#21

Would be good if anyone coming here to express this well-worn cliched opinion of the band could just like the above post and save themselves the effort of typing it out again.

6 Likes
#22

Not really sure what the point of it is now. With stores like B and M, Home Bargains etc offering the same stock at a cheaper price, I don’t know why it’s a thing still

12 Likes
#23

Their 4kg bag of sunflower hearts for the birds is only £8 though, which is excellent value.

#24

Yr Ma isn’t worth the very.

I’m sure she is

1 Like
#25

Probably a 5/5 up until Ghost is Born (brilliant run of albums from Being There), and a 3/5 ever since (find most the stuff from the second half of their career somewhat-underrated-yet-clearly-still-not-as-good). Summerteeth, Mermaid Avenue and YHF are perennial favourites. Great live band, great memories of that time at Primavera fucked the sound levels and the stage was insanely, scarily loud for their set – Noise Wilco. Strong 4/5 from me. Muster up a late career classic and I’ll bump em up to a 5.

#26

Some cliches are there for a reason.

#27

Got myself a JML Muzzle of Bees for just £5.99

1 Like
#28

The only stuff I know is the album with Billy Bragg. I loved that so I’m gonna say a 4

1 Like
#29

Think Jeff Tweedy might be the best dad.

#30

Oh is it quite a cheap option? I thought it was a bit pricy, may retract my words

#31

they’re probably worth a 5 for this alone

14 Likes
#32

Great band between Being There and A Ghost is Born, and one of the best live bands I’ve seen. I found Sky Blue Sky quite dull when it came out, but went back to it after seeing them in 2019, when they played 2 or 3 songs off it, and really enjoyed it. The albums since are OK but I’ve never really got into them. His solo album was much more engaging.

Frustrating that they don’t seem to release any of their best songs as singles, based on that list!

1 Like
#33

Maybe the band that most remind me of my youth/20s.

I don’t listen to them much now but when I do I, always reminded of the smell of cut grass and creosote, sunny days at the park, cider in beer gardens, just a wave of tiny positive memories of scenes come flooding in.

Summerteeth got me through working a really shit agency job stuffing leaflets and packing boxes. Somehow I got away with having an earphone in all day which was a lifesaver.

When I was getting into making my own music they were one of the bands that helped me realise what was possible in a kind of alt rock format. Always such a nice blend of lightly experimental textures and sounds with more conventional song structures.

Although when you pick them apart some of the lyrics seem kind of formulaic and it can seem like they are non sequiturs that would fit in any songs, often they just had a great Impressionism and lightness of touch to them that never felt like Jeff was trying too hard. They seem to have kept this aspect at least late into their career with lines like “drunks were ricocheting” and “cry like a windowpane”. Just feels like there’s more there to get your teeth into than similar bands like Radiohead for example.

Still feel I love A Ghost Is Born the best, those raggedy frayed lead lines with a lot of fuzz/big muff on them really give the tracks some tension and ferocity, such a nice blend with the beautiful piano parts and clean guitar lines on tracks like Hell Is Chrome and Wishful Thinking. I’ve often tried for a similar sound in my own stuff.

Some people don’t like him but I think Nels Cline was a great addition, his solos whilst maybe a bit showy have a great expressionism to them to compliment Tweedys lyrics, he’s not afraid of hitting a bad note from time to time if it takes him to an interesting place. Lots of changing rhythms within the solos which I think sets him apart from a lot of lead guitarists, and that wonderful ringing clean tone through the fender jazzmaster/mustang or whatever it is.

At the end of the day it’s just big hearted music that really wants to envelop you in its soundscape so it has to be 5/5 from me.

30 Likes
#34

Love them. Gushing post inbound at some point.

One of my favourites from their later catalogue.

8 Likes
#35

4 from me. Voted for YHF because it’s an absolute masterpiece from start to finish. Not a duff note on it. Everything sounds a bit sad and bruised, but then there’s loads of hope, and the first song sets the tone perfectly. I love the opening lines - “I am an American aquarium drinker, I assassin down the avenue”. They make absolutely no sense, but those words sound brilliant together.

I feel like Sky Blue Sky gets a bit of a bad rap, but I love it. It’s very straight down the line compared to AGIB, but some of the melodies on there are really bloody lovely. And the songs suit Tweedy’s voice perfectly. He has a way of sounding so resigned all the time, while also being dead comforting.

Haven’t listened to much since then. Bought Wilco (The Album) and was a bit disappointed. Then bought Schmilco and didn’t think much of that either. Both perfectly serviceable but a bit Wilco-by-numbers. Sounds like I’ve missed a good one in Star Wars, so will check that one out.

I read his book over Christmas - would recommend. He seems like a really good bloke.

3 Likes
#36

Probably a four for me. Struggled to get into them for a while but weirdly they actually clicked with The Whole Love (even if it is a bit too long). ‘I Might’ was one of those great late summer songs that earworms its way into your brain. After that I went back and really got into YHF, A.M. and A Ghost is Born. Saw them at Pukkelpop around that time too and it was great set list.

#37

Solid 4/5, with YHF being a 5/5 album. Jesus, etc. is a wonderful song.

1 Like
#38

4 from me. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is the only album of theirs I’ll purposefully go back to but it’s absolutely superb. Would probably have the last album Ode to Joy as a reserve, thought that was a solid and underrated album.

Very good live band, a bit like Elbow in that the good vibes and solid craft elevate the live experience for many songs (and indeed some whole albums) that otherwise leave little impression from their mid-period.

1 Like
#39

Great post man, absolutely nails what’s so good about their music.

1 Like
#40

Don’t think I’ve ever heard a note

Have i heard any songs by them and not realised? Strange how they’ve always conpetely passed me by