, Sky Blue Sky, hit shelves. Less experimental than its predecessors, Sky Blue Sky peaked at number five on the U.S. album charts and made a strong showing internationally. Wilcos seventh album, the breezy and laid-back Wilco (The Album), was released on June 30, 2009, one month after the death of former bandmember Jay Bennett, who passed away in his home in Urbana, Illinois after accidentally overdosing on the prescription painkiller fentanyl. At the end of touring that album, Wilco took a break for much of 2010 (their longest break since formation) and resurfaced in 2011 with their own label, dBpm Records, and the release of The Whole Love. Wilco toured extensively in support of the album, including a string of dates with Nick Lowe, and stayed busy on the road in 2013, taking part in the Americanarama Festival of Music, a package tour that found Wilco sharing the bill with Bob Dylan, Richard Thompson, and My Morning Jacket. (After meeting on tour, Thompson would recruit Tweedy to produce his 2015 album Still.) In 2014, John Stirratts side project the Autumn Defense released a new album, Fifth, and Jeff Tweedy inaugurated a new project, Tweedy, that found him collaborating with his teenage son Spencer, who played drums and percussion. The family band released their first album, Sukierae, in September 2014, with the combo touring in support. The year 2014 also marked Wilcos 20th anniversary, and the group celebrated the event with a pair of archival releases -- Whats Your Twenty? Essential Tracks 1994-2014, a two-disc set that collected the bands best and most popular tunes, and Alpha Mike Foxtrot: Rare Tracks 1994-2014, a four-disc set of obscure and unreleased material. Wilco also celebrated their first two decades with a series of multi-night stands in several cities, including a six-night residency at the Riviera Theater in Chicago. And on July 16, 2015, Wilco gave their fans a pleasant surprise -- they released a previously unannounced new studio album, Star Wars, as a free download from the groups website. Star Wars was available gratis online for four weeks, with a CD edition released by dBpm on August 21 and a vinyl LP following on November 27. On July 14, 2016, just two days before Star Wars would celebrate its first birthday, Wilco debuted a new song online, "Locator." A few days later, they shared another song, "If I Ever Was a Child," and revealed that both were tracks from Wilcos next album, Schmilco, which was released on September 9, 2016. Wilco toured extensively through 2016 and 2017, and in August 2017, they released a digital single, "All Lives, You Say?" Proceeds from sales of the track were donated to the Southern Poverty Law Center and Life After Hate. In late 2017, Wilco announced they would be taking a hiatus from touring in 2018 so individual members could focus on other projects. However, it was also revealed that Wilco planned to record a new album during the layoff, and that they would stage their biannual Solid Sound Music Festival in 2019. To help tide fans over during the break, remastered and expanded editions of A.M. and Being There were issued in November 2017. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 25 Title: A.M. Released: 1995-03-28 Tracks: 13 Duration: 44:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 I Must Be High (02:59) 2 Casino Queen (02:45) 3 Box Full of Letters (03:05) 4 Shouldn’t Be Ashamed (03:29) 5 Pick Up the Change (02:56) 6 I Thought I Held You (03:49) 7 That’s Not the Issue (03:21) 8 It’s Just That Simple (03:46) 9 Should’ve Been in Love (03:36) 10 Passenger Side (03:34) 11 Dash 7 (03:29) 12 Blue Eyed Soul (04:05) 13 Too Far Apart (03:44) |
 | Album: 2 of 25 Title: Being There Released: 1996-10-29 Tracks: 38 Duration: 2:34:03 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Misunderstood (06:28) 2 Far, Far Away (03:20) 3 Monday (03:33) 4 Outtasite (Outta Mind) (02:34) 5 Forget the Flowers (02:47) 6 Red‐Eyed and Blue (02:45) 7 I Got You (At the End of the Century) (03:57) 8 What’s the World Got in Store (03:09) 9 Hotel Arizona (03:37) 10 Say You Miss Me (04:07) 1 Sunken Treasure (06:51) 2 Someday Soon (02:33) 3 Outta Mind (Outta Sight) (03:20) 4 Someone Else’s Song (03:21) 5 Kingpin (05:17) 6 (Was I) In Your Dreams (03:30) 7 Why Would You Wanna Live (04:16) 8 The Lonely 1 (04:48) 9 Dreamer in My Dreams (06:43) 1 Misunderstood (06:28) 2 Far, Far Away (03:20) 3 Monday (03:33) 4 Outtasite (Outta Mind) (02:34) 5 Forget the Flowers (02:47) 6 Red‐Eyed and Blue (02:45) 7 I Got You (At the End of the Century) (03:57) 8 What’s the World Got in Store (03:09) 9 Hotel Arizona (03:37) 10 Say You Miss Me (04:07) 11 Sunken Treasure (06:51) 12 Someday Soon (02:33) 13 Outta Mind (Outta Sight) (03:20) 14 Someone Else’s Song (03:21) 15 Kingpin (05:17) 16 (Was I) In Your Dreams (03:30) 17 Why Would You Wanna Live (04:16) 18 The Lonely 1 (04:48) 19 Dreamer in My Dreams (06:43) |
| Being There : Allmusic album Review : Wilco barely had time to figure out just what sort of band they were going to be when they cut their first album, 1995s A.M., and it wasnt until they hit the road that they began to fully emerge from the shadow of Uncle Tupelo, the band co-founded by Wilco leader Jeff Tweedy. As Wilco developed a distinct sonic personality of their own, Tweedy became more ambitious as a songwriter, exploring thematic and melodic elements hed never considered before, and the band was a very different animal when it returned to the studio to cut its second album. Released in 1996, Being There was a stunning leap forward for Wilco, a sprawling double-disc set that confirmed they were far more than just another Midwestern alt-country outfit. Jay Bennett joined Wilco following the recording of A.M., and while his guitar work was solid, it was his keyboards that expanded Wilcos sonic palette and helped redefine their attack, sharpening their rock moves, sweetening their pop side, and adding a sinewy groove throughout. Tweedy, Bennett, and their bandmates (Max Johnson on fiddle, banjo, mandolin, and Dobro; John Stirratt on bass; and Ken Coomer on drums) developed a new sense of daring, willing to bounce from indie rock noisemaking ("Misunderstood"), nervy autobiographical studies ("Red-Eyed and Blue"), and retro-pop stylings ("Outta Mind [Outta Sight]") to boozy Stones-influenced rock ("Monday") and country weepers more emotionally layered than theyd even tried before ("Say You Miss Me"). While there was still twang in Wilcos formula, Being There broke them out of the alt-country ghetto, confirming they were as versatile as any band in the indie rock firmament, and they consistently sounded joyous and fully in command regardless of the detours they took. Being Theres 19 tracks are individually outstanding, and taken together, they add up to a three-way cross between Neil Youngs Harvest, the Rolling Stones Exile on Main St., and Big Stars 3rd that still leaves room for some impressive tricks of its own. If Being There isnt Wilcos best album, its the one that staked their claim as an important American band, and its a rich, dazzling experience from beginning to end. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 25 Title: 1996-11-12: Troubadour West, Hollywood, CA, USA Released: 1997 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:26:52 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Sunken Treasure (07:53) 2 Red-Eyed and Blue (02:36) 3 I Got You (At the End of the Century) (03:41) 4 Someone Elses Song (04:08) 5 Someday Soon (03:09) 6 Forget the Flowers (03:06) 7 New Madrid (04:13) 8 I Must Be High (03:09) 9 Passenger Side (punk) (02:11) 10 Passenger Side (03:49) 11 Hotel Arizona (03:56) 1 Monday (04:03) 2 Say You Miss Me (04:22) 3 Outtasite (Outta Mind) (03:28) 4 The Long Cut (03:34) 5 Kingpin / [band introductions] (09:03) 6 Misunderstood (07:47) 7 Far, Far Away (03:53) 8 Give Back the Key to My Heart (03:47) 9 Gun (05:04) |
