Being There

I’m above a 5. These are the same guys who did “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot”? Are we sure? The guys who sounded like “American Radiohead” are out here doing an alt-country album 5 years earlier & doing a damn good job with it – color me surprised that this is what Wilco’s original style was like, as it’s somehow both way out of left field & right down my alley. I enjoy country music when it’s done well, so this album doing the genre justice as well as it does, while integrating soft portions of the grunge of the mid-90s in a way that doesn’t really too harshly one way or the other feels like a miracle. This sounds like ZZ Top at times, the Rolling Stones at others, Matchbox 20 on occasion, and yet, it’s all pretty cohesive. For Wilco, at least from what I thought I knew of them, I’m just really surprised. I’m also surprised this thing is as consistently energetic as it is; despite so many of the tracks here being lyrically somber or snarky in some way, a lot of these tracks have faster tempos & a really vibrant approach to the soundscape. The guitars are always doing something fun, the percussion knows when to kick into gear, and the supplemental stuff (fiddles/banjos/piano/etc) fits in perfectly. It also knows when to slow down that energy and let the lyricism breathe. These are pretty well written, but Jeff Tweedy’s delivery makes some of the more mundane / repeated lines feel fresh. His voice is an underrated instrument here, and it does show aspects of what he’d REALLY push forward by “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot”. Going track by track here would be a fool’s errand – this is a 19-track album, and that’s just too many to cover all at once, especially since I liked all of them. My favorites are probably “Monday”, “Outtasite (Outta Mind)”, “I Got You (At the End of the Century)”, “What's the World Got in Store”, “The Lonely 1” & “Dreamer in My Dreams”. The last one in particular, closing out the album with a suicide song wrapped in a bluegrass bow, is, at the very least, the most fascinating one here to me. Its message is in plain sight, but I didn’t perceive it that way until the very end. I just assumed all that “swinging” was optimistic energy awaiting his son’s birth & the future to come, so I clearly got suckered into the happy vibes of the instrumental. Why exactly is it not a 10 like “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” if I liked every track here & had a number of favorites, then? Frankly, it’s just a bit long. This is 25 minutes longer, and to be totally frank, I don’t think it uses all of its 76 minutes as tightly as it could. For as good as these tracks are individually, there is a slight lack of focus that starts to kick in after “Someday Soon”; not in the writing or delivery, but just in the pacing of the album. It starts to meander a bit, retreading on some themes & instrumental styles that’s definitely noticeable. It didn’t affect me too badly, but it is something that might bite on any future relistens. I don’t know if any tracks NEED to be cut here, since they’re all good, but some of them probably could’ve been trimmed out. It’s not my place to decide which ones though. Regardless, it’s still somewhere above a 5, at least for my tastes; this was super enjoyable, and I think they did a great job. I’m very glad to have heard country Wilco, & I’m very glad this is on the list. P.S.: Whenever we get “Mermaid Avenue”, I’ll be very intrigued to see how they handle Woody Guthrie lyrics. Those are from a totally different generation, and putting those to music in their style feels like it could be very strange. I hope it's good though.

Wilco is one of those bands that I think I am growing to enjoy more and more. They've got such a range. This album reminds me of Ween with how many different sounds and genres they've got going on. Similar (but subdued) sense of humor, as well. It's like Ween if they took themselves seriously.

I listened to this album a second time to fight through my heavy-lidded exhaustion, navigating around police and fire simulation drills. I stood outside for a moment during the instrumental bridge of Far, Far Away, warmed by the hot sun and appreciating two vibrsnt green trees in the midst of a poorly landscaped desert campus. One of my best friends introduced me to the song Heavy Metal Drummer off one of Wilco's albums. He has a knack for showing me smaller artists, so I had assumed Wilco was a little under-the-radar and underappreciated indie band; I was pleasantly surprised to learn that they were both older and bigger than I had imagined, and in fact are deservedly acclaimed. Being There sounds like a slightly earlier step on the trajectory that will get them to Heavy Metal Drummer, particularly featuring the disrinctive gentle vocals of Jeff Tweedy, one of my favorite aspects of that song. The instrumentation blends between alt rock and a slight folksy influence, either kicking up the energy under the lyricism or meeting it with its own delicate beauty. The split between a heavier first half and a more acoustic second half, exemplified in the twin songs Outtasite (Outta Mind) and Outta Mind (Outta Sight), helps keep the album interesting and full of identity across a significant runtime, and even though I find myself preferring the first half, the entire project still coheres together as one beautiful experience. Highlights: Misunderstood, Far, Far Away, Monday, Outtasite (Outta Mind), Forget the Flowers, Red-Eyed and Blue, What's the World Got in Store, Sunken Treasure, Someday Soon, Outta Mind (Outta Sight), Someone Else's Song, Kingpin, (Was I) In Your Dreams, Why Would You Wanna Live, The Lonely 1, Dreamer in My Dreams

Their early albums have been overshadowed in my memory by how perfect YHF is, but holy shit this is worth a revisit. The opening has like 6 timeless songs I’ve loved since first listen, used to play to death, and still love to hear them play. Some of it is sparse singer songwriter folksy stuff, some of it really flesh out arrangements like a soul/rnb country band, some of it rocks with a barroom piano, some of it is dirty guitars. A blend of alt country twang, 90s post grunge radio sounds, and power pop jangle. The lyrics are full of great lines - these are amazing love songs about loneliness and attachment and longing and heartbreak - and the singing is full of life and emotion. Warm, nostalgic, earnest, weary, so so good. The only problem is there’s so much of it - prolific to a fault.

- What an enjoyable listen. I could not help but feel it was a concept record, a classic one in the vein of the rock band on the road, working road dogs, struggling to keep creating etcetera. .... like Running on Empty or those songs by the Kinks and the Guess Who about being in bands .... it's a theme and this record fits right in there nicely. There are some really good rockers, there's some very good writing. Sure, it's a transitional record but still really high quality that sets the stage for "Summerteeth", which is probably their best record so far. Anyway, it's not a perfect record but it still gets a 5 from me because it IS art. -

Still as good as ever!

