Why is Wilco so much more popular than Son Volt?
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farrarfan1
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Lawrence Fan
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savtrace said: "But, I must admit, it has stuck with me when I heard Jeff get into a fairly, tongue-not-so-much-in-check argument as to why the Sponge Bob soundtrack is a better record than AM. Listening to Tweedy bagging on AM between songs on various boots, from various tours, probably hasn't helped my subconscious opinion of the record either."
Lately he has been expressing the opposite. When I saw them on the leg before this and they played "Too Far Apart", Tweedy castigated the crowd, saying that most of them probably didn't know the record that it was on. He said that people either think AM is the worst, or, referring to the older stuck-in-the-past fans, think that it's the best. He said that it's a good album and that the present band was going to re-record it and call it BM and most of you would say,"Oh it's their best ever!". It was obvious that he was totally digging the tune. He also praised AM when I saw him on his most recent solo tour.
The first 3 Son Volt albums are all amazingly great but I agree that something about Trace sets it apart.
Lately he has been expressing the opposite. When I saw them on the leg before this and they played "Too Far Apart", Tweedy castigated the crowd, saying that most of them probably didn't know the record that it was on. He said that people either think AM is the worst, or, referring to the older stuck-in-the-past fans, think that it's the best. He said that it's a good album and that the present band was going to re-record it and call it BM and most of you would say,"Oh it's their best ever!". It was obvious that he was totally digging the tune. He also praised AM when I saw him on his most recent solo tour.
The first 3 Son Volt albums are all amazingly great but I agree that something about Trace sets it apart.
Last edited by dcarter on Tue Feb 19, 2008 8:16 am, edited 1 time in total.
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hardwood floor
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Obviously, this is all a matter of opinion. It just so happens, mine is one not many people agree with apparently. I’m cool with that. I realize this doesn’t make any points in winning or losing the “rank the Wilco records” argument. But, I must admit, it has stuck with me when I heard Jeff get into a fairly, tongue-not-so-much-in-check argument as to why the Sponge Bob soundtrack is a better record than AM. Listening to Tweedy bagging on AM between songs on various boots, from various tours, probably hasn't helped my subconscious opinion of the record either.
Clearly, they (Wilco) agree with my ranking AM last assessment. On the other hand, I realize sometimes the artists are the worst critics of their own music. But, when I go back and listen to AM, I hear a thrown together quickly, “let me try to one up Jay in making our first record without each other” (clearly a failed attempt), “let’s try to keep sounding like what put us on the map so we keep our fan following”, record. I really like the record, but I think everyone will concede that Being There is 3 times the record as AM. On the other end of the discography…OK… if SBS is on the bottom of your list and AM’s right above it, I can live with that. But c’mon… I just can’t see ranking AM anywhere near YHF or AGIB. Further, it's really an apples and oranges discussion anyway, because they were basically a completely different band by then, they just had the same name. Now, Summerteeth on the other hand, I can totally see people preferring AM to that record. I liked AM a lot better for a long time. Only recently did Summerteeth really start to grow on me, after seeing the Tweedy solo DVD and hearing those songs played in that way. I dig it, now.
In any case, I don't think calling AM their worst record is necesarily an "absurd" comment. Open for discussion, and room to disagree for sure..., but not absurd.
In terms of Trace, again, I suppose I'm in the minority on this board, but I don't think Straightaways nor any other SV record can hold Trace’s jock. It's a genuine classic !! Not just a best of an era, or a best of a genre, or a best Jay record, or anything like that. I personally think it is one of the truly great American rock records of all time. I rate it way ahead of any Wilco record, any UT record, and as I said, above any other Jay record too.. It's just great from start to finsih, not one single weak track...
But again, that’s just me out here on my island of self-thoughts. Whew! I feel way out of my league, and will quickly return to posting on the "what are you listening to right now" thread, where I belong.
