Uncle Tupelo's "March 16-20, 1992"
(August 3, 1992)
Review:
A direct title and no frills production detract not at all from this at-times beautiful (“Sandusky”), at-times haunting (“Fatal Wound”) set of recordings with lyrics that resonate as relevant despite sounding — or, in some cases, being — decades out of time.
Top Two Tracks:
“Black Eye” & “Criminals”
By Chris Moore:
In the spirit of the blog, I’ll be posting on several topics tonight. First, let’s get down to business and talk about my choice for an acoustic cover song session. “Ingrid Bergman” is my second selection from the Wilco and Billy Bragg album Mermaid Avenue. This album has one of my favorite back-stories; essentially (as I described for my “Walt Whitman’s Niece” post), Wilco frontman Jeff Tweedy and British folksinger Billy Bragg were given access and rights to boxes full of Woody Guthrie lyrics. They recorded this album by writing music to fifteen of Guthrie’s songs, and it is an excellent recording. Unfortunately, the second volume is not nearly as fresh and exciting as the first…
That being said, I had such a good time and a good response for my first Mermaid Avenue track that I decided to record this one also. “Ingrid Bergman” is a song that I have oftentimes gotten easily stuck in my head and I find it peaceful to sing along to in my head. It was actually more difficult to figure out the strumming pattern than I thought it would be. Other than that, it was a pretty straightforward performance that I hope you’ll enjoy listening to!
In other news, it was a bad day to be a Mets fan… After yesterday’s AMAZING outing by Johan Santana, I thought that there might be enough energy and momentum built up to translate into an important win of this, the last game played at Shea Stadium. I’d like to jump on the bandwagon and blame the bullpen, but the great point has been made that, really, it takes both defense AND offense to make a winning team. Not to mention the reasonable argument that Santana is essentially the sole reason why the Mets were in the race for so long to begin with. Well, I suppose I can’t really complain. I haven’t been a Mets fan for all that long, and this is really the first year that I watched or paid close attention to each game (thank you iPhone!!). Let’s hope that management and the team in general has learned some important lessons for next year…
And last, but certainly not least, I will second Jim’s reflections on friendship. I think that, all too often, with family, friends, lovers — we get so busy with our day to day lives and we lose perspective. I know that I have been guilty of that. And I’ve also been guilty of not taking a firm stand for those that I care about. Life is a crazy, crazy process, and every time I think that I’m getting ahead of the curve and finding happiness, I get set back a step. Ever felt that way? Ever felt trapped by a paradox, or a no-win situation? For those that don’t know me, I’m generally a pretty positive person — sometimes positive in the face of all logical proof to the contrary.
Contradictions, controversy, and general confusion are some of the best reasons we write. I know that they’re my motivations. And let’s just say I have a lot to write! (More about that on my upcoming Original Wednesday…)
Thanks for stopping by for your daily dose of Laptop Sessions acoustic cover song excitement; don’t forget to hurry back tomorrow for an all-new cover by Jeff.
See you next session!
For Wilco chords & lyrics, CLICK HERE!
By Chris Moore:
Hello and welcome to the final Monday post of 2009! It’s been quite a year, and certainly a year of changes and improvements here at the best cover song music video blog in the universe. For starters, we came up with a weekly schedule of new material that did NOT involve each of us recording a video once every three days.
The “session-a-day” concept may not have been the brightest idea I ever had…
I started the year playing a simple, pretty little Big Star song called “Thirteen,” covers of which I had heard performed by Elliott Smith and Wilco. In much the same way, I wanted to end the year with another simple but catchy song. I chose the Wilco track “Far, Far Away,” an acoustic song that incorporates harmonica — another definite plus! Over the past year and a third, I’ve recorded Wilco songs from all of their studio albums (including both Mermaid Avenue releases) except for two. Since this song was originally on the 1996 double album Being There, I now only have one uncovered album to select from in the future.
Thanks to the Christmas break, I’ve had plenty of opportunities to sit back and play this song over the past five days. By the time I hit “Record with iSight” on my iMovie earlier today, this song felt like second nature. It’s one of those songs that is deceptively simple, and I respect the original Wilco version even more now, especially the way Tweedy’s vocals resonate throughout. I was also fortunate enough to be in the right groove and managed to arrange and record my session for next week. Because it will be my first session of the new year, I wanted to pick a thematically relevant song. The track I picked is fairly simple, but I initially had difficulty translating it to an acoustic performance. Overall, I am very pleased with my recording, and I can’t wait to post it next year.
Um, I mean next week.
