This is a Random Album Generator.
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot
Wilco
2001
Wikipedia
Reviews
Like a review? Give it a thumb up to help us display relevant reviews!There are, in my estimation, only a couple of sins in music that are entirely unforgivable, and chief amongst them is to be boring. And that's my problem with this, an album that seems to have garnered plaudits and critical acclaim off the back of very little. For all the sonic bells and whistles, this is such a monotone-sounding collection; unvarying in tempo, tone or ambition. The melodies are boring; Jeff Tweedy has a boring voice; the bing-bong-whizz sound effects (or should that be affects?) are boring. I hate this album with a rare passion.
Cohesive as an album and has some interesting sounds, but those elements never quite combine. It's weird to say, since that should undermine the overall cohesion. Perhaps that means I'm not quite getting it. But the effect is that listening to the LP puts me halfway between "This is almost very good." and "This is nice background noise."
Pretty boring album, there's some decent songs in the middle but it starts off with nothing and ends with nothing, I was not impressed with most of the songs on this album
I'm glad I listened to this album through my good headphones. The instrumentation is more interesting than I've given it credit for in the past. Dad loved Wilco, and I'm glad I can finally connect with it too. I'll listen to this album again.
Oh my... what a breath of fresh air! I've heard of Wilco but never taken the time to hear them out. This is the perfect bridge between Guster and Bright Eyes. They are sensitive with substance, but never whiny. Now that would be good enough to get my attention, but they make great use of distortion, sounds, and beats to really add some depth. The autoplay for youtube after this album suggests a day in the life by the beatles and I would agree that this album shares a lot with that track. My first impression was a 3 star album due to the lofi sound, but it grew to a 4 with the emo substance and then a 4.5 with the progressive instrumentals. A phenomenal record!
How the fuck are there two Wilco albums in this list? It's alright, but hardly noteworthy. Christ, what if there's more? Fun fact: Wilco sleeps upside down.
This album is LOVELY. Just out there enough that you can see a few wee aliens. But warm enough it’s like a big hug that smells like weed. Class.
Fourth Wilco album. They made a documentary about the making of. Their drummer was fired at the beginning of the sessions, and a guitarist was fired after the album was made. A good listen.
The most successful Wilco's album. Great calm and melancholic mix of art-rock / indie rock. Recording sessions were documented for the film "I Am Tryind To Break Your Heart". Reprise Record refused to release the album because they felt unhappy about the end result so the band streamed the album for free on their website in 2001. Later in 2002 the album was oficially released by Nonesuch Records and critics acclaimed the album as one of the grratest albums of the 2000s.
I bought three of Wilco's albums before this one. While I never bought Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, I was given as a present the documentary on making this album. There was a lot of drama around this album with the drummer leaving just before the recording and guitarist / co-songwriter Jay Bennett leaving just after. To top it off, Reprise (their label) refused to release the record. Wilco paid Reprise peanuts to buy out their rights to the record and then signed with the label Nonesuch who paid Wilco much more than Wilco paid Reprise. fyi, Warner Brothers owns both Reprise and Nonesuch. GONG! On the first song the drums are more conspicuous than on any other Wilco song; the drummer clearly wanted to let everyone know there was a new sheriff in town. lol The album has a smattering of upbeat songs and many of the typically very quiet introverted ballads that populate Wilco’s albums. The experimental music in the last 30 sec. of Poor Places and all of Reservations doesn't work for me. It was worth a try I guess; I understand musicians wanting to try new things but this didn't work for Wilco and should have been left on the cutting room floor. The experimental accents on I'm Trying to Break Your Heart are quite good. The differentiator between this song and Reservations is that the experimentation is an accent rather than the main course. Jeff's pensive voice on ballads is an acquired taste. On “Being There", Wilco’s second album, the songs with strong rhythms were so good you were motivated to play the whole album and invest the time to get to know (and get to like) the ballads. There are good songs with strong rhythms on this album, including Kamera, Heavy Metal Drummer and I'm Trying to Break Your Heart. War on War is also good. I can imagine that previous iterations of this song sounded like a nice Jeff Tweedy ballad that all but devoted Wilco fans would hate but it was then engineered to produce a catchy and experimental beats oriented tune. While the songs with strong rhythms are good, they're not on par with Wilco's best.
A little over a month ago I gave a mixed review of Wilco's Being There but said I was looking forward to the "indieheads essential" YHF. Well here we are. And color me impressed, every track stands out... no filler. Simple melodies, some catchy, some super experimental, with an aesthetically pleasing folky voice that reminds me of Sufjan Stevens. By far, the star of the album is the creative songwriting, covering themes of angst and existential dread. I really love the lyrics. My favorite is on "Ashes of America." Lyrics are full of literary devices that evoke imagery that speaks of the narrator's twisted and often flawed mindset. Vocals perfectly reflect the melancholic tone. Experimental techniques often reinforce the confusion and anxiety. However, this is also a double-edged sword, it gets a little too obscure. Especially in that first song. It took me a few listens to come up with some attempt of what they're talking about, and then to read interpretations online. "Oh so he's a drunk driver who improves his alcoholism from the size of an aquarium to a dixie cup." This can be a distracting (or engaging) experience for new listeners, making it slightly inaccessible since the songwriting is the main shine. The other fault that prevents this album from being perfect is the cohesion of the album. The songs stand really well on their own, and could be improved by some track reshuffling. But as is, the moods expressed in one song get totally disrupted by the next. "War on War" ends chaoticly, then immediately goes to a melodic and soothing "Jesus etc," then the deep introspective and political "Ashes of American Flags," then to the catchy pop "Heavy Metal Drummer." I'm not sure what to feel because it doesn't give me time to breath and prepare for different emotions. The intro "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart" and closing "Reservations" perform their roles well respectively, but the rest either needs to be reshuffled or placed on different albums.
