I’m not a vinyl purist, but have been buying vinyl since the 90s. My motivation back then, though, was around bonus tracks or exclusive mail order singles. I’ve almost bought AM on vinyl twice: 1) a few years ago I found the original red vinyl in a used shop in New Orleans. Reviews said it wasn’t a great pressing so I wasn’t going to shell out $40 for a pretty piece or plastic. 2)on a recent Wilco Store sale I had a scratch and dent deluxe edition in my cart. Couldn’t justify the cost as I already had the bonus tracks on digital. At the end of the day, this is a CD album for me. A collection of solid tracks that are great to play in the car. But not something I’m going to savour on the turntable in the scarce free time I have. definitely not one to flip over two or worse three times in a listen.
Man some of you guys are harsh!! “Too Far Apart” is easily by a far margin my Favorite AM tune. Nice guitar and distortion. Nice reference sarcastically to punk rock. Nice first intro of some organ sound into a Wilco song. I treasure this one. Perfect ending A+
I actually like the understated vocal delivery by Tweedy here and how the vocals kind of get swallowed by the guitar and organ at the end, I wouldn’t have this song any other way. Frankly, this one tune to me foreshadows a future Wilco that goes beyond just alt-country. I’m thinking shades of Hotel Arizona maybe ...
"Too Far Apart" is a bit drab for me and doesn't make much impression, other than the fact that there's a general good band sound that is all over this record. I wouldn't call it bad, it just kind of goes by without much impression. As for the album, it sounds a little too close to Uncle Tupelo for me -- I mean, I like Uncle Tupelo but that's the point: it just doesn't sound as good to me: the album suffers by comparison to Anodyne. None of the songs are bad, mind you, but a couple of them are just a little too laid back to me: and yes, I do see the "Black Crowes" comparison, but a much more subdued, laid back one. I feel like half of the songs are great, but half of them are merely good. I like the overall bluesy/country/rock feel in general. Again, it's an album I have played and there's nothing that offends me; but the half of the album that I think is great doesn't compel me to come back to it that often.
“Too Far Apart” An interesting track, almost reminds me of something that Crazy Horse might have done, and a curious way to finish things off. I can’t help wonder if this was a result of a little exploration in a different sound. Still, not too bad of a closer. ________________ A.M. is a fascinating work considering how it represented a new beginning, most notably for Jeff Tweedy. It’s an incredibly strong album, and I have to assume quite promising at the time. Of course, we know now that this endeavour wasn’t quite settled, and circumstances were destined become more...uh, complicated.
Okay, today is just going to be a time for wrap-up on the album (which most of us have already done, it seems) and a time to comment on any of the extra tracks from this period. I'm going to be straight with you and tell you that I'm not a massive outtakes person. I've got Alpha Mike Foxtrot but haven't listened to it much yet. I'm not very familiar with much of the non-album material, but I do want to bring them into the space and let you all comment on them if you wish. Here are some of the songs from the period that didn't make the album, including all the songs from the deluxe edition of A.M.: 'When You Find Trouble' (technically the final Uncle Tupelo song, not a Wilco song) Those I'll Provide Lost Love Myrna Lee She Don't Have to See You Piss It Away Hesitation Rocks Childlike and Evergreen Promising (There are probably more from this period. Fill in the blanks for me if I am missing something you want to comment on). Speaking just for myself, none of these tracks excite me very much. I don't think any of them are terrible but I also don't hear any of them and think 'That should have been on the album.' My favorite of the bunch is actually the sleepy, gentle 'Promising' (which Jeff said uses the word 'promising' about 500 times). I think that's a sweet track. I like some of the rockier tracks like 'Lost Love' and 'Hesitation Rocks,' but again they are nothing that really slays me. And I've got to say that I don't really care for either of the John Stirratt tracks. I think they kind of reveal his shortcomings as both a lyricist and a composer. We talked about why John didn't get more material on the albums and I'm thinking it just wasn't up to the standard that Jeff was setting, especially from Being There onwards. I quite like "It's Just That Simple," but maybe just as a one-off.
