Being There is the second studio album by the American alternative rock band Wilco, released on October 29, 1996, by Reprise Records. Despite its release as a double album, Being There was sold at a single album price as a result of a deal between lead singer Jeff Tweedy and the band's label Reprise Records. The album was an improvement for the band in both sales and critical reception, in contrast to their debut album A.M. (1995). Taking its name from the 1979 film of the same name, the self-produced album featured more surrealistic and introspective writing than on A.M. This was due in part to several significant changes in Tweedy's life, including the birth of his first child. Musically, it juxtaposed the alternative country styles songs reminiscent of Uncle Tupelo with psychedelic, surreal songs. It was the only Wilco album with steel guitarist Bob Egan, their first with multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett and their last with multi-instrumentalist Max Johnston.
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.
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.
I'm sure there's a time and a place I'll enjoy that album. Yesterday wasn't it.
Absolutely love this album, possibly one of my all time favourites. Not a bad song here
Loved loved loved it
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.
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.
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.
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 :)
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).
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
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.
Way too long
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"
That was boring… Couldn’t get me to finish it.
I like a few Wilco tracks, but none are on this album
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.
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
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.
not horrible bit boring. just basic. nothing special at all
A little bit country, boring lazy vocals ruin the occasional hooking ruff.
An all-time favorite. Probably the best alternative country album ever (and Wilco’s last really alt-country record).
All timer
5/5 - Actually excellent
- joyous with range - strong instrumentation, folk roots but rocky punk vibe - lots of likes, will be re-visiting
Classic Wilco
amazing album. first disc only slightly better than the second. first 7 songs really hit.
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
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
acho q eu não daria 5 estrelas se não fosse o review do miyake ((mas não daria menos de 4
wilco da 🐐 no 🧢
Twangy
One of the GOATs
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.
Оч круто, правда невероятно долгий альбом
Really good.
Great album. It’s been awhile since I had listened to it and it keeps getting better with time
Gorgeous, moving music
Love Wilco
I loved this. Sad and beautiful. Lyrics are great. Definitely going to listen to again.
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.
Complex, layered and lovely pop ballads with a hint of country courtesy of the steel guitar.
"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.
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!
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!)
Voice and vibe of this album reminds me of the Dead actually. Groovy dad rock, as Wilco does
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.
Love this album.
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."
Really great album. I was very familiar with wilco but had never listened to this particular album.
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
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.
yup yup yup
Jesus, this was beautiful and also kinda ripped my heart out on this gloomy and melancholy day. Will be revisiting for sure.
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
wil co.
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.
Reasonable amercan folk country style
What a fuckin great album, just vibes as hell. Upbeat let’s go
not my favorite, I couldn’t finish it. I liked “kimberly” though
Wat better than their other album on here. Enjoyed it
Not my favorite Wilco record, but top five for sure. Definitely too long, though.
Found a Boogie Monster outro riff
pretty nice got a bit meh for me
I really really really enjoyed the first song and even the first few songs but after that it was very inconsistent between nice and sad and lacklustre and country ew
very nice album liked it a lot.
Easy to listen to and overall enjoyable.
Calm and chill. Like
I haven't been much of a fan of Wilco in the past, but this album was pretty good.
Monday y outta mind
It is too long and not everything is at same level of inspiration, but altogether is one of those albums which makes you regain confidence in rock as a genre
Not their best but revolutionary in its own way. Wilco does patience better than most rock bands of their time and this is one patient album. Mixed to the gods per usual
Very mellow, good album
Never heard of Wilco before today. Nice mellow alternative & country sound.
Am biased because I was already a Wilco fan. Shave 25 minutes off this and it's a 5.
Bisher die Entdeckung der Liste!
Očekivao sam da će biti dosta slabiji od Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, ali sam se prevario. Jako dobar album sa kombinacijom alternative i country-a, i gdje bi taj album pasao negdje da ga slušam na zapadu u nekom napuštenom gradiću, dok sunce piči, a ljeti još ni blizu kraja. S obzirom da je dosta teško napraviti dobar, a kamoli odličan double album, ovo je dobro obavljeno! (4.2/5)
Solid Wilco album, even if it's not my favorite. The blend between rock, country, and alt is pretty choice.
kul
Different, never listened to alt-country before but enjoyed the experience
Tres bon album folk rock un peu. Long 1h30 mais je ne me suis pas ennuye. 4.10
I like the more energetic and upbeat tracks. I think that is where this artist really shines. I don’t understand the hype around Wilco in general, but I think it may require more attention to the lyrics
Tyckte det var jävligt bra. hade fått en femma om albumet hade halverats. det är för långt.
Great band. Never knew
Another underrated Americana album
I like
Very eclectic...
Great sounds and album. Need a relisten
I liked this. It made me feel like I was in the 90s again.
It's not really helpful to think of Being There as a collection of pop songs, although it is that. It's more the first step in the direction that culminated in Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Like Pavement, a very different band to be sure, Jeff Tweedy had a fascination with how songwriting and the studio worked, how you could take the most basic changes and melodies and dress them up in the studio and come out with something that sounded like a song, and conversely, now much you could stretch and distort a tune in the studio before it fell apart. To me, it's the self-conscious and blatantly artificial vibe of the album that makes it work (And I say that even though there are no samplers, drum machines, or synths involved). In song after song, Tweedy will call attention to a studio artifact or choice, as if to say "Someone made a decision to add distortion here, echo there, add an instrument here or subtract it--and this is what makes the song sound the way it does." I mean, the songs are pleasant enough, drawn from Stones-y blues rock or country or whatever, but they are hardly the point, and they wouldn't be enough if they were. There's a generic, 2nd hand quality to Tweedy's writing here. I'd like to think it's deliberate, to point out what he's doing in the studio and in the arrangements, but who knows? Anyway, I like the meta aspect of what Wilco is doing, and the songs are pleasant on their own
enjoyed most of this if a bit indulgent. gonna say 4.
Wilco are one of those bands that I have kind of avoided, namely because some Wilco fans I've met have been a bit tedious. This is good. Not the second coming like some people have led me to believe but solid. They sound like a mellower, possibly more refined Replacements, with Jeff Tweedy even emulating Paul Westerberg's vocals in places. Sonically the album is pretty amazingly in places. It has so many layers of sound. Overall I like it and will listen to it and them again. The only negative is a few of the songs towards the end feel drawn out and it is a brutally long album already
I appreciated this list's kick in the butt to finally give a thorough listen to Wilco. I can hear a lot of new indie rock following their style (e.g., Band of Horses). Great opener to disc 1 in Misunderstood. Lots of sharp arrangements on disc 1 - good blend of drums as a base with mix of guitar, bass and piano. Other highlights were Monday, Outtasite, I Got You. Though I'm not a big country fan and the heavier country sounding songs weren't exactly my thing, the various string work (banjo, slide and plucking guitars, etc.) showed some nice talent (e.g., Forget the Flowers). Disc 2 was a little subdued or boring in comparison. But I'm going to judge it on Disc 1 alone and consider anything from Disc 2 a bonus. And disc 1 was very solid.
There's a very obvious Jerry Garcia influence to a number of songs here (not that there's anything wrong with that...). As the album progressed, the songs started to widen open in variety, which I appreciated. The band's appreciation for other bands (The Faces on the last track) really started to come out. I had heard of Wilco, but never really heard their stuff. Definitely refreshing.