Summerteeth is the third studio album by Chicago alternative rock band Wilco. Released through Reprise Records on March 9, 1999, the album was heavily influenced lyrically by twentieth century literature, as well as singer Jeff Tweedy's marital problems. Unlike previous albums, Summerteeth was heavily overdubbed in the studio with ProTools. Tweedy and Jay Bennett created most of the album in the studio, a contrast to the band's previous albums, which were rehearsed live and recorded almost at once.

Despite critical acclaim from numerous outlets, including Allmusic, The Chicago Tribune, and The Village Voice, Summerteeth sold approximately 200,000 copies — a modest number compared to the sales of 1996's Being There. Wilco agreed to remix "Can't stand it" with David Kahne to cater to radio markets, but the single failed to attain substantial airplay.

Production

Wilco released Being There in 1996 to a higher level of commercial success than its debut album, A.M., selling 300,000 copies (nearly double the number of its first record).Kot 2004. p. 126 After the promotional tour to support Being There, Wilco began to record tracks for a third album. The initial Summerteeth recording sessions occurred in November 1997 at Willie Nelson's music studio in Spicewood, Texas. Lead singer Jeff Tweedy was particularly emotional during the sessions because he was upset that he was unable to spend time with his wife and son because of the constant touring schedule.Kot 2004. p. 138 As a result, the songs recorded reflected an introspective view that was also influenced by literature that Tweedy was reading at the time. While touring, Tweedy would read books by Henry Miller, William H. Gass, and John Fante. According to Tweedy:Kot 2004 p. 136

The sessions yielded a number of songs, including "I'm Always in Love", "She's a Jar", and the Henry Miller-inspired murder ballad "Via Chicago". Tweedy's relationship with his wife Sue Miller became the inspiration for several of the songs, although she was portrayed mostly in a negative sense. Miller was reluctantly willing to give Tweedy the creative license to write songs, but was concerned about lyrics such as "she begs me not to hit her" from "She's a Jar". To compliment the "bold, but depressing" lyrics of Summerteeth, Tweedy relied more heavily on the production skills of multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett. However, before the album was completed, Wilco decided to collaborate with Billy Bragg on the album that would become Mermaid Avenue.Kot 2004. pp. 140-1

Once the Mermaid Avenue sessions were completed, Wilco entered Chicago's Kingsize Soundlabs with engineers Dave Trumfio and Mike Hagler to finish Summerteeth. Tweedy and Bennett wanted to start the recording sessions over by experimenting with a new approach to mixing the songs. Unlike previous material, which was performed live in the studio, the pair heavily overdubbed many of the songs with ProTools. As a result, the contributions of other members were diminished.Kot 2004. pp. 154-5 To complement the "bold, but depressing" lyrics, Tweedy relied more heavily on the production skills of multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett, who played a variety of instruments besides his usual lead guitar and keyboard work, including Mellotron, tambourine, synthesizers. Bennett even played the bass guitar and drums when bassist John Stirratt and drummer Ken Coomer were not in the studio.Kot 2004. p. 156 Coomer was not pleased about a reduced role in the band:Kot 2004. p. 157

After a series of personnel changes, Reprise Records sought to release a hit single from the album to increase album sales. Wilco agreed to do this "once and once only" on the basis that they wanted to cooperate with the label that allowed them such freedom.Kot 2004. pp. 163-4 The band and Reprise executives agreed to re-mix "Can't Stand It" to make it more radio-friendly. Within one day, the song was remixed into the version that appeared on Summerteeth, cutting out portions of the bridge and adding bells.Kot 2004. p. 165 "Can't Stand It" failed to cross over from Triple-A to modern rock radio stations.Kot 2004. p. 166

Reception

Summerteeth peaked at number seventy-eight on the Billboard 200, failing to exceed the chart success of Being There. However, it was their first album to chart in the top forty in the United Kingdom. Last accessed August 3, 2007. As of 2003, it had sold only 200,000 copies.Kot 2004. p. 167 The album placed eighth on the Pazz & Jop critics' poll for 1999, and Pitchfork gave it position thirty-one in its list of the best albums of the 1990s. Last accessed August 3, 2007. Last accessed August 4, 2007.

