Next up: Some Birds One of the 'singles' from the album, 'Some Birds' is a terrific song in my opinion. It moves along at a sprightly pace, the falsetto chorus is wonderful ("I'd love to take you down and leave you there") and the guitar playing on this is great. Jeff even plays a cool solo. Much as I love Nels and what he brings to the band, it is really nice to get a chance to hear Jeff's unique guitar playing on his solo projects. He's got a very distinctive feel in his playing. Really heart on the sleeve, which suits the album so well. As for the lyrics, this is the first of many songs on the album that includes 'window' imagery and the first of two (the other being 'I Know What It's Like') that specifically references seeing a twin of oneself in the reflection of a window. Rather than being lazy lyrical writing, I think this is a motif and that Jeff was coming back again and again to feelings of disassociation and the external versus internal worlds. The storytelling and raw emotion on this album is very touching. Love this one.
Some WARM songs lyrics are reproduced at the end of the Let's Go book, but Some Birds is not one of them. I take it as meaning it doesn't have a specific story attached to it. Musically, it's a groovy little song, it moves along briskly, with lots of guitars (watch the video, where Jeff displays his huge collection of 12 strings, although I think there's no 12 strings on the track at all!) and what's certainly one of the smoothiest rhythm backing (bass & drums) ever accomplished by a father and a son. The double vocal (low & high) is great as usual (what a neat little trick…) and the verse rudimentary melody is almost a sped up version of She's a Jar, before getting to the "I'd Love to take you down…" brief chorus that bears more than a little resemblance to another famous "I'd love to…" pop moment (…turn you on). But the real Beatles catch here is the And Your Bird Can Sing guitar hook Jeff uses to punctuate the chorus in the second half of the song. I'm sure it's there as a clue ("some birds just sit useless" while others, well, sing). Funnily enough, not only did Wilco cover the song as part of their "covers only shows" at Solid Sound, but they performed it TWICE in a row, because they had so much fun (or trouble, or both!) playing it.
I believe Some Birds was the first one I heard as a proper studio track thanks to the amusing video (the hair!). It adds some upbeat poppy charm to the album, especially after the short downbeat intro given by Bombs Above. I’m not a Lennon aficionado, but there have been many comparisons to Lennon in this thread. I’ve generally read those as allusions to 70s solo Lennon, but boy whenever I reach the chorus on this one do I hear “I’d love to turn... you.... on...”! The arrangement shows how good Jeff has gotten at layering parts without it being a wall of sound like Summerteeth. He loves to double track his guitars and vocals, much like Lennon. But I’ve always found it works for Tweedy. The country-ish guitar solo is cool, but my favourite bit is the chiming guitar in the verses. Great track.
Some Birds - Wow what a great discovery for me. This is a great little song and the clever references lyrically and musically are perfect.
"Some Birds"- This is a good song that is even better on headphones when you can hear more of what is going on. My first thoughts were this should be a Wilco song. I think the band would have elevated it a bit. It also goes on too long unlike the first song which feels like it gets cut short. Nice bass line and comes off as a song straight off of Schmilco. Jeff even adds a little guitar freakout that would have most likely been shared with Nels. This album goes back and forth for me. Last night I wasn't feeling very enthused about several songs, but this morning some of them, like "Some Birds", sound better to me. Maybe this is more of a morning album for me. We will see how the next few days go. I think I will start taking notes at night and comparing them with what I think in the morning. 4/5
I should have read your post first! Great call about the cover of And Your Bird Can Sing. It was a super fun cover at Solid Sound and reappeared in their live sets from time to time after that. Hearing it live you realized how intricate it was for a short little song! On a related note, anyone every thing Tweedy’s references to birds are a little bit amusing... reminds me of the old “Tweedy Bird” cartoon! Conway Twitty used to call his band the Twitty Birds too as I recall.