Extraordinary

Ganz schön lang, aber auch toll 9/10

wilco has a lot of five star albums and this is one of them. i assume at least "yankee hotel foxtrot" is part of this as well. do not sleep on "a ghost is born", "sky blue sky", "the whole love" - those are worthy of five stars as well. in fact, listen to the whole wilco discography. i truly believe wilco is one of the greatest american bands ever (ccr, grateful dead, r.e.m., the byrds, the band).

the first shift in track one? loved that. i literally stopped when it went low, then bang, up again. that’s how you grab someone. when an album runs over an hour, it’s a trick: either you’re really good or really pretentious. this one? truly a diamond. i usually don’t vibe with country, but this is too damn good to ignore. cohesive as hell. jeff tweedy’s voice just matches the vibe. genuine. good to listen to. it melts seamlessly into the general work, smooth like in "why would you wanna live," then more chill chat in "say you miss me." no ego, just serving the song. the instrumental it1s perfect. like, c’mon. the ragged country rock, the ballads, the noisy moments, it all lands. some lyrics are a bit too much here and there, but it's fine it match the vibe. and the country tracks are interesting enough to make this album damn cool. like, pick that damn banjo, bro. this is the kind of album 90% of rock bands wish they could pull off, but usually can’t. it reminds me of troubadourism, very bob dylan, johnny cash, fabrizio de andré. the “sit here, i’ll tell you a story” type of music. and the upbeat tracks like "monday"are great, very let’s go out for a drive and sing along energy, but without forcing that radio-friendly formula. let me add: this is the kind of thing that shaped artists like john mayer and others who give folk a shot. maybe even some alternative bands. you can hear the DNA. i’ll hear it again for sure. 100%.

Can't describe how much I love this album.

No sophomore slump for these alt-country heroes.

I really love this album. It’s not really one to listen to in one sitting. Dip into over the course of a day and by the end you’ll of the day it feels like you’ve arrived at a destination. It’s always felt like an album about music. One where the narrator feels a crisis of confidence but emerges with his love of music reinforced. It does seem pivotal in the history of Wilco like Jeff’s setting aside the alt-country of Uncle Tupelo and early Wilco and moving to the stadium indie of the later years. Apart from the Woody Guthrie albums I don’t really like anything after this, many do but not for me. The album was quite important for me. I bought it at the same time as If You’re Feeling Sinister and the first Fountains of Wayne LP. Which kind of brought me back to early indie, power pop, and paisley underground I’d been listening to 10 years before. A focus more on the songs than the attitude. So Wilco lead to The Handsome Family and Golden Smog.

I love this album and have loved it since the late 90’s. I saw Wilco open for REM playing these songs and still remember it almost 30 years later. Yes it’s long, but it varies plenty from song to song, has lots of different sounds and instruments on it, and the quality of the music more than justifies its length. “Being There” is aimed dead center at a 19-21 year old who grew up surrounded by country music, is trying to figure out life, and is pretty sure he’s not doing a very good job at it. This was exactly the album for me when I was 18 and it still sounds great to me at 48. An all-time great record.

Loved it, don’t think there is a single song on here I dislike

What a gem! I only knew Wilco's "hits" but this was great.

Thoughts before listening: Wilco is one of my favorite bands, and I typically say this is my favorite album by them (although it might actually be Sky Blue Sky). It's a transitional record bridging the gap from their firmly alt-country beginning to the more experimental sounds found on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. I haven't listened to this in a while so I'm glad to have a reason to revisit it. Review: Yeah I'm having major flashbacks listening to this album and it really is just so good. I pretty much nailed the description on this one: there are still country sounding songs on this album (i.e. "Forget the Flowers" which is a favorite) but overall this fits more comfortably in the 90s/00s indie rock world. I remember people calling Wilco the American Radiohead, and that's probably a fair description although Wilco certainly has stuck to traditional song structures more than Radiohead. All in all this is a great album by one of my favorite bands. 5-stars

Wow. I've listened to "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot: a bunch and while I liked it, it took until this for Wilco to fully click. I assume most people will call this album too long but this is a great album to put onto in the car or someplace and just vibe to. 9/10

Underrated album. Yankee Foxtrot Hotel and Summerteeth get all the love but this one is up there.

One of the greatest sophomore albums of all time in my opinion. Similar to The Bends progression from Pablo Honey, the growth Wilco showed on Being There from A.M. (not a bad record by any means) is outstanding. It’s also on my short list of greatest double albums of all time. For such a lengthy album there’s almost no filler: I think the only questionable inclusion here is Outta Mind (Outta Sight), a probably unnecessary reprise that doesn’t add much to the infectious Outtasight (Outta Mind). While that one may have been better off as an outtake release later on, it still can be an earworm for me occasionally. Misunderstood is Wilco at their gloriously weird and avant-garde best. It’s not a song for everyone, and that may be the point. It’s a ballsy song to kick off a record and it’s incredible. Jeff screaming “I know you got a god shaped hole…” gives me chills. There are so many killer tracks here and I probably added more songs to my ongoing playlist of top tracks from the 1001 list of any album I’ve crossed so far. Oddly enough, I fell in love with this album in college while I was living in Pensacola for a internship, and first heard the song Monday (“he must be down in Pensacola hiding from the snow”) while I was down in Pensacola missing all my college friends. Anyway, it’s a masterpiece. This kicked off one of the best streaks of four consecutive albums by any artist or group ever (Being There -> Summerteeth -> Yankee Hotel Foxtrot -> A Ghost Is Born). Sublime.

A lot of fun, listened a couple times. First listen was driving back from Thanksgiving and it was great driving music.

When I initially saw the length of this album I was like here we go again, another long ass bad album. But Wilco shocked tf out of me, not once did it feel like the project was dragging on and we got two totally different feels during each disc. Thoroughly impressed by this!

This is it

I see Wilco, I give 5.

Great under appreciated music.

An American masterpiece. An everyman voice for everyday people. USA! USA! USA!

Big sprawling quintessential Wilco.

Well, it's a double album, so some of these songs are gonna be a bit meh. That being said, it's "sloppy" for a reason, given that this is rock (country rock?). I was pleasantly surprised and loved that it ended in musical chaos. 5 solid stars.

6 star

I've made modest effort to look into Wilco for the past year, by doing the sidequest albums with Billy Bragg. I've heard Yankee Hotel Foxtrot maybe a few years before that. I do know Someone Else's Song, it was my introduction to Wilco. I first heard it in the 'Meet the Engineer' video Valve created for Team Fortress 2, the greatest video game of all time in its prime. Lots of subversion going on, songs sounding pitiful and soft and then erupting with lots of fun loud guitars and other assorted madness going on from it. Not the biggest fan of Tweedy's vocals, as much as it works for a lot of the songs. That nasally white male indie voice thing is not my thing. Overall I did enjoy the majority of Being There and kind of understand why it would be on this list. It's certainly better than some other questionable choices. Wilco's a significant enough band to have a few albums on there, and I can see why this one was a choice along that other album Pitchfork loves.

Rating: 4.7/5 Short Review: Country-rock at its most human: imperfect, unfiltered, and quietly transcendent. Favorite Track: “Misunderstood” — starts as a whisper, ends as an existential scream; the anthem of people who overthink everything but still mean it.

I liked it. Not for me, but good music.