Jason Ankeny of Allmusic gave the album five stars, lauding its "lush string arrangements and gorgeous harmonies." Ankeny also compared the music on the album to The Band in their prime. Last accessed August 3, 2007. Pitchfork Media writer Neil Lieberman praised how Wilco "craft an album as wonderfully ambiguous and beautifully uncertain as life itself," and how Bennett "paint the album in Technicolor." Last accessed August 3, 2007. Robert Christgau gave the album a two star honorable mention, calling it "old-fashioned tunecraft lacking not pedal steel, who cares, but the concreteness modern popcraft eschews." Last accessed August 3, 2007. Chicago Tribune critic Greg Kot championed the album on his review of the album and ranked it the year's best album, calling it "pop so gorgeous it belies the intricate studio experimentation that brought it to life."

Personnel

*Jeff Tweedy – vocals, guitar, synthesizer, bass guitar, harmonica, tambourine, backing vocals

*Jay Bennett – organ, synthesizer, banjo, percussion, piano, drums, guitar, keyboards, tambourine, bells, lap steel guitar, backing vocals

*John Stirratt – bass guitar, backing vocals

*Ken Coomer – drums, timpani

*Leroy Bach – piano

*Dave Crawford – trumpet

*Mark Greenberg – vibraphone

*Mitch Easter, Chris Grainger, Larry Greenhill, Mike Hagler, Russ Long, David Trumfio – engineers

*David Kahne, Jim Scott – mixing

*Mike Scotella – mixing assistant

*Dace Chandie – assistant engineer

*Lawrence Azerrad – artwork, graphic design

Notes

References

*

Artist/Band Information

Wilco is an American alternative rock band based in Chicago, Illinois.

Its name comes from the voice procedure term "wilco" meaning "will comply."

The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo following singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup has changed frequently, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John Stirratt remaining from the original incarnation. Since early 2004, the other current members are guitarist Nels Cline, multi-instrumentalists Pat Sansone and Mikael Jorgensen, and drummer Glenn Kotche. Wilco has released seven studio albums, a live double album, and three collaborations: two with Billy Bragg, and one with The Minus 5.

Wilco's music has been inspired by a wide variety of artists and styles, including Bill Fay and Television, and has in turn influenced music by a number of modern alternative rock acts. The band continued in the alternative country of Uncle Tupelo on its debut album A.M. (1995), but has since introduced more experimental aspects to their music, including elements of alternative rock, and classic pop.

Wilco garnered media attention for its fourth album, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2002), and the controversy surrounding it. After the recording sessions were complete, Reprise Records rejected the album and dismissed Wilco from the label. As part of a buy-out deal, Reprise gave Wilco the rights to the album for free. After streaming Foxtrot on its website, Wilco sold the album to Nonesuch Records in 2002. Both record labels are subsidiaries of Warner Music Group, leading one critic to say that the album showed "how screwed up the music business in the early twenty-first century." Last accessed July 18, 2007. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is Wilco's most successful release to date, selling over 590,000 copies. Wilco won two Grammy Awards for their fifth studio album, 2004's A Ghost Is Born, including Best Alternative Music Album. Wilco released their seventh studio album, Wilco (The Album), on June 30, 2009.

History

Formation

Wilco was formed following the breakup of the influential alternative country music group Uncle Tupelo. Singer Jay Farrar quit the band in 1994 supposedly because of a soured relationship with co-singer Jeff Tweedy. Last accessed July 9, 2007. Both Tweedy and Farrar sought to form bands immediately after the breakup. Tweedy was able to keep the entire Uncle Tupelo lineup sans Farrar, including bassist John Stirratt, drummer Ken Coomer, and multi-instrumentalist Max Johnston. He even enlisted Uncle Tupelo guest guitarist Brian Henneman of the Bottle Rockets, who performed on many of the tracks for Wilco's debut album, A.M.. The band was tempted to keep the Uncle Tupelo name, but ultimately decided to rename the band. The group named itself "Wilco" after the CB radio voice procedure for "Will Comply",Kot 2004. p. 89 a choice which Tweedy has called "fairly ironic for a rock band to name themselves." Cynthia Bowers (August 23, 2009). "A Summer Song", CBS News Sunday Morning

A.M. and Being There

After collaborating with Syd Straw on a cover version of the Ernest Tubb song, "The T.B. is Whipping Me" (released in September 1994 on the Red Hot + Country compilation), Wilco began for A.M., their first studio album, at Easley studio in June 1994. A demo tape from these recordings was sent to executives at Reprise Records, a subsidiary of Warner Brothers, and the label signed Tweedy to a contract. Although Tweedy stated that he wanted a more collaborative project than Uncle Tupelo, only his name appeared on the Reprise contract.Kot 2004. p. 92 Tweedy requested songwriting submissions from other members, but only one submission—John Stirratt's "It's Just That Simple"—appeared on A.M.. It was the last song Wilco ever released that was lyrically solely written by a member besides Tweedy.

