Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

This album didn't really stand out for me, but it was nice to listen to

Before I've even listened to it, I should say Yankee Hotel Foxtrot doesn't have the main fault of Wilco's other entry on the list, Being There: it's shorter. Being There not only underwhelmed you with its bourgeois pastiches of Exile on Main St and Grievous Angel, it underwhelmed you with its bourgeois pastiches of Exile on Main St and Grievous Angel for about four hours. Anyway, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is Wilco's most acclaimed album, with bagfuls and bagfuls of plaudits from all the clever-clog critics. As far as I can determine, this praise results from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot possessing the widest range of Wilco's patented bourgeois pastiches. Oh wait, there are a few details about the recording that colour the picture more. Boardroom shenanigans led to the dismissal of Reprise Records' president and champion of Wilco, Howie Klein. When the new management concluded that Wilco were not listening to their suggestions for greater commerciality, they promptly decided not to release the album. So, Wilco left Reprise Records, signed to another label, had the album leaked online (remember Napster? I'm listening to this on Youtube), then released it to moderate commercial success and an almost lusty critical reception. That's not really the stuff of rock 'n' roll myth, is it, my fair badgers? "Band makes album unliked by one label, so takes it to another" doesn't quite evoke the same spirit as driving a Rolls Royce into a pool. And the album also lacks that rock 'n' roll spirit. It's smothered with guitarists showing off their chops, but only in service to the idea that what they're producing is technically part of the genre of rock. Is there anything here that'd make a highschooler and housewife flutter their eyelashes, or persuade a 14-year-old lad to keep on practicing his chords despite the pain in his fingers? Some of the album is good, but good in a way that is not especially engaging. Even the stabs at more experimental noises feel measured, strategised, well-mannered. As hinted at earlier, this is the consequence of Wilco's timeworn method of bourgeois pastiches. On Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, the bandleader Jeff Tweedy (try and think of a less rock 'n' roll-sounding name, I'll give you ten minutes) extends the range of music to which he pays affectionate fealty by taking some ideas from Chicago post-rock bands, but doesn't stray too eccentrically. Do you think there was ever a suggestion that Wilco would allude to Metal Machine Music or our beloved Throbbing Gristle? As for the lyrics, I can't say anything. I think they might be alright, but I can't say for certain as not one word lodged permanently in my head: this is the mark of your standard bittersweet love song. Such songs are the Oscar bait of rock. A rock musician performing a bittersweet love song mirrors an actor playing a character with a disability. Should we be sniffy over these tactical artistic expressions aiming for the awards? If they don't really work, sure. So, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is better than Wilco's other releases, but is still hamstrung by Tweedy's fear of venturing beyond good taste. The last three tracks are the strongest on the album, but they're the strongest on what is, with generosity, at most a welterweight album, and the critical slavering seems a result of a desire for an album showing "authenticity" without regard to "actual engagement of the listener"

This one just didn't really do it for me today. It just kind of slogged along and didn't really even capture my attention until a few tracks on the second track of the album. Those few tracks were enough to give life to the album, but that just brought it slightly above a "no, thank you" for me.

good tracks but mostly background noise for me

Dude, so busy in October - I miss the halcyon days of September, just jamming to records and working from home. So this is short - Wilco? Some of it's good. Some of it's meh. I don't know what songs, because I was listening in the car - but I'll probably drag this back out for another listen when I can focus more.

Ok

I've been trying to get into this band/album recently. It's a very good album, it just doesn't grab me. Production is interesting enough but I just don't remember any of the tracks after four or five listens. Maybe some day this will click!

Wilco is always recommended to me by Spotify and Heavy Metal Drummer is on my current playlist. I hadn’t heard an album of theirs in full before this one, though. First listen: bored to tears to be honest. The next morning I caught myself humming the chorus of Kamera so I threw the album on again and I really enjoyed it this time. Favorite tracks: Ashes of American Flags Kamera Heavy Metal Drummer Pot Kettle Black Honestly just the entire last half of the album is great. I’m still trying to figure out my personal 5 point scale but I’m giving this a 3 because I thoroughly enjoyed it but it’s not going to be on repeat.

ngl this is cozy as fock. I like the layering a lot. intergalactic nap time realness

Super chill. Quite different than some of the other albums. While none of the songs really stood out to me, they generally were calming and well put together. Reminds me of a group named Beatenburg. I didn't add any songs to my playlist and I probably wouldn't go out of my way to listen but was a pleasant listen. 3.

