Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Wilcos first three albums each had a distinct personality of their own as the band (and their leader, Jeff Tweedy) were quite literally figuring out what they were going to be as they went along: 1995s A.M. was a direct extension of the music Tweedy and his bandmates were making in Uncle Tupelo, 1996s Being There was a wildly diverse dive into a number of new musical possibilities, and 1999s Summerteeth was the point where Tweedys collaboration with keyboardist Jay Bennett came to dominate their sound and personality. With 2002s Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Wilco hit another turning point, where the Tweedy-Bennett partnership at once reached its peak and came crashing down. The departure of drummer Ken Coomer in the earliest stages of the recording and the more artful and exploratory approach of new percussionist Glenn Kotche certainly made a difference, as did the decision to record the LP at Wilcos own rehearsal space, giving them the time and the latitude to experiment with different sounds and approaches at length. As the sessions went on, the emotionally difficult undertow of Summerteeth became a more obvious presence in these songs, and the music took on a beauty and personality that was the work of a band torn between anxiety, hope, and a powerful belief in the emotional force of music. While the very public controversy in which Warner Bros. rejected the album, making it a cause celebre in the media, certainly helped Yankee Hotel Foxtrot gain a hearing among people who previously didnt follow the band, this would have been a major creative triumph for Wilco regardless of how it appeared. Tweedys songs are strikingly open-hearted and revealing, whether hes wrestling with anxieties ("Ashes of American Flags"), celebrating the sheer pleasure of music ("Heavy Metal Drummer"), or baring his heart and soul to the world ("Reservations"). And the arrangements and production make this a unique and powerful listening experience, with layers of sonic atmosphere coloring the melodies and complementing the outstanding performances from the band. More than one rag declared that Wilco was "the American Radiohead" in the wake of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, but the album was a powerfully original, deeply revealing work that was beholden to no one and erased all doubt that Wilco were one of the best and most imaginative groups of their time. ~ Mark Deming

Few bands can call themselves contemporaries of both the heartbreakingly earnest self-destruction of Whiskeytown and the alienating experimentation of Radioheads 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 tracks gray with a warm acoustic guitar and mixer/multi-instrumentalist/"fifth Beatle" Jim ORourkes 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. ~ Zac Johnson

ウィルコと聞けば〈良質なロック・バンド〉というイメージもあるけれど、さにあらず。彼らには濁った水さえすすんで口にするようなしぶとさと懐の広さもあれば、したたかさもある。さて、問題の新作。もちろん核心で熱を帯びるのはジェフ・トゥイーディーの歌い口。とはいえ〈歌を大事にする〉みたいなありきたりのプロダクションはなし。ミックスにジム・オルークを迎えた本作では、そんな期待は裏切られて当然。ここにあるのは豊かなメロディーと、伝統から繋がるコンポジション。そして、その表裏一体に、とんでもなく編みこまれた音のコラージュが横たわる仕掛け。不穏なストリングス、突如インサートされるフリーキーなギター・ソロ、ノイズ、ブレイクビーツと生ドラムの追いかけっこ……。陰と陽を渾然一体に練りこんで、またここで陽の目を見るひとつの〈ディスカヴァー・アメリカ〉。その美しいさま。涙の逸品。ウィルコは振り返らない。
bounce (C)福田教雄