Classic, nearly as good as YHF

Classic Wilco album

The experimentation, the classic rock the country, the bar band all mix together to make an album that’s sounds fresh still today

Me encanta, muy americano, de los 90's / 00's

Still shades of country, double album for single price Misunderstood Monday Don't forget the flowers

1001 Albums Challenge (18/1001) 1. Misunderstood (4/5) 2. Far, Far Away (5/5) 3. Monday (5/5) 4. Outtasite (Outta Mind) (5/5) 5. Forget The Flowers (5/5) 6. Red-Eyed And Blue (5/5) 7. I Got You (At The End Of The Century) (5/5) 8. What's The World Got In Store (5/5) 9. Hotel Arizona (5/5) 10. Say You Miss Me (5/5) 11. Sunken Treasure (5/5) 12. Someday Soon (5/5) 13. Outta Mind (Outta Sight) (5/5) 14. Someone Else's Song (4/5) 15. Kingpin (5/5) 16. (Was I) In Your Dreams (5/5) 17. Why Would You Wanna Live (5/5) 18. The Lonely 1 (5/5) 19. Dreamer In My Dreams (5/5) Total (5/5)

Oh yeah!

Good to remember these guys always had it. I really do love Wilco and I’m glad Jeff Tweedy’s around. Serious dad rock, but I love it.

This album came up on the perfect day. This hit me in exactly the right way

great

Love me some Wilco! Great variety and touched on a ton of genres that all flowed great

GOOD STUFF

good album

I've heard some of Wilco's other albums, but somehow missed this one. It was great!

Love Wilco and love this album

Yes, i still like rock & roll jeff tweedy

Wilco is an underrated band. I wonder why the Old 97s aren't more famous, they have a definite Wilco vibe. I like Wilco better too though so I guess I'm part of the problem. Good first album of a double album set. It's a lot of Wilco and it's probably a little unfair that I took a break in the middle. Sunken Treasure is a great way to kick off the second album.

incroyable

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.

Brilliant.

I need to stop giving albums five stars but today isn't going to be the day that happens. Normally double albums are overlong and strictly for dedicated fans but this is the album where Wilco really came into their own. Nearly 30 years later I still find something new to love about this album when I listen to it.

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot might be considered their magnum opus, but in my mind Wilco never topped the alt-country/indie rock balance, mood, and sheer variety on offer on this one. Just a great album from (an admittedly elongated*) beginning to end. Tweedy gave up most of his royalties to get the record company to price this double-album as a single, and I respect that.

A harbinger of what was to come and a beautiful transition from Uncle Tupelo & AM to the amazing albums that followed.

heel nice

Love it. Top Alt effort from a Man from Uncle. This morning I learned my cousin died. He was the same age, and we were close growing up. We spent far less time together as adults, living far apart, with vastly different lifestyle choices. But he was kind and generous, and quick with smile and hug. He was the last of his immediate family, having all been taken too early. Cigarettes killed them all. Somehow I think he would’ve liked this album, though I have no idea if he ever listened. I thought of him while listening today, and will now associate this album with him for the rest of my time. I think that’s good. Rest in Peace Kirk. Say hi to your brother and folks for me.

Fav: Outtasite (Outta Mind) Least Fav: Forget The Flowers Currently adding Wilco to my list of artists to properly get into, there stuff in this list has been nothing short of incredible. It’s so varied for country rock

10/10

9/10

Wow. How have I missed this album all my life. It’s soulful, angry, bitter and full of love and care. This is now on my list of desert island albums.

Their first great record and an incredible mix of alt country rave-ups, psych rock (love "Misunderstood" and "Sunken Treasure"), and I had forgotten how great the slower, acoustic songs are. Jay Bennett's contributions to this album were essential.

Impossible to be unbiased since Wilco has been my favorite band for years. One of four albums of theirs that's worthy of 5 stars, in my opinion. Some absolutely classic wilco tracks, from misunderstood' to 'outtasite' to 'Monday'. Some of Tweedy's most poignant lyrics ever. Some excellent deeper cuts, like 'forget the flowers' and 'what's the world got in store'. They could've maybe cut out a few tracks towards the end of the record that drag a bit and made them bonus tracks but, nonetheless, an amazing album. Early enough in the band's career, but more than any other album, feels like the perfect crossroads between where they were coming from and where they were headed.

Don't know what to expect but gosh this is a long album... don't have time to listen to all of it so I'll listen to the first few songs and see how I feel about it

Adore this one.

Very relaxing. Also, "Someone Else's Song" is covered in Team Fortress 2, debuting in Meet the Engineer (More Gun)

I've been playing catch up and I'm going to end today on this one. Every Wilco album I've heard I can listen to from beginning to end, including this one. I also added this to my library.

Wer will ein abwechslungsreiches Album anhören, der ist hier genau richtig. Verschiedene Musikstile Niveauvoll und Abwechslungsreich arrangiert und produziert. Und es ist Wilco. Und wo Wilco drauf steht bekommt man ein sehr gutes Album.

Heartfelt.

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 👍

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.

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.

Another great Wilco album. More upbeat then YHF.

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.

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

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.

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

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

cool

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.

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

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.

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!

Great!

love these guys

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.

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

4.5

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!

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.

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.

nice wilco

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.

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.

wil co.

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

Superior rock album from superior rock band. Effortless brilliance.

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

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.

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

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

Love this album.

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.

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.

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

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!

"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.

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.

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

Love Wilco

Gorgeous, moving music

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

Really good.

Оч круто, правда невероятно долгий альбом

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.

One of the GOATs

Twangy

wilco da 🐐 no 🧢

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

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

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

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

Classic Wilco

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

5/5 - Actually excellent

All timer

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

A surprisingly good album. Not great by any stretch, but all in all I liked it a lot.

ziemlich stark. 3.90 sterne

I really like this version of Wilco, before they became the (hipster) people’s band.

Not as good as 'Yankee Hotel Foxtrot' (their best album by a mile) 'Being There' is nonetheless a solid album that shows Wilco at near the top of their game. It's just not a perfect five-star album and that's OK.

When I initially saw the runtime, I was a little concerned. Surprisingly, I didn't feel like this album dragged or had much filler. Solid sounds overall. A little slow for my taste at times, but still enjoyable.

good but its just a bit long innit

Never heard them before but thought they were a middle of the road indie rock band Heard first song and really didnt like it. However as this turned into an Eagles,RollingvStones and Willie Nelson mash up i grew to love it. Think if it had of been a single lp it would have been an easy 5

Easy listening - Wilco is very nostalgic for me. Favorite was red eyed and blue

I really enjoyed this one

Surprisingly a great album, didn’t kimono would enjoy it as much as I did!

I was not familiar with this band but the more I hear this band the more I like them.

Quite a few good songs on this with a few dead spots. Good variey and a mix of genres.