Top 3 Songs: 1 - Pot Kettle Black (9) 2 - Heavy Metal Drummer (7) 3 - Jesus, Etc. (5)

I was excited about this, after really liking Wilco’s contribution to Mermaid Avenue. This was alright! I wasn’t blown away, though. It kind of sounded like generic indie pop-rock to me.

7 minute ending track of which half is mostly silence ob

7 minute track of which half is silence ob

track 4 was alright, rest was meh for me.

monotone nothing bad nothing good

Arranca bien pero se va pinchando. Tiene buen sonido pero termina siendo aburrido.

I may be blinded by nostalgia a bit but I overall enjoyed the album. Though there really is a reason I have never tried to listen to the entire thing before.

Nothing amazing but there is so music here. Missing a few great songs

6/10. It was nice, but nothing crazy

Critic bait that far overstays its welcome. 5/10

I've never been all that enthused by these guys but this one sounds better than I remember. I will have to give it a few more listens.

I think Wilco is a great group but this album is boring. Maybe the songs would work better separately? I was really struggling to not roll my eyes when song after song had the same dull beat. It's a shame because there are some interesting things in there.

I may be blinded by nostalgia a bit but I overall enjoyed the album. Though there really is a reason I have never tried to listen to the entire thing before.

3.1 - I can’t blame them for trying to break out of their “nice-guy-sensitive-acoustic-rock” mold but they sound like they’re trying to recreate the Sistine Chapel with crayons. Songs like “Kamera” and “Heavy Metal Drummer” show them at their finest. The rest is a foggy, groggy mess that somehow sounds both overworked and half-baked. I had suspicions that Wilco was overrated. Now I can definitively say that they are.

What would REM sound like with a slightly less charismatic singer, a touch more Americana? I've never quite clicked with Wilco, and this has not really changed my mind. On the two big 'singles' they connect with unanswerable tunes, but elsewhere it does always threaten to drift.

“Radio Cure” is so fucking sad, and the fact that the song is trying to cheer someone up makes it even sadder because of its utter failure to do so. For some reason, this song reminds me of something Radiohead would do. It also reminds me, ironically, of a line of Shakespearean poetry: “My love is as a fever, longing still For that which longer nurseth the disease, Feeding on that which doth preserve the ill.” Basically, listening to music like this to help yourself feel better is a vicious circle. Don’t worry. The ambient outro will help you decompress (co-depress?). I feel like this album is a very good example of manic depression, because some of the songs are really sad and other songs have this rollicking alt-country vibe that's faking like everything's okay.

A few good songs don't outweigh the overwhelming feeling of being underwhelmed. It was alright, though.

Pretty standard record, not much here that's too bad, or too good.

Goed te hebben maar het blijft voor mij toch wat te braaf en traag om echt te boeien.

Alleraardigst. Eerste nummer zou van Eels kunnen zijn. ‘I am an American aquarium drinker’ 😂.

This is American rock band Wilco's fourth album. The band tired an experimental atmospheric sound for this album that can be described as indie rock. It paid off because this is the best-selling album from the band, and the album has been certified gold in the US. The album is highly rated and the music is a refreshing take on the older psychedelia genre. It was wonderful to listen to.

This is not Friday music. It does not mesh with all of my whims and the lighthearted frivolity I'm feeling today. I'm going back to N.W.A

"Jesus, Etc" 4/5, reszta3/5.

I like this album somewhat, but it's never one I feel like returning to. It's the best Wilco album I have heard so far, though.

Great album. Nice laid back indie rock

Listened to on 5/9/22 3/5 Favorite song: Jesus, etc. These songs had some random noises (trucks, sirens, yelling) which I did not enjoy but it was good background music

There's some Grandaddy eclectic behaviour here but I need a few more listens to absorb.

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

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.

5/06/22

The album flowed together very well but to be honest I only liked a few tracks and otherwise it was pretty meh

It's really not my cup of tea but credit where credit's due. Can see why people like em

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.

Good album recognized a couple tracks.

Not bad but not amazing

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.

Good album. No stand out tracks for me as with some of their other albums

A really good listen, but just not good enough for me to give it 4 stars

Pretty good. Nice sounding album, cool drums, decent band. Inoffensive, middling.

Essential indie. Chill and enjoyable

She Fell in Love with a Drummer is the best song the they have.

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

Reservation. 3.5/5

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.

