Being There

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.

Rock, 1996 -> 3

I liked this but I wish it was a bit shorter. Some songs didn't fit the vibe in my opinion.

Perfect!

Wilco walked so Conner Oberst could run. This was really good and thoroughly enjoyed every bit of it. Since I came to this style of music far after Wilco was "a thing" I do sort of feel the genre had progressed by the time I reached it, but I still could hear the obvious influence it provided to those artists I enjoyed.

I don't think I could in good conscience give this album a 5, but I also don't know if I can go lower than a 4. Wonderfully realized alt-country stuff that drifts toward where Wilco went in the future. I think it's gonna depend on my mood by the time the album ends, which might not be great since it's two discs and man that's long. Certainly warrants additional listening.

I don’t see a good reason for this being a double album, but there are some good moments scattered thorough

Hard not to fall asleep.

That one was insanely long and insanely generic. Nothing aggressively bad, but it was hard for me to remember anything about it.

Boring and over long. Par for the course for Wilco.

I've heard some good things about Wilco and this was a good introduction, some pretty good songs and also some very emotional parts, I'll check out their other stuff later on I didn't mind this. I really like the songs Kingpin and Monday

Pretty good, I like it a fair bit

I came expecting alternative rock and found country and folk music. The album is really good honestly, too big for being a two disc album (I'm used to prog rock and metal, and unless it's The Astonishing by Dream Theater, I can easily get into long albums) But overall I've enjoyed Monday (it's just me or the main lick sounds Steve Stevens came up with?) and Someday Soon. I had to drop it by the end of the second album, I like the fact that it's written and produced entirely by the singer but man it turned boring

I would probably rate this higher after a couple listens. 3.31

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

This album was indeed there

Good god I cannot stand country and their bullshit baby whiny fucking voices.

Good. Far from great. I might consider giving their albums Yankee Hotel Foxtrot or Summerteeth four stars, but not this one.

What's with these mid mid-90s alt/indie albums with a proclivity for going long lately? I had The Verve's Urban Hymns the other day and that too suffered from way too much length, these guys need better producers and editors to make them cut this shit down, not everything needs to fill every second on a.CD, and it definitely doesn't need to be a double album. I mean, if you have multiple 6:00+ songs on your album, the problem isn't the listeners attention span, the problem is you Jeff Tweedy, it's you...

Background rock

Forgettable for me.

Like their other album “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” I feel like I should have enjoyed this more than I did. Seemed much too long, some songs I even hated. But there were other points throughout where I thought to myself that maybe I am not giving this a fair enough chance… 2.5/5 for today

That's a good example of an album that is clearly not in my style, but i liked it nonetheless. A bit of country infulenced soft rock, very long record, but I had a good time listening to it. Very good album to have on headphones while at work. Nica and pleasant surprise.

Don't read the 1 star reviews. They are always negative bullshits. Read the 5 star review by the person who says the daily album is one of their all time favorites. That's where the magic of this whole project is, every day someone is having their day made better by seeing an old friend pop up. Music is powerful stuff. But anyways, I have limited experience with Wilco. Luckily it's Saturday and I'm able sit on the couch with a chonker cat and spin this multiple times. Highly enjoyable, really strong Americana album. (Was I) In Your Dreams is my kind of melancholy rainy day music. I should visit the rest of the catalog.

I loved this

Adore this one.

This was great but should've been like 30 minutes shorter

Wilco ooh Wilco...good songs, good voice, good musicians and still it doesn't crawl under my skin...

I've never been as big of a Wilco fan as some of my colleagues, but I do like them a good bit. So far *Kicking Television* has been my favorite album of theirs I've heard at a (9.5) 4½★ album loved that one. I gave *Mermaid Avenue* a 3½★s on a 1998 music dive, and let's just say *Cruel Country* was more cruel than country to my ears. This one is fairs much better than the other two studio albums. Historically when ever I heard them on Lightning 100, I'd make note to check them out further, but never got so excited about them to just dive in. This and the live album actually kinda does make me want to do a full dive. 8.5/10 ★★★★

It could have been trimmed down a bit, but really solid alt-country. 4.5 stars

Love this album, and for most bands, it would be my favorite album in their discography, but *Being There* will have to settle for second place. It's very much the alt-Country version of Exile on Main Street. It's kind of stylistically all over the place, with the power pop of songs like "Monday" and "Outtasite", the Stonesy country of "Forget the Flowers" and "Someone Else's Song", and the noisey freakouts of "Misunderstood" and "Sunken Treasure". I do think the album fizzles out a bit at the end, but there's still a ton of great songs here. 5 stars.

4.5

Because this egregiously is a Wilco double album of all unnecessary things I might as well give it an unnecessary double review… Review #1: Wilcquetoast. Review #2: Loving all the Wilco flavours here. Plain. All the flavours.

För mycket country för mig

Fine

A mid Wilco makes the list. Will Son Volt?

Son Volt ftw

Nice.

Huoh 1h 17 min chilling wibing sääntöä…

Like not like is the way I feel about Wilco. Tweedy is talented, no doubt but something about him bugs me. This was a good beginning for a band that seems a bit overrated to me.

If you got in my car between 1996 and 2001 there was a 40% chance this album was playing. I have had so many formative life experiences while this was blasting in the background that they compete with each other when I close my eyes and reminisce. So no, I cannot review this objectively. My favorite Wilco album and "important" in the sense that it showed a non grunge way forward for indie rock. Probably also one of the first and best of the "alt-country" subgenre - if you can't hear its striking originality it's only because it is a Rosetta Stone of Americana music. Also, the very rare double album that uses the expanded format effectively, giving its sonic playground a depth very few attain. Depressed about being a self loathing, self medicated loser, where their later albums are about having survived and learning to like themselves. I prefer the former. Also, you get multi instrumentalist Jay Bennett at the peak of his powers before his tragic downfall. A record store friend gave me a promo copy when this first came out and I knew of their previous bands and work but never got into it that much. And the first song on here irritated me because I hate people crying about being misunderstood but the rest of side one quickly makes up for it and then some. By the time you are on side three you start wondering if you should find a way to put this on an infinite loop.

I'm not a huge Wilco aficionado, but I own at least one album by them (not this one) and usually enjoy both them and Uncle Tupelo when I hear them. Thankfully this holds true for this album too, although I was kind of hoping to enjoy more tracks on the too long album than I did. "Misunderstood" starts off the album really (really) strongly, but Tweedy and company struggle to sustain the mood or tone through much of the first disc, sadly; I was really glad that "Red eyed and blue" followed "Forget the flowers", as the latter kind of made me despair for the remainder of the album. It was nice that the second disc really picked up with "Outta sight" through "Kingpin". Overall it feels like Tweedy and Wilco were still exploring directions with this album, and didn't quite find the way by the end. Fine but not great.

At some point I decided I wasn't listening to enough "new" music and ended up buying this album, which I did/do sort of enjoy. Tweedy's songwriting is good but could be great if he could just get out of his groove a bit. I would have loved this album if it had just been disc one.

This mix of country, indie, and alt-rock is just not appealing to me. Too laid back and meandering, its better moments are too spread out over the over-long double length album. If I liked the singer's voice more it would be more palatable.

Long album is long. Long album also started off fairly depressing. Long album started to get better and actually by track 11 I thought 'Oh this isn't dragging on as much as I thought it might'. Then track 11 did drag on a lot. And then I realised I should have stuck with my initial inkling that this would be long and depressing, cause it was.

I’ve heard bits of Wilco I liked, but this gave some “doing an impression of oasis” vibes and I don’t know really know why. Something just never clicked on this one

2.0 - Weak

Bloated very little dynamics.

I was only really cursorily familiar with Wilco coming into this album. The most I had heard about them was from my girlfriend and from friends here and there. What followed was a decently pleasant to listen to country/indie/folk album with some standout songs here and there. I think a knock against the album would be that it's entirely too long. At 19 tracks it starts to outstay it's welcome a little bit towards the latter half of the record. Despite that though, I found a few songs I would not mind returning to every now and then. Like with some of the albums I've been recommended from 1001AlbumsGenerator, I have a feeling I would like some of their later, more mature, releases better than this one. Although, this one is a solid listen for the most part. Standout tracks are: "Hotel Arizona" and "Kingpin".

Hey look buddy, I'm an engineer. That means I solve problems. Not problems like "What is beauty?" Because that would fall within the purview of your conundrums of philosophy. I solve practical problems. For instance, how am I going to stop some mean Mother Hubbard from tearing me a structurally superfluous be-hind? The answer, use a gun, and if that don't work... use more gun. Take for instance this heavy caliber tripod mounted lil' old number designed by me, built by me, and you best hope... not pointed at you.

