RE: (TV) Wilco documentary: 'I Am Trying To Break Your Heart' / 4 Qs

["Dever, Paul (ELS)" <P.Dever@elsevier.com>]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Casey, Leo J [mailto:CaseyL@VOLPE.DOT.GOV]
> 
> B) And what do people on MM list think of Wilco in general?


Wilco's great. At the beginning of a cover version of 
"Color Me Impressed" Jeff Tweedy says something like: 
". . . everything we do is based on the Replacements. 
It's OK . . ." 

The comment makes deep sense to me, even if it's 
just off-the-cuff stage banter. Tweedy uses language 
much like Paul Westerberg did: as a plastic medium. 
A big difference, perhaps, is that Wilco is a lot older 
than the Replacements were (except for Bobby who was 
too wrecked to figure out how to stay alive). 

The recording doesn't leave much time for these 
thoughts. "Color Me Impressed" ends and they launch 
into an irrepressible version of "I Wanna Be Sedated."  
Obviously, more than words that connect Wilco and 
The Replacements. 

I always hear people say that Jay Farrar was the 
talented half of Uncle Tupelo and that Son Volt is 
much better than Wilco. I say phooey to that. Wilco
goes much farther out on a limb than any of Jay 
Farrar's post-Tupelo bands ever have.  Wilco 
experiments, and they come up with stuff that's 
very cool. I always get the sense that Wilco works 
hard at what they do and takes that process seriously.

And that's why I want to see the film.  The clips I 
heard from it (a radio piece about the film) portrayed 
the band rehearsing and talking about their songs: what 
works? why? . . . that kind of thing.  

Films hardly ever show you artists at work in real ways.  
Usually you get a finished piece of art and some 
bullshit sense that divine inspiration is responsible 
for it's form, plus the idea that it's sacrilege to 
interrogate the work of creativity. (Don't get me 
started . . . I could rant all day about "Buena Vista 
Social Club"). The other alternative seems to be a silly 
story that plays up the "Myth of the Rock Star" and 
turns all us filmgoers into star fuckers. Bah humbug.  
I'm looking forward to the Wilco flim cause it seems 
like it will offer a more real sense of what Wilco does . . .

Finally, to make this off topic rant more palatible,
an offer:  a good friend has a recording of a recent 
Wilco show in St. Louis (Tweedy's from the St. Louis 
area and his Dad was at the show). I haven't heard it 
yet, but I saw the show (it was good) and I've been 
promised a copy of the recording. If I can rip it, I'm 
willing to send out copies. Any takers? Send e-mail me off 
list. 
 
--Paul
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