Wilco sells out to Corporate America

i second the previous post pretty much word for word, although I would add Still Feel Gone to Anodyne and Trace

Still Be Around may be the greatest song ever written

 

Does anyone other than Jim DeRogatis still call bands sellouts? It's not like being a musician gives you a pension plan and lifetime health insurance. Plus, getting your music heard is extremely difficult. No one under the age of 10 in my house just turns on a radio to see what's on. If you're doing the music just for art's sake, then presumably you have a day job. Or a patron. Perhaps I've gotten through the strange where I take it personally that some musician would "ruin" my memory or image by selling a song for a commercial.

Just like what the earlier poster said about VW and Nick Drake, some advertisers are far more daring than radio ever will be. I was stunned to hear Brian Eno's "The Big Ship" used in a BMW commercial, not because I thought Eno was some sellout, but because I was impressed with whoever had the musical gourmand chops to dig up that song.

 

Am i wrong to think Moby sort of set the market here with what he did in terms of licensing songs off Play?

 

I thought the Rubicon was crossed when Michael Jackson sold the Beatles' "Revolution" to Nike in the late 1980s.

 

Yes, it was strange to hear (dead) Lennon selling sneakers.

 

A pox on Michael Jackson for selling those songs.

I think it's great some ad people have good enough musical taste they want to use these songs in commercials, and maybe help bands they like make some money.
Hell, the guys in Wilco have wives, kids, mortgages.

You can't make a revolution if you have to make a living. Was it Jerry Rubin who said that?

As far as the Son Volt vs. Wilco, I used to be more of a Son Volt guy at first. Straightways was a tremendous album, and I listened to it way more than Being There which came out at the same time. But Wilco has passed them up. And SBS is growing on me trememdously. Summertetth still may be my fave, followed by YHF.

 

SBS is a grower. still my least favorite wilco

also, i got into the kings of leon because of a vw commercial (yeah, i'm amazed i wasn't into that before, but you know)

 

Yes, when Wilco released Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and Jay Farrar was entering into his Terroir Blues phase (which is still a very good album), Tweedy's post-Tupelo body of work was superior.

But the last few years, I think Farrar has caught up in a major way. In the time it took for Wilco to put out its worst album to date, Son Volt has released two really good ones.

 

i liked the first half of okemah, but after that -- booring. bought it when it came out. listened to it a lot for two weeks (well, the first half of it) had no desire since

i know how people love to jerk off on trace, but i'll take everything but sbs over it

 

I was willing to consider your argument until the last part. Sorry Hoops, but Trace is a masterpiece.

 

i'll try to ignore the offensive part of Mr. McCann's post and just agree with Mr. Spinning

Trace is a masterpiece

 

and the circle jerk continues