With their second round selection, in the category of 2000-2002, The Rubes select Wilco - "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot"
Too lazy to put my own review up right now but I put the one from allmusic below.
Quote:
Few bands can call themselves contemporaries of both the heartbreakingly earnest self-destruction of Whiskeytown and the alienating experimentation of Radiohead's post-millennial releases, but on the painstaking Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Wilco seem to have done just that. In early 2001, the Chicago-area band focused on recording their fourth album, which ultimately led to the departure of guitarist Jay Bennett and tensions with their record label. Unwilling to change the album to make it more commercially viable, the band bought the finished studio tapes from Warner/Reprise for 50,000 dollars and left the label altogether. The turmoil surrounding the recording and distribution of the album in no way diminishes the sheer quality of the genre-spanning pop songs written by frontman Jeff Tweedy and his bandmates. After throwing off the limiting shackles of the alt-country tag that they had been saddled with through their 1996 double album Being There, Wilco experimented heavily with the elaborate constructs surrounding their simple melodies on Summerteeth. The long-anticipated Yankee Hotel Foxtrot continues their genre-jumping and worthwhile experimentation. The sprawling, nonsensical "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart" is as charmingly bleak as anything Tweedy has written to date, while the positively joyous "Heavy Metal Drummer" jangles through bright choruses and summery reminiscences. Similarly, "Kamera" dispels the opening track's gray with a warm acoustic guitar and mixer/multi-instrumentalist/"fifth Beatle" Jim O'Rourke's unusual production. The true high points of the album are when the songwriting is at its most introspective, as it is during the heartwrenching "Ashes of American Flags," which takes on an eerie poignancy in the wake of the attacks at the World Trade Center. "All my lies are always wishes," Tweedy sings, "I know I would die if I could come back new." As is the case with many great artists, the evolution of the band can push the music into places that many listeners (and record companies for that matter) may not be comfortable with, but, in the case of Wilco, their growth has steadily led them into more progressive territory. While their songs still maintain the loose intimacy that was apparent on their debut A.M., the music has matured to reveal a complexity that is rare in pop music, yet showcased perfectly on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
Sums it up pretty well. Just have to say this is one of my favourite albums of the last ten years. The lyrics are incredible and Tweedy and Co. are some of the most talented musicians on the planet.
Tracks -
1. "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart"
2. "Kamera"
3. "Radio Cure"
4. "War on War"
5. "Jesus, Etc."
6. "Ashes of the American Flag"
7. "Heavy Metal Drummer"
8. "I'm the Man Who Loves You"
9. "Pot Kettle Black"
10. "Poor Places"
11. "Reservations"
The British Invasion make no apologies for this next, oh so obvious, pick. Being originally from the Liverpool area of England makes this a rather easy, and absolutely necessary, choice for our team. Yes, this album is not exactly obscure. Yes, you've probably all heard the album before but that's ok as it's one of the best and most influential records of all time.
TBI are delighted to select, representing the Album-Pop category for now,
Although not involved with this draft in any way, as a lurker I have to say - wow. Amazing picks all around. Any rules as to contributing supporting materials to picks? If so, totally cool. As is obvious I'm new to actually posting as opposed to just reading this this CP stuff...
Although not involved with this draft in any way, as a lurker I have to say - wow. Amazing picks all around. Any rules as to contributing supporting materials to picks? If so, totally cool. As is obvious I'm new to actually posting as opposed to just reading this this CP stuff...
Although not involved with this draft in any way, as a lurker I have to say - wow. Amazing picks all around. Any rules as to contributing supporting materials to picks? If so, totally cool. As is obvious I'm new to actually posting as opposed to just reading this this CP stuff...
DJ Gary Powers?
__________________
"The problem with any ideology is that it gives the answer before you look at the evidence."
—Bill Clinton
"The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance--it is the illusion of knowledge."
—Daniel J. Boorstin, historian, former Librarian of Congress
"But the Senator, while insisting he was not intoxicated, could not explain his nudity"
—WKRP in Cincinatti
With our second selection, Team Anal Bum Cover would like to add Rites of Passage by the Indigo Girls to our team in the 1991-1993 category.
Review on allmusic.com:
Quote:
But lest you think otherwise, the songs themselves are pure Indigo Girls. One of the threads that runs through tunes by both Amy Ray and Emily Saliers seems to center around what it takes to be a good, kind person in this world, to do the right thing even in the face of danger or at all costs. Both women also express humility and reverence for a power greater than themselves, be it a cause, a god, a love, a fear, or a poet. Vocally, their harmonies have never been cleaner and clearer than on songs like Saliers' "Love Will Come to You" and "Virginia Woolf." And, naturally, Ray's fiery passion rears its head on "Jonas and Ezekial," "Joking," and "Chickenman." The Girls continue to be two of the most literate, engaging, and important songwriters in the folk-rock scene as they tackle issues ranging from Native American awareness to governmental misdoing. No misfires here, just a steady shot echoing forth.
__________________
"The problem with any ideology is that it gives the answer before you look at the evidence."
—Bill Clinton
"The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance--it is the illusion of knowledge."
—Daniel J. Boorstin, historian, former Librarian of Congress
"But the Senator, while insisting he was not intoxicated, could not explain his nudity"
—WKRP in Cincinatti
No problem. Just in case anyone wants to look it up.
__________________
"The problem with any ideology is that it gives the answer before you look at the evidence."
—Bill Clinton
"The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance--it is the illusion of knowledge."
—Daniel J. Boorstin, historian, former Librarian of Congress
"But the Senator, while insisting he was not intoxicated, could not explain his nudity"
—WKRP in Cincinatti
With this 3rd rd pick, I'd better fill a category with something I know, so in Rap, I choose Beastie Boys - Licensed to Ill
1. Rhymin & Stealin
2. New Style
3. She's Crafty
4. Posse in Effect
5. Slow Ride
6. Girls
7. Fight for Your Right
8. No Sleep Till Brooklyn
9. Paul Revere
10. Hold It Now, Hit It
11. Brass Monkey
12. Slow and Low
13. Time to Get Ill
Recorded when the three New York rappers were barely out of high school, Licensed to Ill remains a revolutionary combination of hip-hop beats, metal riffs and some of the most exuberant, unapologetic smart-aleck rhymes ever made. No wonder it went on to become the best-selling rap album of the Eighties.
__________________
"The problem with any ideology is that it gives the answer before you look at the evidence."
—Bill Clinton
"The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance--it is the illusion of knowledge."
—Daniel J. Boorstin, historian, former Librarian of Congress
"But the Senator, while insisting he was not intoxicated, could not explain his nudity"
—WKRP in Cincinatti
