Wilco

FatalFootsteps

I was at the Neil Young show in Halifax the other night and Wilco opened for him, they were really good. I was wondering what albums to get for someone who is just getting started with this band. Any suggestions? Thanks

mfc2006

All of them are great.....

but a good record to start with (in my opinion) is Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. If you want to give them a great sounding live performance, then buy Kicking Television. You really can't go wrong with any of their records...and their latest, Sky Blue Sky, is beautiful. Word is they'll have a new record out next year!

soclose

Kicking Television: Live in Chicago

You can't go wrong with any Wilco album. It just depends what you're in the mood for: country, pop, rock n roll, etc.. But the live album is certainly the easiest way to get into them. But I'm biased seeing as that's how I got started.

gleemonex

I started with Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and Sky Blue Sky but I didn't really get into them until I found Kicking Television. That is certainly their best album to get started on.

TallGuyCM

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is their most popular and critically acclaimed album, but it's also very experimental for them..."A.M." is very alt-country, I would wait for that one until you're a little more familiar with the band. "Summerteeth" and "Sky Blue Sky" are probably their best studio albums to listen to if you want a general feel for what the band's sound is like. "A Ghost is Born" is somewhat experimental in the same vein as YHF. "Being There" is great too.

I still need to hear "Kicking Television"...and they're #1 on my list of bands I've yet to see live, too...

tigerthelion

FatalFootsteps wrote:

I was at the Neil Young show in Halifax the other night and Wilco opened for him, they were really good. I was wondering what albums to get for someone who is just getting started with this band. Any suggestions? Thanks

I was at that show. Neil was incredible. I agree that Wilco were very good, too. Truth be told, I never really liked them very much and was completely shocked by how good their live show was Saturday night.

wilkins

I thought Everest was pretty good, Wilco really good, and Neil, well, yeah, he rocked the house.

RoundTheFrontWay

If you like No Depression style music (Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt, and other alt country), then start with A.M. and then listen to their albums in succession as the evolutions they have made between albums are amazing.

If not, then I recommend Kicking Television as an intro or getting one of their more recent and more accessible studio albums - either Summerteeth, which is pre-YHF, or Sky Blue Sky - their latest.

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is their most critically acclaimed, but also their most experimental challenging album and may turn you off of the band if it is the first album you start out with.

soclose

RoundTheFrontWay wrote:

If you like No Depression style music (Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt, and other alt country), then start with A.M. and then listen to their albums in succession as the evolutions they have made between albums are amazing.

A.M. is a lovely though under-appreciated record. And as you already mentioned, the evolution of this band is simply impressive.

Another good suggestion for the thread-starter might be to go in reverse chronological order - start with Sky Blue Sky and work your way back until you hit the Uncle Tupelo albums. Anodyne is highly recommended for anyone who ends up enjoying early Wilco.

red mos

As previously stated, all their albums are great. I like YHF best, but really enjoy all their albums. Kicking Television is amazing. "Via Chicago" is amazing live too especially when you see it live. That part where the drummer just goes off and they have that kick ass light show going off to go with it... Amazing.

Zoso

I can't wait to see them next Friday... One of my fav bands the only other band that I think I like better is PJ... Any of the albums are great as a first timer but Kicking Televison and Ghost is Born kill.. I like all of the albums though so any will do them justice.

weekapaug19

I first got YHF after hearing good things, thought it was ok, grew on me over time so I got sky blue sky....amazing. Then picked up A.M. which very different than the other two mentioned, but still good (very alt-country).

still yet to hear that live cd everybody raves about

Saw them at tanglewood over the summer, amazing show (if anybody has a copy of that show, please PM me, thanks in advance).

oktacoma

soclose wrote:

Kicking Television: Live in Chicago

I just started listening to Wilco last year and they are now one of my favorite bands. Their music has an addictive quality to it.

I started with Kicking Television and I'm glad I did because it gives you a sense of the range of their music...and they sound great live!!

Tenacious B

oktacoma wrote:

I just started listening to Wilco last year and they are now one of my favorite bands. Their music has an addictive quality to it.

I started with Kicking Television and I'm glad I did because it gives you a sense of the range of their music...and they sound great live!!

You're right....there is something addicting about their music. Hard to explain.

