So I didn't think I'd post this as I hadn't intended to be "leaked music central," but as the song keeps coming up on my iTunes playlist, I keep being bowled over by the sheer honesty of the electric guitar solo, the way that it's bashful and rock'n'roll at the same time. I haven't heard the whole album, but from what I have heard, A Ghost Is Born sounds like it's Wilco's Let It Be. Gone is the bounce and sparkle of Summerteeth, the silver gauze of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, and instead - knit sweaters, cigarettes, drums, and men trying to express themselves the only way they know how.
The internet feels like it's home to more Wilco haters than lovers, but I'm one of those kids who fell in love with YHF, and while my crush has waned, I'm happy to be excited about the band again, happy that this song sounds so good to my ears. If you're still too sick of them, however, please feel free to skip ahead.
Wilco - "At Least That's What You Said". A voice and a piano, with flickers of guitar far, far in the background (memory). If it wasn't Tweedy, I might hate it - self-indulgent singer-songwriter crap. But (but!) there's an elegance to his simple, bittersweet vocals; there's the feeling he's sorry that this might sound trite, that he can't help it. I can hear the wounds, the vulnerability as he sings "mad," "serious." When the electric guitar stands up, begins to jam with piano and a simple drum-line, there's still an order to this, a self-conscious play-by-numbers. "Now we'll jam out." But things get out of control, things break down, things just break. I can hear the mess and the freedom and the regret. I can feel it. I turn up the volume and I wash myself in it. I scoar myself with it. And the shiny piano keeps on going (see Lambchop Aw C'mon/No You C'Mon), like the shiny kitchen and the shiny sun and the shiny grasses that still wave outside, regardless of you in your room, hands balled up, eyes squeezed shut. A clear cold glass of water that you pick up and drink.
Other songs that are like this song:
Elliott Smith - "A Distorted Reality is Now a Necessity to Be True"
OutKast - "Hey Ya!"
Kepler - "The Changing Light at Dawn"
Radiohead - "Just"
The Tragically Hip - "Grace, Too"
The Unicorns - "Thunder and Lightning"
Songs:Ohia - "The Lioness"
Modest Mouse - "Trailer Trash"
The Frames - "Fitzcarraldo"
The Beatles - "Helter Skelter"
Clinic - "Dj Shangri-La"
Arab Strap - "New Birds"
Dirty Three - "No Stranger Than That"
Nick Drake - "Pink Moon"
Sparklehorse - "Happy Pig"
And then, for those of you who don't and won't like the Wilco, or for those of you who need a shimmy-shammy right now (and not a hot flame), I bring you, from K Records (of all people), the finest song that C.O.C.O. have ever released:
C.O.C.O. - "Move On". Bass and drums pitch a devastatingly simple dance beat, a devastatingly simple lyrical hook, the sort of thing that should be played on vinyl, that should be danced to at a party in a loft on St-Denis, in black-lacquer shoes and stupid sunglasses. Oh - and a bowl of cherries nearby. Cherry cola, too, with those bendy straws. And a girlfriend.
Posted by Sean at March 17, 2004 1:18 AMWow. That new Wilco is intense. I guess two guitars isn't obsolete after all. It will be very interesting to see how this next tour goes. Thanks, Sean!
Posted by Scott at March 17, 2004 1:36 AMWow! Just wow! I didn't expect the guitar at all, and it just slaps you upside the head, especially b/c the start is so quiet that you crank the volume way up. And it's so CLEAR. I liked Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, but it didn't change my life of anything, but this just might... Maybe I should drop out of school and listen to this forever. Thank you so much for this.
Posted by caley at March 17, 2004 2:37 AMI wasn't feeling the slow intro, but once they let loose in the instrumental section, it's fabulous.
Posted by Matthew at March 17, 2004 10:04 AMI know what you mean, Matthew. Without the instrumental bit, this song would be a hollow, almost embarassing load of "melancholy" (note quotation marks). With it, however, the song ascends to high heights, and even the first part becomes better - suddenly the soft-spoken mumbles are all about _restraining_ the thing that comes out later. a tension appears in them, a falseness. (which is good.)