I’ve liked this one since it came out. It’s obviously too long, but the vibe and songs are great.

tippe at albumet blir bedre og bedre jo flere gang man høre på det, villa gitt 4.5

Litt for cøntry for å få 5

I don't know why Wikipedia classified this album as country-rock. They sound a lot like the Stones, this is rock n roll. A very good rock n roll album. 4 stars.

I liked this a lot, Wilco are a band I should definitely explore more as a big fan of this sort of indie. I liked the country touches.

Wilco is just so lovely and like a softer, more agreeable version of Stephen Malkmus to me (sorry Stephen I also love your work.) This album in particular was very dreamy and had beautiful, tender points. Kingpin and The Lonely1 were highlights.

Very good album top to bottom. At times he reminded a bit of the singers from the Eels. I like them both. Some songs hit different than others but there were a few that truly made me "feel" the song. Those were my favorites and include Misunderstood, Red-Eyed and Blue, Sunken Treasure Was I in Your Dreams and The Lonely 1. Album was a bit long long, but I really didn't mind. Overall a very good album I will probably throw on at work. A very good background music at work album. This guy was just near me and now I'm sorry I didn't take the time to see him on concert. He has a few other songs I enjoy, not on this album. While this was more deep with a pop sound, you can definitely hear the country influence. Very good and will revisit. 4

Det er meget sjovt! Der er nogle fede syre-rock ting iblandt, og nogle sjove akkorder der virkelig vækker mig som lytter. Synes virkelig om Jeff Tweedys sangskrivning og vokal faktisk. Det er meget trygt at lytte til. og så spiller bandet bare virkelig fedt! Der er ingen der rigtig spiller over sig, de gør bare alle sammen lige det som sangen har brug for. Meget mindre country end jeg lige troede om Wilco, men det er vist også meningen på det her album! Til gengæld er det nok de mere country agtige ting jeg bedst kan lide. I hvert fald når jeg kigger på mine highlights Det bliver nok til en kneben 4,5/5 Highlights: "Forget The Flowers" "Misunderstood" "Far, Far Away" "What's The World Got In Store"

I think I finally get Wilco. I just had to find the right album.

My kinda shit. My girlfriend said she wasn’t fussed about Wilco, I said how can she not like Wilco? She exclaimed that’s the most guy who dresses like I do thing to say.

This definitely landed with me quicker than foxtrot, there's some absolute belters on this record. Really like the more stripped back acousticish stuff. Far far away, sunken treasure and the lonely 1 in particular are brilliant. Admittedly there is a country undertone to a lot of this that I'm never going to be a huge fan of, though it's delivered about as well as it could be. Overall, 4.5 but more a 4, though I'm going to go back and listen to more Wilco now.

Misunderstood - 4/5 Far, Far Away - 3.5/5 Monday - 4/5 Outtasite (Outta Mind) - 4/5 Forget the Flowers - 3.5/5 Red-Eyed and Blue - 3.5/5 I Got You (At the End of the Century) - 4/5 What's the World Got in Store - 3.5/5 Hotel Arizona - 4.5/5 Say You Miss Me - 4/5 Sunken Treasure - 4/5 Someday Soon - 3.5/5 Outta Mind (Outta Sight) - 3.5/5 Someone Else's Song - 3.5/5 Kingpin - 3.5/5 (Was I) In Your Dreams - 3.5/5 Why Would You Wanna Live - 3.5/5 The Lonely 1 - 3.5/5 Dreamer in My Dreams - 4/5 After listening to their more popular album "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" and feeling a bit underwhelmed by its hype, I was a bit apprehensive seeing this. But it's more Springsteen-rock inspired with the country style I expected from them. It's not that this is a bad album, I think that it might be just a tad too long, but I wouldn't say that any song on here is skippable. I might need to revisit YHF if I somehow like this one a lot better. Overall: 4/5 Favorites: Hotel Arizona

Ya know what I like these guys and their melancholy indie country twang, good for them!

Wow i can’t believe i put off Wilco for so long, this was incredible! An Indie rock core (obviously) including ballads and some songs even sound like they came from the 70’s. Now this is a double LP of 80 mins, and as much as i liked just about all of it, i still don’t think it needed to be that long, so it can lose points there for many people. Can’t wait to finally listen to YFH considering how much i liked this. Standouts are Misunderstood, Red-eyed and Blue, sunken treasure and especially Far, Far Away, i love that track.

Is it controversial to say that this is better than Yankee Hotel Foxtrot?

I wanted to dismiss this as Dad country/rock, but honestly there's to much intelligence behind the arrangements, the album composition and the playing itself to do that. Is it my genre? Not really. But that doesn't mean I don't find myself tapping my foot to the should-be-generic rockabilly grooves or should-be-too-cheesy lyrics on some of the show numbers. They obviously could get heavy if they wanted to, because some of the intros or lead ins hey really nice and twisted. But then they go into these songs that, if it weren't for the arrangements where they inject it with something unexpected tone or chord progression, or some loose jamming that they sometimes devolve into, would be just typical country rock. But it isn't and I have to respect the effort. Also there are parts that remind me of Radiohead and I'm a sucker for that kind of thing.

Almost 5 stars, just too many songs to keep the quality t!-5 high. But loved this.

Lots of good stuff here. Some of the only “country” music I’ve heard that doesn’t make me want to turn off the music immediately. This album could’ve been a 5 if they trimmed off the fat but there is a LOT here and some of it just drags the album experience as a whole down.

One of the main reasons for following this list is to discover records I've never heard of or listened to before that I really like. And after 65 albums it's happened!

Wilcoooo

Really good

Disc 1 was great. 5 stars. Disc 1 dropped off a bit and I wouldn't listen to again. 3 stars.

++: Monday, Red-Eyed and Blue, I Got You (At the End of the Century), Hotel Arizona, Say You Miss Me, Sunken Treasure, Someday Soon, Outta Mind (Outta Sight), Kingpin, Why Would You Wanna Live, Dreamer in My Dreams +: Misunderstood, Forget the Flowers, What's the World Got in Store, (Was I) In Your Dreams, The Lonely 1 +-: Far, Far Away, Outtasite (Outta Mind), Someone Else's Song 8,2/10

Incredibly versatile with every song and though it’s not a no skip album, the stand out songs are fantastic and I love to see the creativity flowing throughout this. The sad indie songs to the upbeat rock and country tracks give such a great through line. I do like the simple vocals too that help keep a grounded feel.

I've heard a smattering of trashed talked about Wilco in general, but never felt the urge to dive in. The whole point of this list is to expand our listening, and this album certainly did. I found this enjoyable the whole way through. Lots of ups and downs, some great riffs. Nothing too shocking or boring.

