I thought you'd said it all, Parachute Lady, and then @John C Bradley Jr added his own fantastic post… Once again, what a beautiful thread we have here ! This is one of the most moving pieces on WARMER, strategically placed at the end of the first side. Lyrically, it's one of the most direct songs of the bunch, as personal and to the point as Orphan was, the touring musician reminiscing about what "leaving home" has meant for him throughout his life. From dreams of leaving when your a kid, to dreams of being home when it's too late… And then, there's life on tour, when you're away for long periods of time, «calling from overseas.» I agree this is profound stuff. Everyone can relate, but I love just how specific to his own experience Jeff makes it, and how he manages to complete and evoke many other great "disconnection" songs from all over his career, going all the way back to a lot of the Being There stuff. Musically, he's in waltz mood again, which I have a soft spot for, but the most beautiful thing is that eery sound, between a high mellotron and a distorted theremin. I'd guess he did it on the faux steel guitar, but it's a beautiful effect, that give an otherworldly quality to this recording.
"And Then You Cut it in Half" and "Ten Sentences" are adequate songs, not bad but not memorable. "Sick Server," however, is a real gem. The songwriting is, once again, otherworldly good. And in this case, I really think the accompaniment and production really serve the song well. It's an outstanding track top to bottom. Ha! When I first saw the tracklist ahead of the release, I was puzzled by "Sick Server" too. The first two things that jumped into my mind were 1. An overly zealous IT guy bragging about his hardware "Man, you should totally see our router and server! They're sick!" and 2. A waiter sneezing in someone's food as he brings it to the table. I'm guessing maybe Jeff was going for "someone who serves/helps sick people," referring to himself as "sick" when he was battling addiction and Sue as his caretaker? I don't know. In any case, I don't like the title either, and like you said @Parachute Woman, it does undercut such a beautiful track a little.
I like the vocals and, of course, I like the song. (I know nothing about guitars and strings but wouldn’t use that video as a musical instrument promotion. )
Sick Server is a beautiful song with a strange title. I have always been struck by: Time passes slow Before it goes too fast Dream with me, darling Now the moment has passed I'm a big fan of atmospheric music, and this has atmosphere to burn. I was trying to figure out if that was a theremin in the background, but I agree with @Fortuleo that I think it's a guitar with some kind of effect on it.
You know, that theremin sound could also maybe be a saw. Those tend to have that warbly sound too. Maybe I'll try asking on The Tweedy Show!
"Drab" is the word that comes to mind with respect to "Sick Server". It seems colorless. This is the first song on Warmer that does absolutely nothing for me. The lyrics have a few nice lines but, on the whole, don't seem to tread any ground that Tweedy hasn't covered in about a dozen previous songs. Just not feeling this one.
Sick Server: heartily dislike the title. And will keep it short and sweet by a simple proclamation of disinterest in the song itself. This album is not a grower.
"Sick Server"- Decent lyrics that many of us can relate to. I still dream of my childhood home quite often. The song is a bit of a downer in its delivery though. I would like to hear a little more energy and not so lifeless sounding. Maybe a different guitar and a more interesting drum beat is needed? There is a better song in here, but as it is I'm not totally feeling it. I was also just on hold with the DMV for 90 minutes and this song didn't pep me up. It's not a bad song, just a bit lethargic and boring to me this morning. 3/5
I may’ve been a little too enthusiastic about Sick Server. It’s not a song that I’m particularly passionate about. Musically, except from the “theremin guitar”, it’s not that memorable, it’s just another Tweedy plodding waltz. But lyrically, it’s really superb in my opinion. I understand what you’re saying : he’s been there before, he’s done it many times. Sure. After all, we’re approaching the 300th song mark in this guy’s career, so yes, we’ll see some trends, some default settings, some recurring themes, figures or ideas. But it’s no “edge of town” or “highway” Springsteen either, is it? In this specific case, I think this is not a valid criticism. True, he’s done songs on the subject of leaving or returning or being far away from home many times, but that’s precisely what gives more depth and value to these lyrics, not less. Not only because the song’s part of an autobiographical record that starts by Orphan, but even more so because he’s fully aware of the older songs, he takes them into account, he infuses this new one with them. The “childhood home” and the hometown are not notions you feel the same way about at every age. Being away on tour is not the same at 25 and 50. And all these different dimensions and evolutions are part of this set of lyrics, written in that incredibly economic style of his. I often said that I’m not a lyrics guy, but hearing him once more alluding to a sentiment he expressed 25 years ago in the sublime Please Tell My Brothers, and trying to measure what changed since then… Now, I think that's pretty powerful, brave and heartbreaking. Not in spite but because of the older songs. Not many songwriters would pull this off. Talk about Springsteen, it’s almost the theme and goal of his new album but in my opinion, he does it with a lot less grace and subtlety than Tweedy here. Here's a live rendition from a wonderful solo show. I think Jeff is saying "it's another song for my dad" before playing it.