 | Album: 4 of 25 Title: Mermaid Avenue Released: 1998-06-23 Tracks: 15 Duration: 49:33 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Walt Whitman’s Niece (03:53) 2 California Stars (04:58) 3 Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key (04:06) 4 Birds and Ships (02:15) 5 Hoodoo Voodoo (03:12) 6 She Came Along to Me (03:28) 7 At My Window Sad and Lonely (03:27) 8 Ingrid Bergman (01:50) 9 Christ for President (02:42) 10 I Guess I Planted (03:33) 11 One by One (03:25) 12 Eisler on the Go (02:57) 13 Hesitating Beauty (03:05) 14 Another Man’s Done Gone (01:36) 15 The Unwelcome Guest (05:05) |
| Mermaid Avenue : Allmusic album Review : During the spring of 1995, Woody Guthries daughter Nora contacted British urban folk troubadour Billy Bragg about writing music for a selection of completed Guthrie lyrics. This was no minor task -- Guthrie left behind over a thousand sets of complete lyrics written between 1939 and 1967 that had no music other than a vague stylistic notation. Bragg chose a number of songs to finish, as did Jeff Tweedy of the alt-country band Wilco (often with bandmate Jay Bennett). Nora Guthrie impressed a common goal upon them: Rather than recreating Guthrie tunes, they should write as if they were collaborating with Woody, creating new, vital music for the lyrics. Both artists completed more songs than could fit on Mermaid Avenue, which is neatly split between Bragg and Wilco, with Bragg taking lead on eight of the 15 songs. The results are almost entirely a delight, mainly because all involved are faithful to Guthries rowdy spirit -- its a reverent project that knows how to have fun. There are many minor, irresistible gems scattered throughout the album, and most of them come from Bragg. Where Wilcos fine contributions sound inextricably tied to the 90s, both for better and for worse, Braggs music sounds contemporary while capturing Guthries folk traditions. Thats not to say Wilcos contributions are failures -- its just hard to imagine Guthrie singing the plaintive "California Stars" or the plodding "Christ for President," neither of which quite fit the lyrics. Nevertheless, their hearts are in the right place; more often than not, they come close to the target, and their joyous playing invigorates Mermaid Avenue. The blend of Braggs traditionalist sensibility and Wilcos contemporary style ultimately illustrates that Guthries words, ideals, and aesthetics remain alive in the 90s. Its a remarkable record that deserves a sequel. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 25 Title: Summerteeth Released: 1999-03-09 Tracks: 16 Duration: 56:27 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Can’t Stand It (03:46) 2 She’s a Jar (04:43) 3 A Shot in the Arm (04:19) 4 We’re Just Friends (02:44) 5 I’m Always in Love (03:41) 6 Nothing’severgonnastandinmyway(again) (03:20) 7 Pieholden Suite (03:26) 8 How to Fight Loneliness (03:53) 9 Via Chicago (05:33) 10 ELT (03:46) 11 My Darling (03:38) 12 When You Wake Up Feeling Old (03:56) 13 Summer Teeth (03:21) 14 In a Future Age (02:57) 15 [silence] (00:23) 16 Candy Floss (02:57) |
| Summerteeth : Allmusic album Review : Jeff Tweedy once blazed the trail for the American rock undergrounds embrace of its country and folk roots, but as the decade drew to a close he also began spearheading the return of classic pop; simply put, what once were fiddles on Wilco records became violins -- the same instrument, to be sure, but viewed with a radical shift in perception and meaning. While lacking the sheer breadth and ambition of the previous Being There, Summer Teeth is the most focused Wilco effort yet, honing the lessons of the last record to forge a majestic pop sound almost completely devoid of alt-country elements. The lush string arrangements and gorgeous harmonies of tracks like "Shes a Jar" and "Pieholden Suite" suggest nothing less than a landlocked Brian Wilson, while more straightforward rockers like the opening "I Cant Stand It" bear the influence of everything from R&B; to psychedelia. Still, for all of the superficial warmth and beauty of the records arrangements, Tweedys songs are perhaps his darkest and most haunting to date, bleak domestic dramas informed by recurring themes of alienation, adultery, and abuse -- even the sunniest melodies mask moments of devastating power. If Summer Teeth has a precedent, its peak-era Band; the album not only possesses a similar pastoral sensibility, but like Robbie Robertson and company before them, Wilco seems directly connected to a kind of American musical consciousness, not only rejuvenating our collective creative mythology, but adding new chapters to the legend with each successive record. | ||
 | Album: 6 of 25 Title: Mermaid Avenue, Vol. II Released: 2000-05-29 Tracks: 15 Duration: 49:55 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Airline to Heaven (04:50) 2 My Flying Saucer (01:46) 3 Feed of Man (04:08) 4 Hot Rod Hotel (03:17) 5 I Was Born (01:50) 6 Secret of the Sea (02:42) 7 Stetson Kennedy (02:40) 8 Remember the Mountain Bed (06:26) 9 Blood of the Lamb (04:16) 10 Aginst th’ Law (03:05) 11 All You Fascists (02:43) 12 Joe DiMaggio Done It Again (02:31) 13 Meanest Man (03:46) 14 Black Wind Blowing (03:00) 15 Someday Some Morning Sometime (02:51) |
 | Album: 7 of 25 Title: Yankee Hotel Foxtrot Released: 2002-04-22 Tracks: 17 Duration: 1:13:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Am Trying to Break Your Heart (06:58) 2 Kamera (03:30) 3 Radio Cure (05:08) 4 War on War (03:49) 5 Jesus, Etc. (03:51) 6 Ashes of American Flags (04:44) 7 Heavy Metal Drummer (03:08) 8 I’m the Man Who Loves You (03:56) 9 Pot Kettle Black (04:00) 10 Poor Places (05:18) 11 Reservations (07:23) 1 Camera (03:44) 2 Handshake Drugs (05:11) 3 Woodgrain (01:43) 4 A Magazine Called Sunset (02:39) 5 Bob Dylans 49th Beard (02:21) 6 More Like the Moon (06:07) |
