|
|
Wilco - Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, 2002
People aren’t interested in being challenged by the radio. Most of us spin the dial to relax to find something comforting, familiar. Don’t expect to hear anything from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot on the radio anytime soon. It is exciting, engaging and occasionally frustrating, but there is nothing familiar about it. Wilco is well on their way to being one of the best rock’n’roll bands in the country, propelled by Jeff Tweedy’s guitar and lyrics and the musicianship of Jay Bennett (who left the band after the record was finished), bassist John Stirratt, Leroy Bach on keyboards and drummer Glenn Kotche. Following the roots rock of A.M. in 1994, Being There (1996) was an incredible double album that I can only compare to the Beatle’s White Album in scope and quality. They followed that with the great “pop” album Summerteeth in 1999, two strolls through Woody Guthrie’s archive with Billy Bragg on Mermaid Avenue 1 and 2, and now Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. The album opens with the building chords and musicbox rhythm of “I am Trying to Break Your Heart,” a good indication of the collision of styles and noises to come. There are a lot of great songs buried in the occasionally dense production of the record, which is full of ambient sounds and bizarre keyboard effects. There are quite a few slow numbers, but they are spaced well so the record doesn’t drag. Aside from the opening track, my favorites are “Jesus etc.,” “I’m the Man Who Loves You” and “Heavy Metal Drummer.” It’s not for everybody. I like it. My father likes it. Kristin’s mom said one listen was more than enough. I don’t know if you could call it experimental, but it’s atypical. It doesn’t sound like any other Wilco albums, but then again, it doesn’t sound like anybody but Wilco. BT |
|||
