Brian Bunn
Second Unit
- Joined
- Oct 26, 1998
- Messages
- 258
...and it is very, very good. Truly an amazing record. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot may even be...and I can't believe I am saying this...better than Summer Teeth! I literally had chills the first time I listened to it. With this record WILCO further establishes the fact that they are among the elite pop/rock bands of the last 20 years. Talk about outstanding musicianship? This band is top notch. Jeff Tweedy is one of the most emotional, heartfelt voices in rock music today. He sings with a passion you can feel. This album should shoot right to the top of the charts...but of course it will not with the state of the music industry today. But that's OK...the ones in the know won't mind. Wilco definitely has a big enough core following to put enough money in their pockets to keep them going.
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is similar in some respects to Summer Teeth, but has a different overall feel about it. You still hear a 60's influence on this record, but this is just great music, plain and simple. It is more melodic taken as a whole (despite the opening track), where Summer Teeth was a bit abrasive at times. A brief description of the songs:
The opening track "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart" starts out as classic WILCO, with Tweedy's outstanding vocal the highlight, then evolves into an interesting mix of instrumentation and feedback, and would have fit well on Summer Teeth. Great opening track.
Track 2: Kamera - Probably the best pure pop song on the record. Impossible not to like this song, with a melody that will stay with you after it is over.
Track 3: Radio Cure - Another great Tweedy vocal. Interesting sounds heard through this one around Tweedy's vocal...organ, guitar effects, etc. A slow tempo tune that draws you in.
Track 4: War On War - Love this song. Mid tempo pace. Incredible musicianship. Catchy, melodic, somewhat simple song. But there is just something about it.
Track 5: Jesus, etc. - This one will grab you from the first note. Tweedy's vocal will hold your attention throughout, surrounded by outstanding instrumentation (spot a trend here?!) Absolutely great pop song. Upon first listen it may be the one that stands out the most, but that is a difficult thing to say being that every single song is outstanding!
Track 6: Ashes of American Flags - A different sort of Wilco song musically, moving in and out of different musical phases, again ending with an interesting mix of instruments.
Track 7: Heavy Metal Drummer - Oh my! What can I say about this one. Up tempo, humourous...sounding a bit like classic Kinks. Nice background vocals..."hooooo....hooooo....aaah".
It just keeps getting better!
Track 8: I'm The Man Who Loves You - Musically this one has a late 60's/early 70's era Rolling Stones feel to it with a "Sympathy For The Devil" type background vocal that makes its influence quite obvious, with some Keith Richards type guitar licks thrown in. But you know what? It works. Great song.
Track 9: Pot Kettle Black - Another great pop song...catchy as all get out! Another one that could have fit right on Summer Teeth. This may be the catchiest track on the record. Maybe even the best track period. Outstanding.
Track 10: Poor Places - Great heartfelt vocal from Tweedy...again. This man sings on an emotional level that is unrivaled in pop music. His voice just overflows with feeling. Listen to this song for proof. Clocking in at over 5 minutes, this is one of the many highlights on the album.
Track 11: Reservations - A mesmerizing song. Over 7 minutes in length. If "Poor Places" doesn't convince you that Jeff Tweedy has one of the most heartfelt voices going today in pop music then the first half of this one should. An atmospheric, ethereal kind of song throughout, slowing down midway to almost a stop, then crawling to the finish. But, again, there is something about it that keeps you locked in.
WILCO is a special band. This album should only further prove it. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is simply an amazing album. I can't say that enough. Upon first listen I would say that this is an "instant classic", if there is such a thing. Upon first listen I believe this album to be one of the better works of pop music in the last 20 years. Maybe I am overreacting. Maybe I am bias, being a huge WILCO fan. But this album tops their last one, and that is no small feat indeed. The critics are going to love this one...for whatever that is worth. And it will probably be WILCO's best selling album commercially as well...for whatever that is worth. Bottom line, this album is utterly outstanding...amazing...incredible. Get it...pop it in the CD player...sit back and listen to it all the way through for one of the most enjoyable, amazing musical experiences you have had in a long time.
Trust me...don't miss this one!
[Edited last by Brian Bunn on August 21, 2001 at 01:41 PM]
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is similar in some respects to Summer Teeth, but has a different overall feel about it. You still hear a 60's influence on this record, but this is just great music, plain and simple. It is more melodic taken as a whole (despite the opening track), where Summer Teeth was a bit abrasive at times. A brief description of the songs:
The opening track "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart" starts out as classic WILCO, with Tweedy's outstanding vocal the highlight, then evolves into an interesting mix of instrumentation and feedback, and would have fit well on Summer Teeth. Great opening track.
Track 2: Kamera - Probably the best pure pop song on the record. Impossible not to like this song, with a melody that will stay with you after it is over.
Track 3: Radio Cure - Another great Tweedy vocal. Interesting sounds heard through this one around Tweedy's vocal...organ, guitar effects, etc. A slow tempo tune that draws you in.
Track 4: War On War - Love this song. Mid tempo pace. Incredible musicianship. Catchy, melodic, somewhat simple song. But there is just something about it.
Track 5: Jesus, etc. - This one will grab you from the first note. Tweedy's vocal will hold your attention throughout, surrounded by outstanding instrumentation (spot a trend here?!) Absolutely great pop song. Upon first listen it may be the one that stands out the most, but that is a difficult thing to say being that every single song is outstanding!
Track 6: Ashes of American Flags - A different sort of Wilco song musically, moving in and out of different musical phases, again ending with an interesting mix of instruments.
Track 7: Heavy Metal Drummer - Oh my! What can I say about this one. Up tempo, humourous...sounding a bit like classic Kinks. Nice background vocals..."hooooo....hooooo....aaah".
It just keeps getting better!
Track 8: I'm The Man Who Loves You - Musically this one has a late 60's/early 70's era Rolling Stones feel to it with a "Sympathy For The Devil" type background vocal that makes its influence quite obvious, with some Keith Richards type guitar licks thrown in. But you know what? It works. Great song.
Track 9: Pot Kettle Black - Another great pop song...catchy as all get out! Another one that could have fit right on Summer Teeth. This may be the catchiest track on the record. Maybe even the best track period. Outstanding.
Track 10: Poor Places - Great heartfelt vocal from Tweedy...again. This man sings on an emotional level that is unrivaled in pop music. His voice just overflows with feeling. Listen to this song for proof. Clocking in at over 5 minutes, this is one of the many highlights on the album.
Track 11: Reservations - A mesmerizing song. Over 7 minutes in length. If "Poor Places" doesn't convince you that Jeff Tweedy has one of the most heartfelt voices going today in pop music then the first half of this one should. An atmospheric, ethereal kind of song throughout, slowing down midway to almost a stop, then crawling to the finish. But, again, there is something about it that keeps you locked in.
WILCO is a special band. This album should only further prove it. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is simply an amazing album. I can't say that enough. Upon first listen I would say that this is an "instant classic", if there is such a thing. Upon first listen I believe this album to be one of the better works of pop music in the last 20 years. Maybe I am overreacting. Maybe I am bias, being a huge WILCO fan. But this album tops their last one, and that is no small feat indeed. The critics are going to love this one...for whatever that is worth. And it will probably be WILCO's best selling album commercially as well...for whatever that is worth. Bottom line, this album is utterly outstanding...amazing...incredible. Get it...pop it in the CD player...sit back and listen to it all the way through for one of the most enjoyable, amazing musical experiences you have had in a long time.
Trust me...don't miss this one!
[Edited last by Brian Bunn on August 21, 2001 at 01:41 PM]