Being There

A l b u m w a a a a a a a a a a a a y t o o o o o o o o o l o o o o o o o o o o n g . There are some good nuggets here and some bad. When I told myself that this thing has to fucking be over by now, there were still 4 1/2 songs to go. U g g g g g g h h h h h h h ! I bailed on the last song because it was bed time.

I'm sure there's a time and a place I'll enjoy that album. Yesterday wasn't it.

These are really great songs for those who yearn for a past romance.

Guitar-based rock so I ought to like this, but it's utterly uninspiring. Poor songs. Like a college band that's just somehow got access to a recording studio and a producer. So it sounds like a bunch of perfectly competent musicians, playing nondescript songs very well. What on earth made anyone think there were enough adequate songs for a double album? The more I listen, the less I like it. I can go to any number of local pubs and hear songs as good or better than this.

Way too long, way too boring.

Definitely one of the most important records of the 90s. Not many bands can say they’ve been ripped off by punk, country, and rock bands.

this is my first time listening to Wilco. I've heard their name before, but never listened, this is a great record to be introduced to them by. I even Recommended my friend Kingpin, He diggs it.

Absolutely love this album, possibly one of my all time favourites. Not a bad song here

not horrible bit boring. just basic. nothing special at all

I start to like Wilco the further they get away from the alt country thing. They're starting to step away from that here but it still shows up throughout. I became aware of them around Summerteeth and am more a fan of that album and what came after. They have some songs I really like but I don't love them for a whole album. What I do like about Jeff Tweedy is that he's not necessarily tied to a particular sound and is open to experimentation. The further he leans in on that, generally, the more I like it. Otherwise I think you end up with some very average indie pop/rock. Man, this a long album. This definitely could've used some more editing. The more I listen to this the more Jeff Tweedy's voice and lyrics are starting to grate on me. Definitely better in smaller doses. You know what, I was going to give this album a 3 but the longer this drags on it just feels like a burden.

Loved loved loved it

A nice rock album of easy listening songs. At times it has an Eagles vibe at others something more contemporary. What holds back the album is the incredibly long run time that includes more forgettable songs.

Ok

The best Wilco. A near-perfect record.

War toll ist toll bleibt toll

I never heard this before and really enjoyed this album. It felt like a more modern version of Exile on Main Street, in that you can hear alternative rock, country, folk, and bluesy numbers all back to back (plus “Monday” sounds like it could have actually been on Exile). This album was a great blend of different types of American music and kept me engaged. Plus Hotel Arizona sounds like our song Cracked at the end. I will be checking out more Wilco music.

I know this Wilco album the least, I think because it really hasn't ever grabbed me. Nice listen, but not what represents what I love about them. 7/10 but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt :)

Way too long

Is this the first breakout success for Wilco? I know Misunderstood, I like this one, teenage me would have ate it up. I always viewed Wilco as a band that has a theme of feeling like they are too old/missed the boat and are the old-guard that doesn't quite fit in and is coming to terms with that through their lyrics, kind of like Future Islands and Sun-Kil Moon. I don't know, it's a bit boring to me? It's not bad, just I can't relate (yet).

Its not a bad album, but I dont think that its an album that belongs on a list of the thousand greatest albums of all time. 3/5

Didn't really like this one. I'd describe it in one sentence as "the music you expect to hear in a 2010s tv show when they try to make the characters seem cool while they're driving"

Enjoyable album with a few standout songs. Overall though, over the course of almost 1 1/2 hours, those songs prove not enough to propell the album to more than 3 stars

Good God was this not it... just going on and on and on. Weird mesh between country and acoustic nothingness. Oh, did I mention the horrid singing? I wanted to like it but it's just all over the place and it is way too long, to add insult to injury. I had to bail early. 3/10.

I can’t will(co) myself to finish this album because it is so disastrously boring. Yet, not sure I can quite give it that number reserved for only the worst of the worst.