Just a really long, bland, uneventful slog.

I liked the vibes of this album and I’m a sucker for some good banjo. There weren’t any songs that jumped out at me in particular, but I would listen again. 3.5 stars.

Awesome double album. First half made me cry and the second half brought me right back. This band is Bob Dylan as a band and this is their Highway 61. This is just great. Definitely recommended. Dreamer In My Dreams is the best song.

honestly I liked this but was really not in the mood for it.

First listen to Wilco. Very enjoyable listen.

нормалек, типа кантри. представляется американский бар с этими чуваками на сцене.

Not bad, just not really for me

I listened till mid of the disc 2. It´s a cool album. Although it´s not my personal favorite. There´s a bit of country here and there. It´s not remarkable to me

Country feel

Country, twangy rock vibe

Very nice country-adjacent indie. Nice variety of sounds and tempos. Maybe a bit long.

The better version of country and blues. I didn't feel like fast forwarding and skipping this, which is new for me.

Not too bad!

Wilco is ok, it's chill, listenable folk/rock. I preferred their stuff with Billy Bragg. This album went on for a bit too long.

Having listened to Wilco’s acclaimed album *Yankee Hotel Foxtrot* and being a fan of it, I was happy to have this album come up today. And after giving this a listen, I’m glad to say that I like this album as well. Being a double album, this album has some nice variety to it that I didn’t expect. There are energetic tracks, then mellow and soft tracks, and more experimental-sounding tracks. The intro track, *Misunderstood*, was an amazing way to start this off. I like its vocal effects and combination of soft and energetic bits. However, it also brings aspects I really appreciate about this album *and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot*, which is the lyricism and songwriting. They’re both really immersive, atmospheric, and set the mood of the songs so well. The song also showcases Jeff Tweedy’s vocal abilities, which are great and unique. Another thing I didn’t expect was *Someone Else’s Song.* Surprisingly, the song played on guitar by Engineer in Meet the Engineer is based on this song, and I knew it as soon as I heard it, haha. I love its soft guitar playing and vocals. As I said earlier, this is a double album, and that can be for better or for worse. This album has great tracks to be found, however, it does drag on a little bit for being over an hour. I felt like some of it could have been shaved off. However, that doesn’t detract from this album being pretty good. I still recommend giving this a listen, especially if you want some nice indie music or liked *Yankee Hotel Foxtrot*.

First pre-YHF album of Wilco's I've listened to. It's solid. Wilco is one of those bands that I think is very solid but I don't listen to often.

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

Thankfully this dross didn’t make it across the pond to England.

Long. Sounds like a bunch of Ben Folds B-sides. Meh. I had higher expectations.

Nice enough, but the songs don't grab me.

Boring

Really lame cover art hiding a massive trove a good Wilco songs. Less experimental and more straight up indie rock/alt country jams. Pretty dang good

Given my opinions on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, I was not looking forward to this record. For the most part, I was pleasantly surprised. This is a Wilco that is more stripped down, more willing to experiment, and feels more genuine. This is the Wilco that I imagine music critics bow to. That said, the double album is a tough trick to pull off. As usual, there's a full album's worth of very good to excellent songs; "Sunken Treasure", "Someone Else's Song", and "Kingpin" are among my favorites, and often remind me of the band, Sparklehorse, who Wilco likely inspired. Other songs are just bland as can be, regardless of genre. Given the album's runtime, there are too many boring songs to make this worthy of that much praise.

Urgh. Too dull to care about.

Favorite Track: Far Far Away

The music was okay, but didn't really have anything for me to latch on to.

solid. probably 3.50-3.75 could i write poetry to this? n

An excellent album, notable for its sheer quantity of solid material. It is not, however, the very best Wilco album. That, of course, is "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot." I'm sure we will see that one at some point on this list.

Love this album and Wilco

Not Wilco's best, but there is some damn good song craft here

Wilco is like a cozy blanket that wraps you up to comfort you from the profound sadness that they themselves caused.

ok rock

Great tunes. Really dug the vibe

Pff. Ik weet niet man. Heeft deze zanger ooit een goede dag gehad? Dat de zon scheen en dat hij zich gewoon echt lekker voelde? Dat ie in de auto zat, aan kwam rijden bij een stoplicht en dat meteen op groen sprong? Ik denk het niet, aan dit DUBBEL ALBUM te horen, ja een uur en 17 minuten pure jank muziek! Wilco, ik ga er maar even vanuit dat dat de naam van de zanger is want ik vind dat een zeikerige naam die precies past bij deze zeikerige band, word denk in elk nummer gedumpt ofzo want JEZUS wat klinkt deze band zeikerig. De nummers die als FAVO zijn gemarkeerd zijn dus zowaar wat meer 'uplifting' en met iets meer tempo, maar het overgrote deel is gewoon trage zeikmuziek. Mijn god, had het complete dubbelalbum op deze lijst gemoeten? Waren we niet voldoende gestraft met alleen cd 1? WAUW dat laatste nummer Dreamer in my dreams is hilarisch! Een soort fake-out doen en dan toch nog terug komen, alsof we daarop zaten te wachten? Het ontbreekt deze ontzettend matige band in elk geval geen seconde aan zelfvertrouwen! FAVO: Monday, Forget the flowers, Kingpin

Enjoy the contemplative nature of Wilco.

2.5

★½

Great but not my favorite Wilco.

When Wilco is good, they are really fucking good, but it’s rare relative to the 19 fucking songs in Being There. The blaring guitar and keyboard on the opener Misunderstood is the highlight. It only really returns on Hotel Arizona. Tweedy however does write some fantastic folk pop songs like Outta Mind and Lonely 1. There is a lot going on with Wilco, country, alt, folk, indie. It’s mostly very good. But as usual with double albums, it’s too damn long 7.8/10

Very dull and unconscionably long. Occasionally there's a nice instrumental flare where the backing band finally decides to do something cool ("Sunken Treasure") but Jeff Tweedy is an insipid, uninspiring vocalist for the album's entire 76 minute runtime.

This is a good, but not great Wilco album, while also still being a fun listen. I love Monday and think it’s an all time Tweedy banger, but this album is mostly a good listen to hear the band first kind of finding themselves before later perfecting it. It’s still my favorite of their early records but totally get it if it isn’t someone’s thing at all.

Considering Wilco’s masterpiece is also on this list, I was curious to see this album here. It’s a fine slice of mid-90s alt-country, along with some of the wild weird stylings the band would go to construct later. But unfortunately this is a double album that’s really only an album and a half. By the 4th side, it’s worn out its welcome and lost the plot. In fact the whole album is a slow run of diminishing returns; “Misunderstood” is an absolute classic, but by 45 minutes you’re starting to wonder when they’re gonna a go ahead and wrap it up. It’s a fine album, some great songs in the mix, but sometimes you really really need an edit.

far from my favorite wilco but there are plenty of great ideas. not amazing for a 1h17m album when the first song clears everything else, but i can disable the part of my brain that is annoyed by corny indie rock tropes when wilco does it

Great album. Every song is good.

Has a vintage sound to it through different music styles, but none of which resonated with me. 6/10

I like Wilco a lot, and this album is great even though it is long. You can pick up on some of their early experimentation with noise rock that they perfected on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. While I like this album, it’s not as essential as other albums by Wilco, and isn’t one of my go to Wilco albums

Wilco are never bad. Bit too long, not much that really grabbed me, but a solid and pleasant listen.

I kind of enjoyed this, but the album was very long and the songs all sounded similar.

Decent but lacks the really gripping songs that I love from YHF.

The beginning of the album was very interesting. Unfortunately, the tension could not be maintained over the long playing time of over an hour. Overall, the album was interesting and enjoyable, but left a somewhat boring impression. 3/5

What a nothing burger of an album. Probably 2-3 years too late to have any relevance to music of the era.

It’s just ok.

Standard alternative album, I think others did it better, but I appreciate how cross-genre it tried to be. Really fucking long and boring though. 3*

Yep, stone-cold classic this one. Exactly the kind of band I wanged on about incessantly during the Britpop era because all the UK bands were "too popular". What an insufferable arsehole I was (and, most likely, still am) Doesn't take anything away from this delicious slice of indie-rock though. From the opening bars of "Misunderstood" the memories came flooding back. I don't go back to this album as often as some on the list, so it's a 4 from me.

This is really not my bag.

Not one I'd heard before. But pretty great.

Quite good, relaxing - nearly 4.

Production was cool sometimes but hated his voice wow

This upgrades my opinion of Wilco from 'up themselves' to 'only up themselves some of the time'. It's OK level easy listening rock.