Solid. Too long.

Man I like Wilco.

Man I get really strong early midwestern emo vibes from this. I can count on one hand how many times I've listened to Wilco and I'm a little confused why I havent listened to more over the years. I think I probably wouldn't have enjoyed this as much when I was younger. Pretty good listen, nice vibes, great vocals.

Midwestern western folk music. Surprisingly good! I enjoyed the lyrics and just the overall vibe of this one. Apparently I’ve been sleeping on Wilco

Yes I liked this one. Some nice gentle pop songs and I quite like the vocals. Some of the arrangements were very nice too. Have heard some other stuff by Wilco but not this album. Will definitely check out the back catalogue.

long album, doesn't feel like a 90s rock one though. liked say you miss me, outta mind (outta sight), and the lonely 1

J'ai passé un bon moment à écouter cet album

Des mélodies ma foi plutôt sympathiques

Some singable tunes

(V) One of my favorite Wilco records.

Me gustó

The first half of the album was hit or miss for me, but the second half sold me. It also helped me understand why Jeff likes Wilco -- it's sort of a blend of Bright Eyes and Bruce Springsteen.

quite enjoyable!

I quite like Wilco, and it looks like I have been sleeping on this album. It's got some great songs even if it is too long. The steel guitar is great here, it especially stood out on "Kingpin." Favorite track: "Monday"

Better than AM, but not as good as YHF. Wilco is great.

Biggest complaint is its too long and too generic. I love alt rock indie, and this is a solid band/album that fits. Nothing is bad and I can find myself rocking along. It pulls in a lot of 90s vibes and sounds and I can see how this is a progression in the musical world. However, nothing pushes me or feels like it is anything but safe. Maybe chill is just their vibe and they don't have any other setting but I was just waiting for a little more. Still a solid album but my mind was yearning for a little more.

Had this been trimmed to the best 12 songs, it would be an easy 5 for its alt-country genre. On paper, Wilco is indie cool and pretty great, but what has always bothered me about them is that they are too safe. Their songs are verse chorus verse and definitely catchy, but nothing else. Throw in an electric guitar solo, and then move on to a rambling country song. Again, that’s fine, but they don’t light any sort of fire in my soul. I’m still going with a 4 here because the songs are solid, yet the album is just too long.

A little bit of country, a little bit of rock and roll. This album feels like it IS Illinois with its mix of urban and rural influence and general Midwest vibes. Pekin even gets a mention. I really liked it, it just made me feel good. Only complaint is that some of the slow songs on disc 2 got a little long and boring. This could’ve been edited down to one album.

Certainly, a different sound from their later albums, but still a good one, nonetheless. 4.5 bumped down to 4.

Number: 88 Date: 03/31/2026 Artist: Wilco Album: Being There Year: 1996 Genre: Alt County Rock Rating: 3 Notes: Before: ======= I know a little of Wilco. They have one or tow songs in my favorites by years list but I don't think anything from this album is on there. During: ======= A lot of this reminds me of what The Replacements were doing, 10 years prior to this album. I do like many of the tracks but don't find them awesome or that memorable. 4 Misunderstood 4 Far, Far Away 3 Monday 4 Outtasite (Outta Mind) 4 Forget The Flowers 4 Red-Eyed And Blue 3 I Got You (At The End Of The Century) 3 What's The World Got In Store 3 Hotel Arizona 3 Say You Miss Me 4 Sunken Treasure 3 Someday Soon 3 Outta Mind (Outta Sight) 3 Someone Else's Song 4 Kingpin 3 (Was I) In Your Dreams 3 Why Would You Wanna Live 3 The Lonely 1 3 Dreamer In My Dreams ----------------------------------------------------- 3.39 WEIGHTED AVERAGE (accounts for song lengths) After : ======= Seeing how they have another album on this list, I'm giving it a one for suitability. 3 my personal rating 1 suitability for this list 4 impact ----------------------------------------------- 2.7 composite rating

Fantastic album. Had this one shortly after it came out and it still stands the test of time. Wilco is timeless. Like a lot of double albums for me, there are 10 songs that could easily make a 5 star album. But there are just a few too many songs that pull it back to a 4. 4.25

I was only vaguely familiar with the band, so it was good to listen to an entire album. It's great Indie! It has lots of elements ranging from R&R to country. I had to listen twice, but rather like it now. Not amongst my absolute favourite albums (it's just "pleasant"), and it could be a 3* but I'm about to give Taylor Swift a 3*... I think... and this is, of course, way better.

Solid folk rock album

i like it a lot! and he made how to fight loneliness <3

countryy, catchy

I really enjoyed this, I think given more time with it, there is a lot I could get my teeth into, and there is a lot, which is the main criticism when running to 1 hour 17 mins. At this tender stage, I prefer Yankee Hotel Foxtrot but they are going to end up with the same rating from me. Wilco are certainly a plus point in terms of bands I have discovered on this challenge.

Arrrgh, why did i like this when Wilco and its "seminal" albums left me cold. My previous review for yankee foxtrot hotel said in short: lots of good ideas but left me cold. This had a different effect on me. I loved its balance of simplicity and complexity, its sprawl and its directness, the classic alt country and the variation. It just strikes me as a band who have worked out what they want to be, what they do best and are at the top of their game. Maybe later on they get turned around by success and complexity, i dont know. This sounded genuine and heartfelt and without pretention. I got this album on St Patricks day here in Ireland and its a bank holiday here. Despite the distractions that brought and the length of the album i made it through nearly 3 times which tells you all you need to know. Shit, im going to have to revisit their catalogue now.

4⭐️/5 [03.17.2026] 03.28.2026

Really liked the rock but sombre vibe. Def my kind of music, but only two songs really stood out to me. Easy album to listen to.

Longer than it needed to be, but not a chore to get through like some double albums. I largely enjoyed this throughout. Not mind-blowing, but consistently good. 3.9

Three maybe four songs to long but an overall very enjoyable listen. 4.5

i liked this one a lot & honestly the length didn't bother me at all like i was expecting it would. it did get slightly grating when it veered too much into yeehaw territory but otherwise rly liked everything they were going for. specifically rly enjoyed the bit at the end of misunderstood where all the band members switch instruments and play rly badly on purpose

Some songs were too country for me. But overall a pretty enjoyable album.

This was a major album for me in college - although nobody else I was around was into it, so it was a bit of a lonely pursuit. And yet, when I looked at all the song titles, the only song I could remember was Misunderstood. But then I listened and it all came back. I'm glad I don't sit around listening to sad guy alt-country music anymore, but this was a great trip down memory lane and rounding up for sentimentality. Saw them at Newport Music Hall in 1999 and one of the best shows I had seen up to that time.