I like Stirratt’s ‘Myrna Lee.’ It didn’t make it onto A.M. but was recorded by Blue Mountain and fits nicely onto their 1997 release, ‘Homegrown.’ Blue Mountain’Myrna Lee’
Of the A.M. outtakes listed above, I think it’s interesting that “She Don’t Have To See You” was used for Golden Smog, and that “Hesitation Rocks” used to be known as “Let’s Hear It For Rock & Roll” on their previous-A.M. demo tape and live set lists. The 1994 demo they recorded very shortly after forming in the wake of the UT breakup is as follows: A.M. Demos (recorded at Easley Recording, Memphis, TN in June 1994) 1. I Must Be High 2. Shouldn't Be Ashamed 3. Box Full Of Letters 4. Pick Up The Change 5. Passenger Side (Released on a promo) 6. Promising (Released as a Bside) 7. Let's Hear It For Rock 8. I Am Not Willing (released as a Bside) [Moby Grape cover] The personnel seems to be the same as when they recorded A.M. a couple months later, in August.
Syd Straw was present in this Memphis demo and she’s also in “The T.B. is Whipping Me” which dates from this timeframe, but the personnel on that recording does not seem the same as for the demo tape. Wilco With Syd Straw The T.B. Is Whipping Me Bass, Keyboards [Hammond B3] – John Stirratt Drums– Ken Coomer Electric Guitar – Brian Hanneman Engineer [Assistant] – Brian Hardin Guitar [Dobro] – Max Johnson Mixed By – Steve Tillisch Producer Randy Scruggs Recorded By – Ron "Snake" Reynolds Rhythm Guitar [Electric], Mandolin – Randy Scruggs Vocals [Additional] – Syd Straw Vocals & Acoustic Bass – Jeff Tweedy Wrotten-By [Attributed To] – Ernest Tubb
I was very interested to see/hear this when I saw the words ‘Uncle Tupelo.’ I wasn’t aware that Stirratt had presented a (any) song(s) to UT. Yes, this is a keeper. And I like the others but think the track list (at 45 minutes) is just fine. So agree with the cuts.
Jeff recycled the riff to “Hesitation Rocks / Let’s Hear It for Rock n Roll” on the Sky Blue Sky era track “Let’s Not Get Carried Away.” Revisiting past works is something he’ll continue to do as we move forward through the timeline. See, e.g., “Capitol City,” “Old Maid.”
20 years ago when I was getting into Wilco, I was looking EVERYWHERE for stray tracks. From then on, I never stoped, buying tons of compilations, soundtracks, CD singles, bootlegs, fan made mix tapes, special editions, special tour editions, special australian tour editions etc.. And then Alpha Mike Foxtrot was released and everything I spent so much time, effort, money and passion to get was there, all in one place… Did I buy it nonetheless ? Please take a guess…
I had never heard a few of these extra tracks before. I'm familiar with the Alpha songs and the songs revived for Golden Smog. Most of them are pretty good. I can see how a few of these might have fit on the album. I particularly like this early version of "She Don't Have To See You". I think it's better than the Golden Smog version. This might have made a good closing track on the album. "Lost Love" is a decent song, but I prefer the Golden Smog version. It's also the version I am familiar with, but I don't think the earlier version tops it. The two Stirratt songs are about on the level of the song that made the album, but I do think it was a good choice to only include one of them. I would have to listen to these songs more to decide which one I would have chosen, but they probably picked the best one. "Promising" is a pretty track, but I'm not sure if it's strong enough for an album, even though I prefer it over a few tunes on the album. It's kind of nice to have a song like this as a bonus. I didn't care much for "Piss it Away" or "Hesitation Rocks". It was a good call to leave these off the album. "I Am Not Willing" is cool because I love the original Moby Grape version. I'm sure everyone has probably heard it, but if not, here it is.
I have appreciated the insights athat but how the band feels about songs tat has been presented from the database of live performances. I have not dipped my toes into that's document yet. I think it would be especially interesting in terms of this album through AGIB since the current band sort of gelled together after that run, right? So I am interested in seeing how this iteration of the band has embraced some older tunes.
I got the reissued deluxe AM and Being There when they came out (really hope they will continue to release these) and I have to agree that while the bonus tracks are nice, they are not essential. I've listened to the bonus content of Being There which we will get with far more interest. I've posted this before on this most enjoyable thread - the songs on this record or recorded for this record are all consistently solid with some real highlights thrown in. I think things are going to soon take a massive leap forward - but the groundwork certainly was laid with this record.
What's that joke? We all have our own FBI agent sitting around monitoring what we do online? Your agent is clearly a Wilco fan. Unless he likes music or pictures of cats, mine is probably bored silly.