Good track. At this point, I don't know what the criteria is for a Wilco album as opposed to a Tweedy solo album? They sound roughly the same. I suspect as his kids get older Jeff is angling towards a Partridge Family style set-up with him in dual Ruben Kincaid/Shirley Partridge role, driving the multi-colored school bus to gigs, while the rest of Wilco "pursues other interests" and gets snotty references in Margherita interviews. Fortuleo's "She's a Jar" reference is pretty accurate. Jeff is plagiarizing himself in a Lola/Apeman sort of way.
"Bombs Away" - musically, not much to hold my interest. It just plods along with barely a hint of melody, no chorus. As I recall, "He was right, but I was wrong to agree" is quoted in his book--maybe at the end? So it's apparently an important line to him, although the song indicates that he doubts the truth in the idea that "suffering is the same for everyone." Is that why he was wrong to agree? Perhaps his suffering is the same as anyone else in rehab, but, he suggests, what are his problems compared to people getting bombed by our warplanes overseas, or even people who live under attack in various ways here at home? How much responsibility does he bear for those problems? And should any of that matter to his audience or anyone else? Heady thoughts to put at the start of an album. Is that an overall theme? Does he come to some resolution? We'll see! "Some Birds" is the sort of tune that Tweedy can write while rolling out of bed. Parachute Woman was asking about a song that typifies the Wilco sound? This is one type of song that crops up a lot. It certainly could've been on Schmilco, but I could hear it on most of their albums, too. Jeff said, "This is me trying to be more direct about feeling helpless and not knowing what to do with my anger these days." I like the imagery of, "I lean on the wall like a broom." Mike Watt once compared himself to a janitor pushing a broom; that idea of the musician as laboring workman might have made an impression on Jeff, too. He also revisits the question of his responsibility for the problems in the world: "Is it my fault the countrysides are so full of suicide?" He worries that his songs might actually add to your fears--although I'm not sure what he means by "I'd love to take you down and leave you there." That sounds vaguely threatening, even if he sings it so gently and sweetly. Still, this is his work--"I break bricks with my heart/ Only a fool would call it art"--and what else can he do?
Some Birds - I love the descending guitar riff that repeats throughout the song, I love the "chicken pickin'" guitar solo, I love the way the bass bebops under the chorus, and I love the lyrics. "Some birds just sit, useless like fists" - I can see a bird huddled up against the winter cold on a power line "In my window I have a twin, I look out, he looks in" - I love this imagery, and it's all the more powerful when it crops up again in I Know What It's Like "I break bricks with my heart, but only a fool would call it art" "I'd love to take you down and leave you there" - not sure what it means either, but I love it as a chorus. It does seem like a laid-back threat. I hadn't consciously noticed the double tracked vocal before, but I really like that too. Great song!
I have been outspoken about my distaste for pretty much all aspects of Jeff's recent (Sukierae on) vocals: the singing itself, the effect he puts on it, and the double track. On "Some Birds," he goes to the double track. I don't like it, but it doesn't ruin the song. In fact, "Some Birds" is one of my favorite songs from the whole double album. I know it was pre-released as a single, but I intentionally avoided the song and the video until the album came out. I'm glad I did, because when I first heard it in the context of the album, I loved it — especially the chorus and the guitar riff. The whole song is good, but that chorus is just magic. That's how you write a catchy, melodic chorus people! Some great thoughts re: "She's a Jar" and Beatles connections from @Fortuleo on this one I have never connected before!
Just popping in to say how much I'm enjoying eavesdropping on this thread - wonderful insight on Wilco and Jeff Tweedy. Also, the "I look out, he looks in" line reminds me of the Rutles, who must surely have been an influence.
This song is catchy as hell. Where does he get all these melodies from ? Jeff's way singing reminds me of Summerteeth. I'll read all your comments later on.
Another Beatles nod is that the pedal-steel style guitar is floating around in this song. It’s pretty clear in the intro, but is there throughout. The way he swells in and out sounds almost like backwards guitar, much like Lennon’s I’m Only Sleeping. Apart from the Day in the Life reference that @Fortuleo pointed out, this song would be at home on Revolver!