Prepare the fanfare, it's time... for... The Faintest Praise Ever!! It was slightly better than Yankee Hotel Foxtrot I guess

A double album.... unfortunately only managed a couple of listens through (and it probably needs a few more). Enjoyed it - but nothing really jumped out and grabbed me but equally nothing repelled me. So I guess that makes it a solid 3. If it was not so long and I had more time to listen a few more times it may have crept up to a 4 as enjoyed the sound.

Being There I bought this around the time it came out. It seems odd looking back that I bought an alt country album in 1996 when I was solidly mid-Britpop, but I remember hearing Outtasite (Outta Mind) on the radio and liking it enough that I bought the album. I also remember loving I Got You (At the End of the Century). Anyway I did like it a lot then, even if it was probably more country than I expected, but nowadays it would be the Wilco album I listen to least. Listening now it's definitely still a really good album, with a nice mix of styles on top of their country rock foundation - the Stax-esque horns, Stonesey guitar and country inflections of the excellent Monday is great and there is some really nice oddness and experimentalism spread across the track, with some lovely melodies and delicate moments It is definitely unnecessarily long though, and it doesn’t need to be a double album. There aren’t really any bad songs as such, it's just there’s just too many, meaning the 2nd half of the disc 2 definitely drags. The Lonely 1 is a lovely song and one of the strongest on the album, but it does get a bit lost in that drag, as does the hoedown stomp of Dreamer in my Dreams. Alongside Outtasite, Monday, The Lonely 1 and Dreamer of my Dreams there are other excellent tracks: Misunderstood, Red-Eyed & Blue, I Got You (At the End of the Century), Hotel Arizona, Say You Miss Me, Sunken Treasure, Someone Else’s Song, Kingpin (Was I ) In Your Dreams. Those tracks would make an excellent single album. You can definitely see the start of what made their subsequent albums great, the hints of experimentation with sounds and textures, their eclectic approach to songwriting and an overall careworn feel, but it's much more tied to Tweedy’s country roots with those punk and rock’n’roll touchstones. This is not a bad album in any way due to that, but as they start to get less clearly tethered to their country foundations and add more off kilter pop to their sound you can really sense them making big leaps forward into more interesting territory, especially when Glen Kotche joined after Summerteeth. Ken Coomer is a good drummer, but Kotche is a step above and allowed them to be more rhythmically dynamic If this had been a single disc album it may have just got into the 5s. It’s s a high quality set of songs but it just a bit too long, and isn't quite at the level of their next 3 or 4 albums 🆗🆗🆗🆗 Playlist submission: Monday

If you present an album of 1.16hrs you'd better make darn sure it's good enough or at least interesting. But there is quite a bit here that's underwhelming. I dont think it anywhere near the quality of Mermaid Avenue nor Yankee Hotel. Had it been pared back, a very decent album would emerge. On the strength of the more folk-inspired numbers it gets a three.

Oh I'm there for it. This is not the best Wilco by a long shot, but it is essential Wilco, and some of the most important sound to move the needle toward the 21st century indie progression. Sometimes what you really want is straight down the middle Wilco, and Being There delivers on that completely.

Wilco's weathered, uniquely midwestern opus takes the soul on a cross-country ride through the heartland, arriving somewhere wisened and out of time.

It’s well produced, well written and well played, but it’s nothing special. And it’s way too long. Edit. Disc 2 is horribly boring and almost drags it down one star

Wilco kommt mir als bandname bekannt vor, einordnen kann ich es nicht. abwechslungsreiches doppelalbum mit vielen songs die zum mitwippen animieren, dann auch wieder „more of the same“. steel guitar, sanfte stimme, bläser. stil? wow, überall und nirgendswo einzuordnen.

Kannte ich nicht, gefällt mir aber in der Breite, insbesondere die Songs mit Banjo.

Fedt album! Jeg var overrasket over, at den var fra 90'erne, den lyder præcis som 00'er alternative

Havde ikke hørt den her før. Ikke så mærkeligt som jeg tit forventer fra Wilco men vildt høj kvalitet som ikke rigtig falder selvom det er en kæmpe plade. Virkelig fedt!

Overall really good and enjoyable. 3+

2,5

This band can have a Coldplay sound in one song and a Traveling Wilburys sound in the next. I listened to the 2 album version not the 4 album version my streaming service offered. So many people talking about how long the album is, probably listened to the later.

I would qualify this album as fine but long. It's a bit like spreading a tiny amount of jam on a large piece of bread ! Better using less bread

I came to Wilco later and still enjoy Summerteeth and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot more, but these songs are classic alt-country and I have played many of them live over the years. They have a sort of space within the music that a lot of other similar bands don't have. You can hear the beginnings of the experimental Wilco in some of these songs.

I liked the vibes of this album and I’m a sucker for some good banjo. There weren’t any songs that jumped out at me in particular, but I would listen again. 3.5 stars.

um pouco longo demais mas eu gosto do meu mano wilco.

Wilco? More like WON’T go!! Up top. Give me a high five. No? Why not? Is it because I made a bad joke via typed review? Or is that nobody is reading? That would be tough either way. I’m hurt. I’m glad this looks sappy as all get out. Maybe this is David Wilcox’s emotional return from “Do the Bearcat.” Only one way to find out. Google. It is not David Wilcox. Onwards and hopefully, upwards. Whoa. I was listening to grindcore before this and the opening was kind of a good transition point. Following the buzz, the melody is kind of nice. Not a huge fan of the piano but this song is decent. Repetitive, but interesting. The last two minutes are actually the best part. Now to the modern country part. Here’s the catch. It’s not abhorrent modern country. It is kind of nice. If you said to me, “hey, we’re going to be hearing some mid 90’s country,” I would’ve passed clean out. Fortunately, this song is actually quite good. Sounds like a genuine expression. Good stuff. Oh what the hell. Oh. Never mind. I thought we were getting a full didgeridoo song. A little too upbeat here. A Ska song by Bryan Adams feat. Ryan Adams feat. Bon Jovi. Deliver me from this cursed chant. Thy lyric cast unto me a wicked spectre whom I cannot elude. My days fade with each passing trip to Tallahassee. I wish to reach the snow but I am dragged down to this wretched panhandle once more. “Out of this pan” I shout. Deaf ears. This was better. Not great. Fine. This is a fun little country song. Much improved. Sweet melody, simple, with a nice little indie nerd flavour. Excellent. Red-Eyed and Blue ended up being a little boring. Grabbed my attention once. The words are interesting but other than that, a pass. Same-y riff time. This is veering back into the Bryan Adams shit. Wilco. My brother/sister/non-binary homie. This isn’t good. I’m worried about stock issues at “the world.” Not much in store here. Kind of fading in the middle here. This is a long one too. Jeez. Not a good start to “Say You Miss Me.” Too sappy. Attempted hit police have been called. Wilco, you are simply not pop enough to make a 90’s wedding country ballad. Please take your hands OFF of the acoustic guitar or we will use lethal force. Disc 2 autocorrected to “died 2.” That’s sort of how I felt when I saw that this puppy was 7 minutes long. I’ve always said, we have too much freedom as a society. The joke is, I don’t hate this song that much. Don’t say rock n’ roll so much. That is a heavy critique of this entire album to be fair. The weird dissonant guitar parts of this song are great. Hmm. I thought I hated this song, but I don’t. The guitar is way cooler, the banjo should replace the piano in every instance. I still hear that dumb riverboat riff trying to poke its head in there. Outta Mind was decent. The streak is ramping up a little bit. Nah, this is another attempted radio display. That’s strike 2 Wilco. Kingpin was super fun. The funk bass was out of left field and made for a different track. Were you in my dreams? No, Wilco. Last night I dreamt I saw a surfer get eaten by a shark from a raft in the sky that was taking the classic trip from eastern Australia to Halifax, Nova Scotia. So, no. Dreamy alt-country ballads did not appear. Why would you wanna (Live). Right?? Wilco is fine. Well. Maybe he’s not fine. Is he singing about his own parasocial relationship? Maybe he really loves David Wilcox and has attempted to meet him on stage. Dear David, I did the bearcat to your latest song. If you know what I mean. I can’t wait to see you through your hotel room at your next show. Keep an eye on the lights. You won’t feel a thing. Love, your biggest fan. Anyway. Let’s close it down with this song played in the jukebox at a soda jerk. Real boot-scootin’ time. Mid as hell closer. This album is a strange one. I was captivated by the atmosphere at times and dreading the next song at others. I think if this shaved 4-5 songs off or 20-35 minutes, we’d be talking about a nice little indie-country record. Instead, we’re looking at a decent but more than slightly bloated monster that could’ve been shaved down heavily. When I start writing about stalking David Wilcox or writing odd medieval tomes, you know something is either really great, or lagging a little bit. I’ll take the latter on “Being There.” While I didn’t want to be anywhere but there, I was certainly a little antsy to mosey my way on to the next one. 2.5 HIGHLIGHTS: Forget the Flowers, Someday Soon, Kingpin

Wilco was better than I expected. I always thought they were a boring folk/country band, but they were actually wildly ahhead of their time. On Being There, Wilco blend rock, country, folk and other contemporary styles into a unique project. There are some misses here, but there are still plenty of great songs. Best Songs: Forget the Flowers, Red-Eyed and Blue, Dreamer in My Dreams Worst Songs: Why Would You Wanna Live

Nope

Solid album.