Great live version. Really shows what a sweet and touching song it is. It seems much more sincere than it does on the record.
Good points, but I could happily hear Springsteen do songs about the "highway" and the "edge of town" for another 30 years and I'd take every one. I'm not as patient with Tweedy writing more songs about his wife and family. I guess I just find those topics less interesting, even if he is bringing subtly different shades to them as he grows older. I'd probably like "Sick Server" a lot more if it had different musical backing; it's more the music than the lyrics that I find unappealing here.
"Sick Server" - a nice lullaby melody that Lennon would've been proud of writing. Jeff has often written about calling home, or trying to contact his beloved when he's away, and feeling disconnected by the limits in communication--but usually related in the present tense. So it's interesting that he's writing about all of that now as a memory, and a generally happy memory, too. The mind tends to filter our memories like that; we seem to have a need to sugarcoat the past. I think the refrain, "Dream with me, darling/ Now the moment has passed" is strangely sad, though. There's an air of finality about it, like, 'our lives are practically over now, all that we have left is our memories.' One of the better songs in the batch, it works well as a Side A closer, but not so well as a lead-in to "Empty Head."
Wow, lots of insightful things said about Sick Server, so I don’t have much to add. This rounds out a pretty flawless side 1 for me. None of these songs are particularly complex, which is where the charm lies for me. There are subtle explorations on each, this time with the keyboard counter-melody which would be expected on a Wilco record, but deviates from the light alt-country of the Warm formula. And the lyric is this touching little vignette. For me the “get some rest” line followed by playing their song makes it for me. I always assumed it was about Suzie and I’m the Man Who Loves You, but interesting that it might be about his dad. Either way, it’s a little window into the life of a touring musician reconnecting with loved ones from the road. As someone who (used to?) travel for work, the emotions in this song are very familiar. Again, what makes Warmer for me (over the very strong Warm) is the subtlety. The songs all have an innocuous nature to them that masks their simple beauty.
Empty Head I love the restraint of this song--the amazing tension and release in the verses. I love the way he sings "And then---" and just lets that hang there for several bars, with the guitar winding in the background, before finally giving us the resolution of "the branches unbend." This is a good track and I believe it opens the second side of the vinyl--correct me if I'm wrong. There's a gentle propulsion that I find quite pleasant on the ear and, as I mentioned, I really like how the verses are structured. The lyrics are good as well, reflecting on the roads not taken and all the things we could have been if we had taken different doors throughout our life. The Slade and Quiet Riot reference is interesting. Filling empty head. Filling empty life. I'd say it's a roundabout reference to coping mechanisms and how rock 'n roll can make you feel good. That's just my own interpretation.