Stylistically similar to Uncle Tupelo, the music on A.M. was considered to be straightforward alternative country rock in what Tweedy later described as "trying to tread some water with a perceived audience." A.M. peaked at number twenty-seven on the Billboard Heatseekers chart, considerably lower than the debut album of Jay Farrar's new band, Son Volt. The album was met with modest reviews though it would rank thirty-fourth in the Village Voices 1995 Pazz & Jop critics poll. Last accessed July 9, 2007. Last accessed July 9, 2007. Last accessed July 11, 2007. Critically and commercially paling in comparison to the reception of Son Volt's album, the Wilco members perceived A.M. to be a failure.Kot 2004. p. 97 Shortly after the release of the album, multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett joined the band, providing the band with a keyboardist and another guitarist.

Wilco made its live debut on November 17, 1994 to a capacity crowd at Cicero's Basement Bar in St. Louis, Missouri (the band was billed for the occasion as "Black Shampoo"). Last accessed September 2, 2007.

During the two hundred-date tour supporting A.M., Tweedy began to write songs for a second album. The lyrical theme of the songs reflected a relationship between musical artist and a listener; Tweedy chose this topic because he sought to eschew the alternative country fan base. Ken Coomer elaborated:Kot 2004. p. 110–1

The whole No Depression thing was funny to us because people seemed to forget that Jeff was a bigger punk-rock fan than a country fan. It led to things like us all switching instruments on "Misunderstood," where I'm playing guitar.

A number of songs were recorded with this theme, including "Sunken Treasure" and "Hotel Arizona",Kot 2004. p. 112 however, Wilco also recorded a number of songs in the style of A.M. Last accessed July 11, 2007. Wilco named the album Being There after a Peter Sellers film of the same name. The band went through some personnel changes during the recording sessions. Max Johnston left the band because he felt that his role in the band had diminished in favor of Bennett; he had also been replaced by violinist Jesse Greene on one track because the band felt that Johnston was unable to play the part. Bob Egan of Freakwater briefly joined the band in the studio, playing pedal steel guitar on "Far, Far Away" and "Dreamer in My Dreams", and then became an official member in September 1996.Kot 2004. p. 115Kot 2004. p. 119

Unlike the A.M. recording sessions, the band had no vocation for producing a hit song from their second effort.Kot 2004. p. 114 The recording sessions produced nineteen songs, too many for a single album release. Tweedy was concerned about the high retail price that a double album would be sold for (at least $30), so he asked Reprise Records to release it as a double album at a single album price ($17.98 or less). Reprise agreed to this on the terms that they received Wilco's share of the album royalties. It was estimated in 2003 that the band lost almost $600,000 on the deal, but Tweedy was satisfied.Kot 2004. p. 116 Being There was well-received by critics from several major media outlets, including Rolling Stone. Last accessed July 11, 2007. Last accessed July 11, 2007. The album reached #73 on the Billboard album charts, a significant improvement from A.M., and placed fourteenth on the Pazz & Jop Critics Poll for 1996. Last accessed July 11, 2007.

Summerteeth and the Mermaid Avenue sessions

In November 1997, Wilco entered Willie Nelson's recording studio in Spicewood, Texas to record a third studio album.Kot 2004. p. 138 The album was lyrically inspired by the marital problems of Tweedy and his wife, as well as by twentieth-century literature.Kot 2004. p. 135 Tweedy relied heavily on Bennett to provide music for the singer's "bold, but depressing" lyrics.Kot 2004. p. 140–1 Wilco recorded several songs, including "Via Chicago" and "She's a Jar," but began working on another project before assembling the tracks into an album.

Woody Guthrie 2.jpgleftthumbThe two Mermaid Avenue albums consisted of recordings of unreleased Woody Guthrie (pictured) songs.