Posted by Sean at March 17, 2004 10:36 AMPF says Nels Cline is in Wilco now. Any idea if he's on this track, or the album itself? I'm one of the hatas, but I'll pretty much listen to anything that has his guitar work on it...
Posted by Eppy at March 17, 2004 10:53 AMFrom what I'm guessing, chronology-wise, Nels isn't on the record. But I'm not really sure... Neither the Wilco nor Nels Cline websites say anything definitive.
Posted by Sean at March 17, 2004 11:44 AMI don't think he is on this track, but it will be interesting to hear him tear into this on stage.
Posted by Scott at March 17, 2004 12:14 PMSean, you had said you were looking for mp3 blogs... elchan over at fruits of chaos turned me on to
this thing right here, which as far as I'm concerned is just scary.
Does EVERY Asian girl in the world have a well designed J,K,C-pop musicblog? Seems like it...
Speaking of which...
I can't stand asian pop.
And so, I remain happily blind to that whole world.
It's just too damned saccharine for me.
Posted by Keith at March 17, 2004 4:39 PMPlease, if you have any heart at all....tell us where we can hear the rest of this.
Posted by Anonymous at March 17, 2004 5:33 PMi second that, if someone can point us to a source for the whole album, please do!
Posted by Ambrose Chapel at March 17, 2004 6:30 PMI was led here by a network of obsessive Wilco fans... and what I have to say to you today is... THANK YOU! If you can help me out with the rest of the disc, please drop me a line.
Posted by Paul at March 17, 2004 7:38 PMP.S., Nels doesn't appear on this track.
Posted by Paul at March 17, 2004 7:38 PMBegging....you.....Sean. :)
Posted by Anonymous at March 17, 2004 8:33 PMa hint at the location of the other tunes would be fantastic
Posted by Anonymous at March 17, 2004 9:57 PMJudging by this "haven't heard the whole album", I would say there's a good chance Sean may not have the whole album.
Posted by caley at March 17, 2004 11:08 PMi still haven't received quite all of "ghost" (the missing 10% comes tomorrow), but, yeah, unfortunately I can't point anyone to where I got it - that's rule #1. rumour has it about a torrent floating around, but i haven't managed to spot it. it's not actually as good as i initially thought (unfortunately), so i don't want to turn STG into a big wilco-posting crap-shoot. besides, like i say above, i am positive that within the week, this will be everywhere.
i'm glad people are finding "at least that's what you said" as exciting as I did, though. even if the pitchfork-board kids (hello!) don't approve of my "other songs that are like this song." i stick to my guns, however: i am proud of that list. anyone else have ones to add?
Posted by Sean at March 18, 2004 12:09 AMThanks for addressing our comments, Sean. I apologize for perhaps expecting an unreasonable amount of information from you earlier, but "At Least That's What You Said" has been running through my head (and playlist!) all night long. The wait for the rest of the new Wilco record has been made that much sweeter by your sharing this this track. You've made at least one new fan today; I read through the rest of your reviews and found them perceptive and informative. You've got one helluva blog here, man.
Posted by Paul at March 18, 2004 12:49 AMIt was a short wait. Heh.
Posted by Paul at March 18, 2004 5:56 AMyour list is fine but you missed a big one---this song is dripping with neil young's influence. it sounds a lot like "cortez the killer" or any other song where neil solos for 3 minutes too long. that being said, it's still a good song
Posted by dan at March 22, 2004 5:53 PM"Hey Ya!"????? What in TARNATION! Anyways. Thanks for posting the song. Now if I could only find the rest..................
Posted by Ryan at March 22, 2004 10:40 PMCan someone please help me please.... I can't seem to play this track....Can anyone give the exact URL where I can play the MP3...
Thanks
JD
okay, the song is gone. If anybody could possibly email me where I might find this wonderful (and all those other wonderful) tracks I would be more than appreciative. A torrent has got to be out there somewhere...
Posted by Jeremy at April 2, 2004 6:20 PMhey, everybody i want to know who the f*** is playing lead guitar on this record. btw, all you ppl looking to hear the new record, wilco are streaming it from their website for free. (www.wilcoworld.net) its awesome
Posted by kyle at April 9, 2004 12:26 PM
and it will begin playing. All songs are also available to download: just right-click the link and choose 'Save as...'
