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Author Topic: Being There  (Read 5855 times)

Thrillho

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Being There
« on: 29 Aug 2006, 16:33 »
Broke this out for the first time since a couple weeks after I bought it; didn't really appreciate its charms apart from Misunderstood, Sunken Treasure and Dreamer In My Dreams.

However, yesterday I went back to it, and...

Fuck me, it's the best album Wilco made. No wonder Tweedy kept it at 19 songs long, this is the most wonderfully arranged, eclectic work they've ever done. And there isn't the pretention and kitchen-sink attitude of YHF or AGIB (which admittedly I do love, those two albums are wonderful) just...they're like a rock 'n' roll band with a few quirky interludes rather than an experimental group.

It's magnificent, and - in places - adorably boneheaded. Plus, it has the thunderous snare drum sound I've come to associate with country music, which is always a good thing.

Anyone else reckon this is Wilco's best?
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Skittish

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Being There
« Reply #1 on: 29 Aug 2006, 17:12 »
It's incredibly overrated. I mean, it has some classic Wilco songs (Misunderstood, Sunken Treasure, Kingpin, Forget the Flowers) but it just has too much filler.

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is Wilco's masterpiece by far and I think that's been established. A Ghost is Born, however, is criminally underrated and their second best album, in my opinion. Being There is probably third right above the overrated Summerteeth.
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Thrillho

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Being There
« Reply #2 on: 29 Aug 2006, 17:17 »
I think Ghost is underrated too. Especially the live versions on Kicking Television, of Handshake Drugs, Kidsmoke, At Least That's What You Said and Muzzle Of Bees, all of which are brilliant. Plus the two bonus tracks they omitted (which really should have replaced Less Than You think)
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Skittish

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Being There
« Reply #3 on: 29 Aug 2006, 17:20 »
Quote from: DynamiteKid
I think Ghost is underrated too. Especially the live versions on Kicking Television, of Handshake Drugs, Kidsmoke, At Least That's What You Said and Muzzle Of Bees, all of which are brilliant. Plus the two bonus tracks they omitted (which really should have replaced Less Than You think)


Yeah, and At Least That's What You Said is a fantastic opener. I have to say Handshake Drugs and Spiders (Kidsmoke) are two of my absolute favorite Wilco songs though.

After I Am Trying To Break Your Heart and Pot Kettle Black, of course.
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Thrillho

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Being There
« Reply #4 on: 29 Aug 2006, 17:22 »
..Break Your Heart is my favourite Wilco song ever. It's utterly magnificent.

Ghost has so many of my favourites on it, probably because it was my first Wilco album. I love 'At Least...' on headphones especially because you can hear everything. I do think the live version is superior, however, because after a while you have two guitarists playing at once, falling in and out of harmony. It's breathtaking, like the entirety of that double disc.
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Skittish

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Being There
« Reply #5 on: 29 Aug 2006, 17:25 »
Quote from: DynamiteKid
..Break Your Heart is my favourite Wilco song ever. It's utterly magnificent.

Ghost has so many of my favourites on it, probably because it was my first Wilco album. I love 'At Least...' on headphones especially because you can hear everything. I do think the live version is superior, however, because after a while you have two guitarists playing at once, falling in and out of harmony. It's breathtaking, like the entirety of that double disc.


Yeah, Kicking Television is just an incredibly well done live album. And IATTBYH is my favorite Wilco song as well.

Wow, I can't wait to see them live.
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Thrillho

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Being There
« Reply #6 on: 29 Aug 2006, 17:28 »
I fucking hate you for that.
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Skittish

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Being There
« Reply #7 on: 29 Aug 2006, 18:21 »
Quote from: DynamiteKid
I fucking hate you for that.


:)

And the best part is that it's GA which means all I have to do is get there early for front row.
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Thrillho

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Being There
« Reply #8 on: 29 Aug 2006, 18:34 »
I really fucking hate you.
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Skittish

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Being There
« Reply #9 on: 29 Aug 2006, 18:37 »
Quote from: DynamiteKid
I really fucking hate you.


Well, maybe you'll like me if I end up not being able to get tickets.

But that's unlikely.
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Thrillho

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Being There
« Reply #10 on: 29 Aug 2006, 18:50 »
Fuck you.

You're a Ryan Adams fan, right?

I saw Gold for £5 - I forget where you're from, but I think that's, what...$10US/$15CAN? Is that decent value for what it is, because I've heard it's patchy.
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Skittish

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Being There
« Reply #11 on: 29 Aug 2006, 18:54 »
Quote from: DynamiteKid
Fuck you.

You're a Ryan Adams fan, right?

I saw Gold for £5 - I forget where you're from, but I think that's, what...$10US/$15CAN? Is that decent value for what it is, because I've heard it's patchy.


It's his most accessible album. I guess it depends on what you're looking for but I'd say that's a good price. It'd probably be a good album to start with as well although I'd recommend Heartbreaker personally.

The man is incredible live on nights when he's on. Fortunately, the night I saw him was one of those nights.
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Thrillho

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Being There
« Reply #12 on: 29 Aug 2006, 19:02 »
Heartbreaker was't there. I'm going on a CD binge in one specific shop and looking at picking up some new stuff for cheap along with some stuff I've owned for ages on MP3 and should buy. Therefore I thought I should buy a Ryan Adams album, since I own parts of Rock 'n' Roll already.
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Skittish

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Being There
« Reply #13 on: 29 Aug 2006, 19:13 »
Quote from: DynamiteKid
Heartbreaker was't there. I'm going on a CD binge in one specific shop and looking at picking up some new stuff for cheap along with some stuff I've owned for ages on MP3 and should buy. Therefore I thought I should buy a Ryan Adams album, since I own parts of Rock 'n' Roll already.


