Wilco (The Thread)

I got the vinyl for Cousin this week, listened to it tonight. It really benefits from this format for me. I had a nice, even closer listen of it and liked it even more. It’s even made me want to just dive all the way back into the albums I haven’t spent as much time with (mostly Ode To Joy - which I never could get into and kinda gave up on).

It’s weird though that I’ve seen more criticism / lukewarm opinions on Cruel Country in relation to positive ones for Cousin I thought Cruel Country was well liked. I think it’s fantastic. But Cousin is an interesting one. The production really stands out on a lot of it, and it boosts the songs up. But it’s also arguably better than most of the recent Jeff Tweedy solo stuff - which I still like, and a lot of the latter era Wilco.
 
Bennnnn said:
I got the vinyl for Cousin this week, listened to it tonight. It really benefits from this format for me. I had a nice, even closer listen of it and liked it even more. It’s even made me want to just dive all the way back into the albums I haven’t spent as much time with (mostly Ode To Joy - which I never could get into and kinda gave up on).

It’s weird though that I’ve seen more criticism / lukewarm opinions on Cruel Country in relation to positive ones for Cousin I thought Cruel Country was well liked. I think it’s fantastic. But Cousin is an interesting one. The production really stands out on a lot of it, and it boosts the songs up. But it’s also arguably better than most of the recent Jeff Tweedy solo stuff - which I still like, and a lot of the latter era Wilco.
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I think Cruel Country is a very solid album, with the overall quality pulled down by a tad too much filler – it really would have benefited from some culling. Along those lines, one of the things I am really loving about Cousin is the return to a concise, focused single album where every track feels relevant – and the overall sequencing works really well, even across different styles. All of that said, it's a testament to Wilco's strength and depth that we all have different favorites. I'm just glad that Tweedy and the band are still feeling inspired, and putting out music that matters on album #13.
 
Caught an enjoyable set in Arizona on Tuesday night. A few takeaways:
  • “Evicted” sounded amazing live.
  • “Bird Without a Tail” has grown into their newest reliable live jam.
  • “Side With the Seeds” still rips.
  • I’ll never get tired of Glenn’s on-cue stick twirl during “Heavy Metal Drummer.”
 
hatfieldpdx said:
Annoying headline, but a decent and relevant read:
www.insidehook.com

Why Is Everyone Always Saying Such Dumb Shit About Wilco?

With the release of their 13th studio album, Cousin, everyone wants something from Wilco that they admirably refuse to deliver.
www.insidehook.com www.insidehook.com
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Yeah, I read this on Reddit. This title is like when when someone attacks a typo rather than addressing the larger point. Some writers are lazy but I think that the underlying theme is the same. For many, current Wilco doesn’t hit the same as Wilco from 20 years ago and that is fine. I’ve been learning to enjoy their more recent albums on a sliding scale. I have enjoyed Cruel Country and Cousin quite a bit but I won’t confuse them with Being There and A Ghost Is Born…but that’s kind of my point if you take them and appreciate them for what they are as oppose to constantly comparing them to what has come before they are very enjoyable within their own right.
 
TenderLovingKiller® said:
Yeah, I read this on Reddit. This title is like when when someone attacks a typo rather than addressing the larger point. Some writers are lazy but I think that the underlying theme is the same. For many, current Wilco doesn’t hit the same as Wilco from 20 years ago and that is fine. I’ve been learning to enjoy their more recent albums on a sliding scale. I have enjoyed Cruel Country and Cousin quite a bit but I won’t confuse them with Being There and A Ghost Is Born…but that’s kind of my point if you take them and appreciate them for what they are as oppose to constantly comparing them to what has come before they are very enjoyable within their own right.
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Yeah, I didn't realize Cousin was so divisive. In general, it seems to have been received favorably here on our little forum. The rest of the internet? Not so much. I guess many were expecting it to be the second coming of the earlier material, which is generally a fool's errand.
 
