Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (Wilco)

Wilco Yankee Hotel Foxtrot 2001; Nonesuch Records My Rating: 10/10 If SUMMERTEETH is Wilco's OK COMPUTER, then YANKEE HOTEL FOXTROT is Wilco's KID A. On SUMMERTEETH, WILCO proved themselves to be capable of pushing the envelope in just about any direction, but it seems that wasn't enough for Tweedy. Whereas the band built symphonies out of songs on SUMMERTEETH, on YHF they take the tracks, demolish them, pick up the pieces, and glue them back together into staggering postmodern masterpieces. The album opens with "I am trying to break your heart", a left-field folk song that seems to meander drunkenly down a city street. It's as clear a signal as the band can send that you are in for something completely different on this record, and yet the song somehow manages to grab you and pull you into Wilco's brave new world. "Kamera" backs it up with a catchy, even-keeled, mid-tempo groover recalling jazz-rockers Steely Dan, only to descend into the most experimental piece on the reco... Read more

This product came simply with the CD and no cover art. It should have been listed as "acceptable" at best. The description was very misleading. If I simply wanted the audio, I would download it in digital form.

YHF may be slightly excessive in its sonic texturing, leading to a few pockets of dead noise here and there, but most often compresses and contorts into fascinating shapes instead. The disc still sounds about as superb an example at the expansive direction Wilco was taking their once traditional sound with hardly any residual pretension.

I have been digesting Wilco in reverse chronology. I started with Blue Sky Blue after seeing them on SNL. Then I tried Kicking Television, and am now on to Being There and Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. I find YHF the least enjoyable of the four albums, and actually find it irritating to listen to, particularly in comparison to the beautiful musicality of the later two works (guitarist Nils Cline being a serious upgrade) and the beautiful simplicity of Being There. The band seems to be playing with its toys, messing up otherwise good songs with out-of-place distortion and repetitive noises. After reading about the struggle Wilco had to get this album issued, I really wanted to like it. Instead, I have discovered why their former label hated it so.

excellent condition, arrived promptly. Very disappointed with swearing on the album...would like to return for this reason or exchange am not sure if that is possible would make me a very satisfied customer. Contact me!

Poetic justice takes musical form. This album got Wilco kicked off their label, and went on to become one of the most critically acclaimed albums...ever! One of the best records of the decade.

Lots of smart people I know love this album, and the story of its production is great, but I never got engrossed in it. I guess I'm a formalist when it comes to music, because the only song I gravitated toward is the poppy and nostalgic "Heavy Metal Drummer." I like that one, but it wasn't enough of a reason for me to keep the album. (My wife actually sold back her copy, too.) But I do like Wilco's most recent album, maybe because it's more traditional.

This is an excellent album, that like all Wilco albums, gets better each time you listen to it.  I prefer to listen to albums in their entirety as a single piece of work rather than listen to singles designed for the masses.  Unfortunately, there are few bands that put out albums that I can listen to all the way thru, but Wilco is one of those band. The album is an adventurous journey across a complex soundscape that ranges in emotion and musical styles.  I tend to listed to a lot of music in my car, and this is a great CD for driving to.

Just like the guy in the Guiness commercial says, Brilliant!

My favorite Wilco album. Summerteeth would be second.

A MASTERPIECE

Wilco continues to stray further and further from the straight ahead alt country of AM and Being There in thier continuing effort to expand and reshape the boundries of pop music. Radio may not have caught up yet but I have.

When I was younger, I became interested in Rock music that was primarily fast or heavy i.e. Husker Du or Jane's Addiction. As I became older my tastes began to refine. I did not like the music of my childhood any less, but found that it did not offer enough to keep me comming back. I found that lyrics were an essential portion of a song and emotion could make a song timeless i.e. Bob Dylan and John Lennon. I have found that Wilco has made a similar journey. Jeff Tweedy with Uncle Tupelo was quite a punk rock influenced musician. When Wilco was formed his music began to take on more of a folk feeling and some of his early lyrics are quiet substancial. As the term Alt-Country was invented, to classify this new style, he began to move away and experiment a bit more. The result was Summerteeth a fantastic album of a musicaian maturing. A few years older and wiser Wilco is all grown up now and has produced an album that will carry influence for decades to come. This is a must have... Read more

As a huge Uncle Tupelo and Son Volt fan, it took me a while to fully appreciate Wilco -- I mean, I bought and enjoyed 'Summer Teeth' and 'Being There', and certain songs from those records really moved me on first listen, but I never got the visceral thrill I did from UT or SV. It's probably in part because I've been prepped by the previous Wilco albums, but Yankee Hotel Foxtrot really blew me away from the moment I first heard it. It still doesn't kick me in the stomach through and through the way a more straightforward rocking album might, but it's so interesting and complex, with such a compelling mix of intellect and emotion in the songs, it's just a beautiful album. Oh, and see the movie "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart". It's a well done documentary and an insightful look into parts of how the record came to be.

This is the album that got Wilco dropped from their record label, because they wouldn't go back and record a single...it wasn't "commercial" enough (and now Wilco has been screwed again by a different record label, who doesn't even own them). This is an outstanding album. Wilco really know what they are doing, and it shows. "Ashes Of American Flags", "Heavy Metal Drummer", "Kamera", "War On War"...what genius brilliantly ditched them from Reprise Records? The album has sold wonderfully for an undergound band, and they certainly deserve that. Take care, everyone!

Yeah, this is a great record. One of the sure signs of an album with staying power is when your favorite tracks from the album change over time. When I first burnt this CD several months ago (and i will buy it as well), my favorite tracks were "War on War," "Kamera", and "Heavy Metal Drummer"... now they are "Ashes of American Flags" and "Pot Kettle Black." In some ways this album reminds me of U2's Zooropa, in that it represents a dramatic shift in style. There is little trace of Wilco's alt country roots in YHF, and twangy guitars have been replaced by synthesizers and distortion. This is a tremendous CD and I could not recommend it more strongly.

I am not so sure how to give an unbiased review of this record. When you have liked a band for more than 5 years, they automatically get moved up at least one notch on the ratings scale. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (international call letters for YHF - you all know what that means, right?) is a creepy record. Pop Creep. Creepy pop that slithers its way through your headphones into your soul and cannot find a way out. Oddly misplaced and unintentional rings of family and patriotism give it a happy and proud appearance, but beneath that cover lies confusion and lack of faith the world that surrounds the individual. The songs are all catchy and they deal out some terrific melodies. Wilco has managed to transform from alt-country to a new sense of songwriting that will leave a nice imprint on our hearts when we think about the music of this time.