Very pleasantly surprised, this is a really good album. I loved most of it, except for the fact that it's too damn long. Cut it in half (or at least throw away a third of it) and it's probably for the better. Will definitely be revisiting this one. If it wasn't so long, it probably would have been a point higher, but alas. 7.5 / 10

The album where Wilco started to become Wilco

A lovely album to listen to, probably could be a little bit shorter though. I’d say that I liked every song on here but a lot of them did sound similar so it’s kind of hard to pick a standout song, I feel like that would come with time as a natural favourite emerges. It’s a simple formula, some great acoustic instrumentals and a harmonising voice to pair, the result is quality and almost sounds ahead of its time the vibe of it. It’s a good album not super special but as I said I did like every song and could see myself maybe purchasing a vinyl of it so a decent 4-star is my rating.

This is not my favourite Wilco album, but it's still pretty good. Solid songwriting along with interesting mixes of instruments. It was nice that I got to hear it on a Monday! I definitely need to listen to this again. Liked Songs Added: Misunderstood Forget The Flowers Someone Else's Song Kingpin

This could just be the album's intended effect working better on me due to the fact i listened to it after i got home from an 8 and a half hour shift from my part time job but i really enjoyed Being There. This album had a pretty nice mix of both country rock and indie rock with each of the styles working pretty well with each other and generally being consistently good. I do of course gravitate a bit more to the latter due to me just liking the genre more. I still think i like Yankee Hotel Foxtrot more due to that album being more concise and generally just more interesting. But still, i enjoyed this album quite a lot for what it did. Best Song: The Lonely 1 Worst Song: Forget the Flowers Side note: Last Wilco album, you know the drill at this point 1. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot 2. Being There 3. Mermaid Avenue

Fantastic album. It’s long but it doesn’t overstay its welcome. And what an opener, it really announces itself and lets you know this isn’t going to be just another alt country album. This is Wilco starting to spread their wings and experiment.

Enjoyable little ride music.

⭐⭐⭐⭐ Första gången jag hörde detta och var nyfiken på detta American album då jag hört gott om Wilco. Det är jämnt och det har en viss dynamik som gör att det känns intressant och jag instinktivt gillar. Tycker kanske det är lite för långt, speciellt när jag för detta projektet vill kunna lyssna på det flera gånger. Känner inte riktigt att jag han ge det den tid jag vill men samtidigt är det ett album jag vill komma tillbaka till. Därför får det en 4a.

This album pays homage to 70s rock, Rolling Stones, Beatles, Yardbirds, Grateful Dead, country music, and alternative rock. It is all blended seamlessly, without being derivative and not forgetting to add its own personality to it. It's like a love letter to rock and country. Deal with it.

I'm not a fan of country, even 'alt-country' but this is a solid, genre-busting album. I acknowledge that it might overstay its welcome in places but overall, I really enjoyed this.

Only got around to disc one but what I heard was very good. Nice album to hit you in the feels 7.5/10

this was very pleasant and i think warrants further listening

Good

Some really pretty ballads mixed in with some alt rock and country, with some classic rock influences in there as well. That makes for a pretty interesting album, and an enjoyable one at that. Seeing that it's labeled country had me underestimating the album when I started, but I very quickly started enjoying it. "(Was I) In Your Dreams" was my favorite song off the album, it's very pretty and emotional. If you find country off-putting, like me, this album is much more than country. It's very much worth a listen. Favorite Song: "(Was I) In Your Dreams"

Like it! Not their best but Wilco are always grand.

I’ve never listened to Wilco before but this album was SO good. I knew people loved them, and now I understand why. I want to give it 4.5 stars.

Fuck me, that’s 3 double albums in a row. You tryin’ ta kill me, Generator?!?! Never really got the love for Wilco, their songs always seemed nice enough (admittedly only hearing limited selections, prob most from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot) but didn’t push the right buttons. But then comes ‘Misunderstood’, nearly 6 minutes of glorious noise and Jeff Tweedy banging on about being misunderstood. And it just works! Then on to ‘Far, Far Away’ which has a sweet melancholy about it. Monday presents a rocking story of Choo-Choo Charlie, getting the hell out of FLA. The album then follows a pattern of a couple of rockers, a couple of slower, country tinged songs, and before you know it, over an hour has passed by and everything seems right with the world. Some will say it’s too long and they are probably right, but I really enjoyed this. 4 stars

I’ve long been aware of Wilco but had never actually sat down to listen to them. As someone who loves both rock and country, "Being There" should be right up my street - and by George, it was. Wilko's influences are apparent as the album progresses; you can hear the DNA of The Byrds, Gram Parsons, Neil Young, The Stones, and The Faces woven throughout. Across the two CDs, the band proves incredibly eclectic, backed by excellent production and clever arrangements. It’s an excellent rock record that eventually won me over with its sheer charm and melodic hooks. While it does feel a touch over-long in places, you have to admire the sheer bravado and ambition of such a sprawling work. I suspect that with a few more spins, these tracks will really get under my skin, but first impressions are overwhelmingly positive. Four stars. Disc One 1 "Misunderstood" (4/5) 2 "Far, Far Away" (4/5) 3 "Monday" (4/5) 4 "Outtasite (Outta Mind)" (4/5) 5 "Forget the Flowers" (4/5) 6 "Red-Eyed and Blue" (4/5) 7 "I Got You (At the End of the Century)" (5/5) 8 "What's the World Got in Store" (4/5) 9 "Hotel Arizona" (5/5) 10 "Say You Miss Me" (4/5) Disc Two 1 "Sunken Treasure" (4/5) 2 "Someday Soon" (4/5) 3 "Outta Mind (Outta Sight)" (4/5) 4 "Someone Else's Song" (4/5) 5 "Kingpin" (5/5) 6 "(Was I) In Your Dreams" (4/5) 7 "Why Would You Wanna Live" (4/5) 8 "The Lonely 1" (4/5) 9 "Dreamer in My Dreams" (5/5) Total - 80 Average - 4.21 228/1001 127/228 albums reviewed were new to me

Love me some Wilco

I've always known of Wilco but never did much of a dive into their music. This was an entertaining listen - heard echoes of early 70s Rolling Stones (especially some of their forays into country rock) filtered through mid-90s alt/college rock. Liked the slide guitar and occasional alt-country echoes. Definitely could use a little trimming, but still enjoyable.

There’s some really great songs on the album and I’m stuck between rating it between 3 or 4 stars. Will definitely listen to Wilco again and maybe add some songs to my playlist. I think this would be amazing driving music.

Not the best Wilco album, but I like it a lot.

There was a period in my life where I was very emotionally fragile and insecure. Wilco was a band I listened to a lot at that time. It's hard to decouple the emotions of those times with the music. This album is a little bloated but this was a time before streaming where getting more music for the same price was great. I like this album, though it isn't my favorite from the group.

