The Wilco Book

Great book that comes with a cd. Per one listen, I opine the cd would be great for anyone who needs help falling asleep. I found zero redeeming qualities to it.

This is a wonderful buy for all fans of the band. It really brings you into the Wilco circle. Excerpts and essays by and about the band, their methods, and their ideas are attractively presented through a series of pretentiously artsy photos. There is not nearly as much hard info as Greg Kot's magnificent Wilco: Learning How to Die, but the two books are completely different reading expereinces. The Wilco Book is not meant for plowing through; it is meant for experiencing. The book also comes with a CD. These are not the polished studio gems of Summerteeth or the country rockers of AM. These are sonic experiments from the "a Ghost is Born era", and have a feeling of no pressure. Tweedy and co work together - Glenn's influence is really felt here. "Pure Bug Beauty" is a favorite of mine, although "diamond claw" is cool, "barnyard pimp" struts its stuff, and the alternate version of "hummingbird" will be a highlight for many.

The Wilco Book is a great book if you enjoy the creative process. This book is less about the band and more about how they record, why they do it, and what the environment around them looks or feels like while they are doing it. It's an open-minded look at a process most of us don't enjoy on the same scale, but that we can all relate to in our own creative lives. The accusations of pretense are understandable. But if you are someone who loves the process as much as the finished product this will be an inspiring piece. The cd and the book fit perfectly together in creating a mood of idea exploration. I found this book insightful and a very nice addition to a progressingly great body of work.

The smartest book about rock in years-and, no it's not about Uncle Tupelo, it's about Wilco. This is book is a subtle, thoughtful riff on being a band, making music and the creative process. If you want to look at glistening pictures of a rock band, go watch the MTV music awards or buy Star magazine. The Wilco Book is a welcome take on the entire process of making an album, not just strutting for the camera. Some people have whined that Wilco is too self-important. You can't complain that the band is hopelessly narcissistic, and then complain that they didn't put enough pictures of themselves in the book.

Much has been made of jeff being the "boss" of Wilco. I'm sure he has the final say on most of the goings on but this book proves without a doubt what a collaborative effort the Wilco team really is! The book is funny, fun, interesting, exciting, inciteful... It can be browsed, read in chunks or read in one giant sitting. I have had the most fun opening it randomly and letting my eyes and head wander. It is intellectually and emotionally stimulating. Cool. I'm not trying to be pretentious or anything. If you get yr hands on the book you gotta know what to expect, at least a little bit. The disc is...interesting. that's an adjective used when reviewers can't find a polite way of saying they don't totally like the music but in this instance the music really is interesting. It does sound like outtakes but listened to straight thru gives a wonderful overview of the "Wilco process". And there are some structured songs too that are awesome like the alternate version of "Hummingbird". Anyway, lovers of art, culture, literature and music will be satisfied to the fullest. There's something there for everyone. It's truely worth the $ and effort.