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A Somewhat Cromulent Entry. And The Wilco Dozen.

« H E The Dozens :: email
posted Friday, 21 October 2005

Stallone returning for a sixth Rocky movie - I don't know about you, but the most disturbing part (of many) about this whole thing is the revelation that they actually made IV and V.

Get redorkulated! Following up on the recent Steely Dan Dictionary mention, the next time you just need to waste some time in a pseudo-educational fashion, you should stroll over to the big, fat list of words and phrases that The Simpsons has contributed to the language. It might even embiggen your vocabulary.

Four snippets of the future at WilcoWorld - In the Roadcase, visitors can preview four tracks from the upcoming live disc. Normally, making a band bigger doesn't necessarily make it better. But here, you wind up hearing songs and enjoying a layer or part, and then you realize that element wasn't part of the song on the album or even on the last tour. At the end of their first tour as an ensemble, these guys know how to find, and preserve, space. (Maybe, they would suggest, that's just all the better to set up the occasional drenching squalls of noise.)
   (Here's what I'm using as my background at the moment, thanks to their site.)

The Wilco Dozen

(Technically, the album most represented here would be called Yankee Hotel Foxtrot Outtakes. And yes, the last one is a cover or perhaps a half-cover, and covers are generally frowned upon in Dozenland, but since basically nobody ever heard an "original" version, I'm letting it go. Plus, it's just so purty.)
A Magazine Called Sunset
At Least That’s What You Said
Box Full Of Letters - (Always makes me think of WVGO.)
Can’t Stand It
Cars Can’t Escape
How To Fight Loneliness
I Am Trying To Break Your Heart
Misunderstood
Muzzle Of Bees
Not For The Season
Pot Kettle Black
When The Roses Bloom Again

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Go ahead, make my day. (3)


1. prs left...
Tuesday, 25 October 2005 2:45 pm

Here goes...The best American band at the moment...by a mile...

California Stars // At Least That's What You Said // Spiders (Kidsmoke) // Handshake Drugs // Company In My Back // Misunderstood // I'm Always in Love // Pieholden Suite // Via Chicago // War on War // I Am Trying to Break Your Heart // Heavy Metal Drummer

Kinda boring, certainly no grey-market outakes, but a solid album. Let me briefly speak on these track-by-track.

California Stars -- I'd probably pick a version with the Jay Bennett/Mick Taylor guitar attack. Maybe the one from the Sessions at West 54th show. In any case, the melody just makes me happy.

At Least... -- This, ladies and gentlemen, is what a ROCK BAND sounds like. I love the way that the bass very subtly drives things along. Everyone is paying attention to the Jeff and Glenn show, while John just sits in the pocket and plays maybe just a little bit faster and faster...

Spiders (Kidsmoke) -- Again, ROCK in the USA, teutonic-disco style. I'm sorry, but if you don't like the way this song explodes in the 'choruses,' then you just don't like rock and roll.

Handshake Drugs -- Again, John Stirrat's bass plays a key-supporting role. Also, the title is my favorite image in the Tweedy Verbal Cuisinart.

Company in my Back -- Lindsay Buckingham is a genius, and the best bands know this. That post-chorus guitar/whatever part sounds like it could be played by LB (except he would probably play it twice as fast and have 3 times as many notes). The slowed-down version, Pure Bug Beauty, on the Wilco Book cd is pretty cool, too.

Misunderstood -- There has to be at least one stream-of-consciousness song on this list and this one gets the nod, if only for the sarcastic 'Nothing! Nothing! Nothing!' at the end. Preferred version: the loud-as-fuck freak out in the IATTBYH movie.

I'm Always In Love -- Love the Wings synth sound. Plus, any song with a real bridge is better than a song without a bridge. And this song has a great bridge. Love the camera loop-de-loop rehersal version from the movie.

Pieholden Suite -- Their own version of Smile, in 3 minutes or less. As justifiably heralded as Wilco is for both lyrical and musical interplay, I don't think they get the right amount of glory for their pure melodic genius.

Via Chicago -- The best poem set to rock since 'Visions of Johanna'? Oh well, at least the best one since 'Paradise by the Dashboard Lights.'

War On War -- What are songs? Words, music, and melody. There are many many many great great great songs that only have (or need) 2 of those. This one has all 3.

I Am Trying to Break Your Heart -- This song would be a great candidate for a mix-it-yourself project. There's so much music in here that you could probably spin off 25 totally different versions that would retain the power of the original. Me, I'd go for a stark piano/vocal version.

Heavy Metal Drummer -- My favorite version is Sam Tweedy's all-kneecap remix. But no-one is better at writing songs about music than him.

Wilco is the best band going, and this list will probably need to be overhauled with each new release. I'm looking forward to the live one to add to the 20+ bootlegs I already have.

I remember when Uncle Tupelo broke up. I was mostly looking forward to Son Volt, and their first album kicks AM up and down the street. Who would have thought that they would switch places, and that Uncle Tupelo would diminish in importance in comparison?


2. DJ Chilly Sauce tm left...
Tuesday, 25 October 2005 4:03 pm

All I know about Wilco is that you put it on and you enjoy it. I don't know from what song is what (with very few exceptions), so I'll cheese out and say I'd just grab Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and call it even.


3. DJ Chilly Sauce tm left...
Tuesday, 25 October 2005 4:03 pm

All I know about Wilco is that you put it on and you enjoy it. I don't know from what song is what (with very few exceptions), so I'll cheese out and say I'd just grab Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and call it even.