Evolution of Wilco

Wayne Blogged The...Evolution of Wilco
An Attempt At Converting Newcomers... ---


Whenever I talk about Wilco, I walk a very thin line between being a casual-Wilco-enthusiast, and all out fanboy. So before we start this entry, let me just get it out of my system: Wilco is the best band in rock and roll.

Now, a brief history lesson:
Wilco's humble beginnings came off of the breakup of alt-country group Uncle Tupelo. Jeff Tweedy rounded up a few of the musicians from Uncle Tupelo's last incarnation, as well as the band's manager, and formed Wilco (will-comply, Wilco). The group has released 6 studio albums, 2 collaborations with Billy Bragg (gross), and a live album.

The band's first studio effort, AM, is a predictable (yet enjoyable) record from a band trying to find an identity and a songwriter trying to distance himself from his past. Standout tracks are held to a minimum, however Box Full Of Letters, Pick Up The Change, and Passenger Side are good "easy rockers" in the style of Neil Young's Tonight's The Night album.

The lineup for this album included Jeff Tweedy, John Stirratt (bass), Ken Coomer (drums), Max Johnston (banjo, fiddle, etc.), and Brian Henneman (guitar).
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1996's Being There is (in my mind) Wilco's first full-band effort. Although the two-disc release is a bit uneven, there's so many great songs, and the sequencing is amazing. Also, this album marks the beginning of Jay Bennett's tenure with the band.
Along with the usual cast of characters (minus Henneman), Bob Egan joined the lineup briefly as steel guitarist.
Standout tracks from this record include the Stones-esque stomper Monday, Hotel Arizona, and the (dare I say) epic Misunderstood.
Shortly after Being There's release, Max Johnston was given his pink slip.
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Sick of being relegated as Uncle Tupelo-spin offs, Wilco made a giant leap in finding their own identity, while crafted some of the strongest songs in Tweedy, and Co.'s catalog for 1999's Summerteeth.
I consider this release to be Wilco's Sgt.Pepper. Songs like Pieholden Suite, and When You Wake Up Feeling Old are superbly constructed pop songs, while I'm Always In Love sounds like Wilco's imitation of Weezer. Other notable tracks are Nothing'severgonnastandinmyway(again), Via Chicago, A Shot In The Arm, and In A Future Age.
This record would be Ken Coomer's last with the group. While Leroy Bach would join the ensemble on piano.
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If you've only heard one thing about Wilco, it's probably about Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Considered by many to be Wilco's masterpiece, and I can't disagree with that sentiment. The group's new drummer Glenn Kotche adds sophistication only hinted at in previous released, Tweedy's collaboration with Jay Bennett reaches it's peak (and ultimate demise) on YHF. Soundscapes and texture act as a backdrop to some of prettiest songs ever written, as Tweedy finally comes into his own as a lyricist.
The album should be played often, and in order. Every song is a standout track.
Tension within the group eventually led to Bennett's departure, but his contributions to the group would be missed.
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If there was ever a way to follow-up a "masterpiece", Wilco did just that in perfect fashion with 2004's A Ghost Is Born. Mikael Jogernsen helps fill out the group's sound, while Jim O'Rourke (the man who mixed YHF to perfection) adds more than a few instruments into the mix on this album.
If YHF was a bustling city, AGIB is an empty hotel room. The textures are still there, the songwriting is impeccable, but A Ghost Is Born feels like a much more personal record. This could be due to Tweedy's almost whispering singing style (mostly used because of horrible migraines).
Standout tracks include Muzzle of Bees, Hell Is Chrome, and Company in My Back.
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A revamped Wilco returned to the spotlight with 2007's Sky Blue Sky. Leroy Bach had left, Jim O'Rourke had moved to Japan, and the group added virtuoso guitar player Nels Cline, and multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone.
At times sparse, the soundscapes have been stripped away, leaving the songs to fend for themselves. The sound of the album is very warm, but almost too safe for a group that has "pushed the envelope" with each release.
Standout tracks include You Are My Face, On and On and On, and Either Way.
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Superbowl (42)

Wayne Blogged The...Superbowl (42)
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This catch has haunted me for the past four months. I still have nightmares about it. I've actually had nightmares about a football game...

February 3, 2008 was quite honestly the worst night of my life. What should have been a triumphant and joy filled three-hour Patriot football extravaganza was turned upside down by the New York Giants.

