Day 6: Wilco

Wilco

Official Site|Wilco Base|Wiki

Current Band Memebers:
Jeff Tweedy ~ The face of Wilco. Songwriter. Singer. Guitarist.
John Stirratt ~ Bass.
Glenn Kotch ~ Drums
Mikael Jorgensen ~ Keys.
Nels Cline ~ Guitarist.
Pat Sansone ~ multi-instrumentalist.


Former Members:
Jim O'Rourke ~ Percussion. Feedback.
Jay Bennett ~ Songwriter. Multi-instrumentalist.
Ken Coomer ~ Drums.
LeRoy Bach ~ Multi-instrumentalist.
Max Johnston ~ Banjo,Fiddle,Mandolin.
Bob Egan ~ Pedal Steel,Steel Guitar.
Brian Henneman ~ Guitar.

You can’t mutter the word Wilco without first prefacing it with Uncle Tupelo, the band that Jeff Tweedy had help form in the early 90’s with Jay Farrar (now of Son Volt). After Farrars sudden exit of the band Tweedy and Drummer Ken Croomer started Wilco with UT part timers, John Stirratt, Max Johnson, and a newly introduced Jay Bennett. Wilco was born in 1994.
They immediately started work on A.M. which simply followed the same path that UT had set in the years prior. Little country rock numbers that translated well to the stage but had a hard time on record. After a brief sting in Golden Smog (a alt.country supergroup of sorts featuring members of Soul Asylum , The Replacements, The Jayhawks, and more) Jeff returned to the band to start working on the next album.
1996 saw the release of Being There, a double disc set that surprised fans and critics alike. Influences of soul and power pop made its way into the songwriting. There were many topics that jeff wrote about but one of the more surprising was the break up of UT, using things that Farrar had said as fodder for songs like ‘Misunderstood’ and ‘Sunken Treasure’. Johnson left the band after the release to join his sister, Michelle Shocked and was replaced by frequent Freakwater pedal steel player Bob Egan.
While recording the next album Nora Guthrie (daughter of Woody) contacted Billy Bragg about recording an album of Woody penned songs that he never recorded before he passed away. Bragg contacted Wilco about helping and Bennett was to starstruck to say no. Push came to shove Bragg didn’t like Bennetts mixing, Bennett didn’t like Braggs mixing so they agreed to let each do their own songs. They scrapped the promotional tour after Mermaid Avenue came out. A year later Warner Brothers had a huge debt to repay and released Mermaid Avenue Vol. II.
Summerteeth was released the next year and really pushing the bands direction from a country based band. Lush pop arrangements made the sound different than any prior Wilco record. This album had more in common with teenage symphonies than Earl Scruggs. Ken made his exit after this album and was replaced by Glen Kotche, who Jeff had been playing with with as a trio called Loose Fur with Jim O'rourke.
The making of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was scared with conflict from start to finish. From making the actual record to letting go of friendships that were forged over the years to getting dropped from the label you were recording for. YHF took its toll on everyone and ended with Jay leaving the band. Tweedy and Stirratt are the only original members of the band to this day. Leroy also left the band and they were replaced with Nels Cline, Mikael Jorgensen, and Stirratts partner in The Autumn Defense, Pat Sansone.
While A Ghost Is Born has a lot of the complexity as YFH it lacks in instantly memorable songs. Simply put AGIB isn’t as dense of an album. But that’s not to say it isn’t a sleeper. Plus they won a few Grammys for it.
The verdict is still out on Sky Blue Sky.



Discography:

A.M. ~(1995) The first album. Modest at best. A new band trying to find their voice after a nasty break up. A few stand out tracks. Passenger Side , Casino Queen , Box Full of Letters




Being There ~(1996) The second album and a look into what’s to come. Song after song of the Bennett/Tweedy masterpiece. Stand out tracks: Misunderstood , Sunken Treasure , I Got You (At The End Of The Century)




Summerteeth ~ (1999) Summerteeth is a pop record. Make no mistake about that. Somewhere in the 16 songs lie the bleakest songs that Tweedy ever wrote, masked behind Brian Wilson sensibilities. A true classic. Stand out tracks: A Shot In The Arm , Via Chicago , She's A Jar




Yankee Hotel Foxtrot ~ (2002) The story is far too long to talk about here. But lets just say they made a record, got droped from the label then bought the record back and put it out elsewhere. There has been a documentary about this record, I suggest you get that. YHF is the magnus opious to Wilco. Laying somewhere between Radioheads ‘OK Computer’ and The Replacements ‘Let It Be’ Foxtrot tread a lot of new ground for the band. Looking back To Being There you saw the seeds sowed with songs like Misunderstood and Sunken Treasure. Somewhere along the way they picked up Jim O'Rourke and after providing a mix of “I’m Trying To Break Your Heart” Jeff decided that he should mix the entire record. Stand out tracks: Kamera , War On War , Heavy Metal Drummer




A Ghost Is Born ~ (2004) Out of all of the albums AGIB is the most sonicaly ambitious.Bennett left the band during YHF and for the first time Tweedy became a lead gutiarist. They recorded using Protools before ever preforming the songs live. The songwriting was a lot more loose and the song had a more krautrock feel than previous recordings. Upon the release they debuted in the top 10 of the Billboard charts, at number 8, a first for the band.As well as winning 2 Grammys for the album, best Alternative Album and Best Packaging Stand out tracks: Hand Shake Yes please , Spiders (Kidsmoke) , The Late Greats




Sky Blue Sky ~ (2007) While Sky Blue Sky was their most commericaly accessible album ( It debuted at no. 4 in the charts), it garnered a lot of criticism from long time supporters. Add in the fact that several songs were sold to Volkswagen it seemed as if Wilco was shifting towards a more AOR sound. This album caused a lot of controversy among critics. Some thought it was bland and even going as far as calling it ‘dad-rock’ while others thought it was brilliant. Stand out tracks: Impossible Germany


Live:
It was December of 95’ the first time I saw them. Jeff and I had grown up a little. He found his strength as a songwriter and I wanted to go to school. Baltimore was where I was and that’s where they were too,at least for that night.
I had been clammering to my friends for weeks about how Wilco was coming. Nobody wanted to go and I ended up alone and at a small club that was a quarterful at best. That night they ripped through all of AM and a few more covers and played for what seemed like forever.
If you would have told me that 15 years later they would have won a few Grammys , sold some songs for car commercials , or played the main stage of every major music festival. I would have laughed. poop, man. I’m laughing now. It just isn’t the same band I saw that night at The 8 X 10.
Nothing is ever certain with this band. The one thing you learn is they do what they want when they want. Like the time they opened up a show with 15 minutes of feedback and noise before jumping into California Stars. Or the night
night they got drunk and just kept jamming on Color Me Impressed. You will hear songs you love. If you just came to hear Heavy Metal Drummer, you’ll get that too.
You’re not gonna get a greatest hits package. What you’re gonna get is 5 guys who love to play music and making people feel like something more than a commodity. Just sing along. They don’t mind. Just do yourself a favor. Don’t get on stage. And for god’s sake don’t talk while they are playing.


Most Played 2008:
*You Are My Face
*Walken
*Handshake Yes please
*Via Chicago
*Pot Kettle Black
*Outtasight (Outta Mind)
*Side With The Seeds
* The Late Greats
*Monday
*Red Eyed & Blue
* I Got You (At The End Of The Century)
*Company In My Back
*War On War
* Misunderstood
* I’m A Wheel

EDIT: This is my first attempt with HTML. I hope it all works. Let me know if it doesn't. And much love to Vandy for all of her help.