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

It was softer and more peaceful than I thought it would be. I liked it. No recognized songs

Some good songs here

Bueno

Not as good as everyone says

It's okay I guess

Not as boring as I thought it would be. I like the atmosphere.

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"

meh, 3

Sweet album, pleasant to listen to. Bordering on boring maybe? 2.9/5

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.

slow

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.

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

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.

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.

Wilco is always blah to me. Love the Chicago pick.

Solid. Still need to listen more and pay more attention

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

Took a couple of listens but definitely a grower and one I will go back and listen to again in more detail

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.

Not bad. I prefer the second half of the album which has a bit more tempo and a more rock sound.

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?

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.

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.

Sure hope it jams!

Sounded pleasant enough in the background. Not bad and occasionally somewhat good. But very uninspiring.

Rating: 6/10

solid little 2000s rock albm, its too sadboy orientated for me to fully enjoy though

“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

just okay to me.

Decent music, but not my cup of tea, actually. Did not engage me, although I don't mind it as background.

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.

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

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"

Bra! Svagt intryck till en början men växte snabbt. Spår 4-7 starkast. Bäst: Jesus,Etc. pga fina stråkar.

OK, not really to my taste, his voice was a bit Radiohead-ey

Some weird noises but some songs were quite chilled

Not

Great ambience

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.

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.

Atmospheric. Really cool instrumental complexity. But ultimately, something I would listen to as background noise.

I liked Heavy metal drummer

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.

Liked this a lot

Pleasent

I like

Catchy.

A nice Album. Jesus Etc. is an old fav - Beautiful song

Want to listen, haven't yet.

3

Música amena y sin florituras; un disco que no recordarás cuando dejes de oírlo.

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.

4

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.

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.

Qué pena

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.

Classique - Break Your Heart, Kamera, Jesus Etc., Heavy Metal Drummer, Man Who Loves You Good stuff

Mediocre dad rock. Only just made the three star mark.

Ganz ok? Ich kenn mich nicht genug aus, um mehr sagen zu können.

Chill vibes... one or two good songs

just okay...

Quite enjoyed most of it. Could be a grower also. Can't do 3.5 stars.

Millennial hipster paradise.

Listened to before and wasn't that interested. Listening to it again, much better!

Too soft rock-ish for me to enjoy on a consistent basis. Standout Tracks: War on War, Ashes of American Flags

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

This was okay, not really for me. It had moments, but overall just passed me by

Overall, meh. Not very impressive.

Meh

Medio aburrido, no le agarré la onda

A great big disappointment for me. Very down n depressing music couldn't get into it. Maybe another listen another opinion in another mood.

Twas okay, nothing crazy tbh 2.4/5

Another boring album somehow made it onto this list. This appears to be background, co worker music, with nothing going for it at all

Yet another 'meh' - this has no business being here. It's fine. It's made entirely of music that belongs on an album with better music. Nothing but filler material that should be used to flesh out a release that may not be complete if you put it out with nothing but the good stuff. In and of itself, a completely meaningless album. Said as a fan of Wilco and Chicago music that was around when they kicked it off.

Vettkje om eg likte eller mislikte pling plong pianoet i I am trying to break your heart... Har sounden te å kunna vær veldig kult, men det var litt bland? Ashes of american flags va grei Albumet hitta ikkje heilt i dag, litt for mye lopper i blodet dsv Beste sang: Ashes of american flags

Sauce-less Elliott Smith

Everyone in HS listened to them. What’s the big deal

Bored me.

I've listened to Wilco before but not sure i will again. I thought i walked into a basement bar in Tijuana where the Gringos were dropping blotter acid.

It was just meh.

It's not offensive. But it's also hard to be offensive when you're just kind of beige. It's all the same tempo, the same mood, and some sparkles here and there or a bit of psychedelic fuzz don't equal colour. I feel albums like this aren't suited to a challenge like this, but at the same time, I can't see myself coming back to this. So it gets my "3 stars means I didn't hate it but I won't choose to put it on" rating, but it's a low 3...

Wilco Just doesn't do it for me, but I think the second half is much better than the first.

What a torture to listen to this whiny singer's voice. I also think I heard a cajón in the background. Only hippy flat-sharing communities use these "drums" to make non-sene noises. Giving two out of five only because I already got way worse stuff here. Small update a few songs later: This record is just dogshit! Every new song gets me more mad.

Namby-pamby.

