I've recently finished reading Wilco: Learning How to Die by music critic Greg Kot. It's the story of one of the greatest American bands of our time. The book was written with the cooperation of Wilco band member past and present. Kot traces the story back to its Belleville, Illinois roots where Jeff Tweedy began evolving into one of the great songwriters of his generation during his days alongside Jay Farrar in the band Uncle Tupelo. The book gives an intimate account of Wilco's rise from the ashes of Uncle Tupelo through the controversy surrounding the creation and release of the masterpiece album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and concluding at the imminent release of the band's fifth album, A Ghost is Born.Needless to say, plenty of Wilco, Uncle Tupelo, Son Volt (Jay Farrar's band) and Golden Smog has been spinning around the Rockey home recently. This week Son Volt released their new album, The Search. My friend Andy (whom lent me the Wilco book) wrote a stellar review of the album for iTunes and had this to say:
No need to search any further....Jay Farrar delivers again in his follow-up to “Okemah and The Melody of Riot.” The first track, "Slow Hearse" is a Neil Young-like ballad that serves as a nice prelude but is not indicative of the other tracks on the "record." The Search picks up speed with "The Picture" which introduces a horn section that rings of Van Morrison. "Methamphetamine" is buried deep in the album but it is definitely one of the album’s jewels and one of Jay Farrar's best songs to date. Lyrically, the album is less politically charged than Okemah. Musically, it’s a nice departure from some of the drone-rock sound of prior work. I anticipate these songs really coming to life when the band takes these songs on the road in the spring!I had this to say about Andy's review:
The words flow from your digital pen like bionic honey cascading down a mountain of 1's and 0's...Wilco releases their follow-up to A Ghost is Born on May 15th, but if you're feeling like turning out the lights and throwing on some headphones this Sunday, they'll be streaming the new album, Sky Blue Sky, in its entirety. Check here for times.
