I guess not. Not intentionally. Edit: was that’live’? My cd says “live.” Edit again: Cars isn’t live , either, but it was the only recording out there so I guess I must have made an exception. Who know! Can’t remember.
Me too, but I assume it’s coincidental. New Order used it too and it’s a pretty easy riff to find on the guitar.
"War On War" is another out-and-out winner. Not much to add to what has been said. The sequencing of this album is masterful. There's a lot going on in this song sonically but it never sounds overstuffed to me. It's catchy and hummable for sure, with some interesting lyrics. I think @Fortuleo's Grandaddy comparison is quite apt. The Sophtware Slump was a favorite of mine at the time (and is still a great album). 4 for 4!
I had a job interview this morning via Zoom with my "pandemic hairdo" in place. Kind of bowl shaped. I'll be a shoo-in if any of those on the panel are Michael Clarke (original Byrds drummer) fans.
Jeff recently says he converted to the Jewish faith in 2013 Jeff Tweedy on his Jewish conversion, the next Wilco album and why he loves his synagogue - Jewish Telegraphic Agency Tweedy was not raised Jewish, but his wife and sons were. From his book “Sammy, our younger son, was struggling quite a bit with the [bar mitzvah] process, and kind of begging to not to be forced to go to Hebrew school,” Tweedy told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency. “But it was important to us, and important to his mother.” So Tweedy presented a heartwarming idea to the head rabbi of the family’s synagogue, the Reform Congregation Emanuel on Chicago’s North Side, to “alleviate some of [Sammy’s] kvetching”: Tweedy would go to temple each week with Sammy, and study to convert to Judaism while Sammy was working on his Torah portion. “It seemed to work. He ended up getting bar mitzvahed and I ended up converting,” Jeff Has a Christian background - he just hates legalistic hypocrisy. Hell is Chrome, Theologians, I’ll Fight, One Sunday Morning are all examples White Wooden Cross is from the outside looking at others ejecting you for your lack of belief or belief in something not precisely along their lines Let’s Go Rain references Noah - professes his Past as a Christian and his Religious expression now as “an ocean of guitars.” I’d rather be free and express myself to God in my way. When asked About a comment he made about being onstage Being a religious experience “I just find the communal experience of a rock concert, or any type of music performance, achieves a kind of transcendence that I associate with spirituality. It’s the closest thing to what I think people expect church to be like. Or maybe just what I’ve always thought church should be. It’s as close to it as I feel like I’ve gotten. You lose yourself, and at the same time come to the realization or understanding that you’re part of something bigger than yourself. That’s the main function of religion, in my mind.” He has really enjoyed working with gospel singer Mavis Staples Who sang at his son’t Bar Mitzvah not meaning to take this thread out of it’s intent here. Just clarifying I’m a cherry ghost
In some of the articles about Yankee Hotel Foxtrot other members of Wilco said you did a lot of last-minute overdubs. I missed that. That must have been my doppelganger doing that. That falls into the category of wholly made up. With one exception — Leroy [Bach], at the last minute, had a vocal idea, but didn't have the time to execute it. It's the thing in "Kamera" — "I'm counting down" — these answer vocals. He didn't have the time to do it, so he called me up, like, literally sang it for me, and I performed it. That's the only last-minute overdub on the whole record. Jay Bennett: Wilco, Bennett & Burch, more.... | Tape Op Magazine | Longform candid interviews with music producers and audio engineers covering mixing, mastering, recording and music production.
I love YHF as it is, would not change it. But man do I love the early and engineering versions too, maybe more. There are so few examples like this from my favorite bands. I just love hearing how these songs were formed and changed
I’m having a terrible time determining which songs won’t make my playlist. Trying to keep it 7/11. The sign of a great album.
They might have different definitions of last minute? When you compare the engineer to final mixes, it’s not just a remix. There are definitely new overdubs in there, or tracks that were simply set to zero on the engineer mixes. the problem is this isn’t consistent with the “Jim helped declutter the Jay mixes”. I wonder if the engineer mixes were still done part way through recording, them more dubs were done, then Jay started mixing again to unsatisfactory results. After that, enter Jim. Because as much as I love Jim’s final mixes, they have more parts than the engineer mixes.