The day after the loss, I wrote the following note about the loss:

Yes, I died a little last night.

With 3 seconds left on the clock, surrounded by overzealous Giants fans and devastated New England die-hards, I thought I was going to A) vomit, B)pass out, and C) cry. I only did one of the three (I shall not disclose which), but my dear god...the f*cking Giants are Super Bowl champions?

In European "football" there are no playoffs, the team who wins the most games and has the best record wins the championship...I like this way of thinking...

The New England Patriots: the first team to go 16-0, and the first 18-1 team to not win the Super Bowl. The 1984 49ers and the 1985 Bears both went 18-1, but lost their 1 during the regular season. So where does this leave the Patriots? I can't answer that.

In January of 1997 I was 9 years old, the Packers beat the Parcells/Bledsoe edition of the NE Patriots in the Super Bowl, and I expected it. The Packers deserved to win, as did the Chicago Bears of 1985. But I fully believe that the New York Giants are a fluke team.

I'm not saying they didn't earn their victory on this night, but the Patriots already beat the Giants, as did the Packers, Jets, Vikings, Redskins, and Cowboys (twice!).

New England on the other hand went through half the pre-season, the entire regular season and two-thirds of the post season without one loss. Yet, the New York Football Giants get to call themselves the best in the world...

And as for the Manning-jersey-sporting-bandwagon riders of the world, I have one question: can you honestly say that you did not utter the words "Eli sucks" to yourself after one of their many losses this season?

Junior Seau deserved a Super Bowl ring, Michael Strahan deserves another deodorant commercial. Randy Moss deserves the title, Eli Manning deserves a shirt that reads "my brother's pretty good, and we sorta look a like".

Am I whining? Yes, partially, but I'm very aware of the absurdity of many of my arguments, I just really hate New York.
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Time has passed, and my feelings toward the night have changed. When I wrote those painfully whiny paragraphs, I was in denial. In my mind, there had to be something wrong with the winner, because the losers were too good...

This was not the case. I've come to terms with the fact that the Giants outplayed the New England Patriots in Superbowl XLII. And I can now say that the Giants deserved the win. But it still stings...a lot.

I can also admit that my proposition of getting rid of the playoffs in the NFL is one of the most ridiculous ideas I've ever conjured up.

But really, what a year 2007 was for football. After a disappointing finish to the 2006 season, the Pats made history, and filled my Sundays (and the occasional Monday) with such unbelievable joy. And as we inch closer to opening day (still months away...jeez, Wayne, get a life) I'm looking forward to another great season of football, hopefully with a better ending this time around...

Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority

Wayne Blogged The...MBTA
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There’s a certain callousness in the air of a lengthy train ride. Passengers rarely make eye contact with one another, and if they do, it’s fleeting and accidental. Ticket collectors generally act this way as well. But there’s always an exception, a rebel ticket collector who feels it is his duty to not only rip your ticket, but to make awkward social contact with you in a sea of unsmiling travelers. This is why my amount of disdain for train rides has exponentially grown with each passing year since my first ride on the choo-choo at age two (choo)…
It takes approximately forty-five minutes to get from Boston to my fortress of solitude. I travel home about twice a month, which means four rides a month, totaling an average of forty eight train rides a year. This means I spend 2,160 of the 525,600 minutes available to me per year in a train. Which all in all, is not too bad. My favorite human’s father spends about four times that amount. And for that, he receives my pity.
Today’s ride is quite ridiculous. There’s about 150 people packed into a car that holds 75 seats. Everyone’s tired, and everyone’s annoyed (except for the lucky 75 who sit in their comfy seats of glorification). I pass the time by watching people fall asleep briefly, but not before either drooling or resting their head on their neighbor’s shoulder. Then I noticed an intriguing advertisement.
The ad is for a 1-800 number that gives you directions to the nearest _____. There is a picture of an attractive girl sipping on a root-beer float while listening to a male talk about presumably nothing important. There is a compass to the right of this image- North: Chapel; East: Jazz Club; West: Italian Restaurant; South: Motel.
North: Chapel; South: Motel.
Call me crazy, but this seems a bit too coincidental. Everyone seems to accept the fact that the universal image of heaven is up (north), and that hell is down (south). And more than a few prominent religions also frown upon pre-marital sex. Also, it’s a universal assumption that no one but crack addicts and fornicators go to motels. So why would a motel even be in the equation, unless this root-beer sipping floozy happened to have romping on the mind.
Now, am I saying that this is pro-life propaganda? No. I just find it amusing how this type of thing slips through advertising editors so effortlessly. Now, if it said “North: Chapel; South: Brothel”, I’m sure someone would take exception to this. But since it’s simply ‘motel’, no problem. Who knows what the conditions surrounding this girl’s thoughts are, right? Maybe she just needs a change of scenery and opts for her change to involve “COLOR TV” signs and plastic mattress covers. Maybe she enjoys falling asleep to the sounds of uninhibited sex followed by the regret-filled pillow talk- maybe she misses prom.

