conscience

No, but I am going to check it out ASAP.

Thanks!

Penny Lane

Okay, but here's fair warning so you don't hate me:

First of all, a warning for potential buyers: If you are a fan of Wilco who is looking for more of the same in buying this release by their new drummer, think twice. On the other hand, if you like all the untraditional sounds and texture of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot AND one of your favorite things about the Loose Fur cd is the fantastic grooves integrated by Kotche, I definitely recommend this cd.

The centerpiece of the album is the appropriately titled "Stagger On", an approximately 22 minute exercise of percussive instrumentation like you’ve never heard. Kotche combines both acoustic and electronic percussion, and on this piece, help from cellist Chris Tesluk. From a stark beginning, "Stagger On" works its way up to what seem like infinite layers of surprisingly melodic texture, only to be torn down again and rebuilt with amnesia in regards to the previous melody. The other three tracks, "Cheju", "Wading Pool", and "Mask", are relatively low key and at times, ethereal and meditative, but always delectably cerebral.

A final word of warning to seed your mind with curiosity: For the love of everything holy, when you get to 11:34 on "Stagger On", turn it down!

1. Cheju
2. Stagger On
3. Wading Pool
4. Mask

Captain Harlock

I think alot of it has to do with their consistencey. Their output has been quite good over the past eight years or so.

One of the things you also have to take into account is their onstage performance. Last time I saw Wilco was about a year and a half ago and they were absolutley phenomenal! My only critiscism is that the only UT song they played was "New Madrid".

CapRockBrewingCo.

My wife loves Wilco, i.e. Jeff Tweedy. We met him and the band in person in 1998 and got our tickets and a shirt signed. They're a lot of fun. I loved A.M. but I thought Son Volt's "Trace" was miles ahead at that time. But when Wilco released the double CD, "Being There" I could see they were really growing as artists. I think the last two CDs (Summerteeth and YHF) are pure genius. That being said, I don't care if others don't like them. If you don't get it, then you just don't get it. Btw, I have the "I am Trying to Break Your Heart" Movie Poster framed and in the Theater Room and a "Being There" promo poster framed in the Office. I'll post some pics later.

Gdrlv

Well, you've definitely piqued my curiousity..may have to pick this one up. Thanks, Leah.

Joshyduo

did you ever become a fan, I’m in a similar conundrum

TomOpus

We'll never know. He hasn't been around for 10 years.

printerati

Funny, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was effectively the point at which they lost me as well. I remain a big fan of A.M. and Summerteeth, less so Being There (although some of the tracks on that album were amazing live on the Summerteeth tour). I went to the first stop on the YHF tour as well, and Tweedy was a complete asshole to the audience. That, coupled with the dismissal of Jay Bennett and his influence, soured me on them, and I haven't been able to get into any of their releases on the whole since.

Hokeyboy

Seventeen years and a ton of Italics later...

PhantomStranger

Wilco's work is hit or miss. I love Sky Blue Sky and a few of their other albums, but other Wilco albums do nothing for me.

Geofferson

I'm a modest fan. I really liked the surprise Star Wars album when that came out. The rest are really hit or miss for me. I actually preferred Tweedy's earlier band, Uncle Tupelo, to Wilco.

printerati

No question.

Noonan

Why is all the text/user names/etc all in italics in the 2nd half of this ancient thread?

printerati

My guess is that conscience's post (#22) doesn't have a closing HTML tag for his italics. Let's see if this fixes it:

Well, sort of.

Hokeyboy

Is it still...?

Awesome, it worked!