Very average album No songs particularly memorable. Flow of the album feels like the band cannot decide on a genre

Another album that I'm not sure how it made this list. It was fine. Nothing memorable or noteworthy, personally. No genre defining, trend breaking, just decent music.

I've been on a brutal run with the album generator. I'm not super familiar with Wilco but I'm hoping this will at least be listenable. The title of the album and the album art are pretty boring, and it clocks in at an excessive 1hr 17m. Boring will be fine today. And here I am an hour later to report: boooring. Inoffensive. You might even say mostly harmless. Can't imagine listening to this album again on purpose but I wouldn't leave a party if it came on. 2.5 stars rounding down for length.

That was boring… Couldn’t get me to finish it.

I like a few Wilco tracks, but none are on this album

A little bit country, boring lazy vocals ruin the occasional hooking ruff.

I like some later Wilco albums but this is very basic and uninspired. Some really bad country tinged stuff towards the end that is bar band quality. No need for a double album at all EDIT: I try not to change the reviews second time around, but felt this was worth re-evaluating. It is, uniformly, *awful*. By the time "Sunken Treasure" rolled up I figured we were at the "bad country tinged stuff" alluded to above, but no - still about 10 more songs of tedium to go, each progressively worse. Lyrics so poor, did they even get a spellcheck? Such a slog, it seems unfair to lump this in with other tedious but at least conscious 2* efforts such as John Spencer. Hence, a well-deserved downgrade cast upon this overfilled bucket of shit

Great album!

4.5 - This was just pure songwriting for me at it's best. So much talent and it was such a ride a long the way. Simple but diverse with a lot of depth

Heard it lots. Awesome to revisit. So many songs I forgot. One of the better double records.

cool

I never knew about Wilco until around 2010. I was not into their style. I loved my music hard back then. Years have softened me, apparently, so now I can enjoy this vibe. "Being There" is a 1996 double album with almost 20 folky songs. "Space" comes to mind as I go through the album. Space as in time: the band takes its time to build on emotions and connect with me, with my current state of mind Space as in physical space while I enjoy the production: how instruments were recorded, the mixing, the pace of each song (look at the previous point above). I like "Being There" 9/10

A perfect alt country album with lots of sonic variation.

Oh I do not like double albums at all. They always feel like such bloated, self-indulgent and unnecessarily protracted outings for the artists. Like they just think their shit is THAT good, straight fire that cannot be contained or condensed. Ugh. Well, I'm happy to report that in this case, I fucking LOVE this double album! I was a bit worried it'd be too long-winding and brooding; one ceaselessly navel-gazing whinge. But there is so much fun to be had here! Lots of uptempo tracks and rocking guitar to get into. This is a great vibe. I knew a little of Wilco before this, but always kept them at arm's length. This is the most accessible they've ever been to me. Really love this album, looping it several times today.

Great album

This is a personal all time favourite. It was my introduction to Wilco all those years ago. Having read some other reviews on here calling it too long and kind of boring makes me pause and think about all the records I said something similar about. That’s the risk with the one listen approach required when doing a challenge like this. For me the album could go on forever and I’d be happy with that. Not a week track in the group.

Great!

Every song superbly crafted, every note felt. There is a sense of full presence and musicianship I find hard to express.