Outside of these songs, I’ve been thinking a lot about my top thirty rock albums of the decade list. I’m due to post it in less than a week now, so the pressure’s on. I’ve had the list ready for weeks, but I keep listening to more of the albums again and, consequently, the positions of many of them have been fluctuating. For instance, I’ve been agonizing over my decision to make Maroon number five instead of number four. So, especially after conversations with Nicole and with Mike and Alb tonight, I’ve decided I need to spend some more time reconsidering my options, and then finalize this thing. After all, the reason I’m doing this in the first place is to (a) have a reason to revisit some of my favorite albums of the past ten years and think about them all over again, and (b) spark conversation with my friends and share opinions, engage in debates, and explain justifications for the rankings. Just tonight, Mike made a great argument for Snacktime being one of the best albums of the decade.
One more to consider…
Outside of music, I haven’t been getting any grading done yet this break, but I have been reading. I’m one chapter into The Wilco Book, a book I’ve been excited about reading since I first got into Wilco over a year ago. It was the perfect gift, as I could never bring myself to buy it. I’ve also been reading Revolution in the Air, a book by my favorite “Dylanologist,” Clinton Heylin. Heylin has somehow managed to compile a list of 600 original Dylan compositions written between 1957 and 2006 and organized them by when they were written (that’s right — when they were written, not recorded). The story behind each song is explained, and even though I’m only forty pages in, it’s a fascinating read. Just when I thought I had read all there was of interest about Bob Dylan, this book comes along…
Finally, I went to see the new Sherlock Holmes movie last night. Because I teach several Holmes stories to my Mystery class, I was hesitant about enjoying the action-packed previews. Fortunately, the movie is excellent: Robert Downey, Jr. and Jude Law perfectly play their parts as Holmes and Watson, and the film manages to balance action and an interesting mystery. It was so much fun, that I’ve finally set off on a goal I’ve had for some time but never followed through with: to read all 56 Holmes stories penned by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Nicole and I have taken turns reading the first seven “Adventures of Sherlock Holmes” to each other, the most recent being “The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle.” If you know what a carbuncle is, then you are probably just as confused by the title as I originally was. Let’s just say that the story centers around a different kind of carbuncle than the common meaning of the word.
And, on that side note, I’m about ready to get some sleep. Before I go to bed, I’m going to finish watching Live Free or Die Hard, sort through the rest of my old bills and records (shredding whatever I can before moving), and continue to write and organize the poems I’m compiling for an upcoming poetry collection. In fact, there’s one poem I’ve had nearly finished in my head since I was washing my hands before dinner yesterday, so I better write that one down before I lose it…
See you next year for my next session!
This is the final in a five part series dedicated to the top five rock artists of the decade, 2000-2009. The criteria used to determine this list were: (1) Quality of Music, (2) Quantity of Released Material, (3) Diversity of Media, and (4) Roles of Artists/Band Members. There was stiff competition, but here goes…
By Chris Moore:
And coming in at number one on our Top Rock Artists of the Decade list are none other than Jeff Tweedy, John Stirratt, Glen Kotche, Nels Cline, Mikael Jorgensen, and Pat Sansone…
…better known as Wilco!
Before I get to writin’ below, I would be remiss if I didn’t note just how close a battle it was between this band and my pick for number two, the Barenaked Ladies. Now, I know what you might be thinking. The Barenaked Ladies and Wilco referenced so closely? Well, the truth is that they have both distinguished themselves as prolific writers, performers, and album-makers in a decade when more and more people are allowing those oh-so-frustrating, defeatist sentiments:
They just don’t make music like they used to…
There really isn’t any band making great music/albums anymore…
Well, it’s simply not true!
Wilco had to take the top spot on this list for a number of reasons, not the least of which being what a memorable decade this was for the band. It was, after all, the ten year span that kicked off with them being kicked from their label after the Yankee Hotel Foxtrot sessions, the release of which would go on to skyrocket them as close to the mainstream as they’ll probably ever come.
You know what they say: out of the alt country genre dead-end and into the fire. (Isn’t that what they say?)
Several key personnel changes at the turn of the millennium notwithstanding, Wilco’s lineup stabilized by A Ghost is Born, and they have since created some of the most interesting and engaging rock music available — certainly of this decade, and very likely of all time.
While internet-fueled music piracy was threatening the entire system by which the industry functions, Wilco was busy pioneering new ways to reach fans. They were among the first to stream an album online for free. They signed on for the return of vinyl. They supported numerous causes, brought lost music by historic singer/songwriters (namely Woody Guthrie) back to life, put on marathon-length live shows of the finest quality, and engaged in myriad side projects.