I liked this one better than their Being There album, but I still just don't get the appeal or hype around them. There are tracks of their's across the years that I enjoy by themselves, but I've yet to find an album that speaks to me. I will have to give this one another listen in the future to have a fully formed opinion.

tja niks mis mee maar zeker niet lijstwaardig

No me gustó, me aburrió y no me gustó la voz del cantante

When my kids were young they used to watch a show called Imagination Movers. It was a show for kids about a band of musicians who would use songs to navigate through situations they would find themselves in. One of the side characters in this show was a neighbor who was essentially boredom personified. He would wear all beige, engage in mundane activities, eat bland foods and held a disdain for fun and liveliness... acting as a foil for the zanier main characters. I hadn't thought about that show or that character in over a decade... that is until I heard this album. And I thought of how this monotonous dull album would be perfect for that character. Once this album ended, I felt my day get a little bit brighter.

snoozer

Нео боб Дилан. Если вышеуказанный скучный дед в баре, то здесь молодой эквивалент дорвался до технологий, и теперь это скучная тягомотина с электронным звучанием. Явно претендует на исключительность и статус музыки но не дотягивает и барахтается в районе "неплохо" на улице "сойдёт" в доме "на фон". Всегда обнадёживает интересными интро, но интерес на них же и заканчивается. Оценка 3/10 не более.

Is there another word but boring? Vocals are dull and the strokes vocals nail that style so much better. The music is ok, nothing wrong with it, but lacks inspiration. Could be good for rainy Saturday mornings, but there’s better out there for that time. 2

"i didn't HATE this album, but..." (<- bad sign) it's fine. there were a couple tracks i liked more than the others but not enough to remember which ones. and not enough to listen again. would be interesting if it weren't so dull. would at least be pleasant background music if it weren't so unexpectedly abrasive. a better album would make that whiplash work. here it just feels like the worst of both worlds. the titular sample in particular is just really annoying. maybe it just hit me in the wrong mood.

Oh my God I just don't give a shit about Wilco either.

am I missing something? also what is it with these albums where it's a whiny dude who can't sing

Muy turras

Incredibly generic of a certain time in American music. Dull.

Got bored so I didn’t finish it. Not bad tho

Pretty bland and very forgettable. I couldn't tell you what any of it sounds like and it's only been 12 hours since I listened. Not terrible, just meh. 2.5/5

On a day like today, I guess I needed something like “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” by Wilco to calm me down and make me chill. It succeeded, but only because I almost fell asleep listening to it. This album gave me very Pink Floyd vibes with the experimental sound effects (maybe like in “Time…”), but Wilco is in no way, shape, or form up to that caliber. Most of the unconventional techniques used kind of sound like whatever concoctions I made when I was six years old on GarageBand, which were incredibly dysfunctional and unharmonious. I mentioned I was beginning to fall asleep, and that was because of the instrumentals—these sound effects were what jerked me awake. Honestly, like many albums I’ve listened to, this one isn’t “bad”; it’s just easy to listen to (except for what I mentioned above). You are met with simple melodies, a (most of the time) emotionless voice, and some interesting acoustics. These are very straightforward, and it doesn’t make you go “wow” or anything—it just sounds like a typical indie rock band with no defining characteristics. I would say the only parts of the album I felt were better were the parts with the strings, like in “Pot Kettle Black” or “Reservations,” since you can never go wrong with strings. In all, I just felt half weirded out and half chill throughout the album, because at one instant it could be calm guitar, but then the next, it could be a woman saying “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” in the creepiest voice possible. I do not think I will ever revisit this album; in my opinion, it’s just a jumbling of sounds. 2/5

Tries a lot of things at once and fails in all of them.

War netter Indie. Hooked mich aber gerade nicht zum erneuten reinhören

Kinda slow for me, I liked Heavy Metal Drummer best

222. nothing special

I found this so boring. But it feels too harsh to do any less than a 2 as I can appreciate it's probably someone's cup of tea.