| Yankee Hotel Foxtrot : Allmusic album Review : Few bands can call themselves contemporaries of both the heartbreakingly earnest self-destruction of Whiskeytown and the alienating experimentation of Radioheads post-millennial releases, but on the painstaking Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Wilco seem to have done just that. In early 2001, the Chicago-area band focused on recording their fourth album, which ultimately led to the departure of guitarist Jay Bennett and tensions with their record label. Unwilling to change the album to make it more commercially viable, the band bought the finished studio tapes from Warner/Reprise for 50,000 dollars and left the label altogether. The turmoil surrounding the recording and distribution of the album in no way diminishes the sheer quality of the genre-spanning pop songs written by frontman Jeff Tweedy and his bandmates. After throwing off the limiting shackles of the alt-country tag that they had been saddled with through their 1996 double album Being There, Wilco experimented heavily with the elaborate constructs surrounding their simple melodies on Summerteeth. The long-anticipated Yankee Hotel Foxtrot continues their genre-jumping and worthwhile experimentation. The sprawling, nonsensical "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart" is as charmingly bleak as anything Tweedy has written to date, while the positively joyous "Heavy Metal Drummer" jangles through bright choruses and summery reminiscences. Similarly, "Kamera" dispels the opening tracks gray with a warm acoustic guitar and mixer/multi-instrumentalist/"fifth Beatle" Jim ORourkes unusual production. The true high points of the album are when the songwriting is at its most introspective, as it is during the heartwrenching "Ashes of American Flags," which takes on an eerie poignancy in the wake of the attacks at the World Trade Center. "All my lies are always wishes," Tweedy sings, "I know I would die if I could come back new." As is the case with many great artists, the evolution of the band can push the music into places that many listeners (and record companies for that matter) may not be comfortable with, but, in the case of Wilco, their growth has steadily led them into more progressive territory. While their songs still maintain the loose intimacy that was apparent on their debut A.M., the music has matured to reveal a complexity that is rare in pop music, yet showcased perfectly on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 25 Title: A Ghost Is Born Released: 2004-06-21 Tracks: 12 Duration: 1:08:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 At Least That’s What You Said (05:36) 2 Hell Is Chrome (04:42) 3 Spiders (Kidsmoke) (10:50) 4 Muzzle of Bees (05:00) 5 Hummingbird (03:15) 6 Handshake Drugs (06:11) 1 Wishful Thinking (04:45) 2 Company in My Back (03:50) 3 I’m a Wheel (02:41) 4 Theologians (03:40) 5 Less Than You Think (15:06) 6 The Late Greats (02:30) |
| A Ghost Is Born : Allmusic album Review : Its hard not to wonder if Wilcos breakthrough 2002 release, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, would have been such a critical success and so eagerly embraced by the indie rock community if it hadnt become such a cause célèbre thanks to the band being unceremoniously dropped by Reprise Records, and then signed by Nonesuch after the album had become a hot item on the Internet. Much of the critical reaction to the album, while almost uniformly enthusiastic (and rightly so), had an odd undertow that suggested the writers were not especially familiar with Wilcos body of work, registering a frequent sense of surprise that an "alt-country" band would make such an adventurous album while ignoring the creative shape-shifting that had been so much a part of Jeff Tweedy and companys approach on Being There and Summerteeth. The irony is that 2004s A Ghost Is Born, the eagerly awaited follow-up to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, is also the Wilco album with the strongest stylistic link to its immediate predecessor, as if their new fans are being given a moment to catch up. A Ghost Is Born hardly sounds like a retread of YHF, but the languid, ghostly song structures, the periodic forays into dissonance, and the pained, hesitant vocals from Jeff Tweedy that were so much a part of that album also take center stage here. But while much of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot had a cool and slightly removed feeling, A Ghost Is Born is considerably warmer and more organic; the extended instrumental breaks in several of the songs (two cuts are over ten minutes long) sound more like a group in full flight than the Pro Tools-assembled structures of YHF. And while Wilcos former secret weapon, Jay Bennett, is now out of the picture, the rest of the group (especially multi-instrumentalist Leroy Bach, keyboardist Mikael Jorgensen, and guitarist/co-producer Jim ORourke) fill the gaps with admirable grace and strength. If A Ghost Is Born has a flaw, its in the songwriting; while this album is a "grower" if there ever was one, revealing more of its unexpected complexities with each spin, there are no songs here as immediately engaging as "War on War," "Heavy Metal Drummer," or "Im the Man Who Loves You" from YHF, and while "Hummingbirds," "Handshake Drugs," and "Wishful Thinking" are tuneful and charming, they lack the resonance and emotional impact of Tweedys strongest work. And the albums most purely enjoyable tune, the witty "The Late Greats," closes out the disc after the 15-minute drone dirge of "Less Than You Think," dramatically blunting its effectiveness. A Ghost Is Born confirms what old fans and recent converts already know -- that Wilco is one of Americas most interesting and imaginative bands -- and its brave and compelling listening. But if youre expecting another genre-defying masterpiece, well, maybe well get one of those next time. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 25 Title: The Wilco Book CD Released: 2004-11-02 Tracks: 12 Duration: 39:06 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Pure Bug Beauty (07:29) 2 This Is New (04:24) 3 Diamond Claw (03:10) 4 This Is New (The Explanation) (01:51) 5 What Good Am I (01:20) 6 Here Comes Everybody (02:55) 7 Hummingbird (03:55) 8 The High Heat (02:53) 9 Doubt (01:25) 10 Barnyard Pimp (05:11) 11 Rottnest (01:35) 12 Hamami (02:54) |
 | Album: 10 of 25 Title: Kicking Television: Live in Chicago Released: 2005-11-15 Tracks: 23 Duration: 1:54:15 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Misunderstood (06:08) 2 Company in My Back (03:44) 3 The Late Greats (02:40) 4 Hell Is Chrome (04:56) 5 Handshake Drugs (06:23) 6 I Am Trying to Break Your Heart (06:03) 7 Shot in the Arm (04:51) 8 At Least Thats What You Said (05:18) 9 Wishful Thinking (04:26) 10 Jesus, Etc. (04:00) 11 Im the Man Who Loves You (03:58) 12 Kicking Television (03:03) 1 Via Chicago (05:14) 2 Hummingbird (03:19) 3 Muzzle of Bees (04:49) 4 One by One (03:26) 5 Airline to Heaven (04:41) 6 Radio Cure (04:42) 7 Ashes of American Flags (06:03) 8 Heavy Metal Drummer (03:21) 9 Poor Places (05:31) 10 Spiders (Kidsmoke) (11:17) 11 Comment (06:13) |