1996. Country rock. 7,5/10 Hotel Arizona / Someday soon / Kingpin

Too long, not really any stand out tracks for me. Some of the more up beat rock was ok. Everything else seems to just drone on, maybe the lyrics were great , but I missed em

Woah! I actually really like this. First great discovery from the 1001 album list for me. It's not a perfect album but it fits my music tastes really well Best Song: Sunken Treasure Rating: 7.5/10 4 Stars

Wilco can't be rated high enough. They're so talented.

What I find most disappointing about this album is that apparently they can play interesting music, they just chose not to

I will reveal my zoomer-card here but the only thing I noticed was that the Meet The Engineer song was based off of Someone Else's Song

Nice album, but definitely too long, there's so much repetition in there. I feel like I've heard at least three versions of the same song while listening to this. Otherwise - pretty good. 3.5 stars

Solid Wilco album, some really great tracks. Nice indie history here, but not my favorite by Wilco.

Just no. I despise anything country-related.

Wilco are unique

I sort of have a soft spot for Wilco and I'm not really sure why. My sister and brother-in-law are big Wilco fans, maybe that's why? But I liked this album well enough. It wasn't something I think I would choose to play again but if it came on, I probably wouldn't change it. At least for a while. It’s the kind of record where if you have to get up and do something while it's playing, you don't feel like you're going to miss anything important. It is a bit long but it's good music, though not exactly my style. 3/5

Waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay too long

A light four I enjoyed it more than my last Wilco album. I was originally grumpy at it being over an hour and a double album but I put it on while I was cleaning and ended up genuinely enjoying most of it. Like most double albums, the second half of the second album starts to feel not wholly necessary but, again, most of it was really fun.

Over an hour of Wilco is far from the worst musical hour you can spend. Tweedy’s consistently homely and often funny songwriting is always paired with the most upbeat of country-infused rock stems, and this musical hour is all the better for it. Disc 1 (tracks 1 through 10) is more twee - upbeat and repeatable - one of those albums that you can’t really say is amazing on first listen, but can certainly see that you’d learn to love it with (warranted) repeat listens. Disc 2 (save for the whimsical crashing outro of Dreamer in My Dreams) is more outstretched and I suppose ‘album-like’, rather than being more enjoyable on relisten this disc would be more... interesting? I don’t know. It’s a Wilco album. It’s fun, and it’s worthwhile. I have no complaints.

I saw it was Wilco and thought, “I bet this will be a three star album”. You can count on them to give you some straightforward earnest music. Always pleasant, uncomplicated, never awe-inspiring. They’re Wilco, they’re fine.

A double album that didn't over stay it's welcome over the length of play. Hadn't heard it before and I found it quite good.

I hadn’t heard any songs from this album even though there are quite a few Wilco songs I’m a fan of. Very nice album. Consistent and good, not anything super exciting, but a pleasant experience.

A chill standard 90s alt rock band

So beige. So boring. So forgettable.

I thought this was okay. I think Wilco are great musicians and have some lovely blues but generally I find their stuff a little wet. It never quite hits the mark for me.

Didn’t like all the songs and I don’t think I’ll listen to the entire album again especially being a double disc. But some tracks were quite good. I enjoyed “Monday”, especially after the sombre and too country “Far, Far Away” which was not to my taste. You can hear the country in most of their songs. It’s a decently put together album but the 2nd disc is a bit unnecessary with nothing significant to carry it. Have to give it a 3 for that.

Wasn't sure where this album was going with the first track, Misunderstood. I was thinking it wasn't going in the right direction as I rated that song a 1/5. After that, it got better, shorter songs, more classic rock feel to them. Sounds a bit like Beck, Tom Petty, Rolling Stones, My Morning Jacket... just a good mashup of styles. I dig it. 4/5

I would say I enjoyed it but it’s nothing special. 3.5/5

This is the 3rd Wilco album I've gotten, they have been progressively been getting better, this one's good.

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.

i'm decently well-versed in wilco's discography but i had never encountered this one before. i really liked how 'country' this album is. i know that jeff tweedy was originally in a country band before wilco, so it feels pretty natural and i enjoy the involvement of banjo and other more country instruments here. the album has the same jeff tweedy attitude that you get on most other wilco albums. my only gripe with this album is that the crop of songs is a bit hit or miss and i think honestly this album would have been better if it had been distilled to a single disc.

Banger, 10/10, have listened many times before this

This album is decent but no where near the genius of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot or the greatness of Sky Blue Sky or Summerteeth. Those albums are all fantastic and belong on this list more than this one

A good cohesive album. No stand out tracks

I remembered the name of the band but couldn't recall any of their songs. After listening I can see why. This is competent but uninspiring, which is an odd thing considering the array of musical styles played with.

just some good ol’ alt country from one of the best bands to do it. a quality listening experience.

Just never got into Wilco and really like do many acts associated with/similar to them.

Not bad but just not my jam

man, these dudes have been doing this for awhile now, huh? solid album. rich tapestry of american music with some experimental touches. overly long maybe? maybe. i thought it was a solid effort and shows their chops early. i dug it.

I already struggle with Wilco and their most popular album "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot". This one is an even bigger struggle with a more country influence (not a fan). Also, it is too long. It's clearly not bad on a technical level, but I just can't get into it.

This one isn't bad - I hope there are other Wilco albums on here (Ghost is Born, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, or Sky Blue Sky). Not their best but has some great gems. 3/5

Ok background music. Singer voice and coughing mid song not my thing. 2 star

Perfectly fine light rock in this offering. Personally I thought the music and lyrics were from the shallow end of the intellect pool, but why did it need to be anything more?

Very, very, very long album. There's some really great tracks here, but the remaining hour is just a bit much.

Wilco's "Being There" cover art is a visual disappointment that fails to capture the album's musical complexity. The design feels uninspired and forgettable, lacking the creative energy that defines the record's sonic landscape. The cover seems like an afterthought - bland, generic, and completely disconnected from the album's intricate musical themes. It misses an opportunity to visually represent the album's rich, experimental nature and the band's innovative spirit. The artwork appears flat, unimaginative, and does little to entice potential listeners or reflect the nuanced musical journey within. For an album that represents such a significant artistic leap forward, the cover is frustratingly pedestrian and utterly unremarkable. Album artworks rated: 25/1001 Music's fine tho

I thought I would've liked this more but it felt pretty forgettable. I think it's entirely too long for what it's doing.

They remind me of Canadian bands like Sloan, Thrush Hermit, The Inbreds, The Newgrand... Again I feel like I've heard music like this all my life. It's not doing anything standout. Pays homage to the past a bit. Too much of it. It's built well, but I just don't need it.

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.

like a lot of my fellow reviewers I also found this album quite boring, it's perfectly fine background music, not an album I need to listen to before I shuffle off this mortal coil

The Good: Being there is always a good thing! The Bad: It seems that Wilco is there too… The Ugly: That Wilco isn’t 1 person, but an entire band… too crowded there… This is the second Wilco album that I’ve had the displeasure of having to listen to, and I should maybe alter the word displeasure, as it wasn’t unpleasant, more just bland… The other album received the main commentary that “it was 40 minutes too long…”, I guess that is really what Wilco is after: creating albums which their fans can enjoy for lengthy periods, while those who aren’t impressed can’t wish to be over and done with. I do have to say that this album, in comparison with Yankee Foxtrot Whisky something, was more palpable. As pure background music while you are focused on anything but the album, it performed stellar! 3* for it’s ability of just disappearing into the background… Hello, this is me after listening to the album a second time… fucking Wilco, starts growing on you with that laid-back fusion of this, that and the other thing. I am starting to understand how certain people compare this to Exile On Main Street. Bumping the album up to 4* as it starts to grow on you...

It's fine, but nothing Wilco or Son Volt has ever done has been as good as Uncle Tupelo.

After listening to this, I now get a lot of things about Wilco, their fan base, and their records.