It was okay. Generally inoffensive, but not that exciting. Not sure I really needed to hear it before I die. Feels like it might be a grower... Seems I was right about it being a grower. Enjoying it more on second listen. Some really nice guitar sounds. Vocals reminiscent of Mark Everett. Don't think it will ever be a favourite album, but I like it enough to revisit again.
I think if I didn't read your reviews before listening I wouldn't have spent the whole thing thinking: 'There's no way this is a five star album' then maybe I would have enjoyed it a lot more. It was great in parts but also just not that good boys, I'm sorry, I'm bringing it down
Two or Three good Songs but as a whole quite Boring. Too centered around lead Singer/lyriks. Lacks the melodic elements and dynamics to excite.
The album is just so lifeless and uninspiring and never picks up. Greatly lacks rhythm and anything truly memorable. But not bad enough to not have in the background at the very least.
The first listen went by a little unnoticed. So I played it again. There were parts that got my attention but nothing that really grabbed me by the balls.
I wanted to like this more. This seems to be in my musical wheelhouse, but it came to me an competent but generally uninteresting. It began to blur together.
I don't really know what to take from this album. Is it iconic because this sound was the first in a wave of bands cutting albums like this later? This album has interesting stuff in terms of sonic textures but I don't see the cohesive whole where I care about it? I don't give a shit about this album.
NO! Just fucking no! Every algorithm in existence suggests that my indie-pop, singer-songwriter soul should love Wilco, and worship this goddamn album. I've tried. I really have. Took a long hiatus from it. Trying again in good faith via this site. Just a whiney, whiney nasely warble dragging my ears across a very lame, non-energetic blob of dull. Fucking no. Wilco annoys me.
Transcendent. This album was originally scheduled to release on 9/11, yet it somehow captures the post-9/11 ethos perfectly. It's also fresh today. Complex in all the right ways, without sacrificing listenability or accessibility. It's cliche for hipsters to fawn over this album, but in this case, they're right. Best track: I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
I fucking love this band! I've been listening to Wilco for a long time now, and this is their best album. period. from lyrics, to the instrumentals and just the feel of the album, it's one of my favorites.
Listened to this album on repeat for a year when it came out. LOVE LOVE LOVE. so sad that this incarnation of wilco didn't stick around for longer.
Yet another album that I've never heard from prior to listening... but this one is different from most of the other 'hidden' albums that I've never heard of. It's so good, wow. My favourite songs are I Am Trying To Break Your Heart, Kamera and Jesus etc, but I enjoyed all of them. 5/5 stars.
Holds up spectacularly well on a first listen in years after touting it to one and all upon its release. Restive and off-kilter but always compelling. There’s a conventional song somewhere inside “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart;” thankfully the band and the producer stuck to their guns to give us this one.
A successful combination of great songwriting, unusual production and a captivating sound.
Wilco has several great albums. Sometimes I tell myself my favorite is something different than this one, but this is just a straight up masterpiece in every sense of the word.
It was on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot that Jeff Tweedy's obsession with deconstruction and the studio reached its apotheosis. Tweedy always wrote simple songs, often based on Americana, which gave him the freedom to screw around with attenuating the structures, adding dissonant elements and noise, and subtracting or layering elements, all in the service of asking the question, "What makes a song work?" and laying bare the artifice of the studio. Fortunately for us listeners, Tweedy's obsessions aren't simply academic--his layering is often gorgeous and never more than on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Nowadays, it's common for bands to have heavily ambient elements and noise jostling for attention alongside more conventional song structures. I would bet that Yankee Hotel Foxtrot has a lot to do with that. Also Eno, industrial music from the 80s, and a bunch of other influences, but I digress. The songs on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot work both as deconstruction and as catchy tunes. You don't have to be a music geek to enjoy Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, but it definitely deepens the experience.
yeah it’s easy to hear the inspiration in modern rock & indie music from this one. pot kettle black 🔥
A rare album in this list that I've listened to a few times, and held off on rating for quite a while. I was familiar with this album prior, but never listened to it (aside from one attempt where I stopped after "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart"). Feels very... fall-into-winter. Each song is varied, with a wide array of instruments, and some noise elements thrown in between. Great segues into each song... I fought myself, but I feel like this is a record that I'll revisit every once in a while, maybe sit down and have a drink with. I'm glad I gave it some time. Some surface listens didn't do it justice. Favorite tracks: "Radio Cure", "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart", "War on War", "Jesus, Etc.", "Pot Kettle Black"
Amazing album. Truly a chronicle of destruction and creation of the new Wilco that came after the work and influence of Jay Bennet.
