1001 Albums Generator
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot by Wilco

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Wilco

2001
3.32
Rating
28683
Votes
1
5%
2
18%
3
34%
4
26%
5
17%
Distribution
Genres: Rock Styles: Alternative Rock, Indie Rock

Reviews (page 7 of 14)

It's not 'bad' bad. It does do absolutely nothing for me though. I guess I can see how some might find it charming.

It took a few years for me to come around on Wilco. I don't think it would have happened without this album and the documentary that followed them during the fractured process of making it. And now here we are. Something grows through the cracks in the sidewalks of these Chicago streets. I can barely keep up with Tweedy's prolific songwriting. Not every vine of Wilco's subsequent flowering has gripped me equally, but some have managed to come close to its hold.

fucking whining

I like Wilco and Jeff Tweedy but I find this album to be mostly background noise. I am not sure what the band is attempting to pull off, and the music is not very good when on a long drive, as overall it becomes increasingly dull as the songs wind on.

I can't explain this album other than saying it's one of the best albums I've ever heard. Maybe it's because it is my favorite genre so it's easy for me to find an album in that genre that's critically acclaimed and I'll automate like it, or maybe the lyrical matter and the writing is so good that I can push away my bias to enjoy what I think is beautifully written music. I've heard this album a handful of times. Jesus, Etc. and Heavy Metal Drummer are on my main playlist so I listen to those songs often enough, but since I haven't heard it in a while I genuinely forgot how great this album is.

Bit too whiny for me. Heavy metal drummer was most likeable to me but struggled with most loly

I felt like a manic pixie dream girl in an early 00s independent film. Unsettling but not disagreeable

I’ve listened to this a handful of times over the past decade and it never really leaves its mark the way I want it to. However, I still remember where I was when I first heard it, so that’s something. I Am Trying To Break Your Heart starts things off strong, but it wavers a bit afterwards. Good album all things considered.

i really liked the lyrics in this album.

Album for the depressing part/nadir of a romcom.

3.8/surprisingly decent, i imagine they had an early impact on the indie alt scene

Couple of good songs in the middle, but it was otherwise very samey and dull

This is hailed as a masterwork album so I may have had my expectations set too high. I was familiar with parts of this album and enjoyed those but this as a whole collective work was really boring and underwhelming.

Super Dope

Its ok , one of the most boring albums on the list tho

There are banner years in music for me, as I assume there are for everyone who enjoys music. 2002 is one such year, the year Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was officially released. This album has so much lore behind it, like the Rolling Stones’ Exile on Main St. or Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors or Nine Inch Nails’ The Downward Spiral. It’s the record that transformed Wilco from alt country & roots rock stalwarts into indie rock darlings. It’s the record that led to multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett exiting the band and drummer Glen Kotche entering. It was their first collaboration with former Sonic Youth member Jim O’Rourke as producer. But the most fascinating part of the story of this album is the release. Reprise Records hated it, so Wilco left Reprise. It was originally slated to come out on September 11th, 2001. We all know how that went. Wilco released it for streaming on their website on the 18th of September and went on to sign with Nonesuch Records. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was officially released in April of 2002. It was one of the first records that I didn’t buy a physical copy of. 23 years later, I find myself older and wiser, and suddenly compelled to find this record on vinyl (to join the 3 digital versions I have). Standout songs for me are “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart”, “Kamera”, “Jesus, Etc.”, “Heavy Metal Drummer”, and “I’m the Man Who Loves You”.

I Am Trying to Break Your Heart 4.1 Kamera 4 Radio Cure 3.8 War on War 4.2 Jesus, Etc. 4.3 Ashes of American Flags 4 Heavy Metal Drummer 4.5 I'm the Man Who Loves You 4.2 Pot Kettle Black 4 Poor Places 3.7 Reservations 3.8 Score: 4.054545455

This album deserves all the hype it gets. Doesn't have a miss. 9/10

Fantastic album of collective dissonance, upbeat rock tunes and introspective songs that are diverse enough to keep you interested yet cohesive enough to present a sense of place throughout the album. A must listen all the way thru.

Enjoyed listening to the album. Lot's of interesting musical effects. Will keep my eye out for this one.

Meh. 2 stars

I've always found Wilco underwhelming for the amount of hype they receive. This album was no different. Not bad! Just not great either.

Indie rock. Best wel divers met interessante instrumentatie. Ik vond de stem niet zo mooi en niet helemaal mijn stijl. Misschien nog een keer luisteren.

Gillar inte sångrösten än så länge. Stängde av efter 5 låtar. Tråkigt, generiskt. Finns inget för mig

I've heard "Jesus, Etc." before. I liked it. The overall feel of the album is soft, synthy, padded percussion. It's not memorable for me but it was good background music while I was working.

It's ok. It certainly has it's very own sound, which is always admirable in a musician, but it isn't my cup of tea.

Good vibes. Maybe not a go-to album, but chill melodies and inoffensive lyrics.

Never really got into this band, glad to hear this album holds up. 3.5/5

Band-defining. One of my favorites of all time.

Blimey, that was dull ... 3/10

Just found this a little boring if I am being honest. Nothing really of note stood out.

Still just as good as it was when I first heard it. Approachable even when it gets weirder/experimental.

Fine. Enjoyed it in parts. Nothing exceptional

Vähän tylsä/ yksipuolinen. Hyvää taustamusiikkia

Not heard of these before but really enjoyed - felt like a 7/10, but erred on the positive side and given 4 as enjoyed despite not being familiar with any of the tracks - so suspect will enjoy more if listen again

so calming

rædsomt

It's by no means terrible but I fail to see why this receives such widespread acclaim. 3.5*

Out of the pool of "canon" 2000's indie albums, this is not one of my *absolute* favorites, but I sort of get it. The tone here is like archetypal indie, like I could imagine a lot of this album in one of the sadder Wes Anderson films. This is charming, and quirky, but also sort of baroque and deeply sad: but the sadness is never overwhelming. Out of this, Wilco pulls a few nearly perfect songs and some that are just good. I Am Trying To Break Your Heart, Radio Cure, Jesus etc., and Ashes Of American Flags are basically perfect songs. And everything else is at least good. Basically, the highs are there, but the connective tissue doesn't do as much for me. This has some perfect moments, but it just isn't all there.

It's funny how I avoided this album for the longest time because I thought it was going to be soft folk rocky shit which I wasn't too keen on years ago, now... well i like that stuff but I don't think I love this album like many do, mainly because I found it kinda aimless or I just couldn't really follow what some songs were going for, but at the same time I still enjoyed it so I think it will grow on me the more I listen to it

Instrumentals are alright, but the guy sounds bored

It was fine but didn’t hold my attention.

I liked this. 3.5

Love Wilco as a general rule, but this odd album I’m no fan. No flow, no rhythm, and a whole lot of oddity. Of course the critics say “masterpiece!” Weirdos.

Very good album, although a little slow at times

Hieno kansi. En mä edelleenkään oo päässyt Wilcon sisään. Ehk se tapahtuu joskus viiskybäsenä. Ei tää Myöskään häirise mutta aika kevyttä on 3/5

Varsin hyvä indie-levy, mut en ihan ymmärrä hypeä. 3/5 pitänee joskus palata

El dia que grabaron el disco el pianista estaba enfermo y fue un bebe a tocar el piano, luego todos se volvieron locos y se les olvido como se tocaba musica, no escucheis esto si os duele la cabeza si lo haceis explotareis, a quien aviso para que dejen de ponerme mierda experimental? parece un sueño que se transforma en pesadilla, BASTA

Tedious. Then I talked to a friend about why he liked it and listened two more times. It is better than I gave it credit for the first time I listened. It also helps that I had good headphones on the second and third times.

En realidad un 3,5

Es como si hubieran hecho un buen marinado para su tofu, y en algunos pedazos agarró y en otros no. Si pudiera ponerle un 3.5 lo haría, tracks como "Heavy Metal Drummer" y la primera parte de "Reservations" me gustaron, pero no lo suficiente para olvidar lo aburrido que fue la primera parte de este disco.

Perfecto

Had a couple of Wilco records here and the music always interests me. There is nothing flashy, nothing exceptional, just damn good music. This would be a 3.5 but I’m not sure if I should round up or down. I think I’ll round up. It’s better than some threes I’ve given.

I enjoyed this album, it definitely gave a London kinda vibe. That in mind, its not really for me, serving as more of background noise then anything.