J’ai été déçu de voir que le petit papa Noël m’avait pas déposer un album festif sous le générateur comme l’an passé, en plus que ça soit un album de Wilco. Je me souvenais que leur best album était plutôt MID, je fut donc surpris de constater que cet album n’est pas dégueu, même plutôt bon. J’enlève par contre une étoile pour la durée, 40 minutes auraient suffisamment suffi

Not bad

I really like early Wilco... basically everything before Sky Blue Sky. But after a fresh listen, I am happier with Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost is Born than even earlier works. I would have shortened Being There, in retrospect. Still a solid album.

Ok. Bit boring

I wasn't feeling some of the songs, but overall it was quite decent.

Country twang lingers In straight forward rock ballads Sang delicately

This one got off to a rough start but righted the ship and ended up being a solid album the rest of the way through. Kind of country/southern rock vibes. Favorites: Far, Far Away, Forget the Flowers, Someday Soon, Was I In Your Dreams, Dreamer in My Dreams Least Favorites: Misunderstood

3.4 2x cool 2 disc album, but nothing i will likely come back to anytime soon

listened to again it's great in places but too long and terribly inconsistent

This is very good - and I get Pavement, Neil Young, Bob Dylan, The Rolling Stones and other nice vibes from this. I wish, though, that I only had to listen just one of the discs in this project - 1 h. 17 m. is way too long. But actually, I can’t decide which disc I like the most. It might be disc 2

Wilco is a band I haven’t heard about for many years, and I never listened to any of their albums. This one is a double album, a collection of blues, country, rock, ballads, and hard rock. Overall it was good. It did seem to drag slightly in the middle.

Enjoyed listening to this album. It sang of things and feelings that were very relatable to most people. Music itself was good to just either totally immerse into (eyes closed and just listen and feel), or have playing while moving about getting tasks accomplished.

(Eek I'm so behind!!!) When I hear "Wilco", I think of the webcomic Questionable Content. I feel like that dude was obsessed with them, which made me think "this is likely not a band for me". My read was accurate. The name Jeff Tweedy (=the singer) is perfect for what this music sounds like. This is the rare band where I like the (instrumental) music much better than I like the vocals. Highlights: 'Monday' had good energy. I like that there is an 'Outta Sight' / 'Outta Mind' pair because it made me think "wait, I heard this one already". The strings in 'The Lonely 1' are pretty. Spoon: 'Why Would you Wanna Live' sounds like Spoon's 'The Way We Get By' at first, and Spoon would be a more enjoyable quirky 5-letter band for this list than Wilco. I guess they're fine though.

I really loved this. I have never heard it before, but everything was right about it today.

90s american indie, which i tend to find interesting as we in the uk were so caught up in what was going on over here. walks the line between indie and alt-country - a fine place to inhabit

Classic mellow Wilco if you're in the mood.

Gostei desse country, me lembrou um pouco The Beatles. Algumas músicas que me chamaram atenção: Monday, Hotel Arizona, Someday Soon, (Was I) In Your Dreams. Mas não é um tipo de música que eu ouviria mais vezes. Talvez com um clima cozy.

I liked it more than I thought. A little slow but interesting

Wilco are now considered one of the classic Dad Rock bands. I like it though, but I'm a classic Dad. Country but not really country - indie roots shine through. Plenty of variety and nice tunes. Thumbs up from me.

Двойной альбом, который мог бы быть охуенным обычным альбомом на 8 бомбических песен. Лучшая песня - Someone Else's Song.

This is admittedly as long as I just complained about The Verve's album being. But this is early Wilco, not the overrepresented genre of britpop. I'm already a Wilco fan, but hadn't listened to this album all the way through before. It won't supplant A Ghost is Born or Sky Blue Sky as my favorite album of theirs, but this is peak alt-country right here.

Yeah, no. I know I’m supposed to love this band, but this is some white boy nonsense. I’m not listening to none of this.

Day 70 - Nov 24nd, 2024 In the words of Abby Lee Miller, “Boring, yawning, sloppy…. LAZY!" 2/5

This album isn’t bad or terrible, but it falls squarely into the category of basic, simple, and middle-of-the-road. I owned it years ago, and even then, it never left a lasting impression. Revisiting it now, my feelings haven’t changed. It’s the kind of music that’s perfect for background noise while taking a nap or washing the dishes. It serves its purpose, but it doesn’t stand out or demand attention.

Pleasant. Boring. Samey.

long and country = meh

Boring bland lame low energy depressing not good

Long... album, but one that I will like on more listens. This is especially considering how their next album "SummerTeeth" is one of my favorites of all time. Last song sounds like Honky Tonk Women

73% Best: Misunderstood; Monday; Outtasite (Outta Mind); I Got You (At the End of the Century); Hotel Arizona; Kingpin; Dreamer in My Dreams Must-Hear? 1st disc had a lot of promise, but the 2nd disc was totally unnecessary

the boring songs are boring and the upbeat ones sound like Springsteen

#407. Not outright terrible. But certainly uninteresting in the same way every other modern hipster folk album is. Also as a double album, it does drag on for quite a while. The second half was better I thought, though. 2/5: boring Song added to playlist: Kingpin I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link

melodies are catchy and sweet, but it's otherwise a bit dull. I enjoyed it.

The switch up between song 18 and 19 really was something!

12/11/24 After a slow burn, the album picked up.

Favourite songs: Monday, Dreamer In My Dreams, Kingpin, I Got You (At the End of the Century), Outtasite (Outta Mind), Forget the Flowers Least favourite songs: Misunderstood 4/5

Yikes... did not like this one, made it through the whole thing though

Some decent stuff on here but they do like to drag it out. This is epitomised by the last track, which finally seems like they have landed on a memorable hook, but then has two false endings and takes 3 minutes to finally wrap itself up. A harsh 2, with a bit of brevity it probably could have scraped a generous four.

Enjoyable album. Not much to say about it but I really liked it despite its long running time.

Quite nice

General impression: One of the old favorites. Wilco in “rock revue” mode. Detailed review: I remember coming across this CD in like a Barnes & Noble or something back in the day and being intrigued by the positive comments I read, noticing that it had received a five-star rating (from what, who knows). I’d been curious about Wilco after reading about A Ghost is Born and Sky Blue Sky when those came out. Being a greedy CD-buyer, I always felt like double CDs were more worth the money, so I was eager to try this one out. To this day, I think many of these tracks are classics: “Misunderstood,” “Far Far Away,” “Monday,” “Red-Eyed and Blue,” “What’s the World Got In Store,” “Say You Miss Me,” “(Was I) In Your Dreams,” “The Lonely 1”… that’s almost half the album right there. I was thinking, since it’s not in my top 3 Wilco albums, that maybe it would be a 4. Nope, it’s a 5. In fact, maybe it is in my top 3? I’ll have to reevaluate after I listen to Summerteeth. Deeper thoughts (context): really an early sign that Wilco was the real deal and in it for the long haul. Score: 5 Number of albums left to review: 961 Number of albums from the list I’d consider “must-listens”: 23 (including this one) Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 17

As with most double albums, this one overstayed it's welcome

Solid straight-ahead rock with a nod to country. Fine musicianship.

Love Wilco, hadn’t heard this album. Ended up listening to Wilco and similar bands all day. It was lovely.

I love this. Wilco is always welcome! I wonder if Jeff Tweedy will send me another message on Spotify this year after I spent the whole day listening to this. I do hope there's more Wilco on this list. I'm looking forward to it! Misunderstood, Far, Far Away, and Forget the Flowers are some of my favorites. Not related to this album, but Cruel Country is a cool song

I believe this is my first introduction to Wilco, will be coming back to this group and this album in the future. I don't know how it was missing from my life

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.

Boring, long, and depressing

get out of here

Pretty great. Outtasite (Outta Mind) and Outta Mind (Outtasite) seem like they’re based on the melody from the Sesame Street theme. Which is wonderful

Nice!

Sone good songs but in total not my style.

A fine enough album, I don't know why they had to go for the double though, there's certainly not enough variety here to justify it. I'm interested to hear more of their work as I'm lead to believe they shift styles somewhat, but I'm not going to relisten to this one quickly.

Yeah this is pretty good.

Really enjoyed. Mellow

This is the Wilco album that really launched the band. Yes, A.M. was their first record but it was Being There that brought Jeff Tweedy out of Jay Farrar's shadow. Jeff was always the second talent in Uncle Tupelo, though you could see this changing by Anodyne. However, when Farrar left to form Son Volt he got out of the gate quickly with Trace and Wilco really didn't keep up. Tweedy kept evolving as a song writer and by the time he was opening shows with Misunderstood you could feel the tables turning. Being There isn't the best Wilco album but it was the first one that grabbed you by the collar and gave hope that the promise of The Long Cut and New Madrid wasn't a fluke and that more great music was to come.

hehe the artist pfp on spotify looks like a happy face C:

It was ok, but far too long. Roger, wilco.