Sadboy indie rock classic. Simple but with a lot of flavors. A familiar sound that is also cutting edge. Relatable lyrics. “I am trying to break your heart” and “Jesus Etc.” are staples of the genre.
Phenomenally laidback and gloomy, I love the cohesiveness and expressiveness on display in this.
Thoughtfully crafted and excellently written, it sits somewhere between Weezer and Radiohead in sound. I really liked this, I thought this was superb.
Classic; heard this one a bajillion times. They’re very good at molding folk music with experimental sounds
i love wilco so much so im biased - summerteeth is def my favorite by them even though this is more popular. jesus etc is a classic
Reminds me of Dave Yeats. Enjoyed "Heavy Metal Drummer" as well as "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart" a lot.
"I always thought that if I held you tightly You would always love me like you did back then Then I fell asleep in the city kept blinking What was I thinking when I let you back in?" (I am trying to break your heart) "You were right about the stars Each one is a setting sun" (Jesus, etc.) War flashbacks del año que hice selectividad. ¡Este disco es mucho más cursi de lo que recordaba!
Excellent vibe - evocative, finely-crafted songs, with interesting noise bits in between.
For anyone that liked Elliott Smith but wished he was just a little bit less miserable.
Ich liebe die erste Hälfte, die zweite kenne ich noch nicht, viel betrunkene Ästhetik und ich liebe Hesus, etc.
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Wilco: 7/10 “I am Trying to Break Your Heart” is an interesting roller coaster of an opener, somewhat chaotic, but it works. “Kamera” is a much more straightforward alt country garage rock jammer. “Radio Cure” has some interesting instrumentation going on in the background, but Tweedy’s vocals kinda make me want to die in this track, ngl. “War on War” is probably the funnest track thus far with a cool psychedelic synthy sound effect playing behind those classic Wilco grungy guitars. “Jesus Etc” is by far the smoothest most straightforward track I’ve come across on the record so far, and I feel it incorporates really well all the musical elements that I like about Wilco. One of my favorite songs of all time by them. “Ashes of American Flags” is what we’d call “experimental” and I’m not sure if that’s in a good way… “Heavy Metal Drummer” is another one of those tracks that reminds me of drives around town with my Dad, straight nostalgia. “I’m the Man Who Loves You” is another fun little song with great guitar work and captivating instrumentation. “Pot Kettle Black” draws back the energy a bit and pumps up the Wilco country grunge. “Poor Places” starts out strong then collapses into chaos that drags on for a little too long. We close off the album with “Reservations,” Wilco’s version of a soft rock ballad that fades hauntingly away into oblivion… Conclusion: A classic turning point in the timeline of alt rock, this grungy garage rock record might not be for everyone, but it holds a special place in my heart. 7/10
Big improvement from the first album of theirs this list gave me. It’s wild how much they can sway between being outstanding and me finding them totally average. This album has some of their all time classics so it was a great listen.
VOTI I Am Trying to Break Your Heart – 3.5 Kamera – 4 Radio Cure – 4 War on War – 3 Jesus, Etc. – 5 Ashes of American Flags – 3 Heavy Metal Drummer – 2.5 I'm the Man Who Loves You – 3 Pot Kettle Black – 3.5 Poor Places – 4 Reservations – 2.5 AVG 3.45 Pros Non seguo i Wilco ma conosco bene quest'album e mi piace come suona, la sua atmosfera e com'è strutturato. Ha un sacco di sfumature che vanno dal pop a sound più sperimentali. Cons Ogni tanto si accolla: tipo sui soli di chitarra, oppure sui finali in caciara, quando diventano una cosa noise, tipo che partono mille pad e soundscapes a caso, come se un gatto camminasse sulle tastiere. Conclusione Procedendo con l'ascolto dell'album, il mio apprezzamento è stato calante, con una media finale di 3.45. A pelle mi sento di promuovere il mio voto finale a 4 perché comunque, nonostante tutto, nell'insieme mi ha trasmesso molto.
Punt d'inflexió en la carrera de la banda, que per mi es tracta més aviat de la sublimació dels discos previs, aquí donant ja plena llibertat a la distorsió i l'emborronament amb guitarres i mur de soroll de les melodies pròpies de la casa
This album is a bit frustrating for me because it has one absolutely brilliant masterpiece - Jesus etc, but its pulled down by a bunch of mediocre-good songs. Jesus etc probably ranks as one of my all-time favourite songs by ANY band and its on par with Wilco's other masterpiece Impossible Germany. Jesus starts out with some lovely violin-viola strings and a melancholic string guitar solo around mid-way but what really pulls the song together is Jeff Tweedy's bobbing vocals that paints a very bitter-sweet background. The rest of the album is merely good. You can hear Jim O'Rourke's influence in the mixing with lots of experimental loops and ambient background noise, but it doesn't quite make for a consistent or coherent album, so that gets a one star deduction from me.
EEZ good Spacey when needs to be and tight for big lifts and sections All the little dubs and accompanying sfx are cool Lame review 2 Electric Boogaloo
I'm not into every Wilco does, but overall this album is solid. It's been a very long time since I heard this album. There's always this sort of tired feeling to Wilco songs, they don't go all the way and are a bit restrained in their energy, but it fits their style (and age now). Indie Tiredcore? Everything feels like somewhat whimsical sad confessionals, definitely has that early 2010s energy, you can hear all the influences in later indie bands of that decade. I also enjoy some of the little experimental instrumental flourishes that most bands would not include, but it adds a depth to it that I think most don't execute well.