Rock'n'Roll is his dud. It's got a few songs on it but it's not deep at all. There's a long story behind why but it's just not very good. I'd recommend his albums in this order though:

1) Heartbreaker
2) Cold Roses
3) Jacksonville City Nights
4) Gold
5) 29
6) Love is Hell
7) Demolition
8) Rock'n'Roll
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pat101

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Being There
« Reply #14 on: 29 Aug 2006, 19:42 »
I'm a large fan of Being There, though I do perfer Yankee Hotel Foxtrot it may just be my second favorite, oh and Wilco live is downright amazing PROBABLY my favorite live show ever
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Thrillho

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« Reply #15 on: 29 Aug 2006, 20:04 »
Well, I'll keep an eye out. Cheers for the heads up.
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space_oddity

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Being There
« Reply #16 on: 30 Aug 2006, 06:07 »
I must admit...I don't quite understand the feverish adoration many have for Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
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Skittish

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Being There
« Reply #17 on: 30 Aug 2006, 11:56 »
Quote from: space_oddity
I must admit...I don't quite understand the feverish adoration many have for Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.


It's a grower for sure so if you haven't given it a lot of listens, that may be why. It's just perfectly produced and there are really any bad songs on the album. Radio Cure is the one minor blemish on an otherwise perfect album. IATTBYH, Jesus etc. and Poor Places will all end up as classic songs some day. It's just an amazingly solid album that never gets old.

Another recommendation is to give it a listen on headphones. You might finally "get it" then.
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Thrillho

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« Reply #18 on: 30 Aug 2006, 14:55 »
I realise this conversation has taken place on here many times, but I'm going to have it again.

I can simultaneously see why people like and dislike Yankee.

However, I think it's far from perfect. I can't stand 'Reservations' for one.

I also think the version of 'Radio Cure' on Kicking Television is superior, because it really kicks off when the drums come in, whereas on the album it kind of...sighs and goes away again.

I think that both versions of 'Poor Places' have their merits; the one on the album finishes properly (and finishes any Wilco compilation I burn), but the version on Kicking TV, when the glissando guitar riff and drums come in...it just gives me chills.
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Skittish

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Being There
« Reply #19 on: 30 Aug 2006, 15:07 »
Quote from: DynamiteKid
I realise this conversation has taken place on here many times, but I'm going to have it again.

I can simultaneously see why people like and dislike Yankee.

However, I think it's far from perfect. I can't stand 'Reservations' for one.

I also think the version of 'Radio Cure' on Kicking Television is superior, because it really kicks off when the drums come in, whereas on the album it kind of...sighs and goes away again.

I think that both versions of 'Poor Places' have their merits; the one on the album finishes properly (and finishes any Wilco compilation I burn), but the version on Kicking TV, when the glissando guitar riff and drums come in...it just gives me chills.


One good thing about Wilco is that they're (for the most part) a better live band than they are in studio. But that doesn't necessarily mean it's fair to make comparisons between the two. For example, if they were just a mediocre live band, A Ghost is Born, in my opinion, would be highly thought of because the studio versions would look better to the live counterparts. The way it is, though, it seems as if the studio versions could have been better after listening to the live versions but that's just a compliment to how good of a live band they are. I don't think YHF or AGiB should be discredited just because some of their live counterparts are better than the respective studio versions. Especially when, either way, YHF is better than almost every other album released this decade.
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Thrillho

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« Reply #20 on: 30 Aug 2006, 16:23 »
I'm not discrediting the studio versions BECAUSE of the live versions. I think of them is separate songs, really (which is necessary when they rework a lot of them, like Misunderstood), in which case the live Radio Cure would come higher up on my list than the studio one.
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Skittish

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Being There
« Reply #21 on: 30 Aug 2006, 16:39 »
Quote from: DynamiteKid
I'm not discrediting the studio versions BECAUSE of the live versions. I think of them is separate songs, really (which is necessary when they rework a lot of them, like Misunderstood), in which case the live Radio Cure would come higher up on my list than the studio one.


Oh I know. I just think that's the problem with a lot of people when they look at the album. Songs like Spiders (Kidsmoke), Handshake Drugs and At Least That's What You Said are all great studio songs if looked at as separate entities from the live versions. Some critics/fans don't seem to realize that sometimes and get caught up in a comparison of the two versions.
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Merkava

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Being There
« Reply #22 on: 02 Sep 2006, 15:36 »
I used to hate YHF. Really hate it. I don't know why. IATTBYH is and always has been one of my favorite songs. Now, Wilco is among my top 5 favorite bands and YHF one of my favorite albums. I guess the reasonable explanation was that I didn't "get" it, but that doesn't really make sense. The album seems and seemed like it was made for me. Maybe the guilt of not finding it amazing upon first listen worked against me rather than with me, causing some wierd mix up with my brain synapses.

The same thing is starting to happen with AGIB. I always liked ALTWYS (that's the song that made me buy it without hearing any of Wilco's previous work), but the rest of it was shrouded in this thick haze. I can't remember anything besides ALTWYS, Hummingbird, and Theologons. As my tastes have developed, I decided to look back at AGIB. It's fantastic.

As for Being There, I need to give it a full listen before making any judgement. I love Misunderstood and Sunken Treasure, but besides Far, Far Away and Monday, I haven't really explored much.

Summerteeth is alright. It has it's hits and misses. I Can't Stand It, She's a Jar, and Shot in the Arm, and We're Just Friends sound amazing and put you into this great mood, but then I'm Always in Love's "wheee-ooooh" keyboard effects and uninspiredness just ruin it. Then there are a couple of good tracks mixed in with some "meh" ones. It's not a great album, but a nice collection of songs.
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