June 1, 2007

A potpourri of bonus tunes from Wilco

I was reading Weiss’ entertaining piece on how to avoid hippies at Bonnaroo when they start forest dancing (yeah . . . good luck with that, Weiss) and saw Wilco on his list of top 10 bands he plans to check out later this month in the Tennessee wilderness. I did not realize all the fantastic bands coming through the ‘Roo, including Wilco — which reminded me of this post that I’ve had knocking around in my head for awhile now.

I am just fairly recently getting into Wilco — and I honestly don’t know why it took me so long. I think Sky Blue Sky is understated, subtle, and solidly enjoyable, one of the strongest releases of 2007 thus far. So much of Wilco’s music has an intangibly rich and bittersweet quality to it that invites you to delve deeper. That’s rare for me to find to this degree.

For your enjoyment, here are some Wilco b-sides and demos from this album and before. Lots of gems here (to add to the fine tunes on the More Like The Moon EP which I re-upped). All run fairly melancholy except for “Student Loan Stereo” which has a bit of an agitated/defiant edge to it — kind of the way I feel each month when I pay down my student loans. It must be universal sentiment.

One True Vine
(Sky Blue Sky b-side)

Let’s Fight
(unreleased, Sky Blue Sky sessions I think)

Venus Stopped The Train (demo)
(Yankee Hotel Foxtrot sessions demo)

Student Loan Stereo
(Can’t Stand It single, CD1)

Tried & True
(Can’t Stand It single, CD1)

ELT (King Size demo version)
(Shot In The Arm single, CD1)

True Love Will Find You In The End (Daniel Johnston cover)
(Shot In The Arm single, CD2)

She’s A Jar (Austin demo)
(Shot In The Arm single, CD2)

Sunken Treasure (solo acoustic)
(Can’t Stand It single, CD2)

I’m Always In Love (solo acoustic)
(Can’t Stand It single, CD2)

Blasting Fonda
(Outtasight Outta Mind b-side)

I Am Not Willing
(Box Full Of Letters single)

XYZ: I forgot to ZIP IT UP!

So . . . I am adding I Am Trying To Break Your Heart to my Netflix.

[thx and thx for some of the tunes]

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15 Comments

  • Thanks for sharing these songs. I didn’t realize there was a studio version of “Let’s Fight,” which I heard them play last summer. I was disappointed to see that they’d left it off the album, but I don’t think it really fits the mood of Sky Blue Sky, either.

    I Am Trying to Break Your Heart is terrific (don’t miss adding the bonus disc to your queue, which I did the first time around), and I also recommend Jeff Tweedy’s solo DVD, Sunken Treasure.

    I’ll be seeing Wilco again in a few weeks. They put on a great show. I’ve got a few shows I’d be glad to share if you’re interested.

    Maggie — June 1, 2007 @ 9:39 am

  • Nice to see a wilco mention. Being from Belleville I keep a close watch on both Wilco and Son Volt. Son Volt’s new release The Search is worth exploring. They have a 22 track version on itunes. I would call this album a change somewhat for Son Volt.

    Thanks for the Wilco tunes Heather.

    Kev in St Louis

    Anonymous — June 1, 2007 @ 11:43 am

  • Great post, thanks. Happy that you are getting into Wilco! I can’t wait to see them.

    lbc — June 1, 2007 @ 12:04 pm

  • “Let’s Fight” is a live version. If you listen, you can hear the audience. Also, it doesn’t quite sound studio-clean. Thanks for this, though. Love it. :)

    Matthew — June 1, 2007 @ 12:35 pm

  • This version of “Let’s Fight” is from the 7.16.06 show at the Pines Theatre in Northhampton, MA (which I attended, and I’ve been listening to this recording ever since). All of us Wilco geeks are still waiting for a studio version to surface. Fantastic song, but I agree it would have stuck out a bit on SBS.

    Frank — June 1, 2007 @ 6:48 pm

  • Thank you ever so very much!

    matt — June 1, 2007 @ 11:19 pm

  • I’m not thrilled with Sky Blue Sky – there’s quiet, melancholoy, and slow, and then there’s SBS. But the guitar is great. And Wilco is a great band that I always figured left about a million songs on the cutting room floor. Thanks for finding some!

    Anonymous — June 2, 2007 @ 12:03 am

  • nice stuff, thanks

    and forget about netflix, just buy iattbyh

    ctrosecrans — June 2, 2007 @ 2:24 pm

  • I agree that you should check out the new Sonvolt, probably stronger than the new Wilco.

    BTJ from StLou

    Anonymous — June 3, 2007 @ 11:55 am

  • thanks for the b-sides, H. Can’t wait to hear them and thanks for the kind words. The show is less than two weeks away and I’m already getting visions of a flock of hippies ransacking me and leaving me for dead, reeking of patchouli. I am scared for my life.

    Passion of the Weiss — June 4, 2007 @ 1:12 pm

  • Heather,
    Thanks for the b-sides. Sunken Treasure Live maybe another one to add to your netflicks list. It’s on Tweedy’s solo tour of last year, and has some interesting insights.

    The new album is subtle, and sounds easy going until you pay attention, both lyrically and musically it’s amazing and grows on you more and more after every play. When I started looking into what each of them are doing, it really open the disk up. The dvd showing them play helps you see it as well.

    I have a lot of respect for Jeff and the whole band. Especially the the current line up. Nels Cline has a huge catalogue of albums, John Stirratt and his side projects are solid, Glenn Kotche drum work and glowing personality, check out one of his drum pieces here (http://www.drummerworld.com/Videos/glennkotchelong.html)

    Yon — June 4, 2007 @ 5:34 pm

  • thanks. love the wilco. although, dont flame me, i find blue sky to be hard to listen to without antidepressants.

    JETHRO — June 5, 2007 @ 12:47 pm

  • Thanks so much for the tunes…much appreciated.

    Anonymous — June 14, 2007 @ 5:15 am

  • yAs a former total Moby Grape fan, I love love love this “I Am Not Willing”! Such a beautiful song.

    gorjus — July 31, 2007 @ 2:12 pm

  • Hi Heather
    I am on a wilco high after seeing them in missoula montana last week.
    Any chance these B-sides from June 1 2007 can be made available again?
    Thanks!

    david — July 4, 2012 @ 12:33 pm

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Bio Pic Name: Heather Browne
Location: Colorado, originally by way of California
Giving context to the torrent since 2005.

"I love the relationship that anyone has with music: because there's something in us that is beyond the reach of words, something that eludes and defies our best attempts to spit it out. It's the best part of us, probably, the richest and strangest part..."
—Nick Hornby, Songbook
"Music has always been a matter of energy to me, a question of Fuel. Sentimental people call it Inspiration, but what they really mean is Fuel."
—Hunter S. Thompson

Mp3s are for sampling purposes, kinda like when they give you the cheese cube at Costco, knowing that you'll often go home with having bought the whole 7 lb. spiced Brie log. They are left up for a limited time. If you LIKE the music, go and support these artists, buy their schwag, go to their concerts, purchase their CDs/records and tell all your friends. Rock on.

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