"I am Trying to Break Your Heart" is one of my favorite songs. There are a few songs I really don't like on this album, but a number of really great songs too. Not a masterpiece as an album, but an album with some masterpieces.
Solid indie rock album. Possibly one of the staples of the genre. The lyrics are deep and melancholy. The music is upbeat, unique and the sounds of various instruments makes it unique. Jesus etc. is an amazing song. This is a great album. 8.3/10
This was a hard one, and I listened to it a few times. This album has quite a reputation, partially as a result of its history (which I only know vaguely). I love the sound design. It is weirdly recorded and played, with lots of noise, distortion, collage and extraneous sound, which I find enormously appealing, but I can see how it is not mainstream. It is unusual to find this is an a gentle/semi-acoustic album (as that approach is often more common in industrial records, that are more into sound design). It reminds me of Grandaddy, which I also love. The songs are clearly growers. They didn't grab me at first listen, but I can tell that they could grow a lot. I intend to come back to this album and give it the time and attention that I think it needs. This could end up being a real favourite (but needs time).
Relatively calm listening that can capture your attention when you least expect it, revealing a darker album than initially expected. One of those albums where you kind of need its Genius page pulled up just to appreciate the lyrics much more.
Je pense que c'est un secret pour personne, mais j'étais bel et bien dans un train lors de l'écoute de cet album. Un moment assez inconfortable puisque en plein milieu de celui-ci, une annonce résonna dans le wagon : "Mesdames et messieurs bienvenue à bord du Ouigo numéro 7652 à destination de Paris Montparnasse. En raison des restrictions en vigueur, nous vous demonderons de porter un masque pendant toute la durée du trajet. D'autre part, nous avons détecté la présence de robferroviaire à bord, il se trouverait dans le wagon 5. Je vous demanderais de venir trouver le commandant de bord si vous disposez d'une quelconque information sur sa localisation." Je subis à partir de là un torrent de regards suspicieux jusqu'à mon arrivée.
There are some really amazing songs and then just really mediocre songs. I wish I could rate it at 3.5. Standout song is 'Jesus, etc.', just so good.
An experimental album of eccentric arrangements and weird melodies. I like it :) (7/10) FT: Jesus, Etc, I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
This was a much more enjoyable album that I thought! Wilco has a very interesting style and I wonder if any more of their albums will be on this list. Lots of fun ones on here like I'm the Man who loves you and Kamera. The kind of music that is perfect for a car ride.
Incredibly interesting instrumental details. Superb vibe music and a classic for sure.
Very good, but mot quite great. Even though I was 17 when this (first) came out, I had never heard any of these songs, probably because September 2001 had more important events happen the week before. I will definitely come back to this though, and explore their other albums when I get a chance.
I was surprised by how pleasant this album is. It’s somewhat homogenous in sound through the first half, but remains somehow compelling in many tracks. I appreciate the variety of instruments, sounds presented in this album; it’s clear that the production is well thought out and executed, giving it the feeling of depth offered by bands like Radiohead with a folksy, country twist. I like the breathing room in this album, its very windy, pleasant, a feeling of simplicity even with a relatively complex arrangement. However, this is certainly background music and does not require a lot of “active” listening nor does it command focus. It’s very easy to listen to and excellent background music for your day. I liked it more than I expected— I was ready for it to be a bit boring, flat, much like its cover art. I was pleasantly surprised by the way this band retains a 90’s feel while still staying true to that turn of the millennium it was born from. Not a lot of replay value or sing-along capacity, but certainly nice.
Extremely introspective album, you can definitely telling he had a lot of regrets in his life, with relationships and addiction. I liked the simple but diverse amount of percussion in this album. I also really liked cutting the music and the heavy breathing at the end, cause he just got so much off his chest and probably feels exhausted and relieved.
I might have writer's block but there is a lot going on on this album and it's beautiful. It made me think of late period Beatles, as well as Beck and The Flaming Lips.
This was a very enjoyable album to listen to. Just great Indie Rock. At some point I might come back when editing is added and give it a 5 after a few more listens, but right now I'm giving it a 4 because some of the scratchier sounds don't appeal to me as much.
Wilco is apparently a very popular band, but they've somehow eluded me. My stepfather loves them, so I've heard a few songs but never sat for an album. Overall I really liked this listen and added a lot of songs to my playlist. There were 2 or 3 songs I didn't really care for, they got a bit too depressing and trying for a Radiohead-lite sound, but aside from those the other more upbeat traditional alt rock tunes were great. Would definitely explore some more albums in the future.
Really enjoyed this album, knew a few songs beforehand but it was a great piece. On reflection the previous BDB album should have been 2 stars.