| Kicking Television: Live in Chicago : Allmusic album Review : While Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost Is Born established Wilcos reputation as one of Americas most interesting and imaginative rock bands, both albums were the product of a band in flux, and this was particularly evident to those who saw the group on-stage after the release of YHF. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot may have blazed new sonic trails for Wilco, but the departure of Jay Bennett in the latter stages of its production left the band with an audible hole when they played the new material on-stage, and while multi-instrumentalist Leroy Bach may have been a technically skilled player, he looked and sounded like a cold fish in concert, unwittingly emphasizing the cooler surfaces of Wilcos new music and negating much of the passion of Jeff Tweedys songs. However, by the time Wilco hit the road following the release of A Ghost Is Born, the groups latest round of personnel shakeups had the unexpected but welcome effect of spawning one of the groups best lineups to date; after Bach amicably left Wilco, the addition of keyboard and guitar man Pat Sansone and especially visionary guitarist Nels Cline gave the band players whose energy and passion matched their technical skill, and suddenly the band was playing its challenging new material with the same sweaty force Tweedy and company conjured up in the bands earlier days. Thankfully, Tweedy had the good sense to document the prowess of Wilcos latest incarnation on-stage, and Kicking Television: Live in Chicago, recorded during four shows at the Windy Citys Vic Theater, offers a welcome second perspective on the bands more recent work. With the exception of two numbers from Wilcos collaborative albums with Billy Bragg (in which they set Woody Guthries poems to music), Kicking Television focuses exclusively on their "post-alt-country" work, but while many of the songs featured here sounded cool and mannered in the studio, here they gain new muscle and force, not to mention a great deal of enthusiasm, and while tunes like "Ashes of American Flags" and "Handshake Drugs" are never going to be crowd-pleasers in the manner of "Casino Queen," the élan of this band in full flight shows that the fun has been put back in Wilco, albeit in a different and more angular form. Nels Clines guitar is especially bracing in this context, and his marriage of melodic weight and joyous dissonance fits these songs while expanding on their strengths at the same time. And the title cut thankfully proves that Wilco still can (and still does) rock on out. Kicking Television is the best sort of live album -- a recording that doesnt merely retread a bands back catalog, but puts their songs in a new perspective, and in this case these performances reveal that one great band has actually been getting better. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 25 Title: A Sampler Released: 2007 Tracks: 6 Duration: 26:05 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Either Way (03:05) 2 What Light (03:35) 3 Handshake Drugs (06:11) 4 Jesus, Etc. (03:51) 5 War on War (03:49) 6 Via Chicago (05:33) |
 | Album: 12 of 25 Title: Sky Blue Sky Released: 2007-05-14 Tracks: 12 Duration: 50:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Either Way (03:05) 2 You Are My Face (04:38) 3 Impossible Germany (05:57) 4 Sky Blue Sky (03:23) 5 Side With the Seeds (04:15) 6 Shake It Off (05:40) 7 Please Be Patient With Me (03:17) 8 Hate It Here (04:31) 9 Leave Me (Like You Found Me) (04:09) 10 Walken (04:26) 11 What Light (03:35) 12 On and On and On (04:00) |
| Sky Blue Sky : Allmusic album Review : In 1999, Wilco willingly abdicated their position as one of the leading acts in the alt-country movement to dive head-first into the challenging waters of experimental pop with their album Summerteeth, and moved even further away from their rootsy origins with Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost Is Born, winning the group a new and enthusiastic audience along the way. So it might amuse a number of the bands earlier fans that in many respects Wilcos sixth studio album, Sky Blue Sky, sounds like the long-awaited follow-up to 1996s Being There -- while it lacks the ramshackle shape-shifting and broad twang of that earlier album, Sky Blue Sky represents a shift back to an organic sound and approach that suggests the influence of Neil Youngs Harvest and the more polished avenues of 70s soft rock. Sky Blue Sky also marks Wilcos first studio recordings since Nels Cline and Pat Sansone joined the group, and they certainly make their presence felt -- with Cline, Wilco has its strongest guitarist to date, and while his interplay with Sansone on numbers like "Impossible Germany" and "Walken" lacks the skronky muscle of his more avant-garde work of the past, its never less than inspired and he works real wonders with Jeff Tweedys lovely melodies. Sansones keyboard work also shines, adding soulful accents to "Side with the Seeds" and Mellotron on "Leave Me (Like You Found Me)," as does Mikael Jorgensens piano and organ, and overall this is Wilcos strongest album as an ensemble to date. Tweedys vocals boast a clarity and nuance that reveals hes grown in confidence and skill as a singer, and the songs recall Summerteeths beautiful but unsettling mix of lovely tunes and lyrics that focus on troubled souls and crumbling relationships. Between the pensive "Be Patient with Me," the lovelorn "Hate It Here," and "On and On and On"s pledge that "well stay together" squared off against the resignation of "Please dont cry/Were designed to die," Sky Blue Sky isnt afraid to go to the dark places, but Tweedy and his bandmates also find plenty of beauty, inspiration, and real joy along the way, and the albums open, natural sound is an ideal match for the material. Sky Blue Sky may find Wilco dipping their toes into roots rock again, but this doesnt feel like a step back so much as another fresh path for one of Americas most consistently interesting bands. | ||
 | Album: 13 of 25 Title: Ashes of American Flags Released: 2009-04-18 Tracks: 20 Duration: 1:34:01 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Ashes of American Flags (06:00) 2 Side With the Seeds (05:02) 3 Handshake Drugs (06:02) 4 The Late Greats (02:42) 5 Kingpin (05:57) 6 Wishful Thinking (04:06) 7 Impossible Germany (06:02) 8 Via Chicago (05:17) 9 A Shot in the Arm (04:40) 10 Monday (04:05) 11 You Are My Face (04:42) 12 Heavy Metal Drummer (03:05) 13 War on War (03:17) 14 Im the Man Who Loves You (04:26) 15 Airline to Heaven (04:40) 16 Its Just That Simple (04:06) 17 At Least Thats What You Said (05:37) 18 I Am Trying to Break Your Heart (06:18) 19 Theologians (03:19) 20 Hate It Here (04:38) |
 | Album: 14 of 25 Title: Wilco (The Album) Released: 2009-06-26 Tracks: 11 Duration: 42:52 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Wilco (the Song) (02:59) 2 Deeper Down (02:59) 3 One Wing (03:42) 4 Bull Black Nova (05:39) 5 You and I (03:25) 6 You Never Know (04:21) 7 Country Disappeared (04:02) 8 Solitaire (03:04) 9 I’ll Fight (04:23) 10 Sonny Feeling (04:13) 11 Everlasting Everything (04:00) |