Love the whole album, especially I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, Jesus, Etc., and I’m the Man Who Loves You. They’re excellent live and Jeff Tweedy’s memoir is worth a read.

A fine album — something about these songs grabs me.

Before I started listening, I thought there was a chance this would be only a 4. It’s one I have no childhood affinity for. It’s grown on me over the last 20 years—was maybe a 2 or 3 the first time I listened in 2002. There were definitely listens when I thought it was boring and bland. But then I dove in and there was no way it would be anything other than a 5. On headphones, which is not how I usually listen, there were so many interesting sounds. I love the lyrics. At this point it’s just a trusty companion. I’ve got reservations about so many things, but not about this album.

Went into it with high hopes, despite not enjoying the last Wilco record on here. There's some fun noises and creativity but couldn't really get into any of the songs.

Slow beatles inspired. Liked track one, two and five. Album dropped off after track six and merged into one. 5/10

Kids shown monotone and boring to be honest. I really wanted to like this one but just couldn’t get into it.

Some songs were pretty decent and others were just … noise. I dunno. Never found footing with this album

8/10 Great songs, beautiful instrumentation. Just a couple of bit where it's a little too slow, meandering.

I have this album and had not listened to it in many years. I had forgotten how damn good it was. 4.5/5 #141

Good album of original music, though some songs have repetitive/monotonous styles.

Incredible stuff. Never really listened to it in one sitting before now but it's damn near perfect. Standouts: Heavy Metal Drummer, Jesus Etc., I Am Trying to Break Your Heart

no skips this was great

I'm never in the right mood for Wilco. A little to boring for me

pretty boring. some cool guitar effects but otherwise pretty boring indie

guanya MOLTÍSSIM amb auriculars. sense no val re jaja almenys d moment, aviam com va. en vd mola indie culero. els finals una mica massa llargs tbh.

Dosadna muzika (za bljutave ljude).

I think this is probably a 4, because I keep listening to it in case it isn’t a 3, if that makes sense?

It's the album I wanted to like. I've heard enough people talk about bands like this. The Shins, The Tragically Hip etc etc. Cult followings, people who have had their life changed by it, and cool people who listen to them. And as the album came through the headphones, I found that while the musicianship was fun, the songs sung with heart; there was a boring level of simplicity to it all... Each song felt like two chords. You could tell a lot of work had gone in to the final project, but it all stemmed from utter simplicity. And when I only get one to two listens a day, I wasn't particularly over analysing the lyrics. I enjoyed it, but nothing really stuck with me. Dare I say it, it felt like background music. Now, background music to a party full of trendy people! But that's not how I consume music. I want it to make me feel something, he energised or inspire me to perform myself (yep, I'm weird like that). This album did not. 'War on War' was probably the one that I'll take away with me. Although I really enjoyed the melody of the finale track (and a great way to close in epic form!). I await the hate from the hipsters. I really wanted to like this more than I did. 3 stars (Just!).

This album is like putting on your most weathered op-shop skinny jeans, a tight-fitting threadbare white t-shirt and your most rustic woollen sweater vest to go out to a log cabin in the forest to get away from the corporate drones for a weekend. The only problem is your fixed-gear bicycle isn’t suitable for the gravel road, so you have to hitchhike. Nobody wants to pick you up cos you have the look of a person who uses “natural” deodorant, so you are just standing around waiting on the side of the road on a hot afternoon for about 6 hours.

Some good tracks. Some ok. Some noise

Loved it. Great song writing, love the blend between acoustic and electric, great guitar tones too Fav tracks - all

loved this album

Listened Before? N Hm.. This is just another 00's "indie" record. Not really my cup of tea, although this one is fairly unobtrusive. It was okay. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Heavy Metal Drummer

Not too bad but not too good as well

not bad but just ok

Utterly dull. Sorry, don’t really know what else to say. (1.5 stars)

They say don't judge an album by its cover. I looked at this album and thought 'gee, this looks like a boring slow indie acoustic waffle'. Yeah, so it turns out you should judge an album by its cover sometimes. The good reviews of this album genuinely make me wonder what I'm missing though. It all sounds sooo same same to me, how was it so highly rated at the time?

Not for me

Id say this is pretty enjoyable background music. The art rock influence in this album is pretty awesome, and loved it when it went to more experimental bits :)

There's something beautiful about this album; although it isn't the most groundbreaking album ever, it is a nice escape to a slightly less intense one. An album that can make you appreciate life through being subtle but not devoid of essence.

It's a little too artsy at times, but I like Wilco.

Due canzoni e stavo per dormire... No grazie

All the songs have the same vibe. Some interesting sounds and instrument choices, but just not enough variety.

I was disappointed.

A little forgettable, but not bad.

You had to be there in the early 2000s indie scene, days where Jeff Tweedy, Conor Oberst, Matt Ward, Ben Gibbard, and Jenny Lewis and their assorted band just fucking ruled, they were pumping out classic albums like we breathe and blink everyday. Earnest troubadours here to soundtrack your twee life... Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is probably the pinnacle of those days, bands would eventually sell out from their indie label and join the massive conglomerates and eventually become the mainstream.

This album is boring as hell. Which is super disappointing. I wanted, I truly wanted to enjoy this piece, I feel like I’ve heard great things about it. But right away from the first track, I realized how dull the vocals were. Like my god, have some tone. Express emotion. Relying on lyricism alone to make your point and stance will not work. Especially when the lyricism itself is lacking. There are some lines that scream creativity, but the majority of this album has the most cliche lyrics I’ve ever heard. Something interesting happened at the beginning of War on War, but then it just switched back to the same-old formula of boring instrumentals covered by even more boring vocal delivery. And that trend continues throughout. For some reason, Wilco decides to add in some experimental elements that actually grab your attention. But only, in the last 30 seconds of the songs! Aren’t you supposed to grab the attention in, perhaps, the first 30 seconds? And some of these songs are long. For no reason whatsoever. Nothing happens. Anyways, at least it’s not total trash. Definitely not worth listening to again however.

Wilco just doesn't really do much for me. They're not bad, but I don't feel compelled to listen to them repeatedly. This album is just sort of thoroughly "meh" for me.

A solid indie album and a good listen. The only complaint I could have about it is that it is too long (both album and tracks). I feel that it could get too lengthy at times and start to get boring but other than that, I really liked it. I feel it captures the perfect Midwestern sound that indie music has. Music like this feels like listening to bands or artists like Duster or Alex G. It can get a bit melancholy but I feel it is a beautiful kind of melancholy rather than a miserable kind. Almost kind of makes me feel like I'm listening to a 2000s version of Unknown Pleasures, it has that same feel and style but more modern. Great album and totally understand the hype behind it! Favorite Tracks: Radio Cure, Jesus, Etc., Ashes of American Flags, Heavy Metal Drummer, I'm the Man Who Loves You Rating: 4/5

👎🏻

if you don't get it, that's fine. If you do get it....good job

Maybe this isn't fair. First time I went back and listened to an album twice. Anytime you hear "another generic Indie band", this is the sound they're trying to imitate. 19 year old me would have LOVED this, but current me still really likes it.

Lacklustre, unhinged and messy

Really not sure about this one, maybe give it a few more listens. Voice was a bit annoying and the industrial noises a bit distracting but there might be some good tunes in there somewhere!

-chaotic - Not melodic - Melody out of touch with the vocal - trying to break your heart is awful listening to - rest ist okay, but would rather listen to other albums

It's fine. Kinda boring.

There are some nice sounding tracks in here. Lots of cerebral experimental stuff too. Altogether felt like the album was fine.

It’s fun but not particularly noteworthy. I feel like it’s on the cusp of being good, but never really gets there… it is a fine album, but it is never exciting. Did not improve on subsequent listens. Big nothingburger album

Wilco is one of those bands, like Radiohead, that lives in their very own space in the same way Pink Floyd does. You either dig them or you don't. They are an amazing band. Well worth a deep dive.

Too slow for my taste

"I'm The Man Who Loves You" was interesting, with a unique guitar part. If only the rest of the album was. I'm starting to think "indie" is a label that just means the music isn't very good.

Wilco fits the mold of a band I SHOULD really be into...but they always come off so milquetoast to me. They're inoffensive, approachable, relatable indie rock. I've actually listened to them quite a bit over the years. But I can't say I've ever been particularly into them.

Chill vibes that are easy to tune out. Tracks to Track: Jesus, Etc.

