Wilco
Biography
Wilco was formed in 1994 by Jeff Tweedy and members of the band, Uncle Tupelo. In 1995, Wilco issued their debut album, A.M., a collection of spry country-rock tunes. Wilco's sophomore effort, 1996's two-disc set Being There, marked a radical transformation in the group's sound, venturing into psychedelia, power-pop and soul, complete with orchestral touches and R&B horn flourishes.
Shortly after the release of Being There, Bob Egan joined Wilco. In 1998, Wilco backed singer-songwriter Billy Bragg on Mermaid Avenue, a collection of performances based on unreleased material originally written by Woody Guthrie. Their stunningly lush third album, Summer Teeth, followed in 1999. In Mermaid Avenue, Volume 2, Wilco built on their work with Billy Bragg. Following this release, longtime drummer Ken Coomer decided to amicably leave the band and was replaced by the Chicago-based Glenn Kotche.
The band then focused on recording their fourth album, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, which ultimately led to the departure of guitarist Jay Bennett, and further tensions with their label. Unwilling to change the album to make it more "commercially viable," Wilco bought the finished studio tapes from Warner/Reprise for a reported $50,000 and left the label altogether.
Leaked tracks from the album surfaced on the internet in late 2001, and the stripped-down lineup of Tweedy, Kotche, Stirratt and multi-instrumentalist Leroy Bach embarked on a small tour to support (or drum up support for) their unreleased album. Nonesuch Records picked up the album and the official release came out in early 2002 to widespread critical acclaim.
Meanwhile, an independent film documenting the drama surrounding the album entitled I Am Trying to Break Your Heart was released in 2002. During some down time after Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was recorded, Tweedy composed and recorded the film score to the Ethan Hawke film Chelsea Walls.
In 2004, Wilco released A Ghost Is Born which was hailed as a "Great American Album." If it can be said to have any unifying theme, it would be the casual descent of beauty into chaos. A number of songs start quietly and end in complete disorder - a form of musical entropy. Such tracks include "Hell Is Chrome," "Handshake Drugs" and "Wishful Thinking."
Source: Zac Johnson & Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide
Relationship to Blue Rodeo
Wilco has many ties to Blue Rodeo. Here are a few:
- Bob Egan (lap pedal and steel guitarist for Blue Rodeo) played with Wilco. He can be heard on various tracks, such as "Dreamer in my Dreams," "Far, Far Away," "The Unwelcome Guest," "She Came Along to Me," "One by One" and many others.
- Jeff Tweedy and Jay Bennett of Wilco can be heard on Jim Cuddy's solo effort All in Time on track number 8: "I'll Make Believe It's You."
Quotes
"Being There was definitely one of the inspirations for this album and Jeff and Jay ending up on the album was just one of those perfect coincidences. Who would have thought that these two guys, tired from a full day of promoting their own album, would allow themselves to get dragged out to a studio to record with a stranger?" - Jim Cuddy.
Related Links
Wilco's Official Website