Any Wilco fans??

[NORTHCOAST]

I've been listening to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and just don't get why this album was so hyped.  I've given it five listens and usually that's enough for me to make some judgement whether I like an album. Some good melodies here and there but just too weird for my taste.  I checked out Amazon and the reviews seem to be either 5 stars or 1-2 stars.  I know this album was picked by a lot of reviewers as one of the best albums of the year but I just don't get it.  Do you?  Is it just the whole unusual-ness of it layered over traditional pop songs?

Also, have seen such varied reviews of their new album too.   Some give it 4-5 stars and I just read a one star review. 

I guess I'm thinking that a great album would be recognizable to me.  I seem to like the other Top ten albums on the lists.  But this one just doesn't show me why there was such a big hype about it.  What do you think?

Another thing, is Uncle Tupelo anything like Wilco??

[thedualityofman]

Uncle Tupelo is the original band that Jeff Tweedy (of Wilco) was in and is with who he wrote his strongest music. As much ass as Wilco kick, to "get" anything Wilco have put out, you have to check out Uncle Tupelo, or for that matter, Sun Volt.

If you are going to check out Wilco though, go with their Summer Teeth cd.

[Ragin]

In my opinion Summer Teeth is by far Wilco's best album, so that's the one to check out. Uncle Tupelo quite a bit different than Wilco. You can definitely tell the songs where Jeff Tweedy (Wilco) and the songs that Jay Farrar (Sun Volt, now solo) wrote, besides the fact that they sing them respectively. Uncle Tupelo has a more raw, underproduced sound in comparison to Wilco. Jay Farrar was more of the "country" in the alt country classification, and Jeff Tweedy was more of the alt.

That's my take anyway. If you do check out Summer Teeth, one of things to look for is the interesting, almost Beach Boys sound in a couple of the songs. Strong melodies pervade that album.

I like Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, but like you, I never really understood the hype. Their album with Billy Bragg, Mermaid Avenue vol2 is much better also.