This grew on me so much after listening a few times. I went from thinking this was a 3 star album to now thinking this is solidly 5 stars. Beautiful music full of emotion and rich production. If you find this album boring as I did at first give it another chance or two and you might be well rewarded.

I really liked this album. I think it requires a bit of attention to get into it, but the more I listened the more I enjoyed it. There are definitely some moments where the experimentation doesn’t work for me, but overall I liked how atmospheric it was. A nice melancholy album with a few moments of levity. Spotify often tries to make me listen to Wilco and I’ve resisted. I think I needed to give the full album a focused listen to realise how much I liked it. Won’t skip them next time they show up in a playlist. Fav song: Radio Cure – also liked Jesus, Etc. and Heavy Metal Drummer Least fav: Reservations – (although of all the tracks on here it does feel like it should be the closer)

Didn’t hate it as much as I expected to but some of this was not a great listen. Bit too atmospheric for me. Specific rating - 3.2 Fav song- Jesus,etc Least fav- reservations

The songs I liked were pretty good fun and I’ll probably listen again but didn’t completely make up for the songs that were boring or noisy. Favourite song: I’m the Man That Loves You (or Kamera) Least: Reservations

Ik twijfel tussen drie en vier sterren. Er zitten een paar leuke nummers op, maar veel zegt me ook niet echt wat.

after seeing your comments i enter with pure low expecation. but actually its not as boring as you claim it to be. lol 4/5

This was on the disappointing side. I read the Wiki before I listened and was expecting wonderful things, given that it's their most critically acclaimed album, but it didn't excite me at all. I still think Mermaid Avenue which they did with Billy Bragg was their best output; I yearn to hear more Wilco of a similar vein. A low 3.

nlb zinojau ko tiketis, bet kol kas visai neblogai gal. nzn ar siaip klausyciaus. gal? actually, visai lenda. manau, kad dar reiks kelis kartus pasiklausyt, kad jau realiai prikibtu

Liked half of the songs. Lot of ambient music

Love the story behind the release of this album!

A couple good tracks

A couple of good songs but mostly pretty monotonous

Quiet but deep. I'm not sure how fascinated by it, but it will take a few listens to decide. 4/5

In the first 90 seconds of this album, I’m already sick of the singer’s droning voice but it does get a little better. There are some cool unexpected sounds to the music that make it interesting enough to keep listening. Didn’t find it groundbreaking, but not bad.

I've heard of Wilco, but can't name a song and never listened to an album. The album is good, but seems more like a "critics choice", than well liked. There are several songs that contain or end in noise, which isn't my favorite. Having listened to this, Wilco has a better album - Lay It Down Best Songs Jesus, Etc. Heavy Metal Drummer

Annoying 2*, here, because there are little flashes of cool here. Reservations, and that american flag on were pretty cool, but that's the only replayability here, for me.

wonderful revisiting this after many years. a great chicago band with great chicago album art, and obvsiously american. I used to tear up during Jesus Etc, and now that im older with a hardened heart, I can feel the song massaging the parts that haven't been so embrittled.

There isn't a single miss on this album. Sometimes there are stretches of albums where you say "wow A to B to C is such an amazing span", but this alum is incredible from A to Z. I can understand why pop girlies and buddies could get lost in Radio Cure or Ashes of American Flags, but Jesus Etc, War on War, Pot Kettle Black , and Heavy Metal Drummer should be universally loved. While the largest pleasure of this album is the beautiful ebbs and flows, ups and downs, etc, it is the small pleasures that keep me coming back to it year after year. The trumpets calling out on I'm the Man Who Loves You which gives this a classic late 90s/early 00s Ska sound, the double tracked vocals on Pot Kettle Black a la Elliott Smith. 5/5

Pre listening: oh gosh another album where I'll never be able to separate it's reputation from my opinion of the album. In my recollection, Wilco was just too soft for me. But I'm excited to give them another try. +1 automatically for having album artwork of buildings I recognized long before I knew anything about music (not plus one star, just plus one) Interesting--I never knew Wilco started as an Alt-Country band (or rather, that the alt country band Uncle Tupelo was the progenitor of the indie rock band Wilco). The publication history of this album is wild. Hats off to indie artists for recognizing what they had and just releasing (also man the early internet was such a fascinating place-- :( such optimism for what eventually became sprawling networks of lies and truths). Also all that just to land on a different subsidiary label of the same company. Funny. Listening Notes: -I am trying to break your heart might be the only one I know well ahead of time. I'm not sure I can get behind his flat-toned singing. It's soft on instrumentation. (Second listen: this works better with the context of the rest of the album. Interesting choice to do that with a first song, since they initially exist without context per se) -Kamera is still sad boy vocals, but it turns out he has some vocal range. That makes I am trying to break your heart's flat vocals intentional, improving my opinion of both songs. Love the cowbell(?) here. -War on War was quite good. this album really works up a head of steam building up to the most famous tracks. An aspect of the album era that we seem to be losing over time (not in a crotchety way; plenty of people still make *albums*) -Jesus etc. is cheating. Jeff Tweedy knows that a short violin solo is the fastest way to my heart. I feel played. But it worked. (Edit: apparently not violin. this set off a silly search for the liner notes, but I can't figure out what it is. Just credited as "string arrangement," which I guess is obvious) -Ashes of American Flags has an inarticulable sadness (even with the distorted wail at the end) that I find really beautifully done. -It's incredible, given where we start, how natural such a fun track as heavy metal drummer feels in this space of slow somber reflection. -Reading Pitchfork's review from 2002 (I don't normally do this), it's so nice how unabashedly pretentious they used to be. Like, I'm an obnoxious dork, and there used to be a music review website for people like me. Ah well, it's probably for the best that they became more inclusive. Review: Ugh fine. After nearly a decade of raining on this parade, I have to acknowledge it's a perfect album. It builds perfectly to a full sound in the late second half. I'll have to listen a lot more to understand the album, but respect to an album I guess I never took the time to really sit with.

This is a classic piece of indie music history - and it deserves it for helping to define the sound of indie music for the aughts and early teens. It is a solid 4.5, but not quite a 5. So alas, I must round down, despite its influence.

This whole album felt like a hug

Wonderful. Knew it already, but the songwriting is solid, the instrumentation is the right amount of interesting without being distracting.

I can see that it’s probably interesting, but I don’t really like it. Lead singer’s voice is not endearing. But the album cover is fantastic. God, I love those buildings.

This isn't the first time in this project that I've been pleasantly surprised by how much I vibed with an album. This is FANTASTIC for helping me focus! I got shit done! Active listening? Naaaaaah. I shall accept this gift from the ADHD gods.

Overall: 9/10 This album felt like a ray of sunshine peeking through the cracks of my mind. I felt incredibly chill throughout the listening experience but I was able to pick up on some dancey, catchy bits too. The production is insane and there's a lot of sounds added that enhance the experience. Such a great album, glad it was part of this project. Fav Song: I'm the Man Who Loves You Least Fav Song: Radio Cure

My disdain for 00s indie knows no bounds. Dischordant, whiny, boring, and at times just plain dumb, this album was honestly made all the worse by the couple of songs that showed promise just to become crapfests before moving onto the next audio misadventure.

I adore this album and Wilco in general, amazing indie rock.

Another one I would give 4.5, but since I have to choose I will go all 5 for this one. Really liked seeing it live a lot better though.

Really good mix of experimental stuff with the indie folk rock style. Plenty of amazing songs here.

The songs on this album are great - there is no doubt that the songwriting is incredible. I also love experimental music, oddball sounds, outsider music, etc. and appreciate a good dose of weirdness. As much as I have loved this album since it was first released, I can't help but think it would've been a better album if it was more in line with earlier Wilco and was recorded as a more "conventional" alt-country record. I might be in the minority, but sometimes eccentricity in recording and production are not necessary. Let the songs stand on their own.

***An ok album

Hmmm… want to like it more, but not convinced. Sounds nice, really well produced, but is it missing IT? Have listened before, but have never rushed back. 3.5? Yes, 3.5 in Roon, don’t want to risk losing it forever.

Es más interesante ver cómo se seca la pared que escuchar este disco

One of those bands I've never quite got into, but this is a really good album. Fine sound, fine set of songs.