Nora Guthrie contacted singer-songwriter Billy Bragg in spring 1995 about recording some unreleased songs by her father, folk singer Woody Guthrie. Most of the songs were written late in Guthrie's life when he was unable to record due to the motor impairments of Huntington's disease. By the 1990s, Woody Guthrie had become a "relic" to the MTV generation, and Nora sought to establish a different legacy for the musician. To Nora, Bragg was "the only singer I knew taking on the same issues as Woody." Bragg was concerned, however, that his fans would not realize that the songs were written by Guthrie when he performed them on tour, so he decided to record the album with another band.Kot 2004. p. 143

Bragg contacted Tweedy and Bennett about co-recording the album while Wilco was on the European segment of their Being There tour. Bragg was particularly fond of Being There because their influences extended farther back than the 1950s. Although Tweedy was indifferent to the offer, Bennett was enthused about recording songs of one of his idols—Bennett's previous band Titanic Love Affair was named after a Billy Bragg lyric. A recording contract between Bragg and Wilco was signed after a show at Shepherd's Bush Empire. Bragg mostly recorded the politically-charged lyrics, while Tweedy preferred to record lyrics that showcased Guthrie as a "freak weirdo". The recording of Mermaid Avenue began on December 12, 1997, and was the topic of BBC's Man in the Sand documentary film.Kot 2004. p. 144–5

Tempers flared between Bragg and Wilco after the album was completed. Bennett believed that Bragg was overproducing his songs, a sharp contrast to Wilco's sparser contributions. Bennett called Bragg about the possibility of remixing Bragg's songs, to which Bragg responded "you make your record, and I'll make mine, fucker." Eventually Bragg sent copies of his recordings to Chicago for Bennett to remix, but Bragg refused to use the new mixes on the album. The two parties were unable to establish a promotional tour and quarreled over royalties and guest musician fees.

Despite these conflicts, the album was released on June 23, 1998, and sold over 277,000 copies.Kot 2004. p. 151–3 The album received rave reviews from Robert Christgau and Rolling Stone, and was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Contemporary Folk Album. Last accessed July 14, 2007. Last accessed July 14, 2007. It also placed fourth on the Pazz & Jop critics poll for 1998. Last accessed July 14, 2007. After the album was released, Bob Egan was replaced by multi-instrumentalist Leroy Bach.Kot 2004. p. 169

After the completion of the Mermaid Avenue sessions, Wilco returned to Spicewood to complete their third studio album, Summerteeth. Unlike previous Wilco and Uncle Tupelo recordings, the album featured a lot of overdubbing with Pro Tools.Kot 2004. p. 154–5 Stirratt and Coomer were concerned with the production, since it reduced their involvement in the music. According to Stirratt:Kot 2004. p. 158

The story of Summerteeth is Jay bought a Mellotron and he was going to use it, no matter what. It was lovely, but it was overdone. Once they got going on the overdubs, they didn't stop. And nobody in the band stepped up to stop the madness ... It reminds me of Heart of Darkness, where you knowingly extend the creative process for the purpose of exploration or redemption, or whatever it is you're looking for.

During 1999, Warner Brothers was looking to help repay a $16 billion debt acquired during the recent merger of parent company Warner Communications with Time Inc..Kot 2004. p. 161 As a result, Warner's imprints were under pressure to produce musical acts that would yield hit records. The head of Reprise, Howie Klein, who had previously authorized the release of Being There as a double album, was willing to let Wilco produce Summerteeth without label input. When Klein played the album for Reprise's A&R department, however, they demanded a radio single for the album. Wilco agreed to do this "once and once only" and recorded a radio-friendly version of "Can't Stand It" at the request of David Kahne, the head of the A&R department.Kot 2004. p. 162–5 The single version of "Can't Stand It" failed to cross over from Triple-A radio to alternative rock stations. Consequently, the album sold only 200,000 copies, significantly less than Being There.Kot 2004. p. 167 This was despite critical acclaim; the album placed eighth on the Pazz & Jop critics' poll for 1999. Last accessed July 15, 2007.

After the release of Summerteeth, the band resumed the Mermaid Avenue sessions. Although they had recorded enough material for a second release in 1998, Wilco recorded a few new songs for Mermaid Avenue Vol. II. "Someday Some Morning Sometime," featuring a vibraphone filtered through a space echo, was identified by Tweedy as being the "piece to the puzzle" towards the creation of their fourth studio album. The album was released on May 30, 2000, and was the last release from the sessions.Kot 2004. p. 175

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Shortly after the recording sessions for Mermaid Avenue Vol. II, Wilco purchased a studio in Irving Park, Chicago, which they named the Wilco Loft.Kot 2004. p. 168 The band recorded some tracks in the studio in early 2000 for a fourth studio album. In May 2000, Jeff Tweedy requested to perform with Jim O'Rourke at a festival in Chicago; Tweedy was a fan of O'Rourke's Bad Timing. O'Rourke introduced Tweedy to drummer Glenn Kotche, and the trio enjoyed working together so much that they decided to record an album as a side project named Loose Fur.Kot 2004. p. 177–9 Wilco had recorded an entire album of music at this point, but Tweedy was unhappy with the drum parts. He enjoyed Kotche's contributions to Loose Fur so much that Tweedy brought him into the studio to re-record some demos. Some believe that Tweedy sought to make Wilco sound like Loose Fur after officially replacing Ken Coomer with Kotche in January 2001.Kot 2004. p. 186–8

WilcoYankeeHotelFoxtrot.jpgleftthumbYankee Hotel Foxtrot was rejected by Reprise Records, but released by Nonesuch Records. Both record labels were subsidiaries of Warner Brothers. The album is Wilco's best selling album to date.