Let me say this is my fav Wilco album, and it is very good. However, I am not a big fan of Jeff's voice and wilcos songs always feel a mishmash of experimentation and traditional songwriting that does not work well in coherence. This album has some of the best examples of songs where these two aspects of wilco come together perfectly and create magic. Unfortunately, it still has songs that dont do that and suffer. 3.5/5
Too soft rock-ish for me to enjoy on a consistent basis. Standout Tracks: War on War, Ashes of American Flags
Classique - Break Your Heart, Kamera, Jesus Etc., Heavy Metal Drummer, Man Who Loves You Good stuff
Production: 16/20 Songwriting: 15/20 Innovation: 11/20 Bangers: 0/20 Emotional response: 12/20 =54 It sounds lovely. Can't say any of the songs are very memorable to me but it sure its produced well.
I really liked the first couple of songs. From there this album quickly became background music. It will make a useful album for chilling out if chicks come over post covid.
I like the two albums that follow better, but this got a lot of play on my first iPod. It feels a little long now. Still like “Radio Cure.” Why was this so acclaimed at the time? I think critics get a little more excited by any album that a band likes and a label hates than they do for just about anything.
No me ha entusiasmado. Es cierto que tiene canciones muy buenas: Jesus,Etc. , Heavy Metal Drummer y también Pot Kettle Black o Poor Place. Pero el resto no me han parecido tan interesantes.
This creates a mood. I'd call it an early 2000s indie movie nostalgia mood. Not bad, probably best to use as background or driving music. No one song stands out from the album as a whole.
Sto disco è un po’ barzotto, non puoi dire che fa schifo ma è comunque poco esaltante, mi piace però l’uso degli strumenti elettronici.
In conclusione: Anche se gli ingredienti sono gli stessi della maggior parte dei gruppi che amo i Wilco non m'hanno mai convinto fino in fondo. Non si può dire che non mi sia divertito nell'ascolto però mi rimane un po' l'amaro in bocca di quello che sarebbe potuto essere. Ho l'impressione che i Wilco non osino abbastanza a livello artistico, si adagiano un po' troppo sulla tradizione folk e l'innovazione principale che sento è più che altro introdurre elementi pop. La voce è una delle cose che trovo meno azzeccata. La maggior parte dei pezzi se togli l'arrangiamento folk sono un po' canzoncine strimpellate con l'acustica. Comunque qualche pezzo me lo risentirei.
Bra! Svagt intryck till en början men växte snabbt. Spår 4-7 starkast. Bäst: Jesus,Etc. pga fina stråkar.
Primeiro dia. O dia um, alg'Um tinha de ser. O sol brilha lá fora entre laivos de chuva forte. A roupa não se estende sozinha. Muito prefixo caseiro, pouco trabalho. Primeira vez a ouvir Wilco? Provável. Não será a última. Laissez-faire, let it be. No rés-do-chão deste prédio, mora a contemplação. Music of the Album (MotA): I Am Trying to Break Your Heart "I am an american aquarium drinker"
It wasn't terrible. The first half of the album doesn't really match up with the other half, but personally, I enjoyed the second part anyways. It had some nice rhythms and sounds. It sounds a bit too sad and almost emo at times, but I think that's probably part of the style they were going for. Favorite track: Ashes of American Flags
Can't remember whether i've actually seen Wilco during the daytime at a festival while half-sleeping on the grass, or whether they just sound like an ideal band for doing that.
Decent music, but not my cup of tea, actually. Did not engage me, although I don't mind it as background.
“Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” by Wilco (2001) Here we have songs consisting of conversations with oneself about oneself and treating of the imperfect love of imperfect lovers—the songs of a man who needs to vent his dissatisfaction and express his unsuccessful yearning for something better. The listener may be excused for thinking that the man’s prospects for happiness are not promising. If you, like I, grew up in a world where such sentiments are best expressed in a slow 3/4 with pedal steel weeping along, you might be surprised by this album. A clue to their approach can be discerned in the splendid irony of the band’s name, “Wilco” (an old military radio portmanteau meaning “[I/we] will comply”. Somehow I don’t think that’s likely). The musical creativity here is notable not for melodies, harmonies, or chord progressions, but rather in the colorful selection of accompanying sounds (synthesizer doodlings, violins, bells, steel drums, static, feedback, buzz, phase loops, and sampled broadcast noise). It is sometimes discordant, sometimes incommensurate with the sad mood of the lyrics, sometimes chaotic, but always interesting. And it never seems merely random. There’s the occasional descent into upbeat pop (“Kamera”), experimental electronic (“Radio Cure”), and even a whiff of disco (the exquisitely ironic “Heavy Metal Drummer”). Altogether cool. Lead singer/songwriter Jeff Tweedy does not have a good voice, and he keeps it suitably subdued. Rhythm section and guitar work are tidy, but not stellar. The country roots of Wilco are evident (“I’m the Man Who Loves You”), but not overwhelming. The backstory to the release of this record is a fascinating tale that shows that in some rare instances the artists can stick it to the suits, but that’s not under review here. If I were sad, this album would make me sadder. That’s a compliment. 3/5
Sounded pleasant enough in the background. Not bad and occasionally somewhat good. But very uninspiring.
Outside of Jesus etc. I wasn’t familiar with this album. I’d heard some of the songs but they didn’t keep my attention. After 2 listens I get the impression that it’s a slow burner that will need a few more listens to sink in. Like a lot of Indie/singer-songwriters the lead singer’s vocal range is a limiter (maybe they could bring Billy Bragg in to help out on the vocals?). The first two tracks are interesting. Heavy Metal Drummer is a bit goofy. Reminds me of the Dandy Warhols. The jury is still out on the lyrics.