Clearly, they (Wilco) agree with my ranking AM last assessment. On the other hand, I realize sometimes the artists are the worst critics of their own music. But, when I go back and listen to AM, I hear a thrown together quickly, “let me try to one up Jay in making our first record without each other” (clearly a failed attempt), “let’s try to keep sounding like what put us on the map so we keep our fan following”, record. I really like the record, but I think everyone will concede that Being There is 3 times the record as AM. On the other end of the discography…OK… if SBS is on the bottom of your list and AM’s right above it, I can live with that. But c’mon… I just can’t see ranking AM anywhere near YHF or AGIB. Further, it's really an apples and oranges discussion anyway, because they were basically a completely different band by then, they just had the same name. Now, Summerteeth on the other hand, I can totally see people preferring AM to that record. I liked AM a lot better for a long time. Only recently did Summerteeth really start to grow on me, after seeing the Tweedy solo DVD and hearing those songs played in that way. I dig it, now.
In any case, I don't think calling AM their worst record is necesarily an "absurd" comment. Open for discussion, and room to disagree for sure..., but not absurd.
In terms of Trace, again, I suppose I'm in the minority on this board, but I don't think Straightaways nor any other SV record can hold Trace’s jock. It's a genuine classic !! Not just a best of an era, or a best of a genre, or a best Jay record, or anything like that. I personally think it is one of the truly great American rock records of all time. I rate it way ahead of any Wilco record, any UT record, and as I said, above any other Jay record too.. It's just great from start to finsih, not one single weak track...
But again, that’s just me out here on my island of self-thoughts. Whew! I feel way out of my league, and will quickly return to posting on the "what are you listening to right now" thread, where I belong.
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anadyne2112
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Maybe if Jay went into rehab and hit on Jeff's wife, he would be cool too.
Then he could make a DVD and have Jeff appear on it thinking Jeff was making an Alt Country video when in fact he was just a cog in Jay's propaganda machine to promote the new SV album.
Then, we would all tune in to Huckabee's state of the union address.
Then he could make a DVD and have Jeff appear on it thinking Jeff was making an Alt Country video when in fact he was just a cog in Jay's propaganda machine to promote the new SV album.
Then, we would all tune in to Huckabee's state of the union address.
I agree! Goodnight to you, noted Wilcologist Owens.ShuckOwens wrote:By the way DC... "Noted Wilcologist" will do just fine.dcarter wrote:Why? Because Brain Brian Henneman played guitar on it and Garry Gary Beers played bass, not Juan John Stirratt?ShuckOwens wrote: And AM is not Wilco's worst record... that's absurd.
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ShuckOwens
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ShuckOwens
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Instead, with each subsequent record it becomes apparent that Trace is Jay’s masterpiece, and everything else since seems to come up short, by comparison. Some records a little short, some, a lot short.
I think Straightaways is every bit the record Trace is. Imho, if I had to pick a "masterpiece" out of Jay's current catalog it would be "Sebastopol".
I'd be willing to bet a lot of hardcore Farrar fans will give you different answers regarding the strength of his works.
Antelope nailed the answer to this question.
If Trace was just the starting point of Son Volt's arc, and they went upward from there, and Jay took the band to new places musically and pushed the envelope a little more, I honestly believe they'd be as popular as Wilco; regardless of promotion/other non-musical factors. Instead, with each subsequent record it becomes apparent that Trace is Jay’s masterpiece, and everything else since seems to come up short, by comparison. Some records a little short, some, a lot short.
Conversely, AM is Wilco's worst record (which is quite a telling statement). Whether you agree or not, the music buying public's and the press' take on Wilco is that Jeff continues to grow as a songwriter, to evolve and reinvent the band's sound and, most importantly, has continued to make better and better records. For the most part, I agree with that sentiment right up to AGIB. SBS was a significant step back, IMO.
If Trace was just the starting point of Son Volt's arc, and they went upward from there, and Jay took the band to new places musically and pushed the envelope a little more, I honestly believe they'd be as popular as Wilco; regardless of promotion/other non-musical factors. Instead, with each subsequent record it becomes apparent that Trace is Jay’s masterpiece, and everything else since seems to come up short, by comparison. Some records a little short, some, a lot short.
Conversely, AM is Wilco's worst record (which is quite a telling statement). Whether you agree or not, the music buying public's and the press' take on Wilco is that Jeff continues to grow as a songwriter, to evolve and reinvent the band's sound and, most importantly, has continued to make better and better records. For the most part, I agree with that sentiment right up to AGIB. SBS was a significant step back, IMO.