Although Bennett sought to act as both mixer and engineer for Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Tweedy was unsure of Bennett's abilities against those of O'Rourke. Tweedy and Bennett frequently argued over whether the album should be accessible to a general listener, or attempt to cover new musical ground.Kot 2004. p. 195–6 Unbeknownst to Bennett, Tweedy invited O'Rourke to remix "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart", and the results impressed the other band members—even Bennett. Tensions grew between Bennett and O'Rourke because Bennett wanted to mix every song on the album. O'Rourke cut the contributions of other members on several of the songs; some songs, such as "Poor Places", only featured the Loose Fur trio.Kot 2004. p. 198–9 The album was completed in 2001, and Bennett was dismissed from the band immediately afterwards. The recording of the album was documented by Sam Jones and released in 2002 as the film I Am Trying to Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco.

Time Warner, which owned Warner Brothers, merged with America Online in 2001, leading to more pressure on Warner's record labels to cut costs. Over 600 employees of Warner Music Group were fired, including Howie Klein, the president of Reprise Records. In absence of Klein, David Kahne became the interim head of Reprise.Kot 2004. p. 201 Kahne assigned Mio Vukovic to monitor the progress of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and to offer suggestions. Music journalist Greg Kot claims that Vukovic disdained the album and was unhappy that Wilco ignored his suggestions.Kot 2004. p. 202 He brought the album to Kahne, who felt that there was no single on the album. In June 2001, the album was rejected by Reprise and Wilco was asked to leave the label.Kot 2004. p. 203

Wilco managed to negotiate terms to a buy-out from Reprise. Music journalist Greg Kot claims that instead of financial compensation, the band agreed to leave the label with the master tapes of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.Kot 2004, p. 207 The label was already receiving bad publicity for its treatment of the band and were willing to accommodate Wilco's request. Last accessed via the Wayback Machine on July 15, 2007. However, Allmusic claims that Wilco "bought the finished studio tapes from Warner/Reprise for a reported $50,000 and left the label altogether" after Wilco was "nwilling to change the album to make it more 'commercially viable'" allmusic.com To curb the negative publicity, Reprise began to invest more in bands such as The Flaming Lips. Lead singer Wayne Coyne once remarked:Kot 2004. p. 209

We are benefiting from the label's regret over Wilco. We are living in the golden age of that being such a public mistake. The people on Warners said, "we'll never have a band like Wilco feel we don't believe in them again." They'd tell me that it would never happen to us. And what a great day for me!

As the band searched for a new label to release the album, they decided to stream it at their official website to discourage illegal trading of low-quality MP3s.Kot 2004. p. 225–6 The band signed with Nonesuch Records, another Time Warner subsidiary, and the album was released in the spring of 2002. When it was released, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot reached number thirteen on the Billboard 200, Wilco's highest chart position to that date. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot sold over 590,000 copies, and to date remains Wilco's best selling album. Last accessed July 15, 2007. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was met with wide critical acclaim: it topped 2002's Pazz & Jop critics' poll, was named one of the 100 greatest albums of all time by Q Magazine. Last accessed July 15, 2007.Levy 2005. p. 216

Down with Wilco, A Ghost Is Born, and Kicking Television: Live in Chicago

While waiting for the commercial release of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Wilco agreed to support R.E.M. collaborator Scott McCaughey for an album release by The Minus 5. They scheduled a recording session for September 11, 2001, but were distraught about the 9/11 terrorist attacks that day.Kot 2004. p. 220 Later that day, Wilco and McCaughey agreed to "create something good in the world right now" and record some material.Kot 2004. p. 221 Influenced by Bill Fay's Time of the Last Persecution, The Minus 5's Down with Wilco was released in 2003.Kot 2004. p. 222

