Wilco

Summerteeth

Great Great Great Disc

Review Score:

(10/10)
What do you say about one of our generation's most defining albums when no one has heard of it? The music, lyrics, and that undefinable edge of this album rank it as an all time classic, but few critics would rank this in their top picks. The reason is simple: Wilco's success has always been limited to intelligent discerning individuals looking for great music-not the next big thing. Wilco might never become Top-40 radio darlings, or their next album might propel them to popularity on par with the Beatles. Either way, they remain one of the best bands out there-no matter what genre of music you listen to.

Summerteeth is a miasma of rock, pop, and country music swirled into an amazing tapestry of sound. The songs evoke hard and true feelings: bitter anguish and bubbling euphoria. Like all truly great albums by truly great bands, they defy description and they work together. Wilco doesn't use cheesy concepts or themes to tie their songs to one another, but this is one disc you have to listen to all the way through to appreciate.

In the end, that greatness may be their commericial undoing. Although certain tracks would certainly work on pop radio, they're not as good by themselves. To hear one of Summerteeth's songs without hearing the rest of the album is like reading a single and random chapter of a great novel-it may be good reading while you're reading it, but you have to read the whole thing to appreciate its magnitude.

Buy this album, and listen to it, and it alone, for a week. Then buy Yankee Foxtrot Hotel and A Ghost Is Born and consider yourself a Wilco fanatic. Trust me-it's worth it.

PS: also check out Greg Kot's forthcoming (June 15th) book on the Wilco. Greg is the Chicago Tribune's lead rock critic and one of the most honest and earnest voices out there today. His reviews are right on and transcend criticism to bring you the true story and significance of the music.

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