Weaker than Wilco's later work, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. The band experiments with a fairly bland alt-country genre that might work as a track or two sprinkled amongst some much stronger and less outdated compositions, but 77 minutes of this is just slightly too much for my taste. The jangly acoustic guitars and uninspiring singing get a bit stale after the first dozen tracks (and some of these tracks are in excess of 6 minutes long). Poor music for close listening; great fodder for background noise at Uncle Joe's farm party. Fortunately, though, we do see a glimmer of the better songwriting that's to come. The tracks I Got You (At the End of the Century) and Monday have an electric hard-rock energy that's quite different from the remaining tracks, and that breaks up Disc 1 nicely. Dreamer in My Dreams, the closing track, is also worth mentioning for its overuse of drunken noises and being a nice all-out way to end an unnecessarily bloated album. Forget the Flowers and Misunderstood are the strongest of the slightly mellower tracks, but they (like most early Wilco songs) still bring nothing new to the musical world, and are pretty uninteresting as a consequence. 2/5 Key tracks: Monday, I Got You (At the End of the Century), Dreamer in My Dreams

Vintage. Average. It feels country rock. That's it. Nothing really happened. And it's not my favorite genre. Maybe I'll appreciate it in my 50s.

I knew we'd see Wilco on here eventually, but expected it to be YHF or Summerteeth. Comparatively, I haven't spent a ton of time with this one -- a mammoth double album weighing in at 77 minutes long. Misunderstood is a great opener -- rough mix with heaps upon heaps of distortion, setting the melancholy tone right out of the gate. The change-over to Far Far Away taps into the alt-country heritage from which Wilco was born. Weeping guitars and soft-keys casually stroll over this one with Tweedy's carefully pained vocal delivery. Monday is a poppy cathartic release coming out of Far, Far Away. Three songs, three distinct feelings, but they all feel very much in family. Outtasite (Outta Mind) feels like an Elvis Costello distillation. Fine enough little ditty with the skittering guitar echo and tight lyricism. Made all the better by the Christmas carol adjacent rendering of its inversion Outta Mind (Outtasite) on side two. Forget the Flowers is a quintessential Wilco song if there ever was one. You have the alt-country influences via banjo pluckery and slide guitar, but paired with the poppy, sadly-sweet lyricism of Tweedy. This is one I tend to forget, but love every time that it plays. The message is just so pretty and well delivered -- don't forget the good times. Red-Eyed and Blue is the reason I tend to forget Forget the Flowers. This is one of my favorite Wilco songs that is a precursor to the energy they bring to YHF. Simple, but effective with a "ghostly" element to the way that piano is mixed in. I just love it. Actually started working and this fell a bit into the background. God I love Sunken Treasure. Has a little bit for everyone -- the broad appeal of the pop structure, great lyrics, and some subtle but wonderful effects. I kind of wish they had re-sequenced The Lonely 1 and Dreamer in My Dreams. I'm sure it was intentional, but my body was ready for the album to be done after The Lonely 1 -- I was at peace. And then the distorted energetic Dreamer in My Dreams kicked off. I like the song, but it certainly leaves a different taste in your mouth. In my eyes (ears really) this is a high 4. I'm not usually into long albums (45 min is a sweet spot) but its hard to argue with the atmosphere that Tweedy and Wilco create here. The songs go back and forth between stripped down, melancholy alt-country and more up-beat romps. Along the course they pluck the strings of psychedelia ever so slightly and sample harmonization a la The Beach Boys. End result is a confident demonstration of the sounds, lyricism, and songwriting that Wilco would refine into their crowing achievement: YHT.

Interesting mix of indie, folk, and a touch o' country. Reminiscent of Beck. I liked the variety of the music a good deal. I think I heard some organ and maybe a harpsichord? High 3 here! I think it was not quite good enough for how long it was to warrant a 4, but I did consider it.

This album was a lot of genres which gave it some good variety with the indie, country, and alternative. All of it was pretty standard to me. Was a good listen but I would not search out more Wilco

Misunderstood is insanely good on mushrooms. Tim we listened to it when we did them in CP and it sent me. I've heard a lot of these songs but not the whole thing. The sometimes subtle (and always very much not subtle) psychedelia in this album is awesome. High 4. Can't wait for Yankee Hotel Foxtrot which I assume will be on here.

Indifferent.

Album is definitely too long, but there are great tracks on it. I still can't believe that Uncle Tupelo's No Depression isn't on this list. Without Uncle Tupelo, there would be no Wilco (or Son Volt) or many other bands. They literally created a new genre of music.

Beautifully written and some pretty good musicianship.

Too eclectic. Like they don’t know what they wants to be. Boring for the most part.

This album meanders from a few love struck songs to one feel good song and then repeats. Not all bad though.

The songs are well-written, well-performed, and well-produced but they just did not hit me at all. I can see why people love it, but it just isn't for me.

Soso

What a surprise to get this record. It is filled with great folky tunes, as well as some hard hitting rock and power pop gems. While it does drag on a little bit and could certainly be condensed, I am glad I discovered this album.

3.5

I actually liked this quite a bit. Might be my favorite Wilco album.

Funky, interesting enough for its length.

Even though it’s nothing special and it’s definitely bloated it just feels so nice, warm and cozy. I can’t help it, I’m a sucker for this kind of sound. Will definitely be coming back to it and can’t wait to check out more from Wilco (I’ve given 5/5 to mermaid avenue).

Not their best - but it's decent. Prefer Summerteeth or Sky Blue Sky

Reminds me of The Replacements

Track 1: Misunderstood (8/10) The piano in this track is gorgeous. This is my first exposure to Wilco, and while I'm a bit anxious about the album runtime, this song is a good first impression. Track 2: Far, Far Away (8/10) Awe man, this is a great country rock song. Super chill and I really enjoy the vocals. Track 3: Monday (7/10) Didn't capture me like the first two tracks but I like the horn arrangements and it's pretty catchy. Track 4: Outtasite (Outta Mind) (7/10) Good track, short and to the point. Track 5: Forget the Flowers (8/10) Banjo makes every song better. Great guitar solo in this one too. Track 6: Red-Eyed and Blue (9/10) What a beautiful song! I even love the corny whistling near the end, this is easily my favourite song so far. Track 7: I Got You (At the End of the Century) (7/10) Solid rocker, could have been a huge hit in the early 2000s. Track 8: What's the World Got in Store (7/10) Cute little track. Track 9: Hotel Arizona (6/10) This one kind of went by without amy emotional response from me, which I found weird cause it's definitley a good song. Just one of those moments where I felt nothing from something that's obviously worthwhile. Oh well. Track 10: Say You Miss Me (9/10) So cute I wanna cry! Great end to the first half of the album. I'm enjoying it so far, but I'm gonna take a slight break before I start to feel the length of the album lol Track 11: Sunken Treasure (7/10) Pretty good, slightly longer than it could have been. Track 12: Someday Soon (6/10) Pretty standard southern rock tune. Track 13: Outta Mind (Outta Sight) (6/10) Meh...not too into the second half of this album so far. Track 14: Someone Else's Song (9/10) Very folksy, a highlight for sure! Great lyrics. Track 15: Kingpin (7/10) Pretty good, I loved the intro but the rest of the instrumentation isn't bad. Track 16: (Was I) In Your Dreams (6/10) Pretty boring track, wasn't wowed by his vocal delivery either. Track 17: Why Would You Wanna Live (8/10) Loved the instrumentation for this one. Very laid back but still fun! Track 18: The Lonely 1 (6/10) Couldn't keep my eyes open for this one lol Track 19: Dreamer in My Dreams (7/10) This feels like an improvised jam, but in a good way. Good end to the album. Overall: 7/10 The biggest weakness of this album is definitley it's length. I don't think the material was good enough to justify this being a double album. The first half would have made a pretty stellar album on it's own, but as a whole it's not that special. Still enjoyable and I have a couple songs I'm saving for later. Fav Song: Red-Eyed and Blue Least Fav Song: (Was I) In Your Dreams

What a little gem of an album this turned out to be. Hadn't heard of this band before but this album is brilliant. Both musically and vocally sound. Very Tom Pettyesque throughout vocally and echoes of Rod Stewart's Maggie May too I thought. Fab album 👍

It's a fun album I enjoyed listening to it

Wilco doesn't achieve perfection until their next album, in my opinion (and maintain that perfection for three subsequent albums as well). Being There still has a bit of filler and the feel of a band that hasn't exactly found their identity. That said, it's a very, very high 4 stars and still an excellent album. "Misunderstood", "Sunken Treasure", "I Got You (At the End of the Century)"...I mean, come on. 4/5

Slight disappointment when I put this on, and realised that it's wasn't Wilco Johnson of Dr Feelgood. Still, might as well listen. Some pleasant melodies and heartfelt lyrics make Being There an rather good 'alt-country' album. The songs here are accessible and will probably stand repeated listening. Any fans of Neil Young, Bob Dylan, The Byrds , Big Star etc will find satisfaction. The main down point being that some judicious pruning down to a single disc would have improved things. Disc two feelslike a "collector's edition Bonus Disc ".

i didn’t love the last Wilco album on this list but i really liked this one!! i think it shined brightest with the calmer, downtempo songs but there was more of those so the whole album worked really well

The rare double album that doesn’t feel too long. It’s like a sampling of the greatest hits of American music—a little early Beach Boys here, a little folk there.