Wired Wilco.jpgthumbright200pxWilco at the Wired Rave Awards in 2003

In November 2003, Wilco traveled to New York City to record their fifth album. The album was produced by Jim O'Rourke, who mixed Foxtrot and was a member of Wilco side project Loose Fur. Unlike Summerteeth and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, A Ghost Is Born featured songs that were created with Pro Tools before ever performing them live.Kot 2004. p. 240–1 The album featured the song "Less Than You Think", which included a fifteen-minute track of electronic noises and synthesizers, which Tweedy called "the track that everyone will hate". Tweedy justified the inclusion of the song:

Leroy Bach left the band immediately after the album's completion to join a music theatre operation in Chicago. Like Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Wilco streamed the album online before its commercial release. Instead of using their own web page, the band streamed it in MPEG-4 form on Apple's website. Last accessed July 23, 2007. Wilco sought to substantially change their lineup after Bach's departure, and added Mikael Jorgensen, who had engineered Down with Wilco, Pat Sansone of The Autumn Defense, and avant-garde guitarist Nels Cline to the lineup.Kot 2004. p. 243 Just as the band was about to tour to promote the album, Tweedy checked himself in to a rehabilitation clinic in Chicago for an addiction to painkillers. As a result, tour plans for Europe were canceled, and the release date for the album was set back several weeks.Kot 2004. p. 244A Ghost Is Born was released on June 22, 2004, and became Wilco's first top ten album in the U.S. Last accessed July 16, 2007. The album earned Wilco Grammy Awards for Best Alternative Music Album and Best Recording Package in 2005. Last accessed July 16, 2007. It also placed thirteenth on 2004's Pazz & Jop Critics Poll. Last accessed July 16, 2007.

In 2004, the band released The Wilco Book, a picture book detailing the creation of A Ghost Is Born. The book also contains writings and drawings from band members, as well as a CD with demos from the A Ghost Is Born recording sessions. Last accessed July 16, 2007. Also that year, Chicago Tribune music critic Greg Kot released a biography of the band entitled Wilco: Learning How to Die. The new six-piece Wilco lineup debuted on Kicking Television: Live in Chicago, a two disc live album recorded at The Vic Theater in Chicago. Released on November 15, 2005, the album received high accolades from Spin, Billboard, and Entertainment Weekly. Last accessed July 16, 2007. As of 2007, it has sold over 114,000 copies.

Sky Blue Sky

Wilco returned to their loft in Chicago to record a sixth studio album in 2006. Influenced by The Byrds and Fairport Convention, the band considered Sky Blue Sky to be less experimental than previous releases. Also unlike previous albums, the songs were created as collaborations.

Wilco streamed the album online on March 3, 2007, and offered the song "What Light" as a free MP3 download. Last accessed July 16, 2007. To further publicize the album, Wilco licensed several songs from the Sky Blue Sky recording sessions for use in a Volkswagen advertising campaign. The move was criticized by both critics and fans; Wilco responded by noting that they had previously done advertising campaigns with Apple Inc. and Telefónica Móviles (Movistar). Last accessed July 16, 2007. Last accessed July 16, 2007. Last accessed July 26, 2007. The album was released on May 15, 2007, and was a commercial success: it sold over 87,000 copies in its first week and peaked in the top five in the U.S. album charts. Last accessed July 16, 2007. It also was a top forty hit in seven other countries. Last accessed July 16, 2007.

Reviewer James Brubaker states that Wilco "shine on a handful of the songs" on Sky Blue Sky, such as the "light, and straightforward" songs. While he calls the album "great traditional rock and folk album at times", he states that "once you get past the handful of masterful and lovely performances... the rest of the record comes off at times as dull, and forced."

Last accessed February 28, 2008. The allaboutjazz review also had mixed comments. While praising the album as "deceptively insinuating, almost intoxicating to listen to” and noting its "impeccable sound quality," the reviewer claimed that "Sky Blue Sky becomes the first Wilco album that sounds too careful for its own good." Last accessed February 28, 2008.

Pabs Hernandez, a reviewer for Lost at Sea praised the album's "breezy atmosphere and pacing," and noted that it is not "easily judged upon first listen." Overall, Hernandez stated that it "may be no masterpiece, but at worst it's a more than worthy entry into Wilco's laudable catalogue.” Last accessed February 28, 2008.

Reviewer Greg Locke praised the record as "one of the best albums of the year," calling it a "timeless record, full of sweet, hopeful sophistication and class" and "a lean, mean, soulful album." Like Hernandez, Locke acknowledged that the album could not be properly judged just on the first listening. Last accessed February 28, 2008. The NPR review also had a positive take on the record. While the NPR reviewer stated that the recording "isn't groundbreaking," they praised its "coherent musical expression" and emphasis on "solid songcraft without pretense" which created a "satisfying and melodically sound album." Last accessed February 28, 2008.