Wow. Only today I put on the 3LP live album from the Super Duper Luxurious Deluxe Box Set that is YHF 20 Years anniversary..

And that really is something to treasure. Love the energy of that show!

The only album tour they did in Norway/Scandinavia since Summerteeth that I didn’t see them of course…

IMG_5228.jpeg
 
Anyone else making the trip to Solid Sound Festival next year? It will be our 4th time going, always a great experience.

2024 will be the 30th anniversary of the band, and the 20th anniversary of A Ghost Is Born. Wouldn't be at all surprised to see them play the album straight through on Friday or Saturday, and – given what they have done for previous releases – I would expect some sort of deluxe vinyl treatment for AGIB.
 
hatfieldpdx said:
Anyone else making the trip to Solid Sound Festival next year? It will be our 4th time going, always a great experience.

2024 will be the 30th anniversary of the band, and the 20th anniversary of A Ghost Is Born. Wouldn't be at all surprised to see them play the album straight through on Friday or Saturday, and – given what they have done for previous releases – I would expect some sort of deluxe vinyl treatment for AGIB.
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I need to do that trip one of these years. We already have a trip to Hawaii planned at that same time.

It'll be interesting to see what's in that box set if it does come out. I've really liked most of what they've done with these.

Change of subject, you going to Nat Rateliff/Kevin Morby next week?
 
Matt M said:
I need to do that trip one of these years. We already have a trip to Hawaii planned at that same time.

It'll be interesting to see what's in that box set if it does come out. I've really liked most of what they've done with these.

Change of subject, you going to Nat Rateliff/Kevin Morby next week?
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Selfishly, I'm hoping it would include Kicking Television, as I don't have that one on vinyl (and they have been holding off on re-pressing it for a looong time now). It has some stellar versions of many AGIB tracks.

Not going to Nate/Kevin, but I am going to Wilclone (excellent local Wilco cover band) Saturday night at the White Eagle. They are opening for OK NOT OK, a Radiohead cover band. And then the Minus 5 (with all-star guests from R.E.M., The Bangles, and more surprised promised) are doing a Neil Young birthday show on 11/15. Any interest in either?
 
stuff we know is probably floating around for AGiB that hasn't been released (so none of the Panthers stuff that was on Alpha Mike Foxtrot):

various session outtakes/the live play through they did of the album before they overdubbed it
the other version of Spiders that sounded much poppier than the canonical version that I think they played live and had on their site for awhile
the Wilco Book material
the live rehearsal stuff they briefly had on their site when Nels and Pat joined

I'd love to see a show from the fall of 04. I think that was when they really started to gel as the band they became. they stopped playing a lot of AM/Being There/Summerteeth songs after the fall 03 run in Chicago which was essentially a viking funeral for the band as a five piece.

this just made me remember that they used to have so much extra stuff on their site in the form of easter eggs - lots of hidden links to live performances, demos, outtakes and such.
 
hatfieldpdx said:
Selfishly, I'm hoping it would include Kicking Television, as I don't have that one on vinyl (and they have been holding off on re-pressing it for a looong time now). It has some stellar versions of many AGIB tracks.

Not going to Nate/Kevin, but I am going to Wilclone (excellent local Wilco cover band) Saturday night at the White Eagle. They are opening for OK NOT OK, a Radiohead cover band. And then the Minus 5 (with all-star guests from R.E.M., The Bangles, and more surprised promised) are doing a Neil Young birthday show on 11/15. Any interest in either?
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Wilclone does a great job, super fun! Don't think we'll make it. Might try and pop down for Jeffrey Martin at the Aladdin though. And debating that Minus 5 show, have the kid that night but might be able to pull it off.
 
Solid Sound lineup is out, and it's solid! Will be my 4th time going to this fest, one of my favorites. In addition to 2 nights of Wilco, excited to see Isbell, Wednesday, Iris Dement, Mikaela Davis, Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets, etc. And of course, Tweedy and Friends to close it down.