This was a fun new band to me. Catchy rock songs that bring me back to the 90s. Definitely a band I will look up more songs from. After listening through this album a second time that is.

I can get jiggy with this!

I bought this double CD in the 90s for Outtasite (Outta Mind) but didn't remember a single other thing about it. Turns out, the rest of the album was packed with fucking bangers. Who knew?

Quite like this. Loving the ebbs and flows throughout the album. Maybe I need to listen to some more Wilco

There’s a lot I like about this album and believe I’ll like it more after a few listens. Get a solid 4.0

Positives: Musicianship is great, singing is great and the lyrics are very immersive. When it's rock 'n' roll, alt rock with obvious country influences, folk rock and even indie, this album kicks ass. Negatives: When it goes full country, it sucks, and it does it a few times. Which brings me to the next part, if the album was trimmed (guess which type of songs), this would've been a 5 star contender single album. All in all, a good 3.5-4 stars.

This was the Wilco record that got me into them. I will admit that this sucker is long in the tooth, it really drags towards the end of the 2nd disc. But I dig how country-fied this is. Outtasite (Outta Mind) and Misunderstood are the highlights for me.

i was scared there would only be albums from the 70s here its a good listen. i'd listen to it again

Album 1011 of 1089 Being There - Wilco (1996) Rating : 4 / 5 Wilco is one of those bands that, to me, should be far more widely known than they are. They just don’t seem capable of putting out a real dud, and this album is another strong example of that consistency. The overall mood here is relaxed and introspective - peaceful without being dull, calm without being empty. It’s the kind of album that doesn’t demand your attention but rewards it if you give it some. The songs carry meaning without feeling heavy-handed, and the whole thing flows in a way that makes it easy to just settle in and listen. This is thoughtful, well-crafted music that feels honest and grounded. Nothing flashy, nothing forced - just a really solid album from a band that quietly keeps doing things right.

Really good album

long, but engaging. i should check out more wilco beyond schmilco

So long that I had to listen in two sessions. I expected it to fade in the second half but I found myself enjoying those songs at least as much as the first half.

massively long album. live versions are pretty good. solid late 90s jam band. nice to hvae on.

Very good. Excellent variety in styles of songs and instrumentation

Class stuff

Not my favourite by them and a bit long but it's good stuff

Excellent tunes but it felt like there was no link between the songs, still vg though

um álbum muito bem gravado - e executado. Boas composições, um molho country bem dosado. 3-4 estralas

You have to be in the mood for Wilco. When this record came out it connected with me and I found that listening to it in the car on long drives was a pretty darned enjoyable experience. And as I listened today for the first time in more than 20 years, it took me a full pass before it connected again. Certain songs are placeholders in time. They stand out immediately- Monday, Outtasite (Outta Mind) (such a great fucking song), Say You Miss Me. On the second pass the genius of this record is exposed. Jeff’s voice sucks you in and the less immediate tracks now suddenly click into place. Misunderstood and Far Far Away take you to fields of tall grass as the world spins past your window. This is music for the middle of America, a simpler time, and where the pace is just a little bit slower. What’s the World Got in Store for you? Hopefully more Wilco. I spin this record all the way through 4 times today. Side 2 is the same. There are a couple of tracks that are immediate - Outta Mind (Outta Site) with its Sesame Street piano, and The Lonely 1. The rest come after a few spins. I used to listen to this record very regularly- it was always in the rotation. And, now it may be again. 4/5

smooth

Me encantan Wilco. Y más me encantan su lado tranquilo y pausado que el marchoso

This was the first Wilco album I bought, right around when it came out. Nearly three decades later, it sounds so straight-forward, even with the swirling feedback in "Misunderstood." That's not a dig. Sadly, Wilco doesn't do much for me these days, so I have a lot of affection for this album, particularly the first disc. "Misunderstood," "Far, Far Away," "Monday," and "Outtasite (Outta Mind)" are all top-notch. The 2nd disc fades in the back half, but this remains great.

Rockero? Alternativo? Country? Definitivamente no está mal

This one has a lot to like. Far, Far Away got a lot of play on my ipod around the time of its release. By the end of the record though I was feeling a bit worn out like this was a long long story that never seemed to end. There is a lot of musicianship on this one, and a few great songs, which is awesome... but it's not a truly great record I think. It meets the bar for a 4 from me (I would play it again) but only just.

Where there's a Wilco, there's a wayco

I like Wilco, I have liked this album since it came out, they expanded the alt- country into further places, resulting in a damn fine album. My only real issue is that they are almost but not Uncle Tupelo, and I get the reason Tweedy and Farrar couldn’t continue but the knock on this album, which isn’t a knock really is I miss the change in vocal style/songwriting change that Tupelo had with. But that’s just me. High 4 star

One of my faves by Wilco!

Really surprised me! Slow ish start but really picked up and had some good variation in there too meaning I didn’t find it too long. Pleasantly surprised and will be back

Actually kind of liked this one. Slower alt rock sound. 4/5

Easy listening

I really loved AM when it first came out and it's still my favorite Wilco album. I wasn't as excited about Being There when it came out and didn't really listen to it much. Now, it really holds up and foreshadows what Jeff Tweedy was going to do over the next 30 years with the band.

First track, Misunderstood, is riveting. Great song. This is the catalyst as you're pulled into song, after song on the album. Even going from a melodic track to an uptempo one felt like a genuine flow for the album.

I prefer A.M. over Being There but I also appreciate Being There as a bridge to bigger and better Wilco things. It's probably a little too long, but still a good listen. IIRC, this album was one of the first CDs I owned that came in a paper/cardboard CD case instead of a plastic jewel case. Hashtag The More You Know! 3.9 Stars.

I was teetering between 3 and 4 stars, as I wasn't particularly compelled by this album but it was not half bad. Then 'Someone Else's Song' came on, which served as the basis of Team Fortress 2's 'More Gun' song that the Engineer sings. Thanks for the good memories, solid 4 star otherwise.

Is Wilco dad rock?