In anticipation of the 2008 US presidential election, Wilco released a downloadable version of Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released" that they performed with Fleet Foxes. The MP3 was available as a free download from the band's website in exchange for a promise to vote in the election. The band also made an appearance on The Colbert Report to support presidential candidate Barack Obama. Last accessed November 22, 2008. Wilco released a live performance DVD, Ashes of American Flags, on April 18, 2009, to celebrate Record Store Day.

In December 2008, Jeff Tweedy, Pat Sansone, Glenn Kotche and John Stirratt traveled to Auckland, New Zealand to participate in Neil Finn's 7 Worlds Collide sequel project, The Sun Came Out, joined by Ed O'Brien, Phil Selway, Johnny Marr, KT Tunstall, Liam Finn, and Lisa Germano. They wrote and recorded several new tracks for the Oxfam-benefiting album including "You Never Know", "What Could Have Been", "Over and Done" and "Don't Forget Me". Jeff Tweedy co-wrote "Too Blue" with Johnny Marr, and Glenn, John and Pat play on most tracks on the album.

Having enjoyed their time in New Zealand and the vibe of Finn's own Roundhead Studios, the four members stayed in Auckland through January to record the foundation tracks for their next album. Jim Scott, who acted as engineer and mixer for the Neil Finn project, stayed on in the same capacity for the Wilco sessions. Nels Cline and Mikael Jorgensen would later add overdubs to these tracks at the band's Chicago Loft.

Wilco (The Album)

Wilco released their seventh album, Wilco (The Album), on June 30, 2009. In March 2009, it was announced that singer-songwriter Feist would make a guest appearance on the new album, on the track "You and I". Like their previous three albums, Wilco streamed the entirety of the album on its website prior to release. The album hit the charts at a career-high #4 with sales of 99,000 on the Billboard Top 200 Album chart as well as the #2 spot on Billboard's Top Rock Albums chart. It marked Wilco's third top 10 album on the U.S. pop chart. The album's first single "You Never Know" reached the #1 spot on the AAA Chart, their first #1 in twelve years.

On April 30, Wilco freely distributed a cover of the Woody Guthrie song, "The Jolly Banker", recorded at the Wilco loft in February 2009 at the suggestion of Nora Guthrie Downloaders were encouraged to make donations to the Woody Guthrie Foundation. Feist guest appears on the track playing a garden weasel.

On May 25, 2009, former band member Jay Bennett died in his home in Urbana, Illinois. In a prepared statement, Jeff Tweedy remarked that he was "deeply saddened" by Bennett's death.

On July 13, 2009, at the Coney Island show at Keyspan Park, Feist and Tweedy sang "You and I" together. They performed the same song on Late Show with David Letterman the next night. On October 15, 2009, Feist joined the band for an encore during the band's performance at Toronto's Massey Hall.

In June during their West Coast tour, Wilco joined Beck, Feist, Jamie Lidell and James Gadson in the studio to take part in Beck's Record Club project, covering Skip Spence's Oar album. The first song "Little Hands" was posted on Beck's website on November 12, 2009. Wilco has also performed the theme song for Adventure Time with Finn & Jake.

On April 6, 2010, Wilco announced during their Boston performance that they would be headlining and curating a festival in North Adams, MA, dubbed Solid Sound Festival. The event will run from August 13–15, and will feature various Wilco side projects.

Musical style and influence

WilcoFIB.jpgthumb250pxleftWilco performing in support of Sky Blue Sky at Festival Internacional de Benicàssim on July 20, 2007

Wilco's music is typically categorized as alternative rock and alternative country. Despite their career-long association with a major record label, they are generally associated with indie rock.Ankeny, Jason & Johnson, Zac. . Allmusic. Last accessed August 28, 2007. Wilco draws influence from bands from a variety of musical genres, but primarily from music created between 1966 and 1974. Last accessed July 23, 2007. Last accessed July 23, 2007. John Cale's Paris 1919 was credited by the band as providing a musical parallel. According to Tweedy, "It was eye-opening that I wasn't the only person that felt like these worlds had a lot more in common than they'd been given credit for—that experimentation and avant-garde theory was not directly opposed to beauty, y'know?"