| Wilco (The Album) : Allmusic album Review : Rock & roll lifers that they are, Wilco knows the implications of a self-titled album, how any record bearing an eponymous name is bound to be seen as a reintroduction. Thats why they puncture Wilco (The Album) with a parenthetical aside, a slyly ironic joke that deflates the notion that Wilco is returning to its roots while signaling that the band is finally lightening up again, a notion reinforced by the camel birthday party on the cover. And, to be fair, "reintroduction" is indeed too strong a term for a band that never went away, they merely spent a decade-and-a-half on a walkabout, consuming anything that came their way, changing their tone and tenor from record to record. Wilco (The Album) finds Wilco the band happily returning from the wilderness, taking stock of where theyve been and consolidating all theyve learned into one tight, likeable record. (The Album) never veers too far into the experimental -- nor does it dabble in country-rock, a sound thats largely remained verboten in Wilco ever since their debut -- but the reverberations of the Jay Bennett era can be heard in how "Bull Black Nova" builds to a shuddering, noise-filled coda, or the bands general mastery of varying degrees of light and shade. All this studio texture is not the focal point, its the coloring on a collection of straight-ahead rock and pop songs, tunes that are generally soft, sunny, and hazy -- quite exquisitely so on the 70s George Harrison pastiche "You Never Know" and the nearly Baroque "Deeper Down" -- but also jangly and sparkly, as on "Sonny Feeling," or that have some measure of backbone, as on the spiky "Ill Fight" and the cool shuffle of "Wilco (The Song)." If Wilco (The Album) as a whole is considerably less ambitious than its predecessors, it compensates with its easy confidence and craft: its the work of a band that knows their strengths and knows what theyre all about, and its ready to settle into an agreeably comfortable groove. | ||
 | Album: 15 of 25 Title: The Whole Love Released: 2011-09-23 Tracks: 12 Duration: 56:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Art of Almost (07:16) 2 I Might (04:01) 3 Sunloathe (03:19) 4 Dawned on Me (03:43) 5 Black Moon (03:56) 6 Born Alone (03:55) 7 Open Mind (03:40) 8 Capitol City (04:03) 9 Standing O (03:29) 10 Rising Red Lung (03:09) 11 Whole Love (03:49) 12 One Sunday Morning (12:04) |
| The Whole Love : Allmusic album Review : With 2002s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Wilco finally shed the "that guy from Uncle Tupelo" baggage that had kept them from gaining the respect they clearly deserved, and Jeff Tweedy gained the confidence to follow his muse in previously unfamiliar directions with increasingly rewarding results. But with so much space now open to Tweedy and his collaborators, Wilcos post-YHF studio work, while often brilliant, didnt seem quite as cohesive as Being There or Summerteeth, albums that were eclectic but revealed a unified core the newer albums somehow lacked. Part of this can be chalked up to frequent lineup changes, and the group seemed to be shaking this dilemma on Wilco (The Album), the second studio set from the bands strongest lineup to date, and with The Whole Love, theyve finally made another album that pays off with the strength, consistency, and coherence of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Like YHF, The Whole Love is the work of a band thats stylistically up for anything, from the edgy dissonance of "The Art of Almost" and the moody contemplation of "Black Moon," to the ragged but spirited pop of "I Might" and the cocky rock & roll strut of "Standing O," but more so than anything the band has done since Being There, The Whole Love sounds like Wilco are having fun with their musical shape shifting. Even somber numbers like "Rising Red Lung" have a heart and soul thats warm and compelling, and these musicians consistently hit their targets both as individuals and as an ensemble; Mikael Jorgensens keyboards bring a playful whimsy to songs that could sometimes use it, the guitar interplay between Tweedy, Nels Cline, and Pat Sansone never stops bubbling with great ideas, and bassist John Stirratt and drummer Glenn Kotche hold down the rhythm with equal parts of imagination and precision. With The Whole Love, Wilco have made an album where the whole is as strong as the individual parts: the musicians play off one another with the intuition and understanding that separates a real band rather than folks who simply work together, and the songs cohere into a whole thats rich, intelligent, and often genuinely moving. Quite simply, this is the work of a great band at the peak of their powers, and The Whole Love is a joy to hear, revealing more with each listen and confirming once again that Wilco is as good a band as America can claim in the 21st century. | ||
 | Album: 16 of 25 Title: iTunes Session Released: 2012-01-20 Tracks: 8 Duration: 29:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Dawned on Me (03:46) 2 Born Alone (04:09) 3 I Might (03:57) 4 Black Moon (03:47) 5 Whole Love (03:57) 6 War on War (03:18) 7 Passenger Side (03:36) 8 Cruel to Be Kind (03:26) |
 | Album: 17 of 25 Title: Mermaid Avenue: The Complete Sessions Released: 2012-04-21 Tracks: 47 Duration: 2:39:02 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Walt Whitman’s Niece (03:53) 2 California Stars (04:58) 3 Way Over Yonder in the Minor Key (04:06) 4 Birds and Ships (02:15) 5 Hoodoo Voodoo (03:12) 6 She Came Along to Me (03:28) 7 At My Window Sad and Lonely (03:27) 8 Ingrid Bergman (01:50) 9 Christ for President (02:42) 10 I Guess I Planted (03:33) 11 One by One (03:25) 12 Eisler on the Go (02:57) 13 Hesitating Beauty (03:05) 14 Another Man’s Done Gone (01:36) 15 The Unwelcome Guest (05:05) 1 Airline to Heaven (04:50) 2 My Flying Saucer (01:45) 3 Feed of Man (04:05) 4 Hot Rod Hotel (03:16) 5 I Was Born (01:50) 6 Secret of the Sea (02:39) 7 Stetson Kennedy (02:38) 8 Remember the Mountain Bed (06:26) 9 Blood of the Lamb (04:16) 10 Aginst th’ Law (03:01) 11 All You Fascists (02:43) 12 Joe DiMaggio Done It Again (02:30) 13 Meanest Man (03:44) 14 Black Wind Blowing (02:58) 15 Someday Some Morning Sometime (02:51) 1 Bugeye Jim (03:14) 2 When the Roses Bloom Again (04:07) 3 Gotta Work (02:12) 4 My Thirty Thousand (02:37) 5 Ought to Be Satisfied Now (03:30) 6 Listening to the Wind That Blows (05:03) 7 Go Down to the Water (04:31) 8 Chain of Broken Hearts (03:27) 9 Jailcell Blues (02:23) 10 Don’t You Marry (03:14) 11 Give Me a Nail (01:38) 12 The Jolly Banker (03:26) 13 Union Prayer (04:09) 14 Be Kind to the Boy on the Road (03:42) 15 Ain’ta Gonna Grieve (04:47) 16 Tea Bag Blues (03:59) 17 I’m Out to Get (03:58) |