I like "Some Birds". Tweedy's voice sounds more like it did when he was younger here. Odd, that. Good song.
I'm reading back your insightful description of Jeff's imitation of the pedal steel, because of the upcoming Don't Forget. To what video does your reference of "Jeff's electric at 0:02" apply ? I'd love to see that one.
Sorry for not clarifying! The Some Birds video linked here: It’s all over these albums, though. Skipping ahead a bit, it’s right there in the intro to Orphan for another example. I’ll try to point it out as we continue (kind of like my Mellotron scorecard on Summerteeth and my piano/Hammond/Wurlitzer one on SBS).
Don't Forget Don't forget sometimes We all, we all think about dying Don't let it kill you Musically, this song actually reminds me a lot of 'Taste the Ceiling' but it's okay because I really like both songs and they aren't carbon copies. I love the faux slide on this track, where it really serves as a lead instrument. A song like 'Don't Forget' honestly feels like a Stones song to me. The way that the Stones did country, blending it with folk and rock (on tracks like 'Dead Flowers'). And this song even has roses by the grave, just like that one. I have given in and compared a Jeff song to a song from the past! Lyrically, this song is fantastic. I believe the verse about 'sweating in a new suit' at a grave site refers to Jeff's father's funeral and he definitely had death on his mind through the making of the Warm/Warmer albums. The realities of loss and the inevitability of death are huge lurking spectres all through this project. And how you have to move on and keep living the day to day and appreciate what you still have, even after you have buried the two people who gave you life. The "Don't forget to brush your teeth or you'll have a funny smile" section seems like an odd lyric, but I think it circles around that idea of remembering to take care of yourself--and maybe even hinting at the same 'put on a brave face' themes of 'How to Fight Loneliness.' This is a really lovely song.
This is a spot on review! It definitely has that ramshackle country vibe of the Stones. I am so enjoying this record so far. It's a little lo-fi and unpretentious in a very fitting way.
Don't Forget: This song has one of my favorite lyrics on the record - "We all, we all think about dying, don't let it kill you", which is funny but also meaningful. "Don't forget we're all blowing in the interstellar wind. I'm your little galaxy" - this makes me think about how we're made up of stardust (hat tip to Joni), of elements produced by dying stars going supernova, which is a thought I find both mind-blowing and fascinating. It makes me feel connected to something, and everything. "Don't forget, don't forget to brush your teeth. Or you'll have a funny smile" - love that line. The verse about the long drive and arriving in time to say goodbye is about his father's death, and I think Jeff said somewhere that he wrote this song for his dad. Musically it's a pretty simple song. The part I like best is the electric guitar floating over the top.
Ok, yeah, I love this album and later Tweedy, but come on, even I am stunned by the consistency displayed here. And the diversity… Three songs in, and who would call this "samey" ? And nothing yet sounds like it could be on Sukierae either. Well, maybe I'm going too far, now. Musically, I hear it as a throwback to the early Tweedy style, it sounds almost like something he could've written for A.M or even Anodyne (it's very similar to No Sense in Loving, for instance). So yeah, I guess the Stones vibe is there, as is the other major early influence Paul Westerberg (especially solo Westerberg, songs like Love Untold from Eventually). My intuition is that Jeff goes back to that early style very consciously, attempting to recapture something from that time and give it another, wiser, perspective. At least two (great) WARM songs are in that vein, Don't Forget and I Know What It's Like (in which he almost duplicates the intro of I Must Be High). We know now (especially after the Some Birds discussion yesterday) that these things are very calculated in Jeff's work, there's always a point being made… Oh, and I love @Parachute Woman's How to Fight Loneliness comparison, because in both cases, the title is a clue and a commentary in itself. Just as the Summerteeth song was a possible remedy to feeling lonely, once you've heard Don't Forget, there's no way you'll get it out of your brain!
Agreeable country flavoured song with a Warm sentiment. I like Jeff’s singing, it matches so well with the lyrics. The instrumental backing is like it should be. Functional, without any frills.