There’s something in film school called “The When Harry Met Sally Effect”. Some younger students Dont understand what a big deal that movie is because of how heavily introduced every Rom-Com that came after it. That’s what I heard when I listened to this album. It so clearly influenced so much I heard and loved later, it was almost hard to remember how it listened in the moment. Still, when I listened on my headphones, I was deeply impressed by the complexity of the instrumentation. There’s so much going on here that isn’t obvious at first. Delightful, I wish I had listened to it when it first came out!

American Art-Rock / Indie-Rock which is not necessarily a bad thing, but in places this album is morose, pretentious, and dissonant, but it's not all bad, with a mesmerising quality to it.

The vocalist is wildly out of key at times, and the music is mostly basic and unimpressive, apart from a few transitional synth parts. The problem with a lot of these indie rock albums is that they always sound like the band phoned them in - partly because the music isn't challenging at all, and partly because the style demands simplicity. Nevertheless, if the album is short enough and takes a few chances, indie rock can indeed be interesting. However, while Wilco does take some chances musically, the album is also almost a full hour in length, and each song is stretched at least 2 minutes past where it should've ended. 1.5/5.0: Bad

this was a tough listen. there are two or three songs that were listenable which keep this from getting a one

Неплохо, но мне не пошло

Didn’t like it.

I've always wondered what the deal with Wilco is, but I hadn't gotten around to it. I knew OF them, but only really knew Jesus, etc, and I feel like I've heard so much of them from who knows where. But I Get It. This influenced probably every indie band I listened to in college. I love how sloppy it is at times. 10/10

I think criticisms that it’s samey and boring are valid but I do like the really laid back feel and almost lazy vocal delivery from these guys, but that’s cuz I knew 2 of the songs going into it.

Really didn't like it. It's not bad music on its own, it's just not for me. There weren't any stand out songs, I didn't care for the lyrics or the presentation, and I couldn't stop thinking this was for someone that just wanted to turn their brain off and not really listen.

Well worth a listen. Plus, watch the documentary.

Great stuff!!!

I really enjoyed the vibe at the start, but as I listened it slowly faded into the background

Rating this a 5 before listening to it because it is. One time I saw them in Granada, Spain, and it was a magical evening. Not many people there so it was weirdly intimate, a great show and I was feeling amazing when I was leaving the venue. I walked down an alley and a team of 15 Spanish SWAT team style guys suddenly rounded the corner at full sprint and rushed past me, pushing me against the wall. Two of them pulled out a battering ram and broke in a back door of one of the houses and they all rushed inside. I heard either gun shots or smoke grenades going off and I took off running and didn't look back. Never figured out what it was or what happened. Anyways terrific album, 5 stars!

I don't think i was expecting it but i absolutely loved Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Even if my favorite genre is metal, i still do enjoy an album that is so relaxing, it soothes the soul. Every song, even if it did have a faster pace to it, just felt so relaxing with the slower songs being the ones that really brought it out. I also liked all the little electronic sounds in each of the songs as they did help give the songs even more of an identity even if they did get a little noisy in the first couple of songs. I also never really found the length of the album an issue because i feel this album needs to be 57 minutes in order to fully soothe you. This is a really excellent album that i can easily recommend to anyone. Best Song: Ashes of American Flags Worst Song: I Am Trying to Break Your Heart

There's a lot going on here

Album art:5

A boring version of Radiohead mixed with a boring version of Beck. Some songs are good, but the album drags.

I know this well. Classic Wilco. If you like what Wilco does then you like this one.

Killer vibe with some bangers. Great jam.

For the longest time now I've held reservations about indie rock. Y'know, "Why is a genre that's so acclaimed and beloved by music critics and journalists often some of the most boring music I've ever heard in my life? Are they dumb?" But, no, really, it really is some of the most "eeeehhhh" music I've ever heard in my life. It's like, for as much as I rag on post-punk (the pure stuff, I mean), I at least usually feel something listening to it, even if it **is** mostly offense at the idea that being unpalatable and unfun to listen to automatically deserves praise. Meanwhile, with most pure indie, all I usually wind up feeling is the need to take a nap. It's not exactly something this list has helped me with much, either: just look at how much I didn't enjoy any of the three Arcade Fire albums my group got. Which thus brings up to the subject of this little review/babble: Wilco, another darling of the indie rock scene (so I understand). They're one I actually had a lot of hope for going in thanks to featuring on another soundtrack of my youth, the one for THE SPONGEBOB SQUAREPANTS MOVIE. Now, like, sure, the song they did ("Just A Kid") wasn't my favorite on the album — it's no "They'll Soon Discover" or "SpongeBob & Patrick Confront The Psychic Wall Of Energy" — but if nothing else, it was a cue from the top that they don't make what I'd think of off the dome as "hipster-ass record store music." Real "RYMcore," y'know? Within the first track, then... I'll admit, doubts were setting in. Something about it on a first listen just didn't gel with me. I suppose (if I hadda guess) I just couldn't square away what the musical monotony of the track was adding to whatever it was about. "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart"... I understand the sentiment, and I can even get a feeling from the lyrics even if I don't 100% "get them," but on a purely melodic level (which is how I normally operate)... Boy, it wasn't a good first impression. Was the rest of the album gonna be like this? Thankfully: no. Oh, dear goodness me, no. Things really started picking up after that song, and by the time I got to the third record side (starting with "Heavy Metal Drummer"), I was all on board. This is real good stuff, and I was the fool from doubting the guys who made "Just A Kid". Way livelier than I'd expected... I mean, I'll tell you this: with the full musical context of the album in mind, I enjoyed "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart" **way better** than I did the first time. Like, damn, y'know? It's just... Y'know, it's here I gotta describe the feeling I had around this album, and it's a... New one for me, I gotta say. 'Coz as I was listening through this album, I got the strangest sensation like I should know it already. That I should vaguely know the words well enough to kind of sing along with it... That I should be hearing instrumentals to songs and getting pumped as hell about them, like "YEAH, THIS ONE..." That I should have deep connections to these songs for the way I've wrapped my character and stories around them... It was so bizarre to feel this familiar with an album I was only hearing for the first time. I couldn't even pin down anything it specifically reminded me of — maybe some of the songs reminded me of the more serious cuts on the Barenaked Ladies' album GORDON, but other than that... Everything just worked for me that well, from the instrumentation and the mental landscapes they evoked, all the way down to, yes, even the lyrics. I've expressed before, being as likely AuDHD as I am, I'm usually never good with lyrics, especially the more poetic ones. They make me feel dumb for not "getting them" and having to look up what they mean... But here, thankfully, it's not poetic to an extreme like Bob Dylan and his ilk are. It's a lot simpler, which doesn't all detract from how... Evocative they are. Seriously, I'unno if I can really describe it, but even when I wasn't fully grasping the lyrics, they still evoked **something** just so well that I could still go along with them anyway. I'unno if you know what I mean, but that's really how it went. Of course, I wanna temper things a bit here and say that it's not like this album changed my brain chemistry or anything. **Maybe** it coulda been cut down by a couple minutes, y'know? It's just, in terms of the hypes and praise I'd always heard this album had... Jeez, yeah, no, yeah, it lives up. And I guess it's as good of a reminder as any that indie rock is a spectrum, not a monolith. Some of it... Boring as damn tar — seriously, I just do **not** get the hype for Arcade Fire. But on the other hand, you got stuff like this, and like with shoegaze and LOVELESS, this should be more the kind of stuff I think of when the genre pops up. So, yeah, good on yah, Wilco. I give this album a very enthusiastic Yankee Echo Sierra.

Wonderfully indie. Solid 5 Stars.