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is a stellar record...start there. Then get Kicking TV.

direwolf74

Kicking Television

intodeep

If you download files you can find a very nice version of Jeff Tweedy (wilco frontman) covering neil's song Walk On. A great little diddy. He did it at one of his Chrismas Living Room Parties a few years back.

Kicking Television is the way to go. find the songs you like the most on there and then go get those albums. I love everyone of their albums for different reasons.

My favs rank as follows:
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Summerteeth
Sky Blue Sky
Being There
A Ghost Is Born
AM

I really like them all though. Many of them have very different feels they continue to grow and modify as a band. Be aware though that Nels Cline's Stellar guitar playing you heard live in concert will only be found on Sky blue Sky and their live Kicking Television album as he is a more recent member of the band.

Edit: Just checked out the Halifax setlist for Wilco:

You Are My Face (Sky Blue Sky)
War On War (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)
Handshake Drugs (A Ghost Is Born)
California Stars (Mermaid Ave (woody guthrie lyrics they put music too) )
Jesus etc (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)
Impossible Germany (Sky Blue Sky)
Via Chicago (Summerteeth)
Hate It Here (Sky Blue Sky)
Walken ( Sky Blue Sky)
Man Who Loves You (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)

I put the albums next to the setlist in case you want to get an idea of what albums you heard songs from. Not much early stuff here.

Kilgore_Trout

id say yankee hotel foxtrot, AM, sky blue sky is a good order to start... kicking television is a great live CD but i always like to get familiar with an artists entire studio collection before getting thrown into live stuff

alpitt

Being There is far and away my favorite (or at least the one I listen to most), and it epitomizes Wilco for me.

Great songs off the top of my head: Monday, Outtasite (outtamind), Hotel Arizona, Sunken Treasure, Say You Miss Me, Far Far Away, Someday Soon, etc. etc.

FatalFootsteps

intodeep wrote:

If you download files you can find a very nice version of Jeff Tweedy (wilco frontman) covering neil's song Walk On. A great little diddy. He did it at one of his Chrismas Living Room Parties a few years back.

Kicking Television is the way to go. find the songs you like the most on there and then go get those albums. I love everyone of their albums for different reasons.

My favs rank as follows:
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Summerteeth
Sky Blue Sky
Being There
A Ghost Is Born
AM

I really like them all though. Many of them have very different feels they continue to grow and modify as a band. Be aware though that Nels Cline's Stellar guitar playing you heard live in concert will only be found on Sky blue Sky and their live Kicking Television album as he is a more recent member of the band.

Edit: Just checked out the Halifax setlist for Wilco:

You Are My Face (Sky Blue Sky)
War On War (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)
Handshake Drugs (A Ghost Is Born)
California Stars (Mermaid Ave (woody guthrie lyrics they put music too) )
Jesus etc (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)
Impossible Germany (Sky Blue Sky)
Via Chicago (Summerteeth)
Hate It Here (Sky Blue Sky)
Walken ( Sky Blue Sky)
Man Who Loves You (Yankee Hotel Foxtrot)

I put the albums next to the setlist in case you want to get an idea of what albums you heard songs from. Not much early stuff here.

Thanks for the info this is a big help to me.

Zoso

speaking of wilco... there was a mp3 available last month with the fleet foxes covering i shall be released.. I was a bit slow on the uptake... Can anyone help me out with this? thanks.

corduroy10

Zoso wrote:

speaking of wilco... there was a mp3 available last month with the fleet foxes covering i shall be released.. I was a bit slow on the uptake... Can anyone help me out with this? thanks.

Two bands that I've been really impressed with lately, covering Bob. Priceless.

Here you go:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/hxj5gr

Zoso

corduroy10 wrote:

Two bands that I've been really impressed with lately, covering Bob. Priceless.

Here you go:

http://www.sendspace.com/file/hxj5gr

thanks

greaticedtea

i even more pumped to go see them and neil after reading this thread. less than two weeks

deadnote

sky blue sky is excellent

if you go to the bands website aand go to roadcase you can listen to live shows from the year

Zoso

deadnote wrote:

sky blue sky is excellent

if you go to the bands website aand go to roadcase you can listen to live shows from the year

the tanglewood show up now is excellent!! Thats a good serivce to fans indeed.. Next Friday here I come