While Wilco's debut, A.M., spread its wings in an expectedly country-rock fashion, their sophomore effort, Being There, is the group's great leap forward, a masterful, wildly eclectic collection shot through with ambitions and ideas. Although a few songs remain rooted in their signature sound, here Jeff Tweedy and band are as fascinated by their music's possibilities as its origins, and they push the songs which make up this sprawling two-disc set down consistently surprising paths and byways. For starters, the opening "Misunderstood" is majestic psychedelia, built on studio trickery and string flourishes, while "I Got You (At the End of the Century)" is virtual power pop, right down to the handclaps. The lovely "Someone Else's Song" borrows heavily from the Beatles' "Norwegian Wood," while the R&B-influenced boogie of "Monday" wouldn't sound at all out of place on Exile on Main Street; and on and on. The remarkable thing is how fresh all of these seeming clichés sound when reimagined with so much love and conviction; even the most traditional songs take unexpected twists and turns, never once sinking into mere imitation. "Music is my savior/I was named by rock & roll/I was maimed by rock & roll/I was tamed by rock & roll/I got my name from rock & roll," Tweedy sings on "Sunken Treasure," the opener of the second disc, and throughout the course of these 19 songs he explores rock as though he were tracing his family genealogy, fervently seeking to discover not only where he came from but also where he's going. With Being There, he finds what he's been looking for.
--amg
preview all tracks if yer a wuss.GET disc 1GET disc 2 downloads VIA SHALLYBOY'S MUSIC
my cents; there are so many things to say about this MUST HAVE LP that i will let others carry all the weight. except for this;
Being There is a balls out power pop record! Littered with the ghosts of Big Star and Replacements.
I was actually listening to this album as two separate discs and it works that way as well a a single cohesive flow of 76 minutes.
This is most definitely a classic. as far as favorites, i will not say but no fan of American music should be without this record.
They certainly changed when Jay Bennett left but still a great band. Just different. For sure they loosened up after that and a label fiasco. (I Am Just Trying To Break Your Heart)
The band can really do little wrong.
You are missing out if you do not experience this masterpiece.
And Pop???? Listen to "Red-Eyed And Blue" here complete with the Spectorish Sleigh bells and build up into a chorus of WHISTLING!!!
Oh yes, look around in the supermart when Sitting In The Dock Of the Bay plays and how many can't help but whistle along.
A Bold move by Wilco and genius, i think.
While Wilco's debut, A.M., spread its wings in an expectedly country-rock fashion, their sophomore effort, Being There, is the group's great leap forward, a masterful, wildly eclectic collection shot through with ambitions and ideas. Although a few songs remain rooted in their signature sound, here Jeff Tweedy and band are as fascinated by their music's possibilities as its origins, and they push the songs which make up this sprawling two-disc set down consistently surprising paths and byways. For starters, the opening "Misunderstood" is majestic psychedelia, built on studio trickery and string flourishes, while "I Got You (At the End of the Century)" is virtual power pop, right down to the handclaps. The lovely "Someone Else's Song" borrows heavily from the Beatles' "Norwegian Wood," while the R&B-influenced boogie of "Monday" wouldn't sound at all out of place on Exile on Main Street; and on and on. The remarkable thing is how fresh all of these seeming clichés sound when reimagined with so much love and conviction; even the most traditional songs take unexpected twists and turns, never once sinking into mere imitation. "Music is my savior/I was named by rock & roll/I was maimed by rock & roll/I was tamed by rock & roll/I got my name from rock & roll," Tweedy sings on "Sunken Treasure," the opener of the second disc, and throughout the course of these 19 songs he explores rock as though he were tracing his family genealogy, fervently seeking to discover not only where he came from but also where he's going. With Being There, he finds what he's been looking for.
--amg
preview all tracks if yer a wuss.
GET disc 1
GET disc 2
downloads VIA SHALLYBOY'S MUSIC
my cents; there are so many things to say about this MUST HAVE LP that i will let others carry all the weight. except for this;
Being There is a balls out power pop record! Littered with the ghosts of Big Star and Replacements.
I was actually listening to this album as two separate discs and it works that way as well a a single cohesive flow of 76 minutes.
This is most definitely a classic. as far as favorites, i will not say but no fan of American music should be without this record.
They certainly changed when Jay Bennett left but still a great band. Just different. For sure they loosened up after that and a label fiasco. (I Am Just Trying To Break Your Heart)
The band can really do little wrong.
You are missing out if you do not experience this masterpiece.
And Pop???? Listen to "Red-Eyed And Blue" here complete with the Spectorish Sleigh bells and build up into a chorus of WHISTLING!!!
Oh yes, look around in the supermart when Sitting In The Dock Of the Bay plays and how many can't help but whistle along.
A Bold move by Wilco and genius, i think.
