Search - Wilco :: A.M.

Strong Songwriting on a Strong Debut

life_boy | Savannah, GA (USA) | 04/21/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Being a band like Wilco has got to be hard. Every album is a step forward, revealing something new about the musicians, both as musicians and as human beings, and displaying a new depth and lyricism that builds on their previous work and is absent from so much contemporary music on the radio and on TV. Unfortunately, it is for this reason that 'A.M.' is to many Wilco fans what 'Pablo Honey' is to many Radiohead fans: a debut album, worth owning but not their best (and so rarely listened to).



Despite 'A.M.' being a debut record, there is nothing really amateurish about it. The songs are solid, well-written pieces, performed with energy and well recorded. What changes with each album is the way Wilco approaches the songs: how can the music change? How can the music be recorded to add meaning to the lyrics? The straightforward nature of this album is not something to be ashamed of. It takes a little time for some newer Wilco fans to open up to the more obvious country stylings of 'A.M.' (myself included...it took me a good two years to finally appreciate Wilco's debut), but once one does, there is a great bunch of songs to be heard. "Should've Been In Love" and "Dash 7" are probably the emotional cornerstones and I consider them to be the strongest songs on the album. To be honest, the weakest song on the album isn't even a Jeff Tweedy song. "It's Just That Simple" is written and sung by John Stirratt. It isn't a bad song, it just has trouble standing next to the high caliber songwriting of Tweedy.



All in all, this is a very strong album. I urge newer Wilco fans that haven't heard it or haven't really listened to 'A.M.' to give it a chance; let it grow on you. It may not have the subjective flare of 'Yankee Hotel Foxtrot' or the subtle silences of 'A ghost is born', but it is a Wilco album, with the same great songwriting and the same great love of music that has been with the band from the start."

Early REM fans take note!

kresnels | Culver City, CA United States | 08/20/2003

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I like records that let you know they mean business right away - and A.M. definitely does that. From the minute you put it on, it's like you've discovered a favorite record you've had buried for years in the back of your closet - all the tunes are catchy, all the words make a quirky kind of sense, and it's just plain great to listen to.I love this record, not only because of the infectious quality of the music, but the lyrics are so great you'll be humming them to yourself later, eager to hear them again. Shouldn't Be Ashamed, Box Full of Letters, and I Must Be High are all really great, but my favorite is Passenger Side - a plaintive paean to losing your license and having to be carted around (I've got a court date coming this June/ I'll be driving soon/ Passenger side/ I don't like riding on the passenger side.") The songs are deceptive in their simplicity, played by a band that can really play their instruments well. Jeff Tweedy's voice may take some people a while to get used to, but he's got a great, vulnerable quality and he can really write a great song.I gave it four stars because Summerteeth is supposed to be their best album, and the last song kind of lets the album taper off. But if you like REM (even as late as Out Of Time) you'll really like Wilco, and A.M. is a great record to get to know your new favorite band."

Sits very well over time

Malcolm O'Callaghan | Los Angeles | 07/17/1998

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Wilco is one of the two bands to rise from the ashes of Uncle Tupelo, the band that created the so-called "Insurgent Country" genre. The second of these two is Son Volt. This album was not received very well by the music press as it was released at about the same time as Son Volt's debut which was crically acclaimed. The comparison of these two albums is somewhat unfair as they are stylistically very different. Wilco is led by Jeff Tweedy, the member of Uncle Tupelo who tended toward catchy Roots Rock songs as opposed to Jay Farrar (now in Son Volt) who tends much more toward traditional country. A.M. is immediately listenable and struck me initially as something that I would tire of - this initial reaction has not held up - I still love this album each and every time I listen to it. It has almost direct follow on from "Anodyne", Uncle Tupelo's final album, with catchy songs like Box Full of Letters and Shouldn't be Ashamed. Yet there is depth provided by moody, soulful songs like Dash 7 and I Thought I Held You. Jeff Tweedy's trademark sense of humor is as strong as ever in Passenger Side and I Must Be High. In short, if you loved "Anodyne" by Uncle Tupelo, in particular these songs: Acuff-Rose, The Long Run, New Madrid, We've Been Had and No Sense in Lovin - then you will LOVE this album. But even if you prefer the style of Jay Farrar and Son Volt, this album is worth its price as the natural successor to the Uncle Tupelo era."