One of the best alt country albums created…thank you tweedy and co

love these guys

4.5

One of the GOATs

wilco da 🐐 no 🧢

Had I known Wilco’s track record extended so far beyond “Jesus, Etc” and “California Stars,” I would’ve listened to them years ago. After a once-through of Being There, I realize I need to take a deeper dive into their discography. The opening “Misunderstood” could have been covered by Johnny Cash in the same way he covered “Hurt.” The main difference is the Wilco original is flat-out better than the Nine Inch Nails one. They infuse their own country spin too, especially with “Forget the Flowers” (sitting in a front porch rocking chair overlooking an empty dirt road) and “Someday Soon” (swinging to a lumberjack’s Tennessee flat-top box at White Horse while hints of organ sneak in from outside). “What’s the World Got in Store” sounds a bit like George Harrison, and I can’t help but notice the repetitive lyrics aren’t too far off from Weird Al’s “This Song's Just Six Words Long.” “Someone Else’s Song” channels Harrison’s counterpart Bob Dylan, especially his pre-electric days. The piano of “(Was I) In Your Dreams” is reminiscent of the Stones’ hot streak of records in the late sixties and early seventies, while the piano of “Sunken Treasure” foreshadows Coldplay’s A Rush of Blood to the Head. If the fiddler in the finale “Dreamer in My Dreams” had made a deal with the Devil, I bet he would’ve walked away with some gold hardware. Coming into this behemoth I expected a repetitive record that overstays its welcome by 30 minutes, but man, was I wrong. There’s not a single skip, and Wilco showcases a variety of genres from bluegrass to folk to funk. Whether intentionally or not, they put their own spin on the styles of a number of my favorite artists. These guys are quite a bit more than a two-hit wonder.

An all-time favorite. Probably the best alternative country album ever (and Wilco’s last really alt-country record).

nice wilco

Since 1995, when they released their debut album, AM, Wilco has produced some consistently good music, to much critical acclaim and have even been recognized by the mainstream with Grammy nominations and wins. I would only consider two of Wilco's albums as essential, 2001's classic, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and the epic, Being There. Though it didn't win any Grammys (which is a good thing!) it's jam packed with songs that have become mainstays on the band's live setlists and really highlighted Jeff Tweedy's strong songwriting. I would consider this their most important record showcasing their earlier alt-country rock roots, as well as genres in folk, rock and more experimental sounds that would later evolve Wilco's sound on later records. It's a sprawling record that is considered a double album (priced as a single CD in it's day) and if I had to criticize the album is that it's maybe a tad too long. There's too much good material for a single album, but towards the mid-point of disc two, it drags a bit and runs out of steam. Disc one might be the best 40 minutes of songs in their career!

Ins E always found this band hits my sweet spot. Like all sweet spots, it's hard to describe. Soothing gentle, perfect for a Friday morning, grooves on, but it's not juts the guitar sound, he has a happy warm voice that does the work. I love the uniqueness of his confusingly happy minor key (or whatever it is he does) vocals and melodies .... I blame California stars.

acho q eu não daria 5 estrelas se não fosse o review do miyake ((mas não daria menos de 4

Jesus, this was beautiful and also kinda ripped my heart out on this gloomy and melancholy day. Will be revisiting for sure.

yup yup yup

All timer

Really great album. I was very familiar with wilco but had never listened to this particular album.

Sometimes the whole thing sounds like it's about to fall apart but then the spit and sawdust keeps it together. Wilco begin to stretch their alt-country legs by flexing out in to classic rock stax, folk, blues and alt-rock and snap a few tendons in the process. Best Tracks: Misunderstood; Monday; Kingpin

This is a great album. While some call it uneven, it grabbed me throughout and was overall much more enjoyable than Mermaid Avenue. I enjoyed the more Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (an album I likely won’t be getting for a while) esque songs on here than the more country ones, generally. Overall great, though long.

Aivan mahtava levy, aivan mahtava kokonaisuus. Sekoittaa hyvin akustista, folkkia, rokkia, puhdasta rock n' rollia sekä jopa vähän noisea sekaan. Levy sopii loistavasti kesään lenkille tai ajamiseen ja ehdottomasti pitää kuunnella silloin uudestaan. Lisä mainintana vielä Someone else's song joka erehdyttävän paljon kuullostaa TF2 engineerin themeltä. Valvella ollut korvat auki Tämän kaiken ansiosta vaikka levy ei niin pysyvään soittoon jäiskään voi antaa muuta kuin 5 tähteä

Twangy

This album is good but it’s not Summerteeth or YHF so. That’s a bummer. But it is still good. Long, but good. It’s honestly like a 4.75

Man, Wilco is pretty awesome, right? This one might be a tad on the long side, find that to be true for most double albums. I still think YHF is my favorite, but this one is way up there, too.