I’m at a 10. I knew this one had acclaim going in, and I’m very glad that it lived up to it. It’s much easier to feel this album in the moment, while your ears are just encapsulated by it & while the brain is conjuring up the imagery to match. In this case, it’s one of those albums where I got so deeply encapsulated that I’m having trouble finding the words to write down. There’s broad strokes flying around my head; “stellar lyrics”, “his vocals pull incredible emotion out of them”, “instrumentation & sound design that always fits the mood”, “perfectly captures a feeling my brain hasn’t gone to since Radiohead’s Kid A”, “did these guys steal the Beatles’ talents on ‘I’m The Man Who Loves You’ like they were the Monstars”, and so on. I guess I’ll touch on those a bit. Vocally, it did feel dry at first, but the intentions revealed by the end of “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart” made the monotony of that track suddenly feel brilliant, and from that point onward, I was all in on Jeff Tweedy’s style. It’s subdued yet authoritative, for the most part, but when he needs to break out for the sake of the track, he meets the moment really nicely. I think the instrumentation & sound design do deserve as much credit as they’ll get here – I absolutely love the way each track sounds, & I can’t say I ever had a dull moment with the instrumentation, save for the last minute or so of “Reservations”. The moments where everything feels like it’s falling apart on a few tracks do a great job of mirroring the mental state of each track’s protagonist (is it the same guy throughout?), but even in this album’s happier & brighter moments, the instrumentation never really misses a beat. I’m fully convinced they stole a track from the cutting room floor of Sgt. Pepper’s for “I’m The Man Who Loves You”. As far as the Kid A comparison goes (which, by the way, also a 10 in retrospect), perhaps it’s a bit of a stretch, but this does feel a lot like a Radiohead album to me, at least in the way it’s structured & performed. I’m obviously not the first person to point this out & I won’t be the last. It did capture some type of vibe though, one that became far more apparent to me by “Radio Cure”. It’s like capturing a panic attack in slow motion, with all of the insecurities & self-doubt brought to the forefront. Sometimes, people say their brain is thinking at 100 miles an hour, so what if you just caught that on a camera & tried to actually view it? Kid A does a similar thing, but it takes the approach of sonic therapy in an effort to heal, whereas this one feels like introspection, swaddled in clothing that feels like toxic disdain for yourself, never quite resolving that inner turmoil. The lyrics do deserve a bit of love for enhancing that vibe; for tracks like these, I’m very much the type of person who follows along, reads them in the moment, and just treats it like a sort of live karaoke, to try and get a sense of how my brain would feel saying them. It’s a hit & miss approach, but in this case, it just worked perfectly. This is an album that I might define as poetry, but not in the curmudgeonly Bob Dylan sense where it’s far too wordy. It’s poetry in the style of a Maya Angelou, where the rhymes & verbiage are simple, but the imagery they evoke says far beyond the words themselves. Much in the same way that a poet can enter a zen state while reading their words aloud, I think I entered a zen state while reading along. I wish I could bottle up that sort of zen state, when it just feels like you’re in sync with the music, so I could more properly describe it, but I haven’t been able to do it for these moments on the last 545 albums, and I don’t think I’ll have an epiphany for the 546th. All in all, I just really, really enjoyed this. I haven’t been avoiding it for years, I’ve just never had a drive to listen to it until now, and I’m obviously a moron for not biting the bullet earlier. It’s one of those albums where I’m just glad I started doing this “project” to begin with. Fantastic stuff here, and a seminal album of 2001. Probably the whole decade, really. It’s a 10.

Beautiful and emotive. A sedate journey with just enough interest to waft you along.

Very nostalgic for me

Love being at a period in my life where i can enjoy Wilco. Love you Tweedy Jeffy.

And now a Wilco album the day after a Bragg/Wilco Guthrie album. This is one that I can't say I get being on here. Is it bad? No, not really. But is it anything special? I'm not sure that it is. From my listen it just seems like kinda straightforward indie rock music. Maybe this was one of the efforts in that inspired later artists, so is important for its influence. It did come out in 2001, which is earlier than I can say I know of a more general indie rock scene being prevalent. Most of it was fine at worst, with some tracks being a bit better. I thought the second 2/3 was more enjoyable than the first few songs, and I liked the middle section of that 2/3 the most. Some parts were more involved than others, but a lot of it was pretty low key. I didn't love the singer's voice, and the instruments were mostly subdued (they did come alive a bit on I'm the Man Who Loves You, which was nice). There were a few happy/fun spots, but the rest felt melancholy. It reminded me at times of Bright Eyes, who I don't particularly love either. I appreciate when an album manages to have no bad parts. But being not bad doesn't really make it good on its own. There should be more to it for it to be a great album. I can't say I thought this was more than fine. Overall: 2.9/5

Not Wilco’s best effort. It’s a fair enough album, but I spent most of the time listening to it waiting for something to happen and it never did. It’s got a gentle vibe, but it doesn’t excite. For all the experimentation on it, it doesn’t light any fires.

One of my favourite concert road trips was venturing off to Minneapolis (without the wife and kids) to see a pair of shows from Wilco at the First Avenue club, in late June 2001. This was the first of many times I've seen the band and these shows were significant (if you're a fan of the band) because it was drummer, Glenn Kotche's first show with Wilco and the first live performance of songs from their "soon to be released" album, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. The shows were magical and in this venue it was perfect! The concerts were filmed and excerpts were included in the film, I Am Trying To Break Your Heart and I captured both concerts with my trusty Walkman tape recorder. Before the album was actually released there was much conflict within the band and record label shenanigans (captured in the film). Without a label to release it, Wilco posted the complete album on their website (for free!) for their fans and the record became a turning point for the band. YHF remains Wilco's most popular album and it's their masterpiece. I love this album and every time I hear it I have unforgettable memories of the special moment I heard first heard these songs.

An album that brings you to a smoke filled city street where you can't see the person on the other side, but you think you're in love with them and all you have is your guitar and a pre-roll. It's very good. Favorite Song: I Am Trying To Break Your Heart

Really nice, laid-back indie rock. Early 2000s. US but with some British vibes.

jako dobro, fora! iako mi glas nije neš, glazbeno je super, a i tekstovno koliko sam uspio čuti. p. s. hipsterska kretenčina koja je na pajretbej stavila rip svoje dobrano izgrebane ploče nek odjebe u pičku materinu. stvarno. konjino smrdljiva retardirana

Enjoyed this one. They have a good sound. I actually really enjoyed "Jesus, etc." and "Pot Kettle Black", which had elements of The Cure. I believe people understate this album. It's not "boring", but I can see how some don't like it.

Only really banging wilco album, but a very banging one indeed Easily a top 100 album

I can remember anything about it. It sort of went on a passed me by. So boring.

The vocals aren’t my favorite, but the music was really good

Chill album, nice to listen to. Nothing I would listen to again I think.

Very nice album, I think it's rated more sensibly on here than some other places.

another perfect album. I have loved this one since it came out. It’s even better after knowing the story behind it. The songs are amazing in every iteration. I can’t imagine writing a song like these. Take a song that would be great with normal instruments, take those all away, make it noisy, then add guitar back in. Love this one.

i am trying to break your heart is a masterpiece song. album is ok

This is as close as it gets to 5 stars, without quite being 5 stars

Büro, Heidenheim, Deutschland Ganz okay, plätschert gemütlich durch aber nichts, das ich öffer brauche.

I was expecting to hate this album (don’t know why), but I enjoyed the chill acoustic vibe this gives off if I’m being completely honest.

Slow, plodding, whiny nasally vocals interjected with random sci-fi noises is no way to get me to like an album. A few songs were up tempo enough to be ok, but I don't see the fascination with these guys.

The artist description on Spotify said alt country but I think this album was closer to alt rock. I think i would've enjoyed alt country more.

Kinda depressing

Classic, alt country that broke open the trail

This is what 2003 alternative sounded like............... feelings. kinda hippy.

C’est plutôt chouette, ambiance rock calme. Pas transcendant mais agréable à écouter.

Interesting cover. 1. On second listen, kinda like it.. 2. Decent song with ok lyrics. I do like it. 3. This can pass with barely any notice. Meh. 4. Like it. Unfortunately true lyrics. 5. Not bad. 6. Meh. 7. Like it 8. Meh. 9. Whatever. 10.Ok..11. Meh. OVERALL: I just couldn't concentrate. When I did, t was ok. I think with multiple listens I would actually like this album, but I won't ever love any of the songs. Not a must.

Nice gentle tunes

*chef's kiss*

I hadn't heard this album before. I'm just amazed at the soundscapes Tweedy puts together. Just genius. Love it.

Прикольный альбом норм

Huge indie classic that I can'T really get into for some reason. Fantastic production job from Jimbo though.

Music for people who needs to be told what to like.

I just can't put my finger on why this band is so popular and well respected. The songs are well made (thanks to Jim O' Rourke?), but they're still so generic and not creative to the very core. I don't know, maybe I'm the problem for not getting it.

Boring as hell but I liked most of it.

Just makes me think of my dad A really cohesive album Nostalgia

1.5/10 Out of all the albums so far, this was not what I was expecting to get my first 1 star rating. I nearly fell asleep at the wheel with this project. Everything felt so disconnected while listening and I couldn’t find barely anything that I liked. The cover is bland just like the music. Some songs straight up made me skip them, which I don’t do often. Probably won’t be listening to this again.