A carefully layered, multifaceted album in terms of its sound, music, lyrics, and thematic cohesion -- in short, a fine musical achievement that hasn't been frayed by time.
Why is there corn on their album cover? Overall, a very decent album. Mostly very "clean" notes against some interesting lyrics... Jesus don't cry you can rely on me... honey?
Not bad. I prefer the second half of the album which has a bit more tempo and a more rock sound.
It's too much better than the other Wilco's album ("Being There") that I listened to on this list, but it's still a very normal and correct indie rock album and nothing more. I didn't get all the hype on Wilco, but maybe it's me.
Took a couple of listens but definitely a grower and one I will go back and listen to again in more detail
Virkelig svær. Egentlig gort men har også nogle lidt irriterende elementer og nogle numre man har hørt bedre før. Kunne 4 eller 3 - men skal nok vokse på en
I don't see what all the hype about this album is for. Some good tracks, others ruined by really unpleasant noise. I prefer some of their other work. Great in parts though.
Probably their best album. A big change in their sound where they shed their rootsier inclinations towards a somewhat more experimental approach. This move definitely puts them more in line in with my personal tastes but there's something about Wilco that just fails to excite me. Perhaps it's what I perceive to be the persistently lackluster vocal delivery.
Ready to give this one another chance - from my poor memory I recall being bored by it... My first impression was frustration. Simply: I think this music is cool and could bring some mystery but if I don't get used to these vocals - and soon - this is gonna be a longass boring trip. I don't like Jeff Tweedy's vocals, so there's one major factor. How about mixing him lower. Or more of the band/instrumental? I actually started to not mind the vocals on the second song ("Kamera") but that's as good as it got - and again... as I go on I'd like to have heard more from the rest of the band. OK a good example is "War On War" - I love the beginning synth pattern - here we go - and then...I'm just not sure about this - I kept thinking where are the dynamics - where's the excitement? ----- ok before I forget, here's a meta-comment on this book [the 1001 Albums... book of course] as I'm 4+ songs into this album and nearly 200 albums in overall...: I've noticed that there is - and will be - a dearth of Canadian representation. That's fine; it's a list, I get it, and by definition it is subjective. I bring this up right now because these songs (and really hit home with "War on War") sound like demo versions of songs by THE RHEOSTATICS (a band *everyone should hear* and who should have been worldly-massive but were too fng good and unique and and ...). I know Wilco are (were?) very popular so if by some chance there are Wilco fans reading this and have never heard the Rheostatics stop right now - go and put on Whale Music [in my "solid-lockdown-likely-no-chance-of-ever-being-bumped" top 3-4 albums I've ever heard] and listen to what I think is the next step(s) above what I'm hearing here. ----- So that's a bit harsh and not really talking about my feelings of this album. In a vacuum? You know...ok, it's not bad at all - I can definitely see the appeal. And actually I liked the 2nd half quite a lot more than the first - will keep my original comments but Tweedy's voice seems to mesh better with these later songs (*or am I just get accustomed to it??*). "Reservations" is a perfect album-closer btw. Since writing the above I gave this a few more spins - have to give it a 3 as of now because it hadn't given me chills whatsoever but it was a nice and polite 50+ minute ride. But...based on my 2nd/3rd listens (this one benefitted from being my weekend album) I feel like this might be a slow-burn and I'll come back to it at some point. 6/10 3 stars
A classic album. Who could forget the opening riff of "Jesus etc."? (Fave track) Definitely glad I listened but wouldn't personally re-listen. Nothing against the album, just not my taste.
This is a good album. I liked the "jam band" feel. There were a few times that felt like I was listening to a Grateful Dead knockoff, but then I got locked into the differences.
Cet album n'etait en fait qu'une pâle copie de Radiohead, par conséquent, nous allons un peu changer notre ligne éditoriale et ne pas s'attarder sur la critique de l'album aujourd'hui. Vous avez été nombreux à réagir à ma review précedente, où je me suis permis il est vrai de menacer directement Robert. Sachez que l'on ne m'y reprendra pas, laissez moi vous raconter ce qu'il s'est passé hier. Dans la soirée, après avoir écouté pas moins de 3 albums du générateur pour rattrapper mon retard contracté pendant les vacances de Noël, je m'installais confortablement sur mon canapé, le sentiment du devoir accompli illuminant mon visage. Quand tout d'un coup, mon téléphone se mit à sonner. "C'est Robert", m'écriai-je à la vision des 6 lettres composant le nom du gourou du générateur s'affichant sur mon écran de téléphone. Seulement, je n'eut même pas le temps de décrocher le combiné que l'appel avait été raccroché. Je restais circonspect pendant quelques dizaines de secondes, hésitant à rappeler l'enarque. Quand tout d'un coup, une notification apparue sur mon téléphone. "Nouveau message vocal". Le doigt tremblant, je me décidais d'appeler ma messagerie vocale, et ce que j'y découvrit me fait encore frissonner à l'heure où j'ecris ces lignes. Robert n'avait en effet laissé que quelques mots sur ma messagerie, toris pour être précis: "À très vite"
There is as really chilled urban landscape vibe to the entire album. At times it can be a little slow and drawn out. It was slated for initial release on September 11, the cover image and some of the songs were later seen as an allegory to the attacks although the album was recorded before the attack had ever occurred. A very interesting coincidence. Best: Heavy Metal Drummer Worst: Kamera
Nice & melancholy Radiohead recreation that I can listen to in the background for forever while, at the same time, complain it fails to take me places.
