When They Was Fab / The Album That Changed Wilco (Video Essay)

After Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Wilco changed.
Ready for some analysis of a 21st century rock-doc? This is literally the only thing I care about right now, so I hope so. Who doesn't like movies about bands? Even bad ones. This one is kinda bad. But I like it. Enjoy.

[@msmittysmitty83]

I had Being There and 8am for a few years....then in 2024 I watched The Doc, and then I watched the Doc about Jay, then I read Tweedy's book....and now today I find your amazing essay....My year of learning a lot about Wilco continues...Thank you for making this video

[@mainecanoe]

Jay was an amazingly talented multi instrumentalist with a very keen ear for melody, a deep knowledge of various styles and knew his way around a studio. That in combination with Jeff’s songwriting created a very fruitful run for the band. But anybody who has ever been in a band knows this is a story as old as time. Personalities clash, artistic ideas clash and the drama gets to a tipping point. These guys were spending more time together than with their own families. But even though you gain calmness and social harmony- that can detract from the push/pull dynamic that can drive the art. Not always but sometimes.

[@braynechoblue]

The band with Jay Bennett that started YHF is not the band that that finished YHF. The YHF boxed set booklet has more details on the departure of Jay and the argument mentioned. He was trying to mix the album and the rest of the band wasn't happy. Jay was layering too many tracks and lacked experience mixing an album this complex. It's pretty clear that the songs weren't working and the band wasn't working. So I don't think the version of Wilco with Jay was Wilco at their most musically relevant. It took bringing in Jim O'Rourke in to make the songs we love today. And Jim's approach was at odds with Jay's ideas of more is more. Looking back at that album the stars really did align and there are many reasons that it came together. One is that Wilco both needed Jay for his important contributions but also needed him to leave the band to make Yankee Hotel Foxtrot the best it could be.

[@jn5122]

This is the accurate take

[@bananastan714]

Pre and post Jay are both great.

[@fernandoperdomomusic]

Leroy is the one playing Organ on Jesus Etc. Jay is playing Wurlitzer piano...

[@BlackStripe789]

Jay is playing the electric piano part on "Jesus, Etc.". The annoying organ is Leroy.

[@NeoGoldmann]

Jay experimented. A genius. He was the powerhouse of music revolution in Wilco.

[@Rob954ever]

YHF, A Ghost Is Born and Sky Blue Sky are amongst the best albums ( from end to end) ever made.

[@colin-nekritz]

False. But you’re entitled to your misguided and patently wrong opinion.

[@Rob954ever]

@@colin-nekritz Sorry you're so butt hurt. I'm sure your ABBA collection is immense.😘

[@foxbor0]

@@colin-nekritz a misguided opinion? You mean one that's different to yours. Rob954ever is correct though.... they are great albums. And to suggest Wilco weren't as good without Jay is just funny. Have you seen them anytime since he left?

[@dawnrhodes6409]

❤❤❤

[@operationzenith6030]

YHF is easily one of the most unknown and underrated albums of all time. 2002 was loaded with good albums. Interpol, Turn On the Bright Lights. Flaming Lips, Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots. Also YHF is a hard listen in some ways.

[@Rickyjay23]

Just watched IATTBYH for the first time after being a fan of Wilco since 2006? Great film. The first album I got into from Wilco was Sky Blue Sky. Still my fav album.

[@tmjmccormack]

Completely agree that Sky Blue Sky is #1. I’d imagine there are more of us out there but I hardly meet anyone who agrees.

[@Blakeano]

somos 3

[@dennisrocker]

Im sad for the past with all due respect but I cannot imagine an end to a story as its being so brilliantly told.

[@jeffmccaskill9227]

Gosh I miss Jay

[@patriciagrandjean8205]

*eyeroll* They're still fab. Jay was talented, but he was alienating the rest of the band, and it wasn't HIS band. I've gotten really tired of YHF worship, too. All worthwhile bands grow and change and they make missteps along the way. Look at Dylan. He's made his share of bad records, but anyone who looks at his great work and says any one album was THE great album sounds like a narrow-minded fool. So it is with any other artists of significance you can name.

[@Plotinus75]

Take three albums: Being There, Summerteeth, YHF. Those three are better than the other albums.

[@mainecanoe]

Their last great album was Sky Blue Sky. Everything since then is very clearly not at the same level. I have been a fan of Jeff and the band since seeing them the first time in 1997 but there is a reason that run up the A Ghost is Born is revered.

[@denz180]

​@@Plotinus75everyone has an opinion. My favourite wilco is sky blue sky

[@duckbrew]

Never again after Yankee were they so beloved by critics and fans?? really? Just cheakin'

[@jameshunter9422]

I think Jay was playing the Wurlizter on that track.

[@whitmore-project]

Yea he was, I understand the point he was trying to make though

[@RandomNonsense1985]

I actually like the YHF demos and outtakes better. Leaving Not For the Season, Nothing Up My Sleeve, Venus Stop the Train, Rhythm, and Magazine Called Sunset off of the album was a criminal act.

[@GrizEleven]

Great video

[@wongnaichungrd]

Interesting assessment. I find the run from AM to A Ghost is Born as good as good as it gets. Despite having a stellar line up of musicians post AGIB the albums have been patchy and to be honest many of the songs are not in Jeff’s top drawer. These days the Wilco albums sound like Jeff solo albums with a crack supporting band. Just my take

[@toddlee2571]

I don't agree at all with the sentiment of this film. Had Wilco actually been America"s Radiohead i wouldn't have liked them. You can only do the "soundscape (dissonance) as art" so long before tedium sets in (and it sure did). Sure, A Ghost Is Born is a tad too sedate being the follow-up to the much better YHF but I can't imagine a world where Sky Blue Sky didn't exist because it was too folky. I get that people were put off by the polished sound of The Whole Love and Wilco (The Album) but they were still worthy albums. I also get that there's always going to be that contingency of people who were ardent fans at the height of the indy-rock scene that want their music to be noisy, lo-fi and dissonant and in that regard Wilco progressed away from that, i.e abandoned those fans. My gain, i guess.

[@mainecanoe]

It’s not that complicated. The older songs were just better crafted songwriting. Better melodies and more engaging lyrics.

[@Plotinus75]

"If you don't have any sonic landscape behind you, everthing turns into a folk song." Let me translate: "If Wilco doesn't have Jay Bennett, everything they record turns into a folk song."

[@NeoGoldmann]

Yes, Jeff would have been just a Bob & Dylan.

[@scottbookman]

@@NeoGoldmann and there's already one of those .

[@LovelyMagpie]

This is a great assessment. Wilco was my favorite band then. I love the album but I really missed Jay on that tour. (though I did kinda like Leroy). I never really liked the band’s direction after that (I can’t stand Nils Cline) and haven’t really followed them since.

[@annanutherthing4373]

Maybe not good to have film crews in while still trying to do real recordings!!

[@SMAWA9]

There better than ever post Jay.Awards and all

[@gracelarey3841]

Jay is Girlbossing

[@colin-nekritz]

No, he’s bringing brilliant ideas up against the petulant manchild that is pre-bloated 300 pound Tweedy

[@illusionxmuta]

It such a shame that so much time and effort is spent on such mediocre music

[@cmzeman]

Keep your day job.

[@NeoGoldmann]

Just understand this, chances are that Wilco would have been just an alt country band if it wasn’t for Jay Bennett. Jeff writes the songs but it is Jay that layers the magic we hear on YHF. He got kicked out of the band but without him what material would they have to mix ? This documentary fucked up Wilco forever in my opinion.