Sabroso, ligero, padrísimo. Ojalá haya más de Wilco por aquí. No les había entrado y lo disfruté bastante.

The opening track of Being There, “Misunderstood”, epically rocks you and announces that this album is not your father’s alt-country. https://tinyurl.com/mr4aevaw

Nett.

Better than the first song suggested it would be, but too long not to be a slog

Far too long, I was relieved when it ended. There may well have been moments in the album where I was enjoying the music, however they have been lost amongst an endless stream of forgettable noise.

I can't believe that this band is back on this list. I can't see what all the fuss is about. They are just a bunch of mopey lads. if you want any happiness sucked out of you then listen to these boys.

It wasn’t unpleasant but it wasn’t inspiring

This was a very nondescript album, when I first started listening to it I was like eh I don't think I'll listen to all of it it's a bit long and then before I knew it I was at the end. So good to work to I guess? But not very inspiring

Sorry, there are a few times when they push out to the edges and start to sound unusual, but the won't hold there, and some songs they sound like a country version of the Beatles. 2 stars

Goddamn terrific, and too goddamn long.

Yesterday I gave Julian Cope a hard time for including 18 song on his boring album. Wilco included 19 on this. Is it too long? Sure. Is it somehow fine by me? Also sure.

Each song was solid and enjoyable

**Album Review: Wilco's *Being There*** Wilco’s *Being There*, released in 1996, stands as a pivotal moment in the evolution of both the band and the alternative rock and alt-country scenes of the ‘90s. Clocking in at nearly 77 minutes over two discs, this expansive album marked a bold step forward for Wilco, straddling multiple genres, sounds, and emotional moods. A deep dive into *Being There* reveals a complex tapestry of lyrical introspection, genre experimentation, sonic texture, and thematic exploration that captures the tension between past and future, tradition and innovation, rebellion and nostalgia. ### LYRICS Jeff Tweedy’s lyricism on *Being There* is a significant leap from his earlier work with Uncle Tupelo and even from Wilco’s debut, *A.M.* While *A.M.* was rooted in alt-country's twangy simplicity, *Being There* feels more layered, with Tweedy embracing ambiguity, personal introspection, and emotional abstraction. His lyrics often weave between vulnerability, frustration, and cautious optimism, revealing a deep sense of uncertainty about his place in the world and his role in the music industry. Songs like “Misunderstood” open the album with Tweedy’s cryptic yet emotional reflection on fame and the burdens of expectation. He delivers lines like “I'd like to thank you all for nothing at all” with a sneer that suggests a disillusionment with the machinery of the music industry, which contrasts sharply with his underlying earnestness and yearning for understanding. This duality runs throughout the album, where the tension between hope and frustration is ever-present. In “Far, Far Away,” Tweedy muses on distance—both emotional and physical—with a yearning that feels more resigned than hopeful: “Maybe if I leave, it'll all come back to me.” Themes of alienation and disillusionment bubble up in tracks like “I Got You (At the End of the Century)” and “Sunken Treasure,” both of which channel the conflicted emotions of a man caught between his desires and his reality. The former is a high-energy rocker that outwardly presents a declaration of love and commitment, but underneath, it hints at the hollowness of those promises. Meanwhile, “Sunken Treasure” reflects Tweedy’s introspection on personal worth, with the striking admission: “Music is my savior, and I was maimed by rock and roll.” However, not all the lyrics dwell in the realm of introspection. Some tracks like “Monday” embrace a freewheeling rock ‘n’ roll ethos, channeling a fun, reckless spirit that seems more focused on the immediacy of the moment than the burden of meaning. **Pros**: - Tweedy’s lyrics demonstrate a maturation, balancing personal reflection with universal themes. - The album’s lyrics blend vulnerability, skepticism, and resilience, creating a nuanced emotional landscape. **Cons**: - At times, the cryptic nature of the lyrics can make it hard for listeners to connect with specific emotions or narratives on a personal level. ### MUSIC AND GENRE EXPERIMENTATION *Being There* represents a turning point for Wilco in terms of sound, as the band began to move away from its pure alt-country roots and embraced a broader sonic palette. The album covers an impressive range of styles: alt-country, folk, rock, power-pop, and even noise rock. The opener, “Misunderstood,” sets the tone with its moody, slow-burning introduction that eventually builds into a chaotic crescendo of distorted guitars and piano stabs. This track exemplifies Wilco’s willingness to move beyond the conventions of alt-country, incorporating noise rock and indie experimentation into the mix. The contrast between the song’s quiet introspection and the explosive chorus reflects the push-pull tension at the heart of the album. “Far, Far Away” and “Forget the Flowers” provide more straightforward nods to country and folk music, with pedal steel guitars and acoustic rhythms that anchor these songs in the familiar warmth of Americana. Yet even within these more traditional genres, there’s a sense of restlessness in the arrangements, with Tweedy and the band often adding unexpected flourishes or shifting dynamics. “Monday” and “Outtasite (Outta Mind)” channel a more carefree, rollicking rock ‘n’ roll energy, reminiscent of the Rolling Stones or Faces, showcasing Wilco’s ability to turn out exuberant, straight-ahead rock songs. These tracks add a lighter, more accessible energy to the album, breaking up the heavier emotional and sonic moments. The production on *Being There* is intentionally raw in places, evoking the spirit of a live band performing with loose spontaneity. However, there are moments where the production gets more polished, like the lush string arrangements on “The Lonely 1,” which adds a cinematic sweep to the track’s melancholic core. **Pros**: - The musical diversity is a major strength, with Wilco blending rock, alt-country, and experimental sounds. - The raw, unpolished production gives the album a live, organic feel, which enhances its emotional authenticity. **Cons**: - Some might find the album's genre-hopping disjointed or inconsistent. - The lo-fi production can feel murky or underdeveloped in certain tracks, occasionally sacrificing clarity for spontaneity. ### PRODUCTION Tweedy and co-producer Tom Rothrock took a deliberately rough-edged approach to the production, emphasizing spontaneity and rawness over slickness. The decision to present the album as a double LP gave the band room to explore different sonic textures and ideas, allowing for a wide range of styles and tones across the album. The production is at its most intimate during the album’s quieter, acoustic-driven moments, such as “Red-Eyed and Blue” and “Say You Miss Me,” where Tweedy’s voice feels close and unvarnished, often surrounded by simple, spacious arrangements. These tracks benefit from a minimalistic approach, allowing Tweedy’s lyrics and vocal delivery to take center stage. On the other hand, tracks like “Misunderstood” and “Sunken Treasure” explore more abrasive production techniques, with their noisy crescendos and jagged guitar tones. The intentional use of distortion and feedback adds a sense of urgency and emotional intensity that contrasts sharply with the album's softer moments. There is also a strong sense of nostalgia in the production choices. The warm analog sound of the album, combined with references to classic rock and country, nods to the past while also subverting it. This retro-modern tension can be heard in the way tracks like “The Lonely 1” blend classic balladry with a more modern sense of disillusionment. **Pros**: - The production choices align with the album’s themes of vulnerability and conflict, often enhancing the emotional weight of the songs. - The mix of lo-fi rawness and polished moments creates an engaging dynamic throughout the album. **Cons**: - The inconsistency in production can make the album feel uneven at times. - Some tracks could benefit from more focus, as the rough edges can detract from the overall impact. ### THEMES At its core, *Being There* is an album about transition and the conflicts inherent in change. Tweedy grapples with questions of identity, ambition, and disillusionment, both in his personal life and his role as a musician. The album’s title, *Being There*, suggests a kind of presence in the moment—an insistence on experiencing life as it comes, with all its contradictions and messiness. Fame and the music industry loom large over the album. Tracks like “Misunderstood” and “Sunken Treasure” delve into Tweedy’s ambivalence about his rising success, the expectations placed on him, and the compromises required in the pursuit of fame. In “Misunderstood,” Tweedy rails against those who don’t “get” him, while in “Sunken Treasure,” he acknowledges the ways in which his art and passion have both saved and wounded him. Love and connection are recurring themes as well, though often approached with caution or irony. Songs like “I Got You (At the End of the Century)” offer a seemingly celebratory take on love, but the upbeat music belies a sense of emptiness in the lyrics, as if Tweedy is questioning the sincerity of his own proclamations. There’s also a recurring theme of distance and longing, most explicitly in songs like “Far, Far Away,” where Tweedy reflects on separation—both physical and emotional. This theme is mirrored in the sonic distances between different parts of the album, as the band moves from intimate acoustic moments to explosive rock numbers. **Pros**: - The themes of identity, disillusionment, and longing resonate deeply, offering both personal and universal insights. - Tweedy’s exploration of fame and the music industry feels prescient, especially in the context of the evolving indie rock scene. **Cons**: - The thematic complexity might be too subtle for some listeners, requiring multiple listens to fully unpack. - At times, the album’s sprawling nature can dilute its thematic focus. ### INFLUENCE AND LEGACY *Being There* is often seen as the moment when Wilco began to truly distinguish itself from its alt-country peers and embrace a more adventurous, eclectic approach to music. The album’s willingness to blend genres, experiment with sound, and explore raw emotional terrain had a significant influence on the alt-country and indie rock scenes that followed. This album laid the groundwork for Wilco’s later work, particularly their 2002 masterpiece *Yankee Hotel Foxtrot*, where the band would further push the boundaries of rock and Americana. But *Being There* was also important in shaping the trajectory of alt-country as a genre, proving that artists from that scene could expand their sound and still maintain critical and commercial success. **Pros**: - *Being There* pushed the boundaries of alt-country and helped redefine what was possible within the genre. - Its influence on both indie rock and Americana is profound, inspiring countless artists to explore similar sonic and thematic territory. **Cons**: - Some fans of Wilco’s earlier, more traditional alt-country sound may have found *Being There* too experimental or unfocused. - The album’s length and eclecticism may deter some listeners who prefer more cohesive or concise works. ### CONCLUSION *Being There* is an ambitious, sprawling album that marks Wilco’s transition from alt-country stalwarts to genre-defying experimentalists. With its eclectic mix of rock, country, and indie sounds, the album captures a band in the midst of evolution, wrestling with questions of identity, fame, and purpose. The album’s raw production, lyrical depth, and wide-ranging musical exploration are its greatest strengths, though its sprawling nature and occasional lack of focus may turn off some listeners. Despite this, *Being There* remains a landmark album, not only for Wilco but for the broader alt-country and indie rock movements of the ‘90s.