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hatfieldpdx said:
Solid Sound lineup is out, and it's solid! Will be my 4th time going to this fest, one of my favorites. In addition to 2 nights of Wilco, excited to see Isbell, Wednesday, Iris Dement, Mikaela Davis, Nick Lowe & Los Straitjackets, etc. And of course, Tweedy and Friends to close it down.

a8c518d9-526a-0349-371d-6bcaa58ae4b7.jpg
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I live in Western MA in the summer, and this biennial year I think I'm gonna substitute Solid Sound for these two festivals:
Field Day Festival (personal highlights: Nation of Language, Indigo de Souza, Geese, Dehd, Upstairs District)
Green River Festival (personal highlights: Fleet Foxes, Mdou Moctar, Cake)
Those two are closer, cheaper, and I like the lineups better.

Field Day Festival

fieldday.rocks fieldday.rocks

greenriverfestival.com

Home - Green River Festival, Greenfield, MA

Green River Festival JUNE 20-22, 2025 Days Hours Minutes FRIENDS & FAMILY TICKETS ON SALE NOW Lineup Announcements Coming Soon!
greenriverfestival.com

Also, even though I trust Tweedy or other local 'fests like Newport Folk to produce great lineups, it's so annoying that these festivals often sell out of accomodation options and/or tickets before they even announce the dang lineups!
 
blenoxsmith said:
I live in Western MA in the summer, and this biennial year I think I'm gonna substitute Solid Sound for these two festivals:
Field Day Festival (personal highlights: Nation of Language, Indigo de Souza, Geese, Dehd, Upstairs District)
Green River Festival (personal highlights: Fleet Foxes, Mdou Moctar, Cake)
Those two are closer, cheaper, and I like the lineups better.

Field Day Festival

fieldday.rocks fieldday.rocks

greenriverfestival.com

Home - Green River Festival, Greenfield, MA

Green River Festival JUNE 20-22, 2025 Days Hours Minutes FRIENDS & FAMILY TICKETS ON SALE NOW Lineup Announcements Coming Soon!
greenriverfestival.com

Also, even though I trust Tweedy or other local 'fests like Newport Folk to produce great lineups, it's so annoying that these festivals often sell out of accomodation options and/or tickets before they even announce the dang lineups!
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I get it, you can't do it all. We caught Dehd at Pickathon last year - they are really great live. At first glance, I wasn't blown away by the Solid Sound lineup, but it's actually very solid top to bottom – which is pretty rare these days.

Beyond that, our experiences at Solid Sound over the past decade or so have all been amazing. It's a pretty unique music festival, which I appreciate. Also, my wife's Mom lives on a farm about 20 minutes away in Vermont, so we always plan to go back and visit in late June. And our oldest daughter can now drive, which is an added bonus.
 
hatfieldpdx said:
I get it, you can't do it all. We caught Dehd at Pickathon last year - they are really great live. At first glance, I wasn't blown away by the Solid Sound lineup, but it's actually very solid top to bottom – which is pretty rare these days.

Beyond that, our experiences at Solid Sound over the past decade or so have all been amazing. It's a pretty unique music festival, which I appreciate. Also, my wife's Mom lives on a farm about 20 minutes away in Vermont, so we always plan to go back and visit in late June. And our oldest daughter can now drive, which is an added bonus.
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Oh a DD post show, that's a major bonus!

Yeah it's an amazing festival, especially for people like me, who don't consider themselves "festival people," meaning it's manageable and low key, in Western MA style.

I'm like an hour and fifteen minutes away, and don't have a DD, so I'd feel compelled to stay out there, which is why I wish they announced the lineup along with the lodging + ticket options.

I'm pleasantly surprised by how much Green River and Field Day bolstered their lineups. Really impressive. I mean Green River used to be almost all local folk acts, amazing they pulled Fleet Foxes, Cake and Mdou Moctar.
 
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