Another great Wilco album. More upbeat then YHF.

Alt-country, country rock. I was only a little familiar with Wilco. I had only ever heard YHF before this and it's one of my favorite albums, so I was eager to get into this one, especially since it's a double album. I was definitely not let down by this album. It had what I expected and then some. The overall vibe is much like YHF in that its laden with bittersweet and longing lyrics and vocals. I love the acoustic guitar and piano and love when it breaks out electric ever once in a while. The brass instruments on some of these songs were not expected but were amazing. Incredible songwriting at play on the whole album, so many catchy tunes I could easily see myself singing along to if I knew them a bit better. I think my one gripe with this album is the length. While I believe every song on Being There is fantastic, I don't know if they all needed to be on there. It doesn't feel bloated but it could use a bit of a trim I think. But that's just my opinion after listening once. Overall beautiful album, loved every minute. Will have to revisit for sure. 4.5/5

Wilco is excellent. Always. A.M was great and picked a nice path after Uncle Tupelo split. Moving forward without abandoning their alt-country roots.

- joyous with range - strong instrumentation, folk roots but rocky punk vibe - lots of likes, will be re-visiting

Absolutely loved this. Every song is a different flavor of country-tinged alt rock, all perfectly executed, from the noisy opener, to the Stones-sounding “Monday”, as well as several great ballads. 5/5 all day!

Being There where "There" is the halcyon days of the late mid 90s with my girl Jen and this soundtrack and long debates over Uncle Tupelo v Sonvolt v Wilco. What a great double album and what a journey through all kinds of sonic landscapes--- - the hard distortion that leads into Misunderstood and those sweet piano notes with sweet tasting cigarettes - jingle jangly soft harmonica in Far, Far Away - those banjo notes throughout What's the World Got in Store (who else uses the banjo like this with solid rock?!) - Outtasite (Outta Mind) & Outta Mind (Outta Sight) and long conversations with Jen pre Internet about the differences and how I keep the songs straight Every song is a winner on this album and it never feels too long. This album started my love for Wilco and it's just reignited it too.

I am a huge Wilco fan. This album is not my favorite Wilco album (Summerteeth). Nor does it include my favorite Wilco song (Casino Queen) But it is still a Wilco album. When Jay Bennet was there and they were all kinds of messed up. Good times. Simply put, I love all the Wilco music up to and including Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Everything after that is enjoyed at various levels. Some being not at all. Being There is a bit too long. And all of the songs on this album sound 100 times better when played live. The Lonely 1 is a plaintive song about a fan. Makes me think of the Carpenters’ Superstar. Also, kind of like a Sesame Street version of Eminem’s Stan. Red Eyed and Blue has a cool whistling part that I can sometimes do. I will happily sit with any of you and discuss Wilco, Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt (and any side projects) ad nauseam. If I remember correctly, Wilco opened for Sheryl Crow at the Mann in support of this album. I do remember that Jeff wore Khaki pants and a light blue Oxford shirt and it made me sad. Uncle Tupelo was truly gone.

Voice and vibe of this album reminds me of the Dead actually. Groovy dad rock, as Wilco does

I am not sure there is an album more vital and crucial to influential on musical tastes than this one. From the moment I heard this when I was 16, it totally altered the trajectory of what I was interested in. It's absolutely part of my DNA at this point.

I got this album on release. A couple of funny things: 1) I thought it was their debut album and 2) I didn’t remember it was double CD. As I said on the last Wilco album we reviewed, their up tempo songs are easy to like and the ballads take a few listens to figure out but once the time is invested they are also pretty good. I think this album has the best up tempo songs they have made. Songs like Outtasight Outta mind, I Got You, the country song Dreamer in my Dreams and my all-time favourite Wilco song Kingpin. Since I’ve listened to this album many times I also really like the ballads such as Misunderstood and Was I in your Dreams. I like every song really. This album highlights the positive influence Jay Bennet had on the band and his parting ways with Jeff was a major loss. This was the best album from the JB era and their best album overall.