I quite liked this. It's just good roots rock, pretty basic but gets the job done. It's a little long, but comes in kind of just below the length where it would be real slog to finish it. Wilco has kind of a weird side that keeps it interesting throughout. I'd put this on again.

It is much better than Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, but this band is just simply not for me

If Weezer was a bit more indie and grew up in Nashville. Wayyy too long and boring

Not bad, but not for me. I could see how people would enjoy this. Overall I found this to be average.

Wilco is one of those bands I used to hear about all the time growing up. They were hailed as some sort of indie rock gods, but I never got around to listening to them. After hearing this album I don't really get the hype. Maybe their later stuff is better, but I'm not sure what's so special about this one. It's a mix of pretty run-of-the-mill alt country and generic alternative (think somewhere between Ryan Adams and Oasis). The first track, "Misunderstood" was pretty cool, and there are a handful of decent songs on here — mostly the rock ones. The country ones I could do without. But there's really nothing special about this album. This wouldn't stand out in a sea of generic 90s rock bands, and they often sound like they're trying to be other bands — "Monday" is essentially a Rolling Stones song. "Outtasite (Outta Mind)" almost sounds like something the fake band The Oneders would have sung in That Thing You Do. Lyrically, the songs all pretty much cover the same topic — a guy is sad over his lost love and is having trouble moving on. Like, every song. And there are 19 of them. That's way too many songs. Maybe if this album had been pared down to the best tracks, there might be 8-9 songs to make a decent album here. But as long as it is, and with the weird bouncing back and forth between rock and country, it got really tedious to slog through. By the time I got to "Outta Mind (Outta Sight)," I perked up for a second because I thought I was about to hear the Sesame Street theme song. Seriously, it's the exact same chords. I was almost angry it wasn't, because it would have been a refreshing change from the same boring subject. I'll let Jeff Tweedy's own lyrics sum up my thoughts on this album: I keep on singing Your eyes they just roll It sounds like someone else's song From a long time ago 3/5

At first it seemed like Tweedy was a little too concerned with rhyming in an almost couplet style. Especially with that pattern being so strongly felt on the opening track, I couldn't help but hear it throughout the double album. Wow. A double. Is this really the Wilco album I must hear before I die? Will there be others? Asking because this is a good record, but it's a picture of the band before they became the Wilco that broke through their own initial constraints. The expanded Wilco, the Wilco++, the Wilco that integrates the disparate pulls of their interests rather than just shifting entirely to different places / sounds / genres / intentions. I didn't hear this until after *that* Wilco was firmly established. It's hard to listen and enjoy this knowing the amazing work that comes next, and to not compare them against each other. Wilco vs Wilco. In short, this is a good record. A bit long and uneven. A bit clumsy in places. A bit alt rock. A bit country. A bit alt-country. But promising. The amazing thing is that the promise is fulfilled in ways that you can't quite see coming from this record. I mean, they're probably there, but they aren't yet fully known to the band themselves at the time either (at least by how this record sounds and presents itself). I probably wouldn't have liked this that much if I had heard it when it came out either. Past me likely would've found it frustrating in its lack of focus or found it wanting for a crisp integrated aesthetic. But "now me" does enjoy the meander more (well, at least I can tolerate it) and so here we go...this review is a meandering too. It's a double album of a review. It's on point at times and other times you're left wondering why certain decisions were made. Was that really the best choice there? I don't know. Only time will tell.

Appreciate the intent and aspiration of a double album but for me, the songs just don’t stand up.

Note to self: do not groan when a band is described as an 'American rock group'. Ok there's been 100 or so on the list churning out the same racket but don't despair because just occasionally there is an album where the exception proves the rule. Exhibit A: 'Being There' by Wilco

Lots of great songs on here and some awesome guitar playing but I think this album is way too bloated. A lot of songs just pass by me without a thought. Would be a 5 star single album for sure, decent double though

Album got pretty interesting by the end of it. Might have to put this one on my "listen to it again" list.

I've missed this album so much. I haven't listened to Being There in a long time. I recently thought I should go back and listen again and also to AM. Being There still holds up for me a quarter century later. The order of the songs, the production, everything about it makes it as much of a welcome breath of fresh air today as it was 25 years ago.

Not much of a fan of Wilco. Never got into them. I know a lot of people enjoy their music. I respect what they deliver but not for me

Heartfelt.

Decent but forgettable indie-ish country rock

Sounds like the Kinks, without the melody.

I’ve been meaning to listen to another album by Wilco ever since I discovered their 2002 album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, which I absolutely love. So I had high hopes for this. Safe to say it didn’t live up to my expectations, sounded like YHF in parts but a lot simpler and even more of an alt-country sound, which can get tiring. It also did not need to be 80 mins long. Without comparing to YHF though, it was a fun album with a good mix of slow and fast pacing and loud and quiet within songs. Highlights: Misunderstood Hotel Arizona Sunken Treasure

1hr20 is too long for an album I liked this album a lot more until Albert put me onto another album of theirs which is better…

Somehow Wilco exited the 90s without the 90s rock band dust settling on them too much. It’s a pretty timeless sound that is diverse and varied. The can switch from rocking to crooning as good as anyone. And what an outro! Dreamer in my Dreams! My only critique is that it could have been a shade shorter.

Maybe if I had more than a day to digest a double album chock full of strumminess I would like it more but I have my doubts. Ultimate Mojo magazine music.

Nothing special.

some bangers, but some clangera

3

With 19 tracks, this did seem a long slog. It is a nice enough collection of songs, but a bit too much of a country flavour for my taste.

Wide ranging, packed with catchy tunes, country flavours, Beach Boys flavours, cracked moments - a deep and involving listen, from a band transitioning into themselves

Musics worst crime on itself - the 80 minute CD. These guys need an editor / producer who can say NO. Actually, 80 mins had nothing to do with it. I was well bored before then. Which is weird, because I have heard Wilco before an enjoyed them.