The pausing before release at the end of each verse is indeed interesting, maybe even Wilco-esque, but it also frustrates me quite a bit: we get the beginning of a nice (though dozy/lazy) melody, but it's left "hanging there", as you've said, and ultimately, it never gets a full development. Once again, it's clear Jeff does it deliberately. For me, it's another rehab song, or more precisely a song written from the perspective of what he used to feel or think while in rehab. Awake at night, thinking all the time but not clearly, as in a daze, incapable of completing his thoughts or sentences, rehashing music in his mind and pondering which mistakes brought him there etc, looking outside the windows, with moments where his mind just freezes or go in slow-motion, and then, just like that, one more day has passed. Empty head indeed… Segued with Landscape (about which we'll talk tomorrow), it's like the songwriter time-travels consciously to reconstruct the emotions, images and feelings he had back then, when he was contemplating the outside world from that seclusive space, cut off from it and from everybody he cared about, cut off from time itself. The Neil Young meets Ghost is Born guitars add to the feeling of fractured alienation/disconnection. Even though it lacks the immediacy of Tweedy's best songs, I really enjoy the double tracked vocal on the chorus/bridge ("the day I was dead") and all in all, it's pretty successful as a kind of psychedelic country atmospheric song.
Yeah, Empty Head has this great spaced out country vibe. The most notable element is the lead guitar work all the way through the song. It’s like he’s dialoguing with himself via vocals and guitar. @Fortuleo ’s “psychedelic country” description works for me. Another winner in my books.
"Empty Head" is a great song that's pretty under the radar. I love the same "And then..." part that just hangs there. It reminds me of both "Leave Me (Like You Found Me)" — (the "honestly..." part) — and even "I Thought I Held You" ("run out of metaphors..."). There's a certain yearning to it I'm drawn to. I guess I like it when Tweedy trails off! I was lucky enough to hear the full Tweedy band play this one live last summer — one of only maybe two or three times it's ever been played — and it was real highlight. Great track. The album hits a little lull right after this one though.
I really like the electric guitar in this one. The "psychedelic country" description works for me too. Kinda Grateful Dead-ish. I was puzzling a bit over the lyrics, but I like PW's & @Fortuleo's takes . I particularly like the line "An open door, mocks me for, each way I went instead".
"Empty Head"- Every morning I am listening to the songs on headphones at least 5 times, but it's sometimes too early to form a strong opinion. Some of these songs are very new to me. I agree with most of the responses so far. Like @Fortuleo, I enjoy the double tracked vocal part and the guitar does have a sort of Neil Young meets A Ghost Is Born sound. Everyone here is so good at describing the songs before I even wake up. This is a pretty good song to kick off side 2. It's a step up from the last couple songs, but it's another one that falls in the middle of the road. I do like what Spencer and Jeff are playing here, but I can't help but think Wilco would have improved it. 3.5/5
"Empty Head" has a little bit of a late-period Byrds or Gram Parsons vibe to it. That being the case, I should like it more than I do. The melody never takes off for me. It's nice enough but doesn't really grab me in a big way. I will probably need to hear it several more times.
I know this is a tangent, but the new Nels Cline Singers record, Share the Wealth, came out on Blue Note on Friday, and it's absolutely killer. If you like fusion of the early '70s Miles Davis/Keith Jarrett/Chick Corea/John McLaughlin/Gary Bartz/Dave Liebman/Dave Holland/Michael Henderson/Jack DeJohnette variety, with some of the same analog synths but also more modern electronic effects. If nothing else, it will prove how restrained Nels actually is when playing with Wilco, ha!
"Empty Head" - a fine beginning that might have developed into real quality if Wilco or a strong producer had been there to help, but this just sounds like a rough draft to me. The lead guitar sounds like Neil Young if he were just hearing the song for the first time and doing his best to follow along, and probably didn't really have his heart in it. I understand that Jeff likes to rough up his recordings, and maybe he felt like the amateur, first-take quality of the guitar leads gave the songs a homespun feel, but I really wish that someone had made him wipe the electric guitar parts from the whole album and try again. This might have worked better as an all-out rocker, or maybe as a quiet, introspective ballad. Instead, it's just something in-between, which is nowhere. The lyrics seem to be about his habit of staying up all night, alone with his existential dread. I should really dig that! But the music is a miss for me.
I posted about this a few pages ago. I agree! One of my favorite albums of the year. Waiting for my vinyl copy to come in. I said I wouldn’t have believed that I would prefer a Nels record over Jeff’s. Both good, but the Nels record has been playing all week. Fantastic take on late 60s and early 70s jazz fusion, which I am a huge fan of!