The airport code for The Hearst René Fontaine Municipal Airport (YHF) gives us an album about as exciting as landing in that northern Ontario town. You've got the Howard Johnson, you've got the "home of Claude Giroux" sign. uhhh you've got the uhh hooo boy, uhh. Yup it's all here. If you come to Hearst (and aren't being airlifted by a EMS team from the adjacent infinite sprawl of wilderness) please enjoy our re-airing of the Kapuskasing radio station on MOOSE FM. Adult contemporary from a slightly less small tiny town in the middle of nowhere. Now if Moose FM sounds like a lame joke made by an American, I would've thought the same. Fortunately, I am not American, despite the morons in my country trying to make it that there is no discernible difference, and I am sitting here on yet another Tuesday, listening to Wilco. There are buzzy cool moments here, and there are sweet melodies there, but the overarching theme of this thing, much like the town it (accidentally) references, is boredom. Sorry pal. 2.5 GENRE: Franco-Ontarian Wisdom

4/10

anfang war ganz okay, Ende wurde anstrengend

favs: radio cure war on war pot kettle black reservations rating 1.8/5

meh, some albums just aren't for me and this is one of those

A bit boring. A bit dull. A bit long.

Enjoyment: 4 Replayability: 4 Cohesion: 3 Flow/Pacing: 4 Artistic Merit: 5 Weighted Average: 4 Review: I'm all for progressive and indie music, but there was very little concrete enough for me to grab onto and enjoy. And some tracks just felt abrasive to my ears, but maybe that's the point. Liked Song(s): Kamera, Jesus, Etc., Heavy Metal Drummer, I'm the Man Who Loves You Disliked Song(s): I Am Trying to Break Your Heart Recommend? No

The meh of all mehs.

I just instinctively groan when I see 2000s indie rock albums pop up on here... And this one has a country twang to it! I don't know if that's better or worse. It's not either of those things, as this is another mediocre indie rock album. It has some passably good songs, but most of it is just barely perceptible background noise. Lyrics are basic and unremarkable, just like everything else about this album. I know that Wilco have a pretty good reputation with indie heads, but those guys and me have very different tastes. This is just another mediocre album in a sea of mediocre albums. This album is ranked #5 of 17 albums for 2001. Other 2001 albums rated by me: Is This It(1/17)-4 Gorillaz(3/17)-3 Vespertine(8/17)-4 Gold(15/17)-1 Southern Rock Opera(16/17)-3 Bright Flight(17/17)-3

was quite interesting in orchestration but lacked excitement in composition

I just don’t like the endings of most songs it gets annoying past a certain point

There is a lot of love for this album out there. For a casual listener like me, I think it lacks the vibrancy or interesting arrangements to make it a great album... It's a bit dull to my ears. Perhaps the lyrics hit well with fans, I am not a great active listener and when I fall in love with albums it's because of the sonic quality or interesting song arrangement or top tier production. I guess this album doesn't hit any of those high points for me unfortunately

Some really clean production that definitely makes parts of this an "audiophile" album, but that production also needs to come paired with interesting songs too, to which this really doesn't. Just a lot of slow and mid tempo tracks with a boring vocalist. 2/5

I didn't love it. It was fine, but yanno, just kind of on in the background.

Que es esto loco? Recontra depre y raro. Pone esos efectos de sonido raros entre canciones que me dan miedo che que onda. Quizás hay una historia de fondo del loco este pero me da creep vibes. No vibeé con el loco este. 3/10.

I’d actually been hoping a bit that the album would disprove my preconceptions about ‘indie rock’, but unfortunately that’s not the case. Admittedly, “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” has even been labelled “art rock”, which I can sort of understand given the experimental sounds here and there, but essentially Jeff Tweedy and his band remain true to the cliché of music without catchy hooks, featuring lots of self-centred lyrics and poor vocals. To be fair, I’ve heard worse, but over the course of a whole album, it does end up boring me. Critics regard the album as “one of the most experimental”, but if that’s the case, I’d rather not be listening to “the least experimental” tracks. The standards for indie rock are clearly not very high. For me, despite a few quite decent tracks, it’s just not enough.

Quite boring for me.

Too mellow

Outoa musaa. Saattaa alkaa normi pop-rock biisinä ja yhtäkkiä lähtee tangentin suunnassa lentoon.

I'm generally not a fan of depressing sounding music, and this was super depressing.

It had some moments, but overall, too long, too slow, too dull.

This isn't my thing. It's kinda boring and repetitive, but I know people love this stuff. For me, I think it would be more fun to write and record this type of music then to actually listen to it.

Did absolutely nothing for me at all. Just a full album of nothingness really. Sounded like the worst of the Eels trying to do the worst of Radiohead. Not for me unfortunately.

Pleasant enough, pretty boring though. Something you’d hear on Gilmore Girls.

Nothing memorable.

I always lumped Wilco in with Radiohead: bands beloved by the so-called cognoscenti, but which were never really popular. This album is just ok, with a couple songs that were somewhat interesting, but that’s about it. Nothing I would recommend.