Another one from Wilco. I think I liked this more than the other? Hard to tell, nothing too distinct about either project. But it's pretty good. Favorite tracks: Kamera, Jesus etc. Album art: Definitely iconic, at least in the sense that I've seen this countless times over the years. It's a really cool shot of those rounded, petal-style apartments. I like this one. 3/5
Harmless, not very interesting, but harmless and a pleasant enough listen. Not something I'd choose to hear again, but I enjoyed the short journey we had together.
Some interesting Americana from Bill Braggs mates from Chicago. Some nice tunes including my favourites "War on War" "Jesus Etc" and "Pot Kettle Black". A good album but not one in my top 1001.
It's really not my cup of tea but credit where credit's due. Can see why people like em
The album flowed together very well but to be honest I only liked a few tracks and otherwise it was pretty meh
I hear "California Stars" in a 90s alt mix and I think "I like Wilco", but then I never listen to anything else. This was nice, in a comfortable, I-know-what-to-expect-next kind of way.
Najlepiej pasuje tutaj to anglinskie powiedzonko o deszczu i laniu, ale poskie zamienniki tego idiomu brzmia zbyt negatywnie, bo pomimo tego, ze jest to kolejny dzien z alternatywnym rokowaniem z hameryki, to tym razem cos juz wczesniej osluchanego, czwarty studyjny krazek piecioosobowego skladu Wilco, Yankee Hoel Foxtrot byl ostatnim albumem ktory feaczuruje pana Bennetta, ktory byl tworca muzyki dla trakow pisanych przez Tweediego, podczas nagran tego materialu doszlo do rozlamu w bandzie, co zostalo nawet uwiecznione na dokumencie z tamego okresu I Am Trying to Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco, wiec ciekawe tlo historycznie dla nagrania, ktore juz takie ciekawe nie jest, bo tak jak to zazwyczaj bywa poszlo o to czy grac muzyke przystepna do sluchacza czy cos ambitnego i prawdopodobnie mniej sluchalnego, tym razem wygrala przystepna strona mocny pana Tweediego, album odchodzi o countrysowych brzmien ktore banda przemycala na poprzednich albumach, a tworzy bardziej wymuskanego moodowanego rocka, ktory pozbawia bande tozsamosci, wiecej tutaj hornow i stringow i zabiegow produkcyjnych ktore nadaja materialowi brzmienia lat wczesnych 2k, najlepiej slychac to na heavy metal drumer, czy kamera, ktore maja ta upbeatowosc kogos swiezego na produkcji, bo kolejnym punktem zapalnym konfliktu wewnetrzego w zespole bylo wlasnie to kto byl odpowiedzialny za produkcje, bo Bennett chcial sie tym zajac osobiscie, ale kolega zaprosil Jima O'Rourke zeby szefowal na produkcji stad wlasnie takie efekciarskie efekty, ale nadal jest to 51 minut solidnego materialu, ktory dobrze sie slucha, bo wsrod 11 trakow latwo znalezc cos dla siebie, chyba taki byl zamysl bandy, zeby nie zasmucic calego krazka, jak na poprzednim picku, tylko roznorodnie napisac plyte bez jakiegos motywu przewodniego, chociaz nie moglo zabraknac mnostwa odniesien hamerykanskich, jak nawet tytul czy okladka sugeruja, przed odsluchem na plejce mialem jedynie Jesus, etc. ktory jest bez watpienia najbardziej znanym utworem zespolu, poprzez mnogosc interpretacji liryki, upbeatowemu drumowaniu, dobremu dokladaniu kolejnych instrumentow w tym przewijajacych sie smyczkow, ktore wyraznie nadaja charakteru artowosci rokowej nagraniu, wiec teraz dodam jeszcze wspominanego heavy metal drumera
incorporates the violin in the album. A couple of memorable songs Jesus, ect. Other than that pretty nondescript.
Bei Hören drängt sich der Vergleich - mit dutzenden Bands auf, die genauso klingen. Der Sänger sollte nicht singen, jedenfalls nicht außerhalb der Dusche. Ich finde dieses Album nicht gut, werde aber auch nicht schlau daraus: einerseits versucht die Band bemüht, experimentell oder zumindest anders zu klingen, andererseits sind die Songs so langweilig und nichtssagend, dass alle Klänge und Sounds es nicht vermögen, darüber hinwegzutäuschen. Auch zukünftig gerne weiter ohne Wilco.
A little too mellow for me. Though if I block out the vocals the instrumental portion is nice to listen to when wanting to relax.
None of the songs really did anything for me. It was kinda slow and boring, and had weird, random "avante-garde" parts that I didn't like.