I love early Wilco, very good album. The only real issue is perhaps a little long and could have dropped a song or two, minor complaints.

I can’t remember the last time I heard an album with so many excellent songs on it. I love the lyrics - lots of sharp, clever writing. Their sound has a lot of country twang but they can also rock like the Stones (“Monday”) or do Beach Boys-style pop (“Outta Mind (Outta Sight)”). What a great opening line for an album: “When you’re back in your old neighborhood / The cigarettes taste so good / But you’re so misunderstood.” Very impressive to hear an hour-plus album that’s this consistent. Highlights: “Misunderstood,” “Far, Far Away,” “Monday,” “Forget the Flowers,” “Sunken Treasure,” “Someone Else’s Song,” “Dreamer in My Dreams” (those fake-out endings are so good!)

This was really good. I like this band and have only gone through like 20% of their discography but man did I enjoy this one. I've heard some of their records full through and many of their singles on solo plays but actually none of these songs before today/yesterday. There is so much thought put into every detail. Jeff Tweedy is an indie legend and writes so thoughtfully. I feel like for me this is a high 4/5 but I'm realizing that I'm only giving 5/5 to like super legendary albums for me but I think it's time that I round up at times, because the only thing keeping high 4/5 albums from being legendary 5/5's is the passing of time for an album to solidify that status. 5/5 then!

Love this album.

"Being There" is the second studio album from the alternative rock band Wilco. It was self-produced and a double album priced at a single album (which some saw as a marketing move). The album was named after the 1979 movie "Being There" since Wilco saw similarities between this album and the Peter Seller's character Chance. I'll have to re-watch it now. The album was viewed as a dichotomy between alt-country (their previous album "A.M." and Jeff Tweedy's former band Uncle Tupelo) and music more pyschedelic/surreal. I totally agree with that as there are songs that fit both of those categories along with just some straight-forward pop-rock songs. This is a tremendous album. Also, very important was the addition of multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett from the recently disbanded Titanic Love Affair. He would prove vital on this and next few Wilco albums. Wilco announces very loudly their alt-country departure on the first song "Misunderstood." Each band member plays a different instrument than what they typically play. Tribal drums. Guitar feedback. Total chaos. It then goes soft with a piano and alternates between the two throughout. Tweedy is the tortured artist, satiricallly pokes fun at himself and references the break-up of his former band Uncle Tupelo and bandmate Jay Farrar. A great song live. The two singles released "Monday" and "Outtasite (Outta Mind)" are pretty much straight-forward rockers. In one, he talks about making it big but doesn't want to work to do it and in the other someone who is outta site for awhile becomes outta mind. "Hotel Arizona" is very high on my favorite Wilco songs. A song that starts soft with an organ and traditional rock and just builds taking off with some great guitar. An ode to "Hotel California?" Getting use to the rock and roll lifestyle but with self doubt. The second half begins with a gem of a song in "Sunken Treasure." The acoustic guitar strings. Similar to previously mention songs it builds and alternates between soft and loud. The heart and soul of the album. The tortured artist. Great lyrics. We still got some alt-country goin' with "Someday Soon." Steel pedal guitar. A goofy backing vocal chorus almost sounding like Van Halen from back in the day. "Kingpin" also keeps the alt-country vibe going with some acoustic guitar twang. The struggle between being the kingpin of a small town and the lure of the big city. A shout out to Pekin, lllinois. With the underlying organ and beat, I also heard foreshadowing of what was to come on their next album, the wonderful "Summerteeth." "Being There" is my favorite Wilco album. The band separated themselves somewhat from the alt-country scene, Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt and Jay Farrar. The band would continue to transform over the next several albums. I would recommend listening to first four albums in order to see the band grow and transform.

Complex, layered and lovely pop ballads with a hint of country courtesy of the steel guitar.

