Just watched this documentary on the life of Jay Bennett, who really was an incredibly talented musician and songwriter. Very well done and certainly corrects the BS portrayal in the Wilco documentary. Jay’s mother, among others, are adorable. A mention for those of you who are Jay Bennett fans and might not have heard…streamable online.
Not much of a Wilco fan here. But someone had me watch that doc, "I'm trying to break your heart". Just curious, but what exactly was BS about his portrayal there? He was the guy going on and on about 'Heavy Metal Drummer', which I gathered was the name of some preset on a keyboard or something? Anyway, he came off like he couldn't stop blathering and I remember Tweedy just kinda looking on, medicated or something. I'm like, this guy is the bandleader right, is he just going to sit there and say nothing? Probably the most memorable scene of the whole doc for me. The black and white footage of Tweedy playing solo was monotonous and every song sounded the same to me. Maybe one day Wilco music will click with me. But so far, no.
Well there is this thing called editing. Very easy to edit things in a way to concoct a story or point of view. Several people who were there talked about how deliberate the unflattering portrayal of Jay Bennett was. That is the key point. Tweedy to this day seems to downplay the significance of Bennett’s time in the band whenever he has made off hand commments…playing, songwriting, and arranging, Bennett was clearly as significant as Tweedy. My own interest stems from the fact that I don’t really care much for Wilco after Bennett was fired. So you could say after Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, I am not a fan either. They always seemed very bland to me after he left.
Anyway, aside from all that, was an interesting portrayal of someone who was clearly talented at music and art from a young age. It’s a type of story that has been told before and of course, nothing new.
I was fortunate enough to see Wilco with Jay and it was a fantastic show. It was clear that Jay brought an element to the band that was unique and exciting. I highly recommend Where Are You Jay Bennett? to any fans of Wilco. I found it to be incredibly well done and ultimately, incredibly sad.
I would have not allowed that footage to be used, but booked another couple of shows to be filmed and tried again to get a solo set more flattering. But dull and boring set I agree.
You took it to a "personal insult" or attack level. Pretty bad. You could have stated you liked the "Being There" album and have never warmed to Tweedy as a solo artist based on interviews, and what you've seen, etc. And you wold still be OT.
Sometimes people in bands outgrow each other. Sometimes there are power struggles. Reading the liner notes it’s clear Jay wore out his welcome with the whole band, not just Jeff. He had a serious drug problem and it ended up killing him, and the band has had a 20+ year career since he left… one documentary on the positive sides of the man changes none of this. People can be talented and still be out if synch with the people around them. That doesn’t take anything away from either party.
He died of an accidental overdose of fentanyl, correct? Was this dosage prescribed by a doctor, or was he self-(over) medicating? And are you trying to say he didn’t have a drug problem/history of addiction? Because everyone of his band mates raised that as an issue and part of the reason why he was put out of the band, because he would not address it. And again, one documentary doesn’t change that.
This is what I found 'Where are you, Jay Bennett?' documentary chronicles his impact on Wilco and beyond
Tweedy had a drug problem also and blamed his own drug problem as the reason why Bennett had to be fired. It’s in his own memoir. Certainly nothing wrong with musicians going in different directions. The …trying to break your heart documentary is, however, a rather unfortunate and crass part of their history. Glad to now have another documentary that is more truthful. I think the whole thing is a shame because they could have went on to more exceptional albums and really pushed things. But the other key member of the band left and the musical vision shrunk…
I'm not referencing the I Am Trying doc at all - there is an extensive recent written interview in the new YHFT boxed set that completely contradicts what you're saying here, where ALL the band members talk about how it was untenable working with Jay, including Leroy, who had known Jay for years and agreed he needed to go. There's also a lot from Jim O'Rourke who talks about the obstacles Jay created because he kept putting more stuff into the songs, while Jim was removing things. YHFT might not have gotten made without Jay's contributions, but it absolutely would not have sounded the way it does without JOR mixing it, something Jay fought tooth and nail. This is an old argument, people take sides, but when the entire band and the guy who mixed their best record say that Jay was an impediment to getting there, that holds a lot more water than a new "more truthful" documentary. Anyway, agree to disagree here.
I didn’t mean to imply you were talking about the I am trying doc. I understand that. I wasn’t solely talking about that doc either other than it really was a slanted view and even if truthful, puts Wilco in a bad light. Let’s be clear, Tweedy said he would have died had they not broken up, blaming his own drug addiction on his bandmate who also had a drug problem. Also, it’s no surprise other band members wanted Bennett gone as they acknowledged he was replacing their input and this started with Summerteeth. I don’t care why or how they split…that’s what bands do. Sides should not be taken. My only interest stems from my opinion that they really blew it as the music was extraordinary. Btw, Bennett shared songwriting credit on all Summerteeth and for 8 of the 11 on YHF. The importance cannot be understated and the downplaying of this by anyone including Wilco is both bizarre and unfortunate. I found this quite a good summation and something I agree with: “ Bennett was a member of Wilco from 1994 to 2001 when Tweedy asked him to leave the band. Although Bennett’s talents helped make Wilco’s sound so unique, he and Tweedy had differing opinions on the band's direction. "They just happened to be two egos at that point, fueled by a lot of demons. And it just wasn't working anymore," Bechard explained. "They're both incredibly talented. They both had egos. They both, I think, saw maybe different paths for the band. And ultimately it was Jeff's band, so he's going to win that, and rightfully so. There were other issues, whether it be alcohol or drugs. You know, it was a little bit of everything. Personally, I wish they had stayed together because I think they could have literally become the next Lennon and McCartney or the next Jagger/Richards."” 'Where are you, Jay Bennett?' documentary chronicles his impact on Wilco and beyond
I haven't finished it yet but I'm near the end. It's very good. I'm glad to see this perspective too and always felt like Jay got screwed in the Wilco movie. I like that doc too. But as most documentaries it was edited to tell a story... not lay out the complete truth. I think the Wilco records done with Jay are the best ones. But I'm not really a Jay solo fan. They complimented each other. I think of the post-Jay records the 2 that are very good are the first one A Ghost is Born which finds Jeff trying to compensate for the loss of Jay with interesting guitar playing and Sky Blue Sky where Jeff kind of leans into the idea of the band being a really good live band and exploring that. From there it kind of drifts off in quality imo.