Other recording artists from that timespan appreciated by the band include John Lennon, Neil Young, and Brian Wilson. Last accessed July 23, 2007. Last accessed July 23, 2007. For his thirty-fourth birthday, Tweedy received a private guitar lesson from Richard Lloyd of Television; Tweedy was a big fan of the group and was particularly fond of the guitar work, which he wanted to incorporate into his music. Uncle Tupelo was inspired by bands such as Jason & the Scorchers and The Minutemen, influencing the recording of Wilco's A.M..Kot 2004, p. 24–26 Tweedy and O'Rourke enjoyed free jazz artists such as Ornette Coleman, Albert Ayler, and Derek Bailey; they also listen to mainstream jazz by artists such as Miles Davis and John Coltrane. The lyrical structure of Wilco's songs was dictated by classic literature and cadavre exquis—an exercise where band members take turns writing lines on a typewriter, but are only allowed to see the previously written line. Among the books that the band has cited as being stylistically influential include William H. Gass's In the Heart of the Heart of the Country, Henry Miller's Tropic of Cancer, and Harold Bloom's The Anxiety of Influence: A Theory of Poetry.Kot 2004. p. 136

Some critics have dubbed Wilco the "American Radiohead", due to their stylistically diverse catalog. Last accessed July 18, 2007. Last accessed July 18, 2007. Last accessed July 18, 2007. A critic from the New York Times argues that Wilco has a "roots-rock... reached back to proven materials: the twang of country, the steady chug of 1960s rock, the undulating sheen of the Beach Boys, the honky-tonk hymns of the Band and the melodic symmetries of pop." Last accessed February 28, 2008.

Rolling Stone described Wilco as "one of America's most consistently interesting bands" and "America's foremost rock impressionists." Last accessed July 18, 2007. Last accessed July 18, 2007. Bands that have been influenced by Wilco include Derek Webb (of Caedmon's Call), Last accessed July 17, 2007. The National, Last accessed July 18, 2007. and Grace Potter and the Nocturnals. Last accessed July 18, 2007. English indie rock band Cherry Ghost took its name from a lyric from the Wilco song "Theologians" (from A Ghost Is Born)—lead singer Simon Aldred is a self-proclaimed "massive Wilco fan". Last accessed July 17, 2007. Other notable artists who have covered Wilco live include Norah Jones performing "Jesus, Etc.", a version of which was released as a bonus track on her 2009 release The Fall, and Counting Crows and the Wallflowers performing "California Stars."

Discography

Albums

* A.M. (March 28, 1995)

* Being There (October 29, 1996)

* Summerteeth (March 9, 1999)

* Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (April 23, 2002)

* A Ghost Is Born (June 22, 2004)

* Kicking Television: Live in Chicago (November 15, 2005)

* Sky Blue Sky (May 15, 2007)

* Wilco (The Album) (June 30, 2009)

Band member timeline

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Alignbars = justify

DateFormat = yyyy

Period = from:1994 till:2010

TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal format:yyyy

Colors =

id:official value:claret legend:Official

id:producer value:tan1 legend:Producer

id:manager value:tan2 legend:Manager

Legend = orientation:horizontal position:bottom

ScaleMajor = increment:1 start:1994

PlotData=

width:20 textcolor:black align:left anchor:from shift:(10,-4)

bar:Jeff Tweedy text:"lead singer and guitarist" from:1994 till:end color:official

bar:John Stirratt text:"bassist" from:1994 till:end color:official

bar:Nels Cline text:"guitarist" from:2004 till:end color:official

bar:Glenn Kotche text:"percussion" from:2000 till:end color:official

bar:Pat Sansone text:"multi-instrumentalist" from:2004 till:end color:official

bar:Mikael Jorgensen text:"pianist" from:2002 till:end color:official

bar:Ken Coomer text:"percussion" from:1994 till:2000 color:official

bar:Max Johnston text:"multi-instrumentalist" from:1994 till:1996 color:official

bar:Brian Henneman text:"guitar" from:1994 till:1995 color:official

bar:Bob Egan text:"multi-instrumentalist" from:1995 till:1998 color:official

bar:Jay Bennett text:"multi-instrumentalist" from:1995 till:2001 color:official

bar:Leroy Bach text:"multi-instrumentalist" from:2000 till:2004 color:official

bar:Jim O'Rourke text:"producer/multi-instrumentalist (studio only)" from:2001 till:2007 color:producer

bar:Tony Margherita text:"Manager" from:1994 till:end color:manager

Awards and nominations

Grammy Awards

Shortlist Music Prizes

Wired Rave Awards

Notes

* LoftLifeMag.com

References

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