Earlier today, I was over at Dave’s place, Sans Direction, reading his post, “Alt-Country: The Missing Years”. Dave pointed out that Gibson Guitars has published a list of the “Top 5 Essential Alt-Country albums” and coming in at number four was Wilco’s “Being There”. By cosmic coincidence, as I was reading the post, my good friend and producer Lou Whitney, who also worked on the “Being There” record, called me.
I’ve had some recent discussions with some Wilco fans and a lot of them are more enamored of the earlier work. Whereas, I think they sound like a band that is currently at the peak of their form. Eric Schuchmann was at the Studio while Lou and I were talking and Eric mentioned that he went to a Wilco show in St. Louis last month. Eric said; “Go to the Wilco site and listen to the St. Louis shows if you want to hear how good they are right now.” The May 15-17 Wilco shows can be found here.
Check it out and let know what you think.
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Tags: cosmic coincidence, Eric Schuchmann, Gibson, Guitar, Lou Whitney, St. Louis, Wilco
Sans Direction wrote,
I’m giving it a shot. May 15th is on now. And I’m giving it all a shot. I have al the CDs besides Sky Blue Sky, which I believe I’ll be getting eventually.
I saw Wilco on SNL a while ago, and I came out really impressed by Nels Cline on his lap steel and Jazzmaster. And with Jeff Tweedy and his Nudie suit. And his Gibson Hummingbird(?).
My, that’s a … different take on “Sunken Treasure”.
More later.
Sans Direction’s last blog post..Alt-Country: The Missing Years
Link | June 9th, 2008 at 9:58 pm
Pribek wrote,
Nels is very happening, I think. And Jeff Tweedy in a Nudie suit! Man, that’s brilliant.
Tweedy in a Nudie
Tweedy in a Nudie
Tweedy in a Nudie
Link | June 9th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
Sans Direction wrote,
Let me give you my beef on Wilco. I was able to express it in words just now.
Wilco, as they move from A.M. to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, sounds more and more Madcap Laughs to me. Like they’re trying to sound more and more like they’re distancing themselves from reality. I’ve said Wilco’s gone more and more Sonic Youth (fair, as there are producers in common, and they played Sound Stage together) but on reconsideration, I think it’s more Syd Barrett.
This show doesn’t sound like “Jugband Blues”. It sounds, like you say, like a band in peak form. You are right.
Sans Direction’s last blog post..Alt-Country: The Missing Years
Link | June 9th, 2008 at 10:12 pm
Sans Direction wrote,
“Misunderstood”: So much better than the album version.
Sans Direction’s last blog post..Alt-Country: The Missing Years
Link | June 9th, 2008 at 10:34 pm
Pribek wrote,
One thing Lou said today; “I can’t figure out why those guys aren’t bigger than Coldplay.”
Last night my stepson (18 yrs. old) played a bunch of the things he’s in to, Coldplay, Death Cab, Snow Patrol, and a bunch of other stuff that could easily be Coldplay, Death Cab, or Snow Patrol. Some of it’s really nice. A lot of it’s whiny, boy-girl stuff that I can’t give two shits about even if it’s recorded/produced/mixed well.
All of it lacked “air”. Like it was recorded in a vacuum.
I think Lou’s right, Wilco is miles ahead of all that stuff.
I think there was a period of experiment and development that took place that led to this.
Link | June 9th, 2008 at 10:37 pm
Sans Direction wrote,
A lot of the new stuff I get, I get off blogs. Some guy puts one or two songs out. I have Rush of Blood To the Head or whatever the big Coldplay record is, but most everything else, I pick up the singles, not the albums. But yeah, “air”. Good point.
I really shouldn’t have started listening to this so late.
Sans Direction’s last blog post..Alt-Country: The Missing Years
Link | June 9th, 2008 at 11:08 pm