Just not good. Whiny, boring, bad lyrics, worse vocals, drab nothingness of music. And at some point I will encounter another one of their albums on this list, yieeeesh. Wilco and this album are if Modest Mouse had to fight the aliens from SpaceJam (The Monstars) and when lose, they lose all their talent and any ability to feel emotions. 1.2/10 59/1001

Back in the day when I was drinking beer and hailing Satan, this album missed me. I heard their other album a while back and it got a solid 3 stars. This one however I see why the indie kids praise it as much. This album was very different going more into an art rock style and had a solid vibe throughout. Definitely one of the essentials.

Good album but more for the background. I need to listen to it multiple times to actually find out how great it is.

One can see the record company's point in terms of the strident warbling of the opener but it gets better and chiaroscura (dark/uncertain songs followed by brighter/tuneful ones) seems to be the key to this deeply thoughtful, creatively conceviied and exquisitely well made record, which was something like a personal life OST for the first few years of the new century. Too many grace notes to list, but the whole puzzle works and every piece has emotional substance and/or beauty and/or fun and/or psychological insight. Plus, the well layered sonic environs here, offbeat sound, and arfful noise rock flourishes. DOn't sleep on A Ghost Is Born, which is nearly as good and certainly merits inclusion on this full list. Wilco are a major artistic force in one';s life and this just one of several best-friend records they've blessed one down the years.

nie moje klimaty

Not one that absolutely blew my mind, but definitely one I can see growing on me in future listens, it does feel like one of those albums. I see why people call it boring, but I think that's the nature of this kind of music that you really need to know it well and listen to it a lot to really understand the complexity of everything going on.

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot loppuu Reservations kappaleeseen. Raaka mutta hiljainen kappale, ikäänkuin meditaatio hetki täynnä herkkyyttä. Alkukappaletta: "How can I convince you its me I dont like" Kertoja kääntyy sisäänpäin. Sanoen että suhteen ongelmat eivät juuri ole syytä toisesta henkilöstä, vaan kamppailu on itseinhosta ja epävarmuudesta. Seuraavat säkeet: Kertoja vaikuttaa sanovansa "En ole suuttunut sinulle, olen harmeissani itsestäni" Albumin ensimnäinen kappale taas on "I am Trying to brake your heart" joka kertoo miten ihminen voi olla saamaan aikaan vilpitön ja itsetuhoinen. Hän voi haluta rakkautta ja samaan aikaan pelätä sitä niin paljon että työntää sen pois. Kamera kappale taas kertoo epäluottamukdesta omaa mieltään kohtaan.

I just listened to this and I already forgot everything about the album. I don't think I've ever listened to anything so lacklustre before. At least bad albums are bad, this is just....beige nothingness.

Dreamy music that doesn't stick

The great thing about a dog is that they can take it, but they can't dish it out. You can call them anything and they don't mind and, because they don't mind, you like them and, because you like them, you don't really mean. It's all in good fun. When we picked up our most recent dog from the rescue, my wife and I tried to puzzle out his character. He seemed okay. He was a little nervous, but he had social skills. He'd been hurt before, but he didn't want to be defined by that. Our older dog, she listens to Siouxsie and the Banshees. She loves Courtney Love. I reckoned the new dog probably liked Wilco. It wasn't meant in a bad way. He was does a basic dog with a lot of hair on his chin. I was right though. When he gets anxious or overwhelmed, my wife sings to him and he likes Jesus, Etc. a lot. Maybe that's especially basic for a basic dog, a dog that also likes various McCartney melodies and Patience by Guns'n'Roses. The rest of the album doesn't really do it for him though. I think that's unfair. I Am Trying to Break Your Heart isn't bad, underneath the bleeps. Heavy Metal Drummer, I'm the Man Who Loves You... these are decent efforts, but there's a lot of fuzzy veneer on the record that's trying to keep the good bits hidden. Occasionally, people let off fireworks and no amount of politely phrased melody will distract the dog. That's when we play the brown noise. It drowns out the fireworks, but also causes a heaviness in the room, a dense fog in the head, and dull buzz in the stomach. I don't know why Wilco decided to put so much of that on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot - it distracts from the most egregious things, but leaves an unsettled, unsatisfied feeling. Much of the album is even-keeled and well-tempered, despite the attempt to muddy it up with atmosphere and static. Yet, the best moment of all is Tweedy's struggle to deliver "Your voice is smoking" at the end of the bridge in Jesus, Etc. - the actual distortion of pushing himself. That's the dog's favourite bit too. He's basic like that. He won't mind me saying so. 3 I bought Yankee Hotel Foxtrot many years ago because someone told me it was their favourite album. Actually I always seem to be hearing how it is a favourite or how it is superlative. I read the Wikipedia page today and was bowled over by just how deep and wide runs the praise for this record. Anyway I bought the cd back then, disliked it and then gave it to a charity shop. I usually keep CDs I don’t think much of in the Box of Shame (there are actually two now) but when I dislike an album I know someone else will certainly grab off the shelf for a bargain - something trendy, however disappointing to me - I donate it. No point burdening Oxfam with yet another copy of Black Market Music or Alone With Everybody. Anyway I was wrong to give away Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. It’s not bad at all. It has a few songs I really like - Kamera and I’m The Man Who Loves You, maybe Radio Cure, and I can certainly stand the rest. But I think my giving it away was born more out of contempt for the popular idea that YHF is superlative in some way. It isn’t. It’s very nice. Jeff Tweedy is a decent songwriter - I really like the subtle uneven phrases that pop up in some of these songs; music that hides the work that has gone into it. I have some sympathy for that line of American non-singer - even if Tweedy’s crap voice lacks the intimacy of Elliott Smith’s or the conviction and drama of Conor Oberst’s (both of whom I also believe to be better songwriters than Tweedy). The lyrics have a poetic sheen in the moment even if they don’t stand up to actually being read. I like the variety of instruments. I like the noisy bit where the Lady goes ‘Yankee Hotel Foxtrot’. Yes. Worth keeping on the shelf. I shall go back to that Oxfam and see if someone else has made the mistake of scorning this CD. No I won’t. It won’t be there. Someone will always snap up anything vaguely interesting and leave you picking through multiple copies of Life for Rent and White Ladder. 3/5

So many weird outros

I remember checking this CD out from the public library back when I did that to rip albums for my iPod. This one was not one of my most frequented, but very in line with my taste at the time. Feels like the musical lovechild of The Postal Service and the New Pornographers.

ALL TIMER. This is so great. I haven’t listened to Wilco much since college, but they are the musical distillation of Americana. It is so sticky and wonderfully textured. Standout Tracks are: “Jesus, etc.” and “Poor Places”.

I like Wilco but this was just an OK album for me.

I've owned a copy of this album for several years, but I can't remember when or why I bought it. I remember that I really enjoyed listening to this album the first time I listened to it, but I think I've only listened to it in its entirety once or twice. I've tried to fire it up several times, but I'm just never in the mood for it, and I don't know why. I loved Mermaid Avenue and Being There, so I've really been looking forward to revisiting this album. I have no idea if I'm going to love this or hate this today, but here goes nothing! I was honestly worried that I wasn’t going to care for this album very much upon revisiting it, but I can brush that worry aside, because this was fantastic. Whenever I think of this album, I think of “I am Trying to Break Your Heart,” but Yankee Hotel Foxtrot so much more than that; it’s eleven songs of indie rock bliss. I enjoy Jeff Tweedy’s singing, but I really love the musical arrangements on this album too. The guitar playing is great, and the little effects peppered in throughout the album give the sound a unique touch that sets Wilco apart from other indie rock artists. This album feels incredibly cohesive, a factor that’s boosted by some excellent songwriting. Jeff Tweedy’s lyrics cover a wide range of topics and emotions, and even though it’s pure coincidence, some of these lyrics are perfect for the immediate aftermath of 9/11. As far as the individual songs go, I’d have to pick “Heavy Metal Drummer” as my favorite. It’s got such a folky sound to it that I really love, and the piano melody is fantastic. I love the contradiction of hearing a song about a heavy metal drummer with a sound akin to Simon and Garfunkel. “Kamera” is awesome too. The guitar playing is great, but the xylophone-like sounds and little electronic sound effects bolster the sound really well. However, there isn’t a bad song on this album in my opinion. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot might not be an album that I’m in the mood for often, but it’s an excellent album, and I loved revisiting it today.

last good thing they did

Good. Well constructed and well-produced. But I’m not sure how much i like their distinctive, laconic sound. This album seems a bit repetitive & I’ve heard other Wilco that I like better. A 3 for now, but I’ll give it another listen.