| Mermaid Avenue: The Complete Sessions : Allmusic album Review : The two volumes of Mermaid Avenue, released in 1998 and 2000 and named after the New York street where legendary folk artist Woody Guthrie lived in the 1940s, were collaborations between cult American alt-country/avant-garde rockers Wilco and revered British protest singer Billy Bragg, on which they set to music previously unreleased lyrics by Guthrie. This exhaustive four-disc set features both releases together with a whole new album of previously unreleased songs and the documentary Man in the Sand, which chronicles the project. | ||
 | Album: 18 of 25 Title: Mermaid Avenue Vol. III Released: 2012-04-21 Tracks: 17 Duration: 59:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Bugeye Jim (03:14) 2 When the Roses Bloom Again (04:07) 3 Gotta Work (02:12) 4 My Thirty Thousand (02:36) 5 Ought to Be Satisfied Now (03:30) 6 Listening to the Wind That Blows (05:03) 7 Go Down to the Water (04:31) 8 Chain of Broken Hearts (03:27) 1 Jailcell Blues (02:23) 2 Dont You Marry (03:14) 3 Give Me a Nail (01:38) 4 The Jolly Banker (03:26) 5 Union Prayer (04:09) 6 Be Kind to the Boy on the Road (03:42) 7 Ain’ta Gonna Grieve (04:47) 8 Tea Bag Blues (03:59) 9 I’m Out to Get (03:58) |
 | Album: 19 of 25 Title: Roadcase 001 / June 23, 2012 / Red Rocks Amphitheatre Released: 2012-06-23 Tracks: 28 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Misunderstood (?) 2 Art of Almost (?) 3 I Might (?) 4 At Least Thats What You Said (?) 5 You Are My Face (?) 6 One by One (?) 7 Impossible Germany (?) 8 Born Alone (?) 9 Laminated Cat (?) 10 Radio Cure (?) 11 Passenger Side (?) 12 Whole Love (?) 13 Box Full of Letters (?) 14 Summer Teeth (?) 15 Capitol City (?) 16 War on War (?) 17 Dawned on Me (?) 18 Hummingbird (?) 19 Forget the Flowers (?) 20 Jesus, Etc. (?) 21 Hate It Here (?) 22 The Late Greats (?) 23 Kingpin (?) 24 Im the Man Who Loves You (?) 25 Red-Eyed and Blue (?) 26 I Got You (At the End of the Century) (?) 27 Casino Queen (?) 28 Dreamer in My Dreams (?) |
 | Album: 20 of 25 Title: Roadcase 002 / July 8, 2012 / Geneva, IL Released: 2012-07-08 Tracks: 26 Duration: 00:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% AlbumCover | 1 Dawned On Me (?) 2 War On War (?) 3 I Might (?) 4 I Am Trying to Break Your Heart (?) 5 Box Full of Letters (?) 6 Handshake Drugs (?) 7 Spiders (Kidsmoke) (?) 8 Impossible Germany (?) 9 Born Alone (?) 10 Laminated Cat (aka Not For The Season) (?) 11 Side with the Seeds (?) 12 Say You Miss Me (?) 13 Candyfloss (?) 14 Jesus, Etc. (?) 15 Hate It Here (?) 16 Whole Love (?) 17 Im Always In Love (?) 18 Heavy Metal Drummer (?) 19 Im the Man Who Loves You (?) 20 Via Chicago (?) 21 Art of Almost (?) 22 Standing O (?) 23 Shot in the Arm (?) 24 California Stars (?) 25 The Late Greats (?) 26 Hoodoo Voodoo (?) |
 | Album: 21 of 25 Title: Whats Your 20? Essential Tracks 1994-2014 Released: 2014-11-17 Tracks: 38 Duration: 2:36:46 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 I Must Be High (03:00) 2 Box Full of Letters (03:06) 3 Passenger Side (03:34) 4 Casino Queen (02:45) 5 Misunderstood (06:28) 6 Red-Eyed and Blue (02:45) 7 I Got You (At the End of the Century) (03:57) 8 Monday (03:33) 9 Outtasite (Outta Mind) (02:35) 10 Sunken Treasure (06:53) 11 California Stars (04:59) 12 Hesitating Beauty (03:04) 13 A Shot in the Arm (04:19) 14 Cant Stand It (03:47) 15 Shes a Jar (04:43) 16 Im Always in Love (03:40) 17 How to Fight Loneliness (03:52) 18 Via Chicago (05:33) 19 Airline to Heaven (04:51) 1 I Am Trying to Break Your Heart (06:58) 2 Im the Man Who Loves You (03:56) 3 War on War (03:49) 4 Jesus, etc. (03:52) 5 Ashes of American Flags (04:48) 6 Heavy Metal Drummer (03:09) 7 Hummingbird (03:12) 8 Theologians (03:37) 9 Handshake Drugs (06:04) 10 The Late Greats (02:31) 11 Hate It Here (04:33) 12 Impossible Germany (05:58) 13 Walken (04:28) 14 Wilco (The Song) (02:59) 15 You and I (03:25) 16 You Never Know (04:21) 17 I Might (03:58) 18 Born Alone (03:56) 19 Whole Love (03:48) |
| What's Your 20? Essential Tracks 1994-2014 : Allmusic album Review : Wilco are a band who have shown that in the 21st century, a band can succeed creatively and commercially on their own terms, even without what would be considered a hit single, especially impressive since Wilco often seemed to be doing well despite their presence on a major-label rather than because of it. Which is why Whats Your 20? Essential Tracks 1994-2014 is at once a welcome and curious release: its essentially a greatest-hits album from a band thats never had a hit single, collecting 38 songs that have made some impression on non-commercial radio and become fan favorites during the bands first two decades. At the same time, Whats Your 20? is also a fine "Beginners Guide to Wilco," as the track listing gracefully charts their progress from a scrappy but heartfelt alt-country band that rose from the ashes of Uncle Tupelo to a thoughtful and imaginative pop/rock band with some outstanding players and an eagerness to experiment. Whats Your 20? includes representative selections from Wilcos eight studio albums, as well as the two Mermaid Avenue albums they cut in collaboration with Billy Bragg and, along with a bunch of great songs, it offers a map to the emotional peaks and valleys of Jeff Tweedys songwriting, from the country-influenced rock of "I Must Be High" and "Casino Queen," into the bold explorations of "Misunderstood" and "Sunken Treasure," and the cool, pitiless self-analysis of "A Shot in the Arm" and "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart," a remarkable musical journey that took less than seven years. The album also offers a satisfying summary of the bands best and most stable lineup that coalesced after A Ghost Is Born, and delivered warmer but genuinely exciting songs like "Hate It Here," "Impossible Germany," and "I Might." Whats Your 20? was released at the same time as Alpha Mike Foxtrot: Rare Tracks 1994-2014, a four-disc box set for serious fans featuring outstanding Wilco tracks that didnt appear on one of their albums; this album is the opposite, a more concise (but still hefty) sampling of the bands best known and most accepted work, and this is most easily recommended to casual fans and folks looking for an introduction to the groups music. However, those listeners will certainly be well-served by this outstanding selection of tunes, and if we did live in a world where Wilco regularly scaled the charts, theres little doubt these songs would have earned the band plenty of gold and platinum plaques. And who knows, they may yet some day. | ||
