For the Wilco fans with no plans this Saturday night....

It probably took me about six listens to really get into Wilco. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was the first thing I listened to. I didn't immediately swoon for it, but I was interested, so I listened again, and again and it kind of grew on me. Like George on that girl on Seinfeld. "Co-stanza!"

 

I listened to Uncle Tupelo after becoming a Wilco and Son Volt fan. There's lots of good stuff there, but it's obviously a little raw. You could see the brilliance just underneath.

My favorite UT album was March 19-25, I think it's called. It's mostly acoustic stuff. Loved it! The Moonshiner cover still gives me chills.

It's interesting that though Tweedy and Jay Farrar went in different directions, both of their music started as pretty standard alt-country (or whatever) and then went into that psychedelic country folk thing. I really enjoyed Farrar's solo work.

Haven't heard Wilco's latest stuff online, but I wouldn't be too concerned if it's below average. Tweedy's obviously a creative guy and you can't expect the same thing every year, every album. (Think Neil Young, Bob Dylan).

 

It's kind of asinine to compare Uncle Tupelo unfavorably to Wilco and Son Volt. That's like saying the Beatles who wrote "She Loves You" were an inferior band to the Beatles of Sgt. Pepper. No shit. UT was brilliant in its time and place. It was two songwriters finding themselves in the middle of Belleville Freaking Illinois. Farrar found himself first. Tweedy's greatest strength is his ability to collaborate and learn from and absorb inspiration from other musicians. He's done this serially: Farrar, Bennett, Kotche, O'Rourke, Cline. Each "muse" (for lack of a better word) brings out something new and original in Tweedy. It's a continuum. Blaming No Depression for being at the beginning of that continuum is just rock-crit-style wanking.

 

That's just awesome. Anytime you can get wanking into a sentence, I'm a fan.

Anyways, I've seen Wilco twice, and would love to see Son Volt once before I make any judgment. I don't think Wilco's music totally translates via studio albums.

Yes, as John said, they seem to love making loud noises with the guitars. But in between the horrible screeches, the music and the lyrics and the interaction between the band and the audience is just tremendous. I love Wilco. YHF was the first album I heard, then AGWB. Only then did I go back and listen to Summerteeth and Being There. I like the last two I named more than the first two. But I really like the first two.

As for Son Volt, I've never seen them live. I would love to get to see them, though. I find Trace and Straightaways to be brilliant albums. Jay Farrar is excellent at his job, even if he is tough to work with. Son Volt's Okemah and the Melody of Riot was good, a departure from normal, but good. And it grew on me.

But I like them both. A lot. They both bring different things to the table.