Wilco - Kicking Television: Live in Chicago
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Free Music Notes for Kicking Television: Live in Chicago
Free Music Review: Kick Out The Jams
Hit: 5 Stars
Wilco's Kicking Television (the title of an internet only outtake from A Ghost Is Born) is a double disk live album that was culled from four shows performed in May, 2005 at the Vic Theater in the band's hometown of Chicago. Songs from the band's last two albums, Yankee Foxtrot Hotel & A Ghost Is Born, dominate the album. That's not a complaint as those are two of the finest albums released this decade. The band has stretched out to a six-piece unit and bandleader Jeff Tweedy plays with brilliant consistency. "Spiders (Kidsmoke)" far outstrips the studio version and might be the best track on the album, "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart" is a beautiful cacophony of noise, "Jesus, etc." (which Mr. Tweedy hilarious introduces by saying "let's get this party started with some midtempo rock") has it's violins replaced by an effective slide guitar, "I'm The Man Who Loves You" has a great vibe and shining horns, "Hell Is Chrome" has a piercing guitar solo and "Hummingbird" finds Mr. Tweedy dropping the guitar and working on the keyboards. Older songs include a crowd favorite "Via Chicago", a stirring "Airline To Heaven", the pop brilliance of "A Shot In The Arm" and the closing track a cover of Charles Wright's "Comment (If All Men Are Truly Brothers)". Mr. Tweedy will never be the most energetic performer, but he has loosened up over the years. It helps make for better performances and makes Kicking Television a cd one must purchase.Free Music Review: One of my favourite albums
Hit: 5 Stars
I am an extreme latecomer to Wilco's music; up until a couple of years ago I'd never heard of them. I became interested in so-called "numbers stations", radio stations that broadcast nothing but mysterious voices reciting strings of numbers, and somebody at work told me that a band called Wilco had used numbers stations on one of their recordings, which is how I came to listen to Wilco's 'Yankee Hotel Foxtrot'. It quickly became one of my favourite CDs, and it wasn't long before I discovered this sprawling gem of an album.
'Kicking Television' has nearly everything I want from a live album; the songs are in many cases fresher, livelier and more eventful than the original versions, the playing is great, and the mood is palpably upbeat. I could wish that Jeff Tweedy had a more memorable line in stage banter, but he doesn't really seem to be that kind of guy. My favourite bit of the album is the sequence from the bubblingly cheerful rendition of 'Heavy Metal Drummer' via the edgy and nervous 'Poor Places' into a positively epic 'Spiders (Kidsmoke)' - most of the latter song is the same chord over and over and over again, and when the band finally surge into the descending instrumental refrain, the release of tension is exhilarating. This album is also, incidentally, one of the best-recorded examples of what Nels Cline can do with a guitar; although Tweedy is a pretty formidable player himself.
Free Music Review: Wilco prove themselves as a great live band
Hit: 5 Stars
I'm sure many of the people like myself who meander about Amazon.com to find new and interesting music to listen to have been to numerous rock shows, if not hundreds of them. It's disappointing when one goes to a rock concert and the band simply goes through the motions of the songs, not testing the boundaries and nuances of the song itself. Yet, other bands can take their studio material and truly propel it to new heights when performed live; Wilco is one of these bands.
What I did expect and got from this live album was a set of great songs with great lyrics that I already have heard and love. What I didn't expect was the new textures and layers within the songs that are brought out fully in the live setting; some tricks are new (especially the addition of guitarist Nels Cline who shines the most on the album with his rock-solid solo licks and slide playing) and some tricks were there in the first place, yet the new sound arrangement of the song gives it stronger featured sections.
Of course, the differences are subtle at times and if you are not paying attention, you'll miss them. But trust me, even if you are not familiar with any of Wilco's material, they will dazzle you with intricate instrumentation one moment ("Company in My Back"), then prove they "still love rock and roll" the next ("Kicking Television"). Very highly recommended!
Free Music Review: When Live is even better than the studio
Hit: 5 Stars
I attended Wilco's concert in Atlanta on the first leg of the tour supporting Ghost is Born and was mesmerized that a band could recapture the aural landscapes that make up the last three records (Summerteeth, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, and Ghost is Born). While older songs were included at the show I attended, Wilco has wisely chosen to emphasize the work of the last two records on this live offering. Wilco performs the complexities of these tunes with passion and the right amount of looseness. While there may be some mechanical sounds to the tunes themselves, the playing is not! Also, listeners will not be disappointed by the sound of the recording itself. The record itself sounds great unlike most live albums. But before I contradict my posting regarding the Old 97's live album, the band sounded THIS good and clear live. I think this album would serve as a good introduction to a new fan of this latter phase of Wilco and recommend the following highlights: Misunderstood (the passionate desperate cry of "Nothing" repeated to gut wrenching effect), Company in my Back (displaying all its intricate hooks), A Shot in the Arm (taking the pop gem to new heights), Radio Cure (emphasizing the subtlety of the song), Heavy Metal Drummer (rocking the hook filled tune) and everyone should check out Spiders (Kidsmoke)(live is better than the studio!). Now I'm just waiting for the next tour.Free Music Review: wilco songs come to life
Hit: 5 Stars
If you are a fan of Wilco, and especially if you have never seen them live then you must own this cd! With a set list based largely on "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" and "A Ghost is Born," you might not think of buying this. YHF is a love-or-hate album, and maybe not the best intro to this band since it's more experimental than their previous work. But the songs really come alive and take on a new dimension when they are played live. Wilco is a really tight band. I had always loved them but when I saw them live for the first time (twice in the same week in New Orleans on the Ghost tour,) I was blown away. The first few times I heard Ghost, it fell a little flat, maybe because I had anticipated it so much and it didn't seem to have quite the same edge as YHF. But hearing the Ghost songs live has really changed my opinion and now I love that record equally, if not more than the other Wilco records. Certain songs really jump out as my favorites here: "Misunderstood," "Via Chicago," (a song they have played countless times but this version really grabs me...) and surprisingly "Company in My Back" and "Hell is Chrome," 2 songs I hadn't thought much of before. I'm going to see Wilco again very soon, thankfully they are on tour again! If you can't catch a show, check out this record, it will give you an idea of why their live shows are so acclaimed.