No idea who they are. Nice start. Oh? Nice imperfect voice. Lyrics are meh :( first song is so long ugh. Second song i dont like. Some songs in the middle sound nice: war on war, jesus etc, ashes of american flags, im the man who loves you, pot kettle black. A 2 cause the songs/parts of songs i dislike i dont absolutely hate. I can say i like some parts of it but i wouldnt even replay those songs i mentioned to reconsider. Some of those parts i like remind me of some chill parts in rainbows which obviously came out later. Maybe a 2.5? Eh.
Painfully boring at the beginning and end of the album. Like listening to paint dry. There’s a few good songs in the middle, namely “Jesus Etc.” and “Heavy Metal Drummer” but there’s not enough there to revisit this album for me. I think it’d be a lot more listenable without all the 7 minute “art rock” tracks.
2.5. Great artistry but way to sad for my taste. One of the hooks was "i'm gonna break your heart." Novel writing and everything but yes i was ultimately left sad when i finished listening.
This album is not something that I would come back to. The songs scream the message "I am an artist, therefore I must be damaged" which created a pretty annoying listening experience for me. There were a lot of elements that just didn't fit together. It wasn't the worst thing I've heard so far, but it don't think it's better than a 2.
I might need to listen again to understand the specific appeal. Perhaps you had to be there.
Bastante raro. Me gusta que sea un disco tranquilo, pero le falta bastante. Puntuar del 1 al 5 es bastante malo, debería ser del 1 al 10. Es un 5.
actually i didn’t like it. there were really annoying noises and the singing was so flat. it was boring and just not interesting to listen to
Can never get lazy, hollow sound or voices. Probably add a star for the last track Reservation.
typical early 2000's indie. I might have liked this when I was younger, but now not much a fan
I found a lot of the songs on here dull and unimpressive. Some moments were alright, but those were the minority in my opinion. I liked some of the lyrics. I don't love the vocals. They're not bad, just so very average, and the singer often sounds bored. I feel like this is the kind of music people make when they want to express themselves, but aren't actually talented in any way.
Time to give this album ANOTHER try. The first track is pretty good, but the rest of this album is pretty meandering and dull. It's ambitious for Wilco, but Wilco are a boring band to begin with, and their best work is when they are just trying to make simple, poppy country rock. Their entire career sits in the shadow of The Byrds' Sweetheart of the Rodeo.
Again, I sidestepped this album at the time it came out due to overly slavish Wilco fans. I am finally warming to the band, I swear but my immediate reaction to listening to them is to be reminded of another band and go listen to them instead. For example, Heavy Metal Drummer is the best song that Pavement never wrote (I actually though it was a Steve Malkmus solo effort when I first heard that song). Did I enjoy it? Sure Was it good? A bit twee in places but yeah it was good I can't say I will ever become a dyed in the wool fan like I am with Big Star, Belle and Sebastian and the Replacements but Wilco are finally starting to grow on me
Songs all start off promising enough, then the sleepy-voiced singer comes in and they start layering way too many things on top and mid way through it just turns to generic rock-mush. Potentially a good live band if they got a jam going, but doesn't seem to work in this format. Nothing much to the lyrics or themes, so not sure why they were so famous for a while. Maybe I'm missing something here.
Didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I might. A bit too indie "minimalist" for me. Didn't have quite the bite or substance I was looking for.
Didn't really interest me. Meant to go back and listen again over the weekend but forgot which speaks volumes...
Not very good, trying to be a spacey psychadelic thing, I think? Not a good sign I am not sure.
je me suis fait chier tout le long j'ai rien retenu, album aussi chiant que sa pochette. 1
Had enough after 30 seconds but I persevered to the end. Was it worth it? Absolutely not. Awful, one-paced, plodding dirges. How did this ever get onto any list that also includes Graceland? Paul Simon should sue the curator.
Is not really my bag, it's like folky rock stuff but not cool like Bob Dylan, just a bit soft and shite. Gonna be harsh and go 1/5
Not my cup of tea at all. Several songs, especially the first, was literally grating to me. Nasal nosed singer, lots of flat notes, nope
Dreary indie lo-fi drudge through someone's freshman college notebook that should have been burned a long time before it was used as inspiration for this turgid collection of half ideas mismatched to another group of half ideas created in the presence of musical instruments via some apparently random process
Where did my review go? Basically, this is a boring, unoriginal and lifts so much it’s unbearable to listen to.
อัลบั้มที่เต็มไปด้วยปัญหาประเดประดัง ตั้งแต่ทัศนะคติไม่ตรงกันของสมาชิกในวงจนต้องปลดกลางอากาศ ไปจนถึงความไม่ปลื้มของค่ายเพลงที่ไม่ชอบอัลบั้มชุดนี้ ทำให้ Wilco ต้องย้ายค่ายไปอีก ซึ่งแน่นอนว่าถึงค่ายเก่าจะไม่สนใจ แต่หาได้บดบังความยอดเยี่ยมของเพลงในอัลบั้มที่ทำให้ Wilco ก้าวไปอีกขั้นในการผสมผสานดนตรีทดลอง ดนตรีโฟล์ค จนกลายเป็น Art Rock ที่ทรงพลัง จริงใจ และกลายเป็นอัลบั้มยอดเยี่ยมยืนหนึ่งสำหรับพวกเขาไปในทันที