I applaud the production risk, but it really doesn't feel like it works. It feels like a bunch of disparate parts that are not coming together as a sum. I'm just sensing indie rock mediocrity. While they might come together with more listens, I am not going to have the patience to get there. I don't know how they managed to make what appears from the lyrics to be a potentially fun song in "Heavy Metal Drummer" and somehow managed to sink it into the land of beige. Not a fan of any of the lyrics. Doesn't strike me as an essential album. Although I can see how people coming to this album directly after 9/11 could make comparisons that weren't correct. Least annoying: "Poor Places" and "Reservations"

Creo que, esperaba más y tiene como 3 rolas buenas, overrated af in my opinion

I like the adventure time vibe that this album has to it but it's just really boring.

This album isn’t bad. It’s just…boring? Idk a lot of the tracks sound similar and tbh it creates grey clouds in my head. Just bleh.

Ei lähtenyt. Liian hentosta.

something like radiohead, i dunno

Mike echo hotel

Very confused with this one, did not vibe with it.

dull. i did this with all lowercase letters too because it's that dull.

Boring!

Good album.

This was not as bad as I feared it would be… still not really for me but didn’t mind it

I have never got on with this, nice enough but I prefer Uncle Tupelo. Two stars. Tom.

kinda boring

I found myself wanting less talk-singing, fewer effects, and more music, melodies, and singing.

What's up with this Wilco band? This list recommends 3 albums made by them, but frankly I don't understand why. Overdubbed Instrumentation parts sometimes reach the lounge sophistication of AIR, but what it lacks are memorable songs, and the basic arrangements by the core band are very barebone, like your typical sunday morning christian folk rock band. When the singer doesn't armonize with the rest of the band, it's quite clear that he doesn't know how to sing in tune by himself, and his tone is very shrieky, nasal and unpleasant. Thom Yorke he ain't. After the first couple of songs, all started to merge together as a sonic homogenized insipid baby food full of nursery rhymes. Ironically the only song that stood out for me was "Jesus, etc". They really should become a catechism band, if they aren't already. I score it a 2, just because of the beautiful studio overdubs (pity they underscore a pretty lackluster band) and the few songs that are not ruined by bad singing. But really, I would advise to avoid it and listen to Radiohead, or even (yuck) Coldplay instead. The Wilco's label was right not to publish this album, imho.

I went back and forth on this one. Some songs were really enjoyable for the first 95% and then they would just ruin it with some weird atonal shit at the end. First half of the album was hot trash in my mind but there were some redeeming songs later on Fave songs: Jesus, Etc., Heavy Meatal Drummer

It's boring AND annoying all at once. Wow.

Not a fan of the heavy high frequencies.

Didn't engage me, and the 'tape hiss' sound effects were annoying. I got through three songs then lost interest.

Not really interested in this The last two minutes were the best bit of the whole album

fav songs: i'm the man who loves you boring, dull, loose 40/100

Not my cup of tea. Too slow, too mediocre, not interesting

ni fu ni fa

Somewhat cool on the headphone rig, but there wasn't much that stood out for me here.

Only had one play thru, not real sure I would listen again..to give it another chance. Being fair I would give a 2.5 but since 1/2 stars aren’t available a 2 it is…perhaps I will be back

maybe it's my mistake for choosing to listen to this at the gym instead of something i knew i already liked or maybe it's fundamental opposition to the idea that early 2000s indie art rock is essential to one's appreciation of the history of music in the anglosphere, but this was dreadfully boring. for starters, jeff tweedy's vocals are awful. listening to a man whine and moan off-key should constitute a violation of my 8th amendment. there's halfway decent instrumentation especially on tracks like "jesus, etc" (that violin plus pedal steel guitar, yum) that makes this tolerable to meet the baseline threshold of "i enjoy listening to music". it doesn't help either that i listened to two easy five-star albums yesterday that i was still thinking about, king gizzard and the lizard wizard's "nonagon infinity" and frozen soul's "glacial domination", which of course neither find themselves on this list. the latter too recent, but still. rough!

I listened to this whilst deathly ill with norovirus and maybe that's not the best way to listen to it. Will relisten when better

Kind of sounds like Beck, but whinier and worse. Like Beck when he's at his most depressing. Through in a bunch of 2000s high treble indie rock songs and there you go. It's not terrible, just boring.

they made a song for the spongebob movie

Started out thinking this was going to be a bit of drudgery but I ended up quite liking the last two tracks, so maybe I'll have to run it back to see if I missed something. A 2 for now but might switch it up if it's a grower...