Eagles

Wayne Blogged The...Eagles ---

The nameless, baseball sized bird that usually perches itself outside of my window was not to be seen today; instead, I am awoken by a vehicular shouting match. And as soon as I open my eyes, I am fucked. It’s raining outside- this usually doesn’t bother me, but today’s rain is different, it’s much more of a consistent drizzle than a downpour or rather pleasant mist. I should also mention that the clock reads 1 PM, which means it’s noon (I never did jump on the daylight’s saving bandwagon). Once I stumble out the door it’s already quarter past. I walk past a girl that one could only describe as “uneasily attractive”, she ignores my half smile and I continue to make my way to the mailroom. There is nothing about this morning that will stay with me past today and, strangely enough, that makes me sad.
My head is filled with (what should be forgettable) songs from the 1970s as my eyes soak in the scenes of another Tuesday morning. I’ve been listening to The Eagles’ Greatest Hits vol. 2 for about 35 minutes, and I am now prepared to fight anyone who claims Don Henley sucks. Maybe it’s because I grew up listening to these guys, or maybe it’s because I sometimes feel like takin’ it easy, but I can only think of two things wrong with The Eagles: the song “The Greeks Don’t Want No Freaks”, and Joe Walsh’s guitar faces.
My adoration for the smooth sounds of Southern California’s finest commercially successful country-rock may come as a surprise to everyone except my (non-existent) financial advisor. Over the course of my life, I have spent roughly $555 on The Eagles. This includes: three (3) concerts, two (2) concert t-shirts, two (2) live DVDs, one (1) live VHS, one (1) CD box set, three (3) greatest hits compilations, seven (7) studio albums CDs, two (2) studio albums cassettes, and two (2) live albums. Don’t even get me started on solo material!
The crazy thing is, The Eagles aren’t even my favorite band (granted they were from grades 2-9). I’ve never bought multiple copies of their albums merely for the “bonus content” which oddly enough, I already own (like I do with Elvis Costello), nor do I have a man-crush on any of the members of The Eagles (as I do with Jeff Tweedy of Wilco). In fact, I may actively participate in a conversation that mocks The Eagles, if a potential advancement in my social status rests on my inclusion in such an event. And that’s because I’m incredibly shallow, which is why I listen to The Eagles, which is why I’m shallow, etc.

Ghostbusters

Wayne Blogged The...Ghostbusters
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In 1984, I was negative four; not even an idea yet. So how could something that occurred in June of that year affect my life so (dare I say) drastically? It's now 2008 and Ghostbusters still holds the position of my absolute, undisputed, favorite movie of all time...ever.

Even as I grow older, there's a kid in me that will not deny the awesomeness of a proton pack. Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, and Ernie Hudson were constant visitors to my television set as a child. In fact, I'd say that I've seen this film over 150 times. And yet, every time it's listed on the TV Guide, I'll watch it.

There's something brilliant about this movie. An unspoken hilarity within the interaction of the characters keeps me entertained every single time. And I've never found the movie to be "ha-ha" funny, just undeniably entertaining.

I've defended Ghostbusters 2 (the 1989 sequel) from the people who call it a "re-hash" or "moneymaker". Even if it is both of those things, who cares? We needed a sequel then, just like we do now. However, it's becoming increasingly clear that Ghostbusters 3 will not be made...at least not in this lifetime. So I throw my enthusiasm behind this fall's Ghostbusters: The Video Game.