 | Album: 22 of 25 Title: Alpha Mike Foxtrot: Rare Tracks 1994–2014 Released: 2014-11-17 Tracks: 77 Duration: 4:40:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Childlike and Evergreen (demo) (03:06) 2 Someone Else’s Song (demo) (02:50) 3 Passenger Side (demo) (03:30) 4 Promising (03:02) 5 The T.B. Is Whipping Me (03:41) 6 I Must Be High (live) (03:01) 7 Casino Queen (live) (02:54) 8 Who Were You Thinking Of (live) (02:37) 9 I Am Not Willing (03:54) 10 Burned (02:35) 11 Blasting Fonda (04:16) 12 Thirteen (03:25) 13 Don’t You Honey Me (03:18) 14 The Lonely 1 (White Hen version) (04:20) 15 No More Poetry (03:32) 16 Box Full of Letters (live) (04:21) 17 Red-Eyed and Blue (live) (02:40) 18 Forget the Flowers (live) (03:12) 19 Sunken Treasure (live) (07:18) 20 Monday (demo) (03:22) 1 Passenger Side (live) (01:54) 2 Outtasite (Outta Mind) (live) (02:41) 3 I Got You at the End of the Century (live) (03:04) 4 Outta Mind (Outta Site) (live) (03:50) 5 James Alley Blues (live) (03:22) 6 At My Window Sad and Lonely (Jeff Tweedy solo version) (02:46) 7 California Stars (live) (03:47) 8 One Hundred Years From Now (02:52) 9 A Shot in the Arm (remix) (03:54) 10 ELT (King Size demo) (03:39) 11 Nothing’severgonnastandinmyway (Again) (David Kahne remix) (03:20) 12 She’s a Jar (Austin demo) (04:39) 13 Tried and True (02:48) 14 Student Loan Stereo (01:45) 15 True Love Will Find You in the End (03:52) 16 I’m Always in Love (solo acoustic live) (03:33) 17 Via Chicago (Austin demo) (05:27) 18 Can’t Stand It (live) (03:58) 19 Airline to Heaven (alternate) (03:22) 20 Any Major Dude Will Tell You (03:06) 1 I’m the Man Who Loves You (live) (03:39) 2 The Good Part (02:47) 3 Cars Can’t Escape (03:25) 4 Camera (03:44) 5 Handshake Drugs (first version) (05:09) 6 A Magazine Called Sunset (02:37) 7 Bob Dylan’s 49th Beard (02:20) 8 Woodgrain (01:42) 9 More Like the Moon (06:05) 10 Let Me Come Home (02:32) 11 Old Maid (02:46) 12 Hummingbird (alternate) (03:57) 13 Spiders (Kidsmoke) (live) (10:01) 14 Hell Is Chrome (live) (04:28) 15 At Least That’s What You Said (live) (05:55) 16 The Late Greats (live) (02:40) 17 Just a Kid (02:51) 18 Kicking Television (02:49) 1 Panthers (03:49) 2 Theologians (live) (03:33) 3 Another Man’s Done Gone (live) (01:44) 4 I’m a Wheel (live) (02:41) 5 How to Fight Loneliness (live) (04:40) 6 One True Vine (02:11) 7 The Thanks I Get (03:33) 8 Let’s Not Get Carried Away (04:11) 9 Hate It Here (live) (04:32) 10 Impossible Germany (live) (06:07) 11 I Shall Be Released (live) (03:34) 12 What Light (live) (03:07) 13 Jesus, Etc. (live) (04:02) 14 Glad It’s Over (04:18) 15 Dark Neon (04:25) 16 The Jolly Banker (03:26) 17 Unlikely Japan (05:15) 18 You and I (03:18) 19 I Love My Label (03:28) |
| Alpha Mike Foxtrot: Rare Tracks 1994–2014 : Allmusic album Review : In the book that accompanies Alpha Mike Foxtrot: Rare Tracks 1994-2014, a four-disc collection of rare and non-LP recordings by Wilco, former Reprise Records publicist Bill Bentley admits that no less a legend than Doug Sahm thought he was making a mistake when, after Uncle Tupelo abruptly and acrimoniously broke up, Bentley opted to work with Jeff Tweedys new band rather than Son Volt, Jar Farrars post-UT project. "Come on, Bentley, you gotta go with the other guy," Sahm said, "hes gonna happen." Which was certainly the conventional wisdom when Wilco and Son Volt launched in 1994 -- most fans seemed certain that Farrar was going to go on to a brilliant career on his own, and Tweedys band would be a fine but lesser commodity. But those bets were off after Wilco released their ambitious, game-changing second album, Being There, in 1996, and in the years that followed, it became clear that Tweedy was a stronger songwriter, a more imaginative sonic visionary, and a keener judge of collaborators than hed had the chance to show in Uncle Tupelo. Two decades on from their debut, Wilco have created a large and impressively diverse body of work, and Alpha Mike Foxtrot is a massive odds-and-sods collection, bringing together 77 tracks from singles, promo releases, movie soundtracks, bonus discs, and downloads from Wilcos website. Alpha Mike Foxtrot plays like an alternate history of Wilco, and most of whats here is every bit as satisfying as what the band delivered on its first eight studio albums, if more idiosyncratic; it traces the evolution of the band from early solo cassette demos Tweedy cut in his living room to extended workouts from the lineup that solidified after the release of A Ghost Is Born, as Wilco grew from a spirited alt-country combo to a rock band as adventurous and eager to innovate as it was engaging and tuneful (Tweedys simple but powerful way with a melody is the surest unifying factor that holds these songs together). And the plentiful live tracks here demonstrate how willing Tweedy and his bandmates have been to give their songs new shapes on-stage (a ten-minute live recording of "Spiders [Kidsmoke]" is a tremendous showcase for Nels Clines stellar guitar work), and theres a fistful of studio tracks that didnt fit on an album but sound splendid in this context, especially the Replacements-styled "Student Loan Stereo," the soulful "The Thanks I Get," and the faux-live pop/rocker "The Good Part." In the strictest sense, nothing on Alpha Mike Foxtrot is unreleased, but theres a lot here thats never been available for general public consumption, and while the sheer bulk of this set means its most likely to be heard by hardcore fans, anyone with a genuine interest in Wilco will find a lot of great music that fell between the cracks on this set, as well as a fascinating map of the many roads Wilco did and didnt take. | ||
 | Album: 23 of 25 Title: Star Wars Released: 2015-07-16 Tracks: 11 Duration: 33:45 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 EKG (01:15) 2 More… (02:43) 3 Random Name Generator (03:49) 4 The Joke Explained (02:33) 5 You Satellite (05:16) 6 Taste the Ceiling (03:15) 7 Pickled Ginger (02:29) 8 Where Do I Begin (02:54) 9 Cold Slope (03:11) 10 King of You (02:40) 11 Magnetized (03:40) |
| Star Wars : Allmusic album Review : Wilcos 11th studio album, Star Wars, opens with "EKG," a 1:16 burst of skronky guitars that sounds like a few capable grad students imitating early Sonic Youth after a few beers, and if it seems like a goofy way to kick off the record, thats a big part of the albums charm. Wilco released Star Wars as a free download on July 16, 2015 with no advance notice (a day later, the band announced that the physical release would hit stores on August 21), and the element of surprise fits the playful, casual nature of the album. Where Wilco (The Album) and The Whole Love were enthusiastic but artful and crafted with care, Star Wars feels like an album full of experiments and happy accidents, 11 songs where the group members gathered in their rehearsal spot, rolled tape, and let their muse do what it will. Which is not to say Star Wars comes off as sloppy or uncertain; Jeff Tweedys songs are a bit more angular than usual, but the melodies are typically strong and engaging (and often sweeter than their delivery suggests at first glance), and they give the performances a solid backbone. The relatively open spaces of these songs give Tweedy and lead guitarist Nels Cline more room to move than theyve traditionally allowed themselves in the studio, and the ringing and buzzing patterns that provide the beds for "You Satellite" and "Pickled Ginger" (as well as the reverse tape loops on "Where Do I Begin") are