Jeff Tweedy - Love is the King

[oSuJeff97 3439]

So Tweedy fired out another solo record recently and it kind of flew under my radar but I've been listening to it like crazy over the past week and I'm really digging it.

I was kind of expecting the same sort of acoustic folk rock that Tweedy has been putting out on his recent solo records, but this one is a bit of a throwback... it still has the acoustic folk-rock thing, but he's also brought the alt-country/70s rock vibe back into the mix.

I'm really enjoying it.

Stand-out tracks from me are: Opaline, A Robin or a Wren and Natural Disaster... the title track is also great.

You should check it out if you like old-school alt-rock Tweedy.

[C-Man 27779]

On 11/5/2020 at 12:20 PM, oSuJeff97 said:

So Tweedy fired out another solo record recently and it kind of flew under my radar but I've been listening to it like crazy over the past week and I'm really digging it.

I was kind of expecting the same sort of acoustic folk rock that Tweedy has been putting out on his recent solo records, but this one is a bit of a throwback... it still has the acoustic folk-rock thing, but he's also brought the alt-country/70s rock vibe back into the mix.

I'm really enjoying it.

Stand-out tracks from me are: Opaline, A Robin or a Wren and Natural Disaster... the title track is also great.

You should check it out if you like old-school alt-rock Tweedy.

I'll have to go back to it but I didn't think much of it when I first gave it a shot.

[oSuJeff97 3439]

10 hours ago, C-Man said:

I'll have to go back to it but I didn't think much of it when I first gave it a shot.

Yeah I mean it's nothing groundbreaking... I just enjoyed hearing him go back to something approaching the alt-country vibe for the first time in forever.

[Al_4_ISU 12623]

I think you're spot on regarding him hitting that alt country vibe for the first time in a long time.

I listened a couple of times, and it's pleasant/enjoyable, but these songs don't stick with me at all.

I think that's really been what's missing from him the last decade or so.  It's not really the style - my two favorite Wilco albums are AM and AGIB, which couldn't be more different stylistically.  But the songs just haven't been up to snuff in years.  It's just really forgettable stuff to my ears.

Edited November 12, 2020 by Al_4_ISU

[C-Man 27779]

19 minutes ago, Al_4_ISU said:

I think you're spot on regarding him hitting that alt country vibe for the first time in a long time.

I listened a couple of times, and it's pleasant/enjoyable, but these songs don't stick with me at all.

I think that's really been what's missing from him the last decade or so.  It's not really the style - my two favorite Wilco albums are AM and AGIB, which couldn't be more different stylistically.  But the songs just haven't been up to snuff in years.  It's just really forgettable stuff to my ears.

I think the last Wilco album that I really, really loved stuff from is the self-titled album. I really like some songs off The Whole Love but nothing off the next three is anywhere near the work to that point. I was admittedly late to the Wilco party -- I'd seen them a few times live with friends but I didn't really "get" them until 2012 or so. I will never stop going to see Wilco/Tweedy live shows, though.

[Al_4_ISU 12623]

1 hour ago, C-Man said:

I think the last Wilco album that I really, really loved stuff from is the self-titled album. I really like some songs off The Whole Love but nothing off the next three is anywhere near the work to that point. I was admittedly late to the Wilco party -- I'd seen them a few times live with friends but I didn't really "get" them until 2012 or so. I will never stop going to see Wilco/Tweedy live shows, though.

Similar experience to me.  I was late to Wilco, but caught onto them probably a year or so into my full on love affair with anything alt-country.  '08 I believe.  I really liked the self titled album upon it's release (I was already into the band) but don't come back to it much.  Whole Love has 2-3 songs I really like and include on Tweedy play lists.

I've seen them several times well after they quit making new albums I enjoy much and they absolutely slaughtered in all of those shows, so yeah, I'm not going to stop seeing them either.

[oSuJeff97 3439]

That's interesting that you both really liked the self-titled album, because that's the one that most hard-core Wilco fans easily consider to be the weakest in the discography.

I like it OK, but I think the only standout is "Bull Black Nova."  The rest of it is pretty "meh" for me.

As for their later albums, they aren't really churning out "classics" any more, but I do enjoy them for what they are... and I often judge the new albums by how any of the songs translate to their live shows.

"Star Wars" is probably my favorite of the later albums. It's fun, short noisy affair and has an absolute banger that's become a staple in their live shows in "Random Name Generator."

I also really enjoy "Schmilco"... I think it has some of the most beautiful songs they've done in recent years, including "Normal American Kids", "If I Ever was a Child" and "Quarters."  Also - "Locator" is awesome live. 

The last album I've had a harder time getting into just because of its very deliberate pace. I think it's technically proficient (as all Wilco records are) and a great "headphones" album, but not one I'll typically even have on in the background much.

[ztejas 44226]

Whatever songs you like off of it he stole from Jay Bennett. The ones you don't like he wrote himself. 

[oSuJeff97 3439]

2 hours ago, ztejas said:

Whatever songs you like off of it he stole from Jay Bennett. The ones you don't like he wrote himself. 

LOL wut

[Al_4_ISU 12623]

4 hours ago, ztejas said:

Whatever songs you like off of it he stole from Jay Bennett. The ones you don't like he wrote himself. 

That definitely explains my love for AM and his Uncle Tupelo output.

[Al_4_ISU 12623]

4 hours ago, oSuJeff97 said:

That's interesting that you both really liked the self-titled album, because that's the one that most hard-core Wilco fans easily consider to be the weakest in the discography.

I like it OK, but I think the only standout is "Bull Black Nova."  The rest of it is pretty "meh" for me.

As for their later albums, they aren't really churning out "classics" any more, but I do enjoy them for what they are... and I often judge the new albums by how any of the songs translate to their live shows.

"Star Wars" is probably my favorite of the later albums. It's fun, short noisy affair and has an absolute banger that's become a staple in their live shows in "Random Name Generator."

I also really enjoy "Schmilco"... I think it has some of the most beautiful songs they've done in recent years, including "Normal American Kids", "If I Ever was a Child" and "Quarters."  Also - "Locator" is awesome live. 

The last album I've had a harder time getting into just because of its very deliberate pace. I think it's technically proficient (as all Wilco records are) and a great "headphones" album, but not one I'll typically even have on in the background much.

I don't go back to Wilco (The Album) that much these days, but do feel it was unfairly panned.  "Bull Black Nova" is absolutely phenomenal live.  The middle of that album is pretty solid.  "You Never Know", "You and I", "I'll Fight" all still get a lot of play from me.

[ztejas 44226]

4 hours ago, oSuJeff97 said:

LOL wut

 

2 hours ago, Al_4_ISU said:

That definitely explains my love for AM and his Uncle Tupelo output.

It's a meta-joke. Someone on another thread made some comment about how Tweedy has never done anything noteworthy without Bennet.

[Celery Man 21094]

Man I watched "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart" this year and I feel for Bennett. There's just not room for a second creative asshole in a band with Jeff Tweedy. That scene where they're talking about... what, the intro arrangement for Heavy Metal Drummer? I just want to jump through the screen and tell him to shut the fuck up dumbass he's over it and is going to drop you. And so Bennett goes down as the guy who got kicked out of Wilco.

I still need to dive deeper into the later catalog. YHF and AGIB are two of my top tier all time albums. Really, Kicking Television is my favorite.

[ztejas 44226]

29 minutes ago, Celery Man said:

YHF and AGIB are two of my top tier all time albums.

Which means you're probably more of a Tweedy guy. I think I Am Trying To Break Your Heart is the only YHF track without a Bennet credit and it just happens to be the best track on the album.