Written by Harold Ramis and Dan Aykroyd, the video game is sure to kick a lot of ass. All the familiar characters (minus Dana Barrett) return, and are voiced by the original actors! And I'd be lying if I said that the announcement of this game did not persuade me into opting for an XBox 360 last winter (for the record, and for my withering dignity, about 35-40% of my ultimate decision was influenced by this information).

It seems so very odd that next summer this movie will hit the quarter-century mark. It truly is timeless. And although the actors may have aged, Ghostbusters never will...at least not in this incredibly nerdy writer's eyes.

Bandwagon

Wayne Blogged The...Bandwagon
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For as many years as I have been a sports fan, I have hated the "bangwagoners". The fair-weather-fans who jump on board with a team only when success soon follows. And believe me, in Boston, there are a lot of bandwagon-fans...and now, I am one of them.

And it's all because of three men: Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, and Paul Pierce.

As a kid, I loved two teams: the Boston Bruins and the New England Patriots. Around 1999, the Boston Red Sox joined this list. But I never liked the Celtics. In fact, as a naive grade-schooler, I once claimed that I was a Washington Wizards fan...but I didn't even like basketball at the time.

I'm also the first to admit that I didn't follow basketball until the acquisition of Kevin Garnett. But now, I'm hooked. Like any male over the age of 14 who resides within 100 yards of a television screen, I've watched The Celtics climb their way back into the Eastern Conference Championship. I've cheered, I've fist-pumped...and I am ashamed.

I've become what I've always hated. And while I'd like to think I've earned my right to root for the Celtics simply because I've rooted for a team that plays in the same arena as they do for as long as I can remember, I still feel...dirty.

But how can I not want the Green, White, and Gold machine to win it all. This city deserves it.

I don't only root for the team, I root for the fans. I sympathize with the Celtic-faithful as much as I'm sure they sympathize with me- an always optimistic Bruins fan. I cheer for the guy who watched the 1996 team lose 67 games; the same man who watched last year's Celtics scrum together 24 wins. He deserves to see this team win.

I'm ecstatic about the fact the the Boston Garden (I don't care what it's called now, it's the Boston Garden) is still seeing sports action this late in the season. The sold-out crowds at the Garden bring back a lot of memories of the original Hub (closed in 1995), and those memories also came back to me watching 17,565 people cheer on the Black and Gold in their latest post-season run.

So yes, I'm a bandwagon Celtics fan. And I'm sure, sometime in the future, when dark times once again hit the (not so) Irish legion, I won't be there. But I'm enjoying the ride...

Spygate Scandal

...see no evil...

Wayne Blogged The...Spygate Scandal
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"I think I speak for all Patriot fans when I say that we're relieved that this is over..."-Robert Kraft

The man certainly speaks for me. Following the week one victory against The Jets, I read a headline on my ESPN widget saying a Patriots employee was found with a tape of the defensive signals. My initial reaction was "...big deal...", and that opinion remains the same today.

"There isn't a team in the league that doesn't try to steal signals," a longtime NFL assistant coach confessed to ESPN. "But you can bet everybody is trying to steal in some way. In fact, you can go to any NFL game and you'll find some coach whose sole job is to look for defensive signals."

Does that make it right? No, but there is a certain power in numbers...

Bill Belichick is still a genius. In fact, I think this whole scandal solidifies the notion of his mastermind. Even if he is the Darth Vader of the NFL, who can deny the awesomeness of Darth Vader? (This, obviously, is not my strongest argument...pretty much the equivalent of "but...c'mon...")

So here we are, 3 months into the offseason, and the Spygate issue is "officially" laid to rest. The Patriots are now among the most hated teams in sports, Bill Bellichick is the unofficial villain of the National Football League, and yet, I feel great. Excited, rejuvenated, and looking forward to a great (scandal free) Patriots season. Now I just have to find something to do with myself until September.

Internet

Wayne Blogged The...Internet
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Welcome one, welcome all to the official Wayne Whittaker blog: Wayne Blogged The...

Simple idea, every entry will cleverly feature a subject which I shall "blog" about. And while I'm well aware that I'm not reinventing the wheel here, it should be fun.

Blogs are an odd commodity. Yet we've all read them; silently studying our friends, colleagues, associates, and enemies' attempts at humor and social understanding. So at the very least, I hope to aid your endless hours of procrastination and nurture your boredom.

Thank you internet, you've finally provided me with an outlet to share my opinions with the dozens of visitors this site shall be graced with.