I like it when band members have some uniformity in hairdo. Like the Byrds, Small Faces and also Wilco.
I'm giving the album another spin or two this AM. I can't add anything to the excellent comments here on the thread. We've got commenters that have the music nailed and others that specialize in the lyrics. I am truly enjoying the ride and gaining a new appreciation for the record. It was always a tad self-consciously arty for me. Maybe now, a little less so, as I learn more about the background of what was going down at the time.
Thread guide Introduction and Uncle Tupelo Mar 1995 AM I Must Be High Casino Queen Box Full Of Letters Shouldn't Be Ashamed Pick Up The Change I Thought I Held You That's Not The Issue It's Just That Simple - live Should've Been In Love - live 1995 Passenger Side - live 1996 Dash 7 - live 2010 Blue Eyed Soul Too Far Apart Outtakes Oct 1996 Being There Misunderstood Far Far Away Monday Outtasite (outta mind) Forget The Flowers Red Eyed and Blue I Got You What's The World Got In Store Hotel Arizona Say You Miss Me Sunken Treasure Someday Soon Outta Mind (Outtasite) Someone Else's Song Kingpin (Was I) In Your Dreams Why Would You Wanna Live The Lonely 1 Dreamer In My Dreams Blasting Fonda (outtake?) Live 1996 - televised version Snow Job 97 June 1998 Mermaid Ave (with Billy Bragg) California Stars Way Over Yonder In The Minor Key Birds And Ships Hoodoo Voodoo She Came Along to Me At My Window Sad And Lonely Ingrid Bergman Christ For President I Guess I Planted One By One Eisler On The Go Hesitating Beauty Another Man's Done Gone The Unwelcome Guest March 1999 Summerteeth I Can't Stand It She's A Jar A Shot In The Arm We're Just Friends I'm Always In Love Nothing'severgonnastandinmyway (Again) Pieholden Suite How To Fight Lonliness Via Chicago ELT My Darling When You Wake Up Feeling Old Summer Teeth In A Future Age Candyfloss Interview 1999 May 2000 Mermaid Ave vol 2 Airline To Heaven My Flying Saucer Feed Of Man Hot Rod Hotel I Was Born Secret Of The Sea Stetson Kennedy Remembering the Mountain Bed Blood Of The Lamb Against Th' Law All You Fascists Joe Dimaggio Done It Again Meanest Man Black Wind Blowing Someday, Some Morning, Sometime Mermaid Ave vol 3 Loose Fur Laminated Cat Sept 2001 Yankee Hotel Foxtrot I Am Trying To Break Your Heart Kamera Radio Cure War On War
Good morning! Jesus Etc. Can anyone shed any light on why Jesus Etc. is by far the most streamed song of Wilco's on Spotify? It has almost 60 million streams. The next top song is California Stars with only 28 million plays. The YouTube video I linked for the song here has 2 million views. Was this song featured in some movie or television show that I am unaware of? I can't quite figure out why it seems to be by far their most popular song online. With that out of the way, it is a fantastic song. The opening strings figure is positively glorious. The melody is memorable and well-constructed. The lyrics are great and they have those eerie 9/11 connections that have puzzled and disturbed for years. 'Skyscrapers are scraping together / Your voice is smoking' In general, the words in this song are pure poetry. "Our love is all of God's money" has always struck me as being particularly beautiful. Love is the world's greatest currency. Maybe this song is so popular simply because it is so beautiful and warm and wonderful? It's fairly universal as well and almost a traditional love song at moments with lines like "our love is all we have." This is indie/alternative/rock perfection, really. Within the context of the album, it's a beautiful pause and moment of reflection after that series of off-kilter ruminations that opened things up. This song and the next one are like the heart of the album for me, with the themes and feelings of the album spiraling out from them. I know I've certainly listened to this one a lot and used it to show non-Wilco fans how perfect this band is... It's a good intro track.
I think this is the answer to your question. Like Imagine is the most popular Lennon song. A wonderful song, especially right after War On War. If I’m not mistaken, they didn’t make something like this before and after.
