Wilco
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

(Nonesuch)

www.wilcoweb.com

Over the history of rock ‘n’ roll, a number of records have attained an aura of mystery; the unreleased masterpiece Smile by the Beach Boys, Bob Dylan’s Live 1966, and the oft-delayed, poorly-distributed, yet critically-adored Third/Sister Lovers by Big Star come to mind. Wilco’s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot has been accorded a similar aura in certain circles, due to the long, complicated story behind the making of, and attempted release of the record. In fact, two of the best-known critics from Wilco’s home base of Chicago, Jim DeRogatis and Greg Kot, have both argued that Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was the best record of 2001, released or not (although Kot refused to name it on his official list, because it wasn’t readily-available to the general public, despite widespread dissemination via the Internet).

In a nutshell: Wilco began recording Yankee Hotel Foxtrot well over a year ago, with its core lineup of Jeff Tweedy on guitar and lead vocals, Jay Bennett on lead guitar, keyboards, and various other instruments, John Stirratt on bass, LeRoy Bach on guitar, and Ken Coomer on drums. During the sessions, Tweedy made the decision to bring avant-garde drummer Glenn Kotche (who has worked with Paul K, Chris Mills, and birddog, among others) into the fold, preferring his textured drumming to that of Coomer. Later, Bennett and the band would part ways, with Bennett moving onto his solo career (while Bennett was involved in the making of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, he apparently took on a smaller role in performing, instead focusing on production and engineering). Meanwhile, Wilco’s label, Reprise Records, was not happy with the record, and asked the band to make some changes. Wilco refused, eventually bought the rights back from Reprise for a reported $50,000, and shopped it, with as many as 30 labels bidding for the rights to release the record. Nonesuch Records prevailed, and will release the record on April 23. Just prior to its signing with Nonesuch, the band streamed the record for fans at its website.

As for the record, it is an ambitious tour-de-force, a complete sidestep from Wilco’s previous outing, Summerteeth, which was widely hailed by critics for its Beach Boys-esque, lush pop sounds and the haunting lyricism of songwriter Tweedy (“I dreamed about killing you again last night / and it felt all right to me”). Continuing the path embarked upon by the band with 1996’s Being There (the first record Bennett played on), Yankee Hotel Foxtrot now introduces Jim O’Rourke-inspired avant garde “post-rock” (O’Rourke, who performs with Gastr del Sol, and has worked with acts ranging from Steve Albini to Stereolab, was involved in the final mixing of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot). Whether it’s the gentle sweeps of Kotche’s percussion, the reverb and reverse loops presented at various other points on the record, or even the oblique lyrics presented by Tweedy, there’s no doubt this is a band that is continually evolving.

The record opens with the near-seven minute epic “I Am Trying to Break Your Heart”, before leaping into the pop beauty of “Kamera”, in which Tweedy sings over a melody straight from heaven. The similarly melodic “War on War”, propelled by Kotche’s percussion and some spacey noise, offers the reality-check line “you have to learn how to die/ if you wanna wanna be alive”. Elements of the Cure, Radiohead, and yes, the Beach Boys and even the Kinks can be heard throughout the album, making this one of the widest-ranging and original sounding records released in some time .

Elsewhere on the album, Tweedy sings: “I assassin down the avenue” and “I would like to salute the ashes of American flags”; it’ll likely be assumed, or ignored, that many of the songs on this record were written in the wake of September 11th, when in fact they weren’t.

The fiddle that opens “Jesus, etc.” introduces a song like nothing Wilco has ever done, and may very well be the high point of the album. Once again, Tweedy seems prophetic: “tall buildings shake/voices escape signing sad sad songs”. The first true hint of the absence of Jay Bennett comes toward the end of the record, when the simple, almost-amateur lead guitar part of “I’m the Man Who Loves You” makes itself known. The cymbal-heavy “Pot Kettle Black”, combined with Tweedy’s plaintive vocal, makes the song a beautifully subtle jab at hypocrisy.

The penultimate song on the record, “Poor Places”, may be the most obvious in its influence, clearly drawing from the pop genius of Brian Wilson. It’s a wall of sound accompanying cryptic lyrics that leave you befuddled until the payoff line: “It’s hot in the poor places tonight/I’m not goin’ outside”.

There have been plenty of other other bands that have evolved out of a sound they were credited with pioneering, including the Jayhawks, Old 97s and U2. But Wilco seems to do so effortlessly, and has now pulled it off on three straight records. It’s an exciting ride; let’s hope it continues.

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