I kinda get it... but I kinda don't

An album to fall asleep too.

eh

This album made me sad and not in a hot sexy depressed girlfriend,, will-she-won't-she-kill-herself kind of way

The kind of music someone puts on in the car just to turn it down have a conversation over it

I’m pretty sure that “meh” became more popular around the time this album was released.

I don't get why this is viewed as Wilco's best.

The instrumentals were great, but those wannabe Elliott Smith vocals were rough to listen to.

“There is something wrong with me” - yeah bro, you can’t sing a shit. And there’s something wrong with this album, it’s so freaking one-dimensional it hurts. Even sound effects are one-dimensional.

1.9/5 Nothing interesting about this for me.

I’ve never understood the appeal of this album and Wilco in general. It just sounds boring and I have never been able to get past that.

This one didn’t hit.

to experimental for me

This album is the BEST… at being boring. Man even the highest highs of this album was at best a small hill. Jesus, Etc. is alright

Fängt ganz okay an, wird aber mit der Zeit immer nerviger ich mag grundätzlich keine nervigen Alben

no me gustó mucho, no e smi onda

Dreadfully boring.

I wish this guy would shut up.

Not a bad album, but there was nothing catching me, the first song I got excited about was when a Neil young song came on aftger the album played through

Gosh didn't enjoy as much as I remember, few great tracks but kinda a little uninspiring this time.

Wilco back my friends, to the list that never ends. I’m so glad you could attend, come inside, come inside. Sounding rather weedy, is a fellow named Jeff Tweedy. He’s wearing his mankini, look away, look away. Come inside the album’s about to start. Guaranteed to bland your world apart. Rest assured you’ll get your moneys worth. Check it out on YouTube free henceforth.

Just ok

Fave song I’m the man who lost you Jesus ect Heavy metal drummer Back half of the album is much stronger than front

Ruhig und tragisch zugleich Anstrengendes Rauschen / Verzerrt Das Cover gefällt mir Was für eine Art Musik soll das sein? Stimme an sich gefällt mir Jesus, etc fand ich schön. Hab’s nicht geschafft es ganz fertig zu hören…

Bei jedem Hörversuch bin ich abgedriftet und ich weiß nicht wie sehr das für das Album spricht. Ist halt irgendwie Hintergrundmusik. Heavy Metal Drummer mochte ich weil da mal was passiert. Nicht super viel aber zumindest etwas. Also ist weit weg von schlecht aber muss nicht.

Schwieriger Einstieg so ab dem 3./4. Track kamen aber 20 gute Minuten. Ist mir teilweise zu experimentell. In manchen Tracks aus dem Nichts Störgeräusche. Fav: Heavy Metal Drummer

Wilco's one of those supposedly-great bands I checked out in my early 20's and immediately disliked. Almost 20 years later, still feel the exact same.

Mother fucking Wilco n shit

The album was a little too sleepy for my ears when I listened to it. I'll give it a second try since people find value in the album (Hannah told me that this was the only CD in the lab truck she drove for her MS research).

"I am... inevitable" - Wilco, probably

no notes its ok

1. Now I know how people who don't like Thom Yorke's voice feel. 2. The mixing and sound design. Too mushy and, and peppered with various types of noises that don't add anything except signal "we are a cool indie band". 3. The tempo. Most songs are a bit too slow and have a slight tempo drag that makes the music feel drag itself along to nowhere. I think the band tried to grasp farther than their reach with this album. The vocalist can't carry the tunes, the songs can't carry the ambition, and the sound design are shots in the dark to be edgy.

Fine, I guess, but boring. 2.5 rounded down.

Stolid

It's very boring and pretentious.

Wilco never seems to grab me. They have the makings of a band I should love. Most of my favorite bands are from the early 2000s, incorporate cool little guitar frills, have a smooth guitar presence, and a singer who stands out but isn't a show off. Wilco fits all of this for me but they have never been a band where I remembered they existed once it was done. I have yet to find any Wilco songs that inspire me or get stuck in my head and I need to hear again. That's being said I didn't hate this and didn't wanna skip any of the songs. I just think they are a background band and this album was no different. Lyrically they hit the low hanging fruit almost every time. It's so predictable.