Gotta be honest - did not expect a double album from Wilco to slap as hard as this did. The sheer amount of influences present on this album is crazy. Early on in this I heard some Exile-Era Stones, then later some Dylan, Beach Boys, Beatles, Neil Young and more. All with a twist of Wilco. I didn't know they had the kind of range to incorporate so many different influences and styles, but here we are. What intrigued me most about this album, and maybe this is because of my unfamiliarity with Wilco on the whole, was the sheer amount of style, energy, and volume on this thing. The inclusion of horns (which is what really gave me the Exile on Main Street vibes) really took me by surprise. Do they normally do this? Are all Wilco albums bangers like this one? I don't know. As with all double albums, the question arises again - could this have been a single album? Well, considering most of the tracks I favorited were from disc 1...yes it could've been a single album. The first half carries more energy, more gusto and more intrigue for me. The second half is just a different, largely calmer vibe. When presented with the two halves back to back, the second just felt lacking to me. It was still great, but nothing could beat the first half. On the whole, however, I really enjoyed this, more than I thought I would. Four easy stars. Standout Tracks: Monday, Outtasite (Outta Mind), Forget the Flowers, Red-Eyed and Blue, I Got You )At the End of the Century), Hotel Arizona, Someday Soon

sehr cool aber viel zu lang

Þetta er ansi skemmtilegt, ekkert sem stekkur beinlínis á mann, en mjög áheyrilegt og rennur vel í gegn. Sérstaklega gaman þegar bandið hendir í hressandi country, líkt og í lokalaginu. Svolítið langt, svo ég læt tvö rennsli nægja, en ég gæti alveg hent þessu aftur á síðar. Segjum 3,8.

Whoa, I did not think of myself as a Wilco fan, but this is really a tour de force. It took me quite a while to decide between three and four stars, and even now I'm not totally sure. But I'll give extra points for the element of surprise.

Cool. There are some really beautiful pieces on here. There are also a few that don't stand out to me and I struggle to get into such a long double album where I can't easily get a sense for the whole record's arc. However the quality of one or two of these makes me really want to invest time with the rest.

enjoyed very melancholy, like those sounds from that time

I really like this album, but it suffers from bloat and doesn't get to the highs of AM or YHF for me.

Blind album. 1st half was SO GOOD. Would've been a 5. Just lacked in the 2nd half.

Over the past week, we've gotten a lot of boring rich music. I liked this one better for no articulable reason. Still more boring rock.

Gosteii da vibe

I liked it. Red eye and blue. Far far away. Got you. Misunderstood. Sunken Treasure. All good. Many emo tracks.. loved them. He can sing. Not the most technically talented vocal, but he deliveries loads of emotions very naturally in his own unique way. This only problem is double album doesn’t really work for me. Why double album.. it makes it very long and diminish the fun.

I always had this preconceived notion that people that liked Wilco were part of the older crowd and that it wasn’t current enough to warrant my attention. I’m not sure why I ever thought that. But it looks like I’m part of the older crowd because I’m definitely a fan of Wilco after my first listen. It being fall probably helped with the vibes but I’m not complaining. Other than the length, I thought it was a great intro to the band and made me want to dive into more of their albums.

Liked this one

Quite an enjoyable album. First song is simple great.

…I’m not even sure how I first came across Wilco. I remember downloading track after track on Napster back in the day just to burn the album, ending up with multiple versions of “Outtamind (Outtasight).” I listened to it then, but at the time, it just felt too country. Back then, it wasn’t “cool” to like anything that leaned toward bluegrass or Americana (a mindset I’m very glad I grew out of). Wilco is kind of magical. Being There feels like the spark that lit the folk-Americana revival so many later bands tried to capture. It’s like country music for those who were tired of what “pop country” had become in the ’90s - no offense, Shania Twain (I’ll always love you). This album is pure, simple enjoyment. Like sipping iced tea on a hot summer afternoon, sitting on the porch, letting life slow down for a bit.

Being a white dude born in the 80s, I’m required to appreciate Wilco. Luckily they make it easy. I really appreciate the effort at mixing their experimental pop with classic honky tonk sounds. Probably could have used some trimming for some sleepy tracks, but great concept.

An American musical smorgasbord, loved the folk and country, steel guitar was a real treat. I've never heard of Wilko but it didn't surprise me they were from Chicago. Lots of familiar elements that made it feel slightly nostalgic even on a first listen. 4

Wilco was a low to solid 4 for me too, it is a little long but mostly earns that. Turns out Wilco were a huge piece of the Alt-Country puzzle missing for me, I keep going on about loving Alt-Country with punk and emo tinges and it’s literally all here. I officially love Alt-country!

I feel like I've slowly come to appreciate Wilco more after mildly enjoying Yankee Hotel Foxtrot as album #60 on my journey. Going further back to their second record, I found more immediate appreciation for Being There. This album is rooted in the foundation of singer-songwriter Jeff Tweedy's former alternative country group, Uncle Tupelo, while incorporating more psychedelia and stylistic influences from other bands. From the gritty crescendo of "Misunderstood", to the rocking Rolling Stones number "Monday", to the pedal steel rollick of "Forget the Flowers", to the piano-led slow burner of "Red-Eyed and Blue", to the electronic flourishes that open "I Got You (At the End of the Century)", the experimentation on this record is vast such that it kept engaging for most of the runtime. Pair that with the skilled musicianship on display, crisp production, and Jeff's touching lyrics centered around the notion of the tortured artist, and the result was a gripping experience. Sure, this album does run rather long at over 76 minutes, and perhaps the genre-hopping experimentation comes off as a bit unfocused. But I still felt like I had an overall fun time listening to Being There, to the point where I may have to re-evaluate my feelings towards Yankee Hotel Foxtrot a lot sooner than I thought.

Could have been an excellent single album. Too many undercooked songs as a double album 3.5

This is like one of those all-over-the-place Beatles albums with four different songwriters, except that there's just the one. I'm sure I liked this album a lot until the next two came along, and it still has some fine moments, especially on disc 1.

I enjoyed it and will listen again

Très agréable surprise sur ce rock varié aux accents country Un album cohérent et bien construit

Un album que je réécouterai et c’est pas peu dire

4-

Incredible album. Wilco's blend of alternative, indie, country styles flow seamlessly through this album. 4/5

Really good album. It dragged slightly towards the end. Knock 3-4 songs off this and it’s definitely 5 stars

Honestly, pretty great

I have never heard of this album or this artist, but I REALLY liked it. This album was raw, the vocals were fun, and I kinda enjoyed how the songs were different throughout. Definitely wasn't the most cohesive album overall, but it was great! Liked Songs: "Misunderstood" , "Far, Far Away" , "Monday" , "I Got You (At the End of the Century)" , "What's the World Got in Store" , "Say You Miss Me" , "Someday Soon" , "Outta Mind (Outta Sight)" , "Kingpin" , "(Was I) In Your Dreams" , "Why Would You Wanna Live" , "The Lonely 1" , "Dreamer in My Dreams"

Great

Never heard of Wilco but this was alright. Not sure I really NEEDED to hear this but am happy that I have. Bit long but not too long.

I want to balk at the usual suspects - the length, the ploys at psychedelia. It turns out I remain charmed by Jeff Tweedy all the same.

Enjoyed this one a lot I like Wilco in general. No songs I would single out but would like to listen again. 4

Good country rock record

4/5