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Wilco

oktacomaoktacoma Posts: 335
edited March 2006 in Other Music
Okay, so many, many people rave about this band and I honestly do not know much about their music. If I want to get one of their albums, which one should I start with? Any recommendations? Also, is there somewhere online I can d-load or stream some of their songs? Thanks.
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  • eddievedder1977eddievedder1977 Posts: 549
    You can stream 4 live tracks on their myspace site

    http://www.myspace.com/wilco
  • gabersgabers Posts: 2,787
    It depends on your musical tastes. Basically, on each album their sound has gotten a bit more experimental. IMO, they've gotten better each album. So I would tell you to go get A Ghost is Born first. Their first album A.M. is more like the Uncle Tupelo "alt-country" sound. I love Uncle Tupelo too, but Wilco's new sound has grown on me more. Whichever you get you're sure to enjoy. They also have some great songs on the Billy Bragg & Wilco - Mermaid Avenue cd's. These were all songs written by Woody Guthrie that were not ever put to music until these guys were asked by Woody's daughter (or grand-daughter) to do so. There are some great songs by Wilco, Billy Bragg, and Natalie Merchant sings a few too if you like her.
  • floyd1975floyd1975 Posts: 1,350
    My favorite album by them is Being There.
  • dont_go_on_medont_go_on_me Posts: 877
    My favorite is Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. But you should just go ahead and get their 2 disc live album "Kicking Television"....it's great.
    "I'll do whatever the song dictates - if it doesn't need a real lead, then I won't do one. But if it does, then I'll fuckin' go off." - Mike

    "Japan is awesome; the fans there knew all the words to all the songs...at least phonetically." - Stone

    "I know this song so well, I can smoke a cigarette, have a drink, brush my teeth, take a shit, and mow the lawn while singing it. But I'll only be doing a couple of those things during this version." - EV
  • freewheelin3freewheelin3 Posts: 173
    yankee hotel foxtrot is a bonafide masterpiece... get it now at all costs...

    being there and summerteeth are also very good..

    at first i was really dissapointed with ghost is born, its grown on me somewhat but it just had something missing (jay bennet?)

    you really cant go wrong with kicking television a two disk live album that really showcases what wilco is about...

    i have really high hopes for the new album, nels cline is an animal and tweedy seems to have found the perfect foil...

    have fun, they are a great band to immerse yourself in...

    new loose fur album in 1 week...
  • satchoroyalesatchoroyale Posts: 82
    Yeah, what he said.
    Wilco is an incredible entity.
    I say that because it will always be the brainchild of one of
    our finest songwriters today, Jeff Tweedy.
    Just got tix to see them in a small venue in Jersey in April.
    They never ever dissapoint.
    But what an earlier poster said is also very true.
    Each one of their albums is so different that you could almost
    be convinced that they are all by different bands.
    With some significant lineup changes, especially in the
    guitar department (ie. the fabulous Jay Bennett),
    this is sort of true.
    But Nels Cline and the rest of the current lineup are immensely talented
    and an incredible live act.
    I've come to think of them as sort of an American Radiohead.
    I mean that as a complement to their continuous attempts
    to evolve and push the musical envelope.
  • soulsingingsoulsinging Posts: 13,202
    id say get summerteeth... it's their most straightforward album. lots of great songs on it (though oddly, it's the one i listen to the least). it's not as eclectic as being there, as country as am, or as experimental as their last two. it's a good place to start.
  • IgottagoIgottago Posts: 483
    Just a word of warning...Wilco are a very difficult band to get into right away..I started with Summerteeth and at first wasn't even sure I liked it..but then I couldn't stop remembering the songs and kept coming back to it. And with each album I had to take the time to digest what was going on..now I can say they are easily one of the best bands around today..they take a little work, but are so worth it.
  • intodeepintodeep Posts: 7,240
    freewheelin3 wrote:
    yankee hotel foxtrot is a bonafide masterpiece... get it now at all costs...