Medio aburrido la verdad

Not my thing, but I understand how someone else might appreciate it. It´s very laid back when it comes to melody and composition, with the exception of a few "weird" noises and synthesizers here and there. Not an amazing vocal perfomance but it´s alright, as I said, it´s just not my thing.

Good vibes overall. Nice sound. Not much did it for me in particular.

Another album that falls in the bucket of similar sounding boring, passive, energy draining navel gazing. Sorry Wilco, if I hadn't listened to what feels like 40 hours of this type of stuff in the past two weeks you might have gotten a more positive review.

Eh.

Dishwater

I have seen this album cover before. I’ve never heard a song of theirs and I’ve never heard of the band either. I am trying to break your heart: 6.5/10 I like this guys voice. Good song. It’s like a rocky type song but it has so many extra instruments on it. Very original sounding. The ending is a mess. Kamera: 5/10 Not very interesting. Radio Cure: 5.5/10 Im starting to think this band are trying to be Radiohead. War on War: 5/10 Sounds like a Fleetwood Mac song from the start. Hate that opening vocal style. These guys are trying to do too many things at once and aren’t doing any of them particularly well. Jesus Etc.: 4/10 Fairly boring. Stupid song. Ashes of American Flags: 5/10 Unoriginal, not catchy. Heavy Metal Drummer: 5.5/10 Lyrics are just dumb. Song isn’t that bad otherwise. Im the man who loves you: 5/10 The guitar in the intro is tragic. I think hes trying to play like Neil young but this guy just sucks. Pot Kettle Black: 6.5/10 Not bad. Probably the best song of the album. Poor Places: 5.5/10 Not too bad. Reservations: 6/10 Long outro.

Listening to that album invoked less emotion than watching someone removing their belly button fluff.

free domain music lecąca w kawiarni XD

Pretty boring and forgettable

Boring…..

A slightly maudlin take on the recent folk revival trend. Bluegrass instruments mixed with rock, found sound and electronica. Not very interesting

..

feel like I would have appreciated it more if I listened to it about ten years earlier. I missed the train. Jesus, etc. is a great track though!

Liked some of the instrumentation of several tracks. Some of the lyrics were interesting. Hated the voice. ⭐⭐

Needs Billy Bragg.

Utterly unremarkable

its alright. nothing special for my ears. more background music than anything else. singer's voice is meh, instrumentals are basic. its fine. 5/10

pretty boring album. nothing really stood out.

Overhyped and dull

whiny vocals and some songs had bad instrumentals

its okay but abit too boring for me

Apple Music described this album as the point where the band became the Rust Belt Radiohead. I wholeheartedly agree. Unfortunately for Wilco, I hate Radiohead with a passion. I hated this album too. It's long, Tweedy's voice is uber boring and whiny, and the album is entirely unremarkable and boring the whole time. If you're a hipster you probably love this.

nah. too much angsty vocals, discordant sounds.

Boring. Long songs. I knew Jesus, Etc.

4/10 - Not particularly my think, tries too hard to be Radiohead.

not bad but not really my thing.

This album is ok. 2.5

You're telling me this album came out one week after 9/11 and it has two towers depicted on it.. and that's the only interesting thing about it???

Dreadful album. There I can appreciate when an album uses certain techniques, such as dissonance, in interesting ways that help you get into the music or create tension, but here it just feels like bad songwriting. I hated every second of this, which might have been the goal. Can we also mention how crazy this album cover is for an album that was released a week after 9/11?

This is insanely boring. There are really no redeeming qualities to it. It's not bad, just boring. Nothing is wrong about this album, but 51 minutes is far too many.

not really for me

27.01.2026 ~ Nachmittags ~ Im Literaturcafé an der Feuerbachstraße, auf dem Weg ins Kino - in der S-Bahn Richtung Wannsee.

Mittwoch, 28.01.2026 Abends nach dem Kino in der Ringbahn auf dem Weg nach Hause, beim spazieren auf der Uhlandstraße

🥇war on war 🥈i’m the man who loves you 🥉pot kettle black HM: heavy metal drummer

Ein Sound, der nach einiger Zeit anstrengend wird.

not a wilco guy i think…

Wasn't too consequential for me. It could be playing in a dentist office and probably not bother too many people.

10-1-2026

This hurts but I can’t love it.

ehh

Don't understand the critical praise. Maybe I'm missing something. 2/5.

Solid but not my taste. I bit too slow and grungy for me

Didn’t enjoy

Indie that is trying too hard. I enjoyed the previous Travis album more.