Forgot how good of an album this is. "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart" is one of the best opening tracks of all time.

Some interesting sounds and ideas. DIdn't really stay with me though.

too much background noise, borderline annoying

loveeee jesus ect and a couple of the others, but tbh this album doesn't stand out to me especially considering some of wilcos other work that i love

Nostalgia blast. Takes me right back to sitting in my dorm room, where I absolutely pirated this record off my uni's P2P network in the fall of 2002. Despite me mostly falling out of love with this brand of rock over the years, Heavy Metal Drummer is still an all-timer. Cozy production. But still a few lowlights, like the last 2 tracks which kind of drag it down. 3/5

It's pleasant enough and I don't dislike it, but I also don't know why it's here.

Boring. Dear Lord so boring. I could have watched paint dry and it would have been more musically interesting.

I wanted to like this but it is on the edge of arty music and just plain boring.

I could put this on just about any time and enjoy it. Listened through 3 times before landing on that, and enjoyed it every time.

Fav: Heavy Metal Drummer Least Fav: I’m Trying To Break Your Heart Simply incredible, if you were trying to break my heart with this album you’ve failed

This was good. Not really into softer alt right now so going right down the middle. Could have been a 2 but them being from Chicago bumps it

Boring and safe, with nothing risked. It sounds like the hardest and most interesting life experience for this band was that time they came in 3rd at the county fair Battle of the Bands, only because the mayor's son was in the band that won and his friend was in the band that placed second. Boring music for boring people.

The one that started it all. I was a fan of Wilco before this album, but this one set me down a path toward them becoming what today is likely my favorite band. Such an interesting back story. So many interesting sounds. Just a labor of love (and hate) that ended in a masterpiece. 5/5

best ever

For et rot! Sure toner og bare surr. Par ålreite innimellom..

Likte det instrumentale, men resten ble trasigt og uinterresant. Mulig flere lytt må til.

There's lots of instruments and samples layered all over these songs, but the underlying structure is just basic and boring. This is a gilded turd, designed to appeal to people that like shiny things.

See review of the last Wilco album reviewed only 4 days ago…

I feel like I should be a huge Wilco fan. I dig the music. I dig the POV. I dig Jeff.. but there's something he does every so often that turns me off.. it's like a contrived.. cuteness? He'll sing certain words a certain way and it's just not for me. I don't doubt the honesty. The artistry is clearly there. I can see why Wilco has fans. Ben Gibbard has a similar repellant force. It's not huge, but yeah, just enough to keep me at arms length. 3.5

Decent album. I really enjoyed the first couple of songs.

starts to go there but then doesn't stay there

Beautiful Album with some genuinely breathtaking moments. Right up my alley. Sad in a beautiful way. So many interesting sounds.

I Am Trying to Break Your Heart is a great opening track, great song in general. There's something haunting about Jeff Tweedy's voice and delivery, a yearning or disappointment in his voice. This album was released in 2001. I would have guessed earlier. Jesus, Etc. was the hit and it is well deserved., great music, great lyrics. The whole album is great though. This is one of those albums where you can just put it on repeat and listen the whole day. This is an album too. It hangs together coherently in terms of sound, good sounds up and down the album without anything that stands head a shoulders above or below the other songs. Listening to the whole album makes more sense than picking one or two songs. It's a worthwhile hour.

I liked it. It was some nice easy chill relaxing listening.

Enjoyed.

I know this is technically "boring music" that I would normally be annoyed by. And later Wilco does indeed annoy me. But this album and OK Computer and For Emma, Forever Ago...you just had to be there ..coming of age at the turn of the millennium and living through the 80s and 90s to understand why these atmospheric albums of the era resonated. They captured the longing, the loneliness, the sadness in the West. We all knew the peak was in the rear view mirror, even if we were afraid to actually look at it.

The purposefully discordent music is a bit jarring. 2,5/5

Way better than I expected

Plain and boring, it doesn't even work as elevator music. 3/10

Enjoyable, easy listening. Kind of indie but not really, not sure how to describe it.

7/10. Yeah pretty interesting, quite a lot of experimental sounds and cryptic lyrics cut through with some more classic rock-y riffs. I particularly like the eerie sounds of 'Radio Cure' and I can also see why 'Jesus Etc.' has the notoriety it does. I think again what prevented this from being higher on my list is a sometimes lethargic feeling which didn't quite resonate with me and occasionally felt lacking in depth. Possibly also trying to make head or tail of the lyrics sometimes felt to obscure - although at times there were themes that resonated strongly with me. Coll album, very solid.

3/5 Kaikki biisit alkoivat muistuttaa toisiaan, vaikka mukavaa kuummeltavaa olikin.

It’s so good, but also I want to listen to that album like once every 5 to 8 years. It’s not exactly my thing. Close, but not quite. And damn sad.

I’m seeing more and more why people talk about Wilco as a special band. The songwriting is excellent. The music is memorable and the lyrics are always smart and interesting. I’ll keep listening (to this album and others).

Niiiice I've been meaning to give this album a good full listen! Wow, I haven't heard an album out of the blue recently that really struck me as something that I almost exactly and specifically wanted to listen to in the moment, and this has done that. The acoustic-driven Elliot Smith-esque "Kamera", the Okkervil River flavored "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart", the Neutral Milk Hotel-ish "Radio Cure", and my favorite Wilco song, the snarky "Jesus, Etc.", there's really a lot to like. This is great; it's warm, it's cold, it's acoustic, it's digital.. it's perfectly imperfect, and putting on headphones and leaving my phone in the other room, I'm just taken for a ride and I really don't know what's around the corner. This is a solid 4.3/5 for me. Will be adding this to my upcoming rotation.

A grower - as it meandered through the tracks it shifted from a bit of a dirge to an interesting eclectic trip through life - in the end - quite good

Didn’t enjoy; Not my style of music and didn’t like the singers voice

It was good but idk lol

it wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t really good either. Nothing really stood out — no hooks, no moments that grabbed me. It all kind of blended together into the same sound, track after track. Just felt a bit flat overall, like there was nothing to hold on to.

Yet another bland pop record. I've heard of Wilco, I've heard friends sings it's praise, but I've still no idea why that is? Does nothing to me. This is not rock music, not art nor indie or otherwise, a few licks with a distortion pedal doesn't turn pop music into rock.

Heavy Metal Drummer Pot Kettle Black Jesus Etc. Radio Cure War on War Kamera Ashes of The American Flag Poor Places I Am Trying To Break Your Heart

Heard of this album but never listened to it. Worst kind of indie, after just 3 songs it felt like an hour. It did have one or two ok songs though 2/5

2.0 - Weak

Very creative writing and some cool sounds

Wasn't expecting to like this as much as I did. Really interesting to get into a record by a band that for some reason I'd previously dismissed. Great atmospherics, Jesus Etc is a winner. Would I come back to it again. Yes. Has it changed my life? No

Enjoyed that.

Well, this was quite a find. As a Brit, I didn't know Wilco and found the other albums in this list incredibly tedious. But this is interesting in terms of instrumentation. And the tune Jesus etc is quite a thing. I listened to it a few times and found new things to hear each time. Not a 5-star for me in terms of songwriting, but deserving of the list for sure.

It hurts to give this a three because it's truly not good enough. But just fifteen years ago I had this album on repeat and I'm not a dumb person so there must be something to it.