Jesus Etc I had no idea this was so popular ... I would have actually thought Heavy Metal Drummer would have been the track that the majority related to as a pop song on this album.... That is really very interesting. I am not aware of it being used in any tv shows or movies. Perhaps the title worked as a lure... it is an unusual title. Musically this is sublime. The strings arrangement is magnificent. The electric piano works beautifully. The drums and bass are just exactly where they need to be to drive this along at a leisurely pace. Tweedy really sings this beautifully. The agonised, tortured vocalist has gone for a moment, and the beauty is allowed to shine. Lyrically this is kind of eerie and beautiful at the same time, and perhaps the tall buildings and skyscrapers touched a few hearts in light of the terrorist incident ... until this thread I had no idea that the timeline for this was so close. The song is reaching out and wanting to be of comfort, in spite of the bitter melodies and all the other little side notes. The line in this song that sells it to me is the absolute truth, that "Our love is all God's money". For a song that isn't particularly a gospel or Christian song, it contains one line that is an absolute truth, and essential to understanding how things are. Sadly the church, as is expected really, has failed to be God's representative on earth as it is supposed to be, and this line is a reminder that we show our love, by loving, not judging and decrying, and being self righteous gits. I really like this quote, but I can't remember where it comes from "church is a hospital for sinners, not a holiday camp for saints" or something like that... fail unfortunately ... but this little truth hidden in this beautiful song is such an important truth, our love IS, all of God's money, it is the only currency He works in. anyway I hope that doesn't offend anyone, but that is what I see hear and think about with this song.
I don’t know what to add, the song says it all (and the few previous posts too). «You were right about the sta-ars, each one is a setting sun / Everyone is a burning sun » may be my favorite Tweedy lines of them all, because of the way he says them and how they seem to «sail» on the melody. I’ve never seen anyone hearing Jesus etc. for the first time and not stopping whatever he or she was doing to ask about it and comment on how great it was. I’ve known Rancid fans stopping short in the middle of whatever they were doing/saying because this song was on, and becoming hardcore Wilco fans on the spot. When I attended a Wilco show in New York two days after the album’s official release, everyone in the room knew the words from beginning to end and sang along throughout (I know most had it for a few months, but still) ! A true classic, so melancholic and sad, and beautiful, and uplifting at the same time. Pop music has been invented to be exactly that.
Jesus, etc. is perfectly crafted, a song that touches my soul. Fragments of lyrics, “I'll be around (sung just off-kilter, then) You were right about the stars Each one is a setting sun” I never know which/what I’ll sudden sing along to: Tall buildings shake Voices escape singing sad sad songs Tuned to chords strung down your cheeks Bitter melodies turning your orbit around The last Tweedy/Bennett song collaboration. And it’s a masterpiece.
Jesus, Etc is a stunning song. Simple but gorgeous with an intensely memorable melody. and words that seem to speak universal truths. Pop-rock doesn't get much better than this. Will this album run out of fantastic songs? Our love is all God's money to me means that love is the currency of God.
I would guess the massive popularity has a lot to do with Christianity, much as "Jesus Is Just All Right" was a breadwinner for The Doobie Brothers. I think you'll find songs with even the most vague or unintentional religious themes quietly get picked up by that massive audience. I still recall a friend in college trying to sell me on Christianity by using "All You Zombies" by The Hooters as his gateway introduction. Er, uh, didn't work, but Eric Bazilian did it again in the 90s with "One of Us" with Joan Osborne. It made me think of this track in a very positive way.
Jesus, Etc. is an end of day, sitting on the back porch, reflective song. The lyrics "You were right about the stars, each one is a setting sun" anchors the mood for me. But its not sad -- Jeff's voice doesn't plead and crack like it does in some tracks. There is a quiet serenity that encompasses old-time music (strings) -- but the strings are in the mode of a violin not a fiddle -- a contemporary sophistication that keeps the whole thing bouncing quietly along. Just a perfect little song, that made its way on to more of my 'mixes' for others than I'd care to admit.
The “Jesus, don’t cry,” opening lyric has probably fooled a lot of listeners. My son told me it was his bandmates favorite Wilco song because it was about Jesus. I may have crashed his vision when I explained how the word ‘Jesus’ was being used in this instance. Which is very effective, by the way.
It is odd that folks hear this as a song about Jesus. I can only assume it is a failure to really pay attention to the lyrics... it seems quite common though.