    He speaks the Truth.
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  • KosmicJelliKosmicJelli Posts: 1,855
    I love Wilco and I think Summerteeth is my favorite. Must be the Chicago in me speaking...I can't help loving Wilco!
  • StoneG82StoneG82 Posts: 806
    I like wilco.
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  • PJammin'PJammin' Posts: 1,902
    oktacoma wrote:
    Okay, so many, many people rave about this band and I honestly do not know much about their music. If I want to get one of their albums, which one should I start with? Any recommendations?

    a Wilco fan loaned A.M. and A Ghost Is Born to me. both are great but very different. next i'm going to get Being There and Yankee Foxtrot. i must say, i enjoy this band and the songs slowly get into your system until they finally just take over and an addiction starts. :) i will DEFINATELY see them when they come to L.A. :)

    p.s. who else thinks Tweedy sounds like John Lennon on track 7 on A Ghost Is Born? i swear he sounds like Lennon to me in some parts of the song.
    I died. I died and you just stood there. I died and you watched. I died and you walked by and said no. I'm dead.
  • PJammin'PJammin' Posts: 1,902
    Come On...where's The Love For Wilco!
    I died. I died and you just stood there. I died and you watched. I died and you walked by and said no. I'm dead.
  • skipshotskipshot Posts: 33
    I'd start with "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" then I'd dig back and start from the beginning. "A.M.", "Being There" (good value, since it's a cheap double album), "Summerteeth" (their 'Beatlesesque album) then get "A Ghost is Born". But inbetween listening to all the studio stuff, you gotta search out all of their live shows, because live music is where the band is greatest. Try bt.etree.org first (you can find many band and Jeff Tweedy (the singer)'s live shows there.)

    Great, great band.
  • rhinomagicrhinomagic Charlottesville, VA Posts: 2,552
    All Wilco is great music.

    I saw them last night @ Langerado Festival and am seeing them again tomorrow night in Tallahassee. They played lots from YHF and AGIB. A few from Being There and scattered a new one, one from Mermaid Avenue Vol 2, and one from Summerteeth.

    Summerteeth may be the easiest one to start with. The others will take some work if you're not into them yet.
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  • JonnyPistachioJonnyPistachio Florida Posts: 10,219
    rhinomagic wrote:
    All Wilco is great music.

    I saw them last night @ Langerado Festival and am seeing them again tomorrow night in Tallahassee. They played lots from YHF and AGIB. A few from Being There and scattered a new one, one from Mermaid Avenue Vol 2, and one from Summerteeth.

    Summerteeth may be the easiest one to start with. The others will take some work if you're not into them yet.

    I saw them last night too, at Langerado...they were awesome!
    How's that DVD anyone?
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  • momofglynnmomofglynn Posts: 849
    I saw Wilco open for Beck a couple of years back (maybe early 2003 or very late 2002) and I was bored out of my mind. And it wasn't the case of me wanting to see Beck more either. I actually was working the show at the Orpheum (Boston) and I was excited to see both. In turn, I thought both acts were hum-drum at best. I love music, all sorts or music, and I had heard great things about Wilco, but honestly I would have to say I was disappointed with them. Did I just not see a good era of Wilco? Was it a "down" album? I want to hope and or think that there is something more to them but the first impression was lacking to say the least.

    This is not really to stir up the pot, I really wanted to like them.
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  • soulsingingsoulsinging Posts: 13,202
    JonnyPistachio wrote:
    I saw them last night too, at Langerado...they were awesome!
    How's that DVD anyone?

    dyou mean 'i am trying to break your heart'? cos that is AMAZING. the best msuic dvd ive ever seen.
  • intodeepintodeep Posts: 7,240
    momofglynn wrote:
    I saw Wilco open for Beck a couple of years back (maybe early 2003 or very late 2002) and I was bored out of my mind. And it wasn't the case of me wanting to see Beck more either. I actually was working the show at the Orpheum (Boston) and I was excited to see both. In turn, I thought both acts were hum-drum at best. I love music, all sorts or music, and I had heard great things about Wilco, but honestly I would have to say I was disappointed with them. Did I just not see a good era of Wilco? Was it a "down" album? I want to hope and or think that there is something more to them but the first impression was lacking to say the least.

    This is not really to stir up the pot, I really wanted to like them.

    I think you need to know a little about them to dig it... maybe?

    I have seen them 3 times 2 times they blew my doors off the third time they were good but the venue sucked and bought the experience down some
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  • IgottagoIgottago Posts: 483
    intodeep wrote:
    I think you need to know a little about them to dig it... maybe?

    I have seen them 3 times 2 times they blew my doors off the third time they were good but the venue sucked and bought the experience down some

    I agree, if you don't know the material, its not the kind of live show that will grab you. i've been lucky enough to see them twice, and I enjoyed the 2nd time much more because I knew a lot more of their catalogue. They really are a fantastic live band, they have a very folky vibe to their show. Their live album is one of the best live albums I own.
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