Wilco and I parted company shortly after Summerteeth and the Mermaid Avenue albums. It wasn't an acrimonious split we just slowly drifted apart.
I never really paid that much attention to their future work. Reading descriptions of them as the American Radiohead probably didn't help.
Like many of you, I suspect, I recently downloaded the free copy of the Star Wars album. I haven't gotten round to listening to it yet. I went looking for it the other day and was pleasantly surprised to find that I also had a download of 2002's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
I thought from a chronological point of view I should listen to it first.
It is the one where having been dumped by Reprise after a free download it was subsequently released by Nonesuch bizarrely another Warners company and the one which went on to be their best seller.
It is also the last of their albums featuring the late great Jay Bennett after tensions between him and Jeff Tweedy and Jim O'Rourke.
It probably just predates the Radiohead era although there are some ominous Clangers type noises here and there
All in all not bad at all.
Star Wars will follow in due course
Wilco -I Am Trying To Break Your Heart
Wilco -Ashes of American Flags
'Star Wars' is a very good Wilco album, without being a great one. I'm very partial to the 'Ghost is Born', 'Sky Blue Sky' and 'Wilco' run of LP's, though I don't think they've ever put out a real duffer.
ReplyDeleteI'm not familiar with those three yet Swede although I can feel a Wilco revival coming on on my part
Delete'Ominous Clangers type noises'! Best description I've heard in a long while!
ReplyDeleteI used to be partial to a bit of Wilco this one and Ghost Is Born mainly. The 10 minute stadium krautrock song, can't remember its name, is ace.
ReplyDeleteThis was my favorite band during the Summerteeth and Foxtrot years. The absence of Jay Bennett on subsequent releases was a huge detriment to the music and, ultimately, my fandom.
ReplyDeleteI was expecting a comment along these lines from you Brian as I know you are a great admirer of Jay Bennett
DeleteSummerteeth is a good album as you say, not sure why I didn't follow on from then. Heard Billy Bragg talking on the radio about his having a 'difficult' relationship with them during their collaboration. I like Billy but not enough to let his niggle put me off them. Time to re-visit perhaps?
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