On est en 2002, le monde est en train de se demander s’il va finir en cendres ou en bits informatiques, et Wilco débarque avec un disque qui ressemble exactement à ça : une carcasse de folk américain passée à la moulinette d’un logiciel qui bugue. À l’époque, c’était le séisme. L'histoire est connue, limite un peu trop : le label Reprise entend le disque, panique en se disant qu’il n’y a pas de tube pour les radios de centre commercial, et vire le groupe. Jeff Tweedy, avec un flegme de mec qui n'a plus rien à perdre, le balance gratos sur le net. C’est le début du mythe de l’album "maudit" qui devient un classique instantané. Mais au-delà du storytelling pour journalistes en manque de sensations fortes, qu’est-ce qu’il reste vraiment quand on appuie sur "Play" aujourd'hui ? Il reste un disque qui essaie désespérément d’être plus intelligent que lui-même. Ça commence avec "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart" et, honnêtement, le titre ne ment pas. C’est un chantier, un bricolage de sons qui grincent, de rythmiques qui boitent et de cloches qui tintent comme si un gamin avait renversé son coffre à jouets dans le studio. C'est là qu'on sent l'ombre de Jim O'Rourke, le grand architecte du chaos contrôlé. Le mec a pris des chansons qui auraient pu être de simples ballades de feu de camp et les a recouvertes d’une couche de crasse électronique. C’est fascinant, certes, mais c’est aussi un peu poseur. C’est le genre de disque qui te crie au visage : « Regarde comme je suis complexe, regarde comme je déconstruis les codes ! ». C’est de la pop qui a fait Math Sup et qui veut absolument que tu le saches. L’album est souvent comparé au OK Computer américain. C’est une comparaison flatteuse, mais un peu foireuse. Là où les Anglais de Radiohead semblaient réellement terrifiés par le futur, Wilco donne l’impression de s'en amuser avec une certaine distance ironique. Les textes de Tweedy sont des puzzles abstraits, des collages de phrases qui ne veulent rien dire tout en voulant tout dire. « Des drapeaux américains en cendres », « des cigarettes dans des cendriers », « des radios qui grésillent ». C’est l’esthétique de la défaite tranquille. C’est très "post-tout", post-attentats, post-rock, post-rupture. Mais par moments, on a l'impression d'écouter la bande-son d'une pub pour une marque de café équitable qui essaierait de se donner un genre "indé". C'est le paradoxe Wilco : être à la fois expérimental et étrangement confortable. Prenez "Jesus, etc.". C’est la pièce maîtresse, le morceau que tout le monde fredonne en pensant avoir capté l’essence de l’album. C’est une ballade magnifique, avec des cordes qui glissent comme sur du satin. C’est d'une douceur absolue. Mais c’est aussi là que le disque perd ses couilles. À force de vouloir être beau et subtil, il finit par devenir un peu inoffensif. On est dans la mélancolie de salon, celle qu'on expose pour montrer qu'on a une âme sensible mais qu'on a quand même les moyens de s'acheter du bon matos Hi-Fi. On est loin de la fureur, loin du danger. C’est un disque qui s'écoute avec un plaid sur les genoux. C’est brillant, c’est léché, c’est une prouesse de production, mais est-ce que ça fait vraiment battre le cœur plus vite ? Pas sûr. Le milieu de l'album s'enfonce dans des structures un peu plus prévisibles, malgré les artifices sonores. "War on War", "I'm the Man Who Loves You"... Ce sont des morceaux de rock assez classiques, maquillés avec des couches de distorsion et des arrangements un peu bizarres pour nous faire croire qu'on est sur la lune. Mais on sait bien qu'on est toujours dans l'Illinois. Le groupe joue divinement bien, c’est carré, c’est solide, mais la tension retombe. On finit par s'habituer aux bruits de radio et aux transitions foireuses. Ce qui était censé être une rupture devient une routine. C’est le risque quand on veut faire de l’expérimentation au sein d’un format pop : on finit par créer un nouveau standard, un peu chiant, que des milliers de groupes de barbus vont copier pendant les vingt années suivantes. Pourtant, il y a cette atmosphère, cette recherche de sens dans un monde qui part en vrille. L’album capte quelque chose de l’isolement moderne, de cette incapacité à communiquer vraiment. « Yankee... Hotel... Foxtrot... ». Ces mots répétés comme un code radio à la fin de "Poor Places" sont peut-être le moment le plus honnête du disque. C’est le signal de détresse d’un groupe qui se cherche et c’est pour ça qu’il mérite d’être découvert. Ce n’est pas un disque parfait, loin de là, c’est un disque malade, un disque qui a des migraines (littéralement, Tweedy en souffrait le martyre pendant l’enregistrement), et c’est ce qui lui donne son humanité. Il est imparfait, parfois agaçant de prétention, mais il essaie de dire quelque chose. Alors pourquoi 3 sur 5 ? Parce qu'un chef-d'œuvre, c'est censé te retourner les tripes, te laisser sur le carreau, te changer la perception du silence. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot te laisse juste avec l'impression d'avoir écouté un très bon disque, très bien foutu, un peu original mais terriblement poli. C'est l'album qu'on offre à son cousin qui veut commencer à écouter des trucs "différents" sans trop le brusquer. C’est une porte d’entrée vers des contrées plus sauvages, mais Wilco reste le guide touristique qui te tient la main pour ne pas que tu te salisses les pompes. C’est de l’aventure en classe affaires. On admire le paysage, on apprécie le service, mais on sait qu'on rentrera dormir dans un lit douillet à la fin de la journée. En résumé, c’est un tournant majeur pour la scène indépendante, un disque qui a libéré plein de groupes du carcan du couplet-refrain basique. C'est un objet sonore complexe qui récompense les écoutes attentives au casque. Mais c'est aussi un album qui souffre de son propre culte. On lui a tellement collé d'étiquettes de "génie" sur le front qu'on a fini par oublier que c'était juste un disque de rock qui essaie de faire du bruit. C'est une étape nécessaire, une curiosité à découvrir pour comprendre comment la pop s'est emparée du chaos, mais ce n'est pas le Graal. C'est juste un très bel hôtel, avec une vue un peu brumeuse, où l'on passe une nuit ou deux avant de repartir chercher quelque chose de plus viscéral. Voilà mon verdict sur cet objet de culte. Un disque qui a marqué son temps, qui a redéfini les règles du jeu marketing, mais qui, musicalement, reste un peu trop sur la réserve pour emporter l'adhésion totale. C’est bien, c’est beau, c’est Wilco. Mais on ne va pas non plus en faire un fromage pendant quarante ans.

not my jam

Don’t get the fuss

Pretty monotone music, some mediocre lyrics and not-so-great vocals.

Not my cup of tea.

I'm surprised with myself that I can't connect with this album. The production sounds good, the vocals are kind of catchy, and there's some experimentation by mixing americana and indie rock. Regardless of being interesting, doesn't do anything for me.

Very decent! 4/5

Not a fan of Wilco. They are a bit too easy rock for my taste but I will check out some tracks because even thought I do know what they sound like I truly have never heard a song. yea, not my style. moving on.

I thought I was going to hate this but some lovely songs Favs: Jesus etc Heavy metal drummer I’m the man who loves you

The singer sounds like he’s trying to be chris martin from coldplay, but this guy just can’t sing very well. His slower songs really show how much he can’t sing but the more fast paced songs were better. I liked war on war. 2.8/5

Interesting sound, but the guy can't sing for crap. 2.7/5

Well produced and good overall sound, but it lacks that final oomph to make it stand out.

Found it pretty boring. Not much to say.

early 2000s sad man? don’t mind if i do 😋

So far, Jesus Etc. is the first song to really grab me on this album. Same with Ashes of American Flags. I think I enjoy Wilco more when the songs are slow and have more of that Ryan Adams country vibe. There have been some electronic atmospherics on this album, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. Sometimes it feels a little bit unnecessary, but it also might provide some nice breathing room to the songs. I think this album might deserve a second listen. Enjoying Pot Kettle Black, I think, because it's reminiscent of Broken Social Scene. Also definitely catching some Bon Iver vibes. I can tell that this was an influential album.

Pretty ok. That's Wilco. Not exciting but not bad. Like a soundtrack to a montage where the main character in a movie has their life on track. Things are gonna be ok. Three stars.

solid for bawling my eyes out staring at the ceiling, but i’m trying to move past that

It was nice background music for my train journey but not for me. Think it would be good music to soundtrack a film tho

already listened a few times before, somewhat recently. enjoyed. i think its an album you can listen to and hear something new each time. seems to easily be the band's best album in terms of quality and balance from their albums i've heard but not my personal favorite- it didn't stick with me as much as i expected. i've liked it a little more each time i come back to it but it may just be something i had to be there for to completely resonant with me.

I warmed to it. There’s more going on behind the scenes than I thought there was going to be after the first track. I’d listen to it again. Not destined to be a regular, but I enjoyed it.

Alku oli lupaava, monipuolisia soundeja. Laulajan ääni ei kuitenkaan ollut paras mahdollinen, ja loppua kohden kiinnostus tähän levyyn sitten lopahti.