Wilco has not rested these past ten years, and anyone who has been listening knows it is not an exaggeration to say that this decade has seen the band hit its stride and perhaps its peak.
You Have To Lose…
It may have been 2001, but the story of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot calls to mind the pages of rock music history that involved such trendsetters and iconoclasts as Bob Dylan, Brian Wilson, and the Beatles. Taking the music itself — the genre, the style, the arrangements — out of the equation for the moment, the difference of opinion between the executives at Reprise Records and the members of Wilco was an old story: band makes music it feels is honest and A&R men see only dollar signs.
As a result of Reprise’s treatment of the band, Wilco ended up gaining the sympathy and interests of many fans, critics, and music magazines. After the label rejected the album, they didn’t waste any time going to plan B, posting the album in its entirety on their website for free streaming. It would be until 2002 before Nonesuch (ironically a sister company of Reprise) signed Wilco and finally released the album properly.
Fittingly, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is the first great Wilco album. Its simple songs and ambitious arrangements redefined their sound, and there couldn’t have been a better album for this publicity boost to happen to.
Experimenting, Jamming, and Blending
On the heels of Foxtrot, Wilco took an even more experimental turn with A Ghost is Born. Some tracks were tremendous achievements — “Spiders (Kidsmoke)” and “Hell is Chrome,” for instance — and others were overly self-indulgent, namely “Less Than You Think” and its eleven minutes of feedback loops.
Tweedy himself admitted that it simply isn’t a track that even he would listen to every time around.
For their next project, Sky Blue Sky, the band altered the formula, leaning more towards a live band feel. The result? Some of their most fun rock songs, such as “Hate It Here” and “Walken.” Thankfully, this did not lead to a breakdown in their cohesion or a “jam band” mentality. As one might expect from Wilco’s previous releases, even the guitar solos in such tracks as “Impossible Germany” are impressively choreographed.
This is where Nels Cline’s outstanding talent really began to shine through on record.
Following two years of touring in support of Sky Blue Sky, and as if three strong albums in the decade weren’t enough, Tweedy and company released Wilco (the album) in 2009. As the title might imply, this record finds Wilco really settling in, blending the various sounds and styles they perfected throughout the decade into one superb effort. While it certainly isn’t their strongest individual project, Wilco (the album) is one of the most dynamic in their catalog, featuring the experimental “Deeper Down” and the oh-so blunt “Wilco (the song).” The former would have blended smoothly into A Ghost is Born, and the latter reads like a direct, personal letter from Jeff Tweedy and Wilco to their fans.
On and On and On…
As I suggested in my “Number Two” article on the Barenaked Ladies, this number of quality studio albums would be, in and of itself, criteria for a band to be considered one of the best of the decade. Like BnL, Wilco has been prolific beyond these standard releases. This includes Mermaid Avenue Vol. II (2000), the second installment in their collaboration with Billy Bragg putting Woody Guthrie lyrics to music. 2005 saw the release of Kicking Television: Live in Chicago, Wilco’s first live record, a double CD with 23 tracks. Four years later, they released their first live DVD, Ashes of American Flags, which featured a song selection that was more than 50% different from Kicking Television.
Outside of official full-band projects, the members of Wilco are constantly involved in other projects, including but not limited to Tweedy in Golden Smog, Stirratt and Sansone in The Autumn Defense, and Nels Cline in The Nels Cline Singers. In 2003, R.E.M.’s Peter Buck invited members of Wilco to contribute to his own side project, the Minus Five, and the result was Down with Wilco. In 2009, several members traveled to New Zealand to play on the latest Seven Worlds Collide charity project.
And the list goes on and on and on.
Since 2003’s More Like the Moon, Wilco has made a habit of releasing EPs to accompany their official album releases, offering them as free downloads to those who have purchased the CD (or downloaded the album legally). 2004 saw the release of The Wilco Book, which was packaged with a CD loaded with demos and outtakes. Adding to the interactive quality of their music, the band now gives out free full-color programs at their live shows, booklets which include a score card listing all of their songs for their fans to check off as they are played.
To think that I promised myself I would avoid listing too many details…
I think the aforementioned details paint an indisputable portrait of a band always pushing themselves to the next level, each of the six members constantly involved with music both in the band and in their side projects, and a group of singer/songwriter/performers dedicated to making their music and their process transparent for their fans. On record as they are live — and at the risk of overstatement — Wilco is a dynamic group whose music has seen me through some of the darkest chapters of my life (and safely out into the light again!) and a band that continues to inspire me as a songwriter and as a listener.
Wilco is my choice for the number one rock band of the decade!