the work of a band happy to tinker with its traditional framework. (And drummer Glenn Kotche does a splendid job of holding the various elements in place while adding thoughtful shade and color of his own.) Wilco rock with easygoing but real enthusiasm on tunes like "Random Name Generator" and "King of You" (both of which feature fuzz guitar that would do T. Rex proud), and if there are introspective moments in "Magnetized" and "Taste the Ceiling," compared to the contemplations of life and death on Sukierae (which Jeff Tweedy recorded with his son Spencer under the group name Tweedy), these songs find the groups leader on more comfortable ground, and the tone of Star Wars is that of some good friends tossing ideas against the wall and discovering that a surprising number of them stick. If the noisy sense of play was meant to be therapy for Jeff Tweedy and his bandmates, it seems to have worked; it has been quite some time since Wilco seemed to be enjoying themselves as much as they do here, and handing it out for free makes Star Wars feel a bit like a boombox rehearsal tape passed along to some friends, only with a great songwriter, a world-class band, and a seasoned recording engineer standing in for those beery college kids and a cheap cassette machine. | ||
 | Album: 24 of 25 Title: The Complete Studio Albums Released: 2015-08-21 Tracks: 107 Duration: 7:32:16 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify AlbumCover | 1 I Must Be High (02:59) 2 Casino Queen (02:45) 3 Box Full of Letters (03:05) 4 Shouldn’t Be Ashamed (03:29) 5 Pick Up the Change (02:56) 6 I Thought I Held You (03:49) 7 That’s Not the Issue (03:21) 8 It’s Just That Simple (03:46) 9 Should’ve Been in Love (03:36) 10 Passenger Side (03:34) 11 Dash 7 (03:29) 12 Blue Eyed Soul (04:05) 13 Too Far Apart (03:44) 1 Misunderstood (06:28) 2 Far, Far Away (03:20) 3 Monday (03:33) 4 Outtasite (Outta Mind) (02:34) 5 Forget the Flowers (02:47) 6 Red‐Eyed and Blue (02:45) 7 I Got You (At the End of the Century) (03:57) 8 What’s the World Got in Store (03:09) 9 Hotel Arizona (03:37) 10 Say You Miss Me (04:07) 11 Sunken Treasure (06:51) 12 Someday Soon (02:33) 13 Outta Mind (Outta Sight) (03:20) 14 Someone Else’s Song (03:21) 15 Kingpin (05:17) 16 (Was I) In Your Dreams (03:30) 17 Why Would You Wanna Live (04:16) 18 The Lonely 1 (04:48) 19 Dreamer in My Dreams (06:43) 1 Can’t Stand It (03:46) 2 She’s a Jar (04:43) 3 A Shot in the Arm (04:19) 4 We’re Just Friends (02:44) 5 I’m Always in Love (03:41) 6 Nothing’severgonnastandinmyway(again) (03:20) 7 Pieholden Suite (03:26) 8 How to Fight Loneliness (03:53) 9 Via Chicago (05:33) 10 ELT (03:46) 11 My Darling (03:38) 12 When You Wake Up Feeling Old (03:56) 13 Summer Teeth (03:21) 14 In a Future Age (02:57) 15 [silence] (00:23) 16 Candy Floss (02:57) 17 A Shot in the Arm (remix) (03:54) 1 I Am Trying to Break Your Heart (06:58) 2 Kamera (03:30) 3 Radio Cure (05:08) 4 War on War (03:49) 5 Jesus, Etc. (03:51) 6 Ashes of American Flags (04:44) 7 Heavy Metal Drummer (03:08) 8 I’m the Man Who Loves You (03:56) 9 Pot Kettle Black (04:00) 10 Poor Places (05:18) 11 Reservations (07:23) 1 At Least That’s What You Said (05:36) 2 Hell Is Chrome (04:42) 3 Spiders (Kidsmoke) (10:50) 4 Muzzle of Bees (05:00) 5 Hummingbird (03:15) 6 Handshake Drugs (06:11) 7 Wishful Thinking (04:45) 8 Company in My Back (03:50) 9 I’m a Wheel (02:41) 10 Theologians (03:40) 11 Less Than You Think (15:06) 12 The Late Greats (02:30) 1 Either Way (03:05) 2 You Are My Face (04:38) 3 Impossible Germany (05:57) 4 Sky Blue Sky (03:23) 5 Side With the Seeds (04:15) 6 Shake It Off (05:40) 7 Please Be Patient With Me (03:17) 8 Hate It Here (04:31) 9 Leave Me (Like You Found Me) (04:09) 10 Walken (04:26) 11 What Light (03:35) 12 On and On and On (04:00) 1 Wilco (The Song) (02:59) 2 Deeper Down (02:59) 3 One Wing (03:42) 4 Bull Black Nova (05:39) 5 You and I (03:26) 6 You Never Know (04:21) 7 Country Disappeared (04:02) 8 Solitaire (03:04) 9 I’ll Fight (04:23) 10 Sonny Feeling (04:13) 11 Everlasting Everything (04:00) 1 Art of Almost (07:16) 2 I Might (04:01) 3 Sunloathe (03:19) 4 Dawned on Me (03:43) 5 Black Moon (03:56) 6 Born Alone (03:55) 7 Open Mind (03:40) 8 Capitol City (04:03) 9 Standing O (03:29) 10 Rising Red Lung (03:09) 11 Whole Love (03:49) 12 One Sunday Morning (Song for Jane Smiley’s Boyfriend) (12:03) |
 | Album: 25 of 25 Title: Schmilco Released: 2016-09-09 Tracks: 12 Duration: 36:22 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Normal American Kids (02:47) 2 If I Ever Was a Child (02:55) 3 Cry All Day (04:16) 4 Common Sense (03:24) 5 Nope (03:02) 6 Someone to Lose (03:20) 7 Happiness (03:00) 8 Quarters (02:50) 9 Locator (02:18) 10 Shrug and Destroy (02:52) 11 We Aren’t the World (Safety Girl) (02:53) 12 Just Say Goodbye (02:45) |
| Schmilco : Allmusic album Review : Wilcos 11th album, 2015s Star Wars, was a playful and angular set of noisy pop and pop-friendly noise, and it seemed fitting that it literally appeared out of nowhere, with the band sending it out as a free download without any advance warning one July afternoon. Little more than a year later, Wilco has released a follow-up, Schmilco, and in many respects this album is the flip side to Star Wars. Schmilco feels every bit as spontaneous as Star Wars (and much of the material was recorded during the same sessions), but where the earlier album seemed full of the joy of making music, this one is somber and low-key, a set of navel-gazing music even as the tunes confirm that Jeff Tweedys way with a melody hasnt failed him. Acoustic guitars dominate most of Schmilcos 12 songs, with Tweedys vocals right up front, sounding introspective and emphatic at once. On first listen, Schmilco plays like the work of one man and his guitar alone with his thoughts and his sorrows late one night. It takes a couple of spins for the contributions of the rest of the band to really sink in, but once they do, it becomes apparent this truly is a Wilco album, as Nels Clines guitars, Pat Sansone and Mikael Jorgensens keyboards, and Glenn Kotches drums bring a rich spectrum of dynamics and texture to the songs, while John Stirratts bass anchors these songs both melodically and rhythmically. Just as 1999s Summerteeth sounded like a smart pop album when observed casually but was an emotional horror show beneath the surface, Schmilco feels simple and declarative on first glance, but the deeper one is willing to dig, the more there is to find, both in terms of the bands interplay (which gets better and more intuitive with each album) and Tweedys songs (which boast as much compassion and concern as brooding). Star Wars was Wilcos cheerfully bent version of a summer album; Schmilco is clearly music for autumn, meant for cool nights, crunching through the leaves, and the occasional dark night of the soul. And it speaks volumes about Wilco that they could make two albums so different within such a short space of time, and both times giving us music that sounds like no one else. | ||