Full disclosure: this is the first Wilco album I've ever listened to. The long runtime initially concerned me, but a few songs into the first half and I was hooked, especially when the rock influence turned up. The chord progressions? General musicianship? The lyricism? This may be my favorite record that this generator has introduced me to so far.

Quando ho letto "alt-country" ero disperato, come avrei potuto apprezzare un disco Country? Ora lo ho ascoltato, e potrei considerarlo uno dei miei dischi preferiti di sempre. La strumentale e i vocals vengono uniti da una produzione cruda, che, unita ai testi, rendono quest'album da spaventosamente lungo (1h 17m) a più rapido di un lampo, trasformando la testa dell'ascoltatore in uno stupendo vortice di emozioni. Non male per un album country. Fav: tutte lol 5/5

Superior rock album from superior rock band. Effortless brilliance.

Really great Wilco album, kinda surprised, I thought it might have been unpolished being an early album

Dubbelalbum dat tussen country, punk en psychedelica hangt. Vloeit voort uit moeilijkheden uit frontman Jeff Tweedy's leven, maar hielp Wilco er weer bovenop. Erg sterk en origineel album. leukste nummer: Misunderstood Tweedy nam het besluit het dubbelalbum voor de prijs van een enkele te verkopen, op eigen kosten.

wil co.

5/5 - Actually excellent

I believe this is my first 5 star rating other than albums I’ve known and loved and rated 5 in my mind (most of the time) before listening. This was lovely throughout, with great melodies, arrangements, lyrics, musicianship and Tweedy’s vocals were just wonderful. Enjoyed this a lot more than Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and this makes me want to listen to more of their stuff (or at least maybe the 35 track deluxe version of this album). Nicely done, gentleman.

Gorgeous, moving music

Love Wilco

Great album by one of my favorite bands. Although probably my least favorite out of the first 4 albums, it is still one of my favorite albums period. Love the country sound and the steel guitar elements. 5/5

I loved this. Sad and beautiful. Lyrics are great. Definitely going to listen to again.

Great album. It’s been awhile since I had listened to it and it keeps getting better with time

Оч круто, правда невероятно долгий альбом

Not as seminal as the reviews would suggest

Mein erstes Mal Wilco. War zuerst abgeschreckt wegen der Länge des Albums, wurde aber positiv überrascht. Entspannter Country Rock 👍

Several years ago, I bought Wilco's 'Yankee Hotel Foxtrot' on CD. I can't remember what led me to buy it (maybe hearing their name a lot?), but I remember really enjoying it on my first listen. Sadly, I never listened to it very often. I think I just wasn't ever in the mood for it once I got past "I am Trying to Break Your Heart." This is now the second Wilco album I've listened to from start to finish (unless you count 'Mermaid Avenue,' which I also loved). I was blown away by how much I liked this album. Jeff Tweedy is an incredibly talented vocalist, and this album really showcases that. I love the jagnly-er songs that are banjo-heavy, and the songs where the banjo takes a back seat, or isn't present at all too (I mean, I think it's not there on certain songs). Instrumentally, I don't think there's much more that I can say, other than I thought the flow of the album really worked, and it was fun to listen to. I did a shallow dive into the Wikipedia article for this album, and read that Tweedy had become a father between recording their first album and this album. As a new father myself, I really identified with the lyrical themes here: self doubt, wondering if you're good enough for your partner, hating yourself for thinking about running away (at least that's how I interpreted some of the songs). But the more you push on, the more some things get easier, while other things get harder. People always talk about how physically hard it is to have a new child, but the emotional and mental challenges are just as big, and I think Tweedy shows how those emotional challenges collide into the other areas of your life. I will definitely be listening to this album again, along with other Wilco albums. My favorite tracks on here were "Monday," "I Got You," and "Outtasite."

I love the way Wilco pairs noise with simple folky songwriting. I love Jeff tweedy’s voice and songwriting, this album is right up there with YHF for me.

Really good.

amazing album. first disc only slightly better than the second. first 7 songs really hit.

Classic Wilco