Released: Oct. 20, 1996
Reprise Records
Funny thing about setting myself a goal, or task, of sorts. This iTunes album by album thing. Yesterday, I didn't have a chance to listen to disc 2 of Being There, and I felt guilty. I felt like I'd forgotten to do something important, like turn off the iron, or brush my teeth. Today, another day of activities--yoga, interminably long bus out to Ballard to meet a friend, hang out with said friend, come home in the late evening--I had a restless need to just sit on my couch/futon and put on the record. I was going to let myself down if I didn't get this listening party for one completed, tonight. This is not the kind of personal pressure I need. I'm on VACATION!!!!!
Disc 2. Not as good as disc 1. I like some of the songs and I could do without others. Begins well enough, and then just sort of peters out...
The second version of "Outta Mind (Outta Sight) starts out like the "Sesame Street" song, in a way. It's not the exact same notes, but the rhythm and count is very close. I like this version, too. It's very jaunty, fun; the tempo has been straightened out a bit. The sentiments are neither jaunty nor fun, not in the literal sense. (Maybe they are for the guy who's getting over the girl, though. A bit tongue and cheek, perhaps?) "I know you don't love me. I know you don't love me anymore, alright." Well, whataya gonna do? My favorite song on this 2nd disc is "Someone Else's Song". Right combination of melancholy longing, tender melody, pretty guitar and great sound on the vocals--an echo, as if he's using one of those old crooner mics. You know the ones, right? They're very 1940's/50's; a singer can seductively cup his/her hand around it or do tricks with the base while swinging the whole thing around. After that song, which is the fourth track, I lose interest. I'm not a big fan of The Grateful Dead (who am I kidding? I'm not a fan at all.), and while I was listening to the rest of the album, with the exception of one song, that's who I was thinking of. Honestly, I couldn't say the remaining songs sounded anything like The Dead, but that's what got in my head. I did like "The Lonely 1". Again, it's got that melancholy thing going for it and Tweedy's vocals are wistful and a bit strained on the high notes, something sweet about that sound. I like the narrative structure of the lyrics as well as what I get from them. Public v. Private self.
It's not like I'm not going to delete the songs from my computer, or anything. If I decided to have a Wilco day and listen to all of the albums I have of theirs (well, aside from this, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and a live album, that's it) I wouldn't skip over these four or five songs. However, if I was just sitting at my computer with shuffle going on, I'd skip 'em if they came up. The review I read on Pitchfork wondered why they didn't just put out a single disc record and leave off some of the songs. Wonder if he was thinking of the same songs I am....
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