Wilco: A Ghost is Born

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Wilco's highly anticipated fifth studio release, A Ghost Is Born (AGIB) showcases the feelings and emotions of the human heart as songwriter and group leader Jeff Tweedy deftly lets the music echo and expand the thoughts and sentiments expressed by the lyrics. While Wilco's previous release, Yankee Foxtrot Hotel, tended to focus on the world around, AGIB looks at the world within.

The album opens with “At Least That’s What You Said.� The singer is talking to someone and then instead of moving into dialogue between two people, the song builds in rhythm and pace with pounding piano and blistering guitar licks (a la Neil Young & Crazy Horse), as if the music is talking back with its own voice.

“Hell Is Chrome� recounts a chilling interaction between the singer and the devil. Rather than the typical flames, the singer describes a place that was “clean and had streets of chrome� (“when the devil came he was not red, he was chrome and he said come with me�) and where the singer “was welcomed with open arms.� Then a hypnotic piano and electric blues guitar takes the listener on a journey while the singer tells us that he felt as if he belonged. [The feelings of acceptance and belonging are pleasant emotions that all of us can relate to.]

“Spiders (Kidsmoke)� is both a whimsical and a strange song (spiders filling out tax returns?). Because I enjoyed the first 2 songs so much, I was willing to go along for the ride, but this song didn’t really take me anywhere. It sounded as if it was a demo in search of a direction and a more cohesive theme. [I was left wondering how this cut would sound if performed live.]

“A Muzzle of Bees� is a smoothly produced and catchy number with great acoustic guitar and melodies. [I don’t care if I don’t know what a muzzle of bees is.] Eventually, this cut moves into a screeching crescendo of blazing electric guitar.

“Hummingbird� is a very pleasing tune reminiscent of The Beatles' White Album or Abbey Road LP (shades of “Maxwell’s Silver Hammer" abound). While listening to this song I was reminded anew that AGIB was mastered at the famous Abbey Roads studio.

“Handshake Drugs� seems to be about the small and temporary fix that we sometimes get from others. The song bemoans relationships that only lightly touch you and don’t really satisfy, and at the same time the music bounces and flows and takes the listener downtown on a stroll with the singer. Then the guitar again takes over and leads the listener out of the song in a most satisfying way.

“Wishful Thinking� draws in the listeners with its multi-instrumental layered introduction. In a sort of R.E.M. style tune, Tweedy discusses the ups and downs typical of life, but reminds both himself and the listeners to ask themselves, “What would life be without wishful thinking?� At first I didn’t appreciate this song, as the pace and sound were so different from the songs that precede it, that it seemed to make the record stall. Upon further listening, I decided that the change of pace and the time to pause and reflect on what was being said in the song was effective.

“Company in My Back� shines the light on Wilco’s crazy rollercoaster ride of 2002, as they presented the blue-suited money people at Warner-Reprise with their Yankee Hotel Foxtrot record. It seems that the “creative thinking outside the box� mentality that Tweedy and the group exhibited was too big a business risk for these executives, who decided to pass on that record.

Not daunted or dissuaded, Tweedy and band shopped the record around on the Internet, and an indie label named Nonesuch records picked up on the record, which sold amazingly well. [The “money people� at Wilco’s former record company must have turned green with envy.] Up until the release of YHF, Wilco was not very well known outside the college radio and alt-country music circles.

“I’m a Wheel� is pure rollicking rock and roll fun: the pace of this tune is refreshing, as if the group takes a break from introspection and turns its attention to reminding themselves and the listener how much fun it can be to just rock. The song is like a wheel: it rolls along and picks up speed with each guitar chord and drum beat.

“Theologians� has strong music, blistering guitar, a great steady driving piano -– and a cherry ghost? [Don’t know what a cherry ghost is, but in some strange way it seems to fit into the focus and intent of the song.] Tweedy sings that theologians “don’t know nothing about my soul� and that “they thin my heart with little things and my life with change,� but he cries that “I find more missing every day.� [Thank God for honest souls who are not afraid to openly speak or sing about their observations, thoughts and feelings.]

“Less Than You Think� is the low point and a major disappointment on this record. The song opens with soft, steady piano chords, which led me to believe that at some point the tune would shift gears and move into some previously uncharted territory. The shift never happened; instead this promising tune is replaced by a useless 9 minutes of white noise. Yes, this song truly was less than I thought it would be!

“Late Greats� is a fun song that is enjoyable when listened to on a good set of speakers or headphones. [It reminded me of the great studio work and experimentation that The Beatles did when they stopped touring and began to focus more of their energy into studio recording; the result of which was their landmark and classic Revolver album.]

The import version of the AGIB includes one additional cut, Kicking Television. This is a fun song that seems to fall out of the sky, but somehow it is a great song that rightly caps off a somewhat uneven record.

On the first couple of plays of AGIB, I was rather disappointed with the record. The bold and extremely well produced YHF album had attracted scores of new fans, including myself, to Wilco. As I first listened to AGIB, I had some expectations that were too closely tied to my enjoyment of YHF, and I realized that I had to approach AGIB as an entity unto itself. AGIB is a different sort of record, and with repeated listening this record began to grow on me . . .

AGIB is not a typical concept album, in that there is no consistent thread that ties all the songs together, although the singer does focus on how he relates to himself and to those around him. As I listened to this record, I realized that many of us spend a good deal of time trying to understand how we relate (and sometimes don’t relate) to others. With the fast pace of life, we just don’t always get the time or the opportunity to talk to anyone at any great depth or length about some of our deepest thoughts and feelings.

Tweedy, who recently completed a stint in drug-rehab (he now openly acknowledges a long-term personal struggle with addiction to pain killers) has had some time to reflect and think; AGIB seems to be the product of some important personal time out. [Do you remember that old phrase, “stop and smell the roses�?] It also seems to be simply the journey of one person as he sings about the thoughts within his head. In the process, he lays his heart wide open for the entire world to hear.

AGIB is a lyrical and musical journey that draws the listeners in and bids them to share in this personal, heartfelt, honest and -- for the most part -- enjoyable ride.

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Loretta Lynn: Van Lear Rose

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What do you get when you combine the songwriting abilities and heartfelt conviction of a county music legend with the excellent skills and trained ears of a Detroit-based rock music artist and record producer? Answer: Van Lear Rose, which just happens to be the title of the latest release by country music star and living legend Loretta Lynn.

The recent passing of American music legend Johnny Cash (who, in the decade before his death had made several excellent “American Recordings� label releases under the direction of veteran rock-record producer Rick Rubin) left a hole in the world of music. Crashing right out of that vacuum comes this powerful and revealing work by Loretta Lynn. Her latest release pairs her up with producer Jack White (of the Detroit rockers “White Stripes� fame) and the resulting effort showcases the engaging, often biographical, and always honest songwriting talents of Lynn (all of the 13 songs are original tunes penned by Loretta).

The entire album has a very warm and rich sound, thanks to producer Jack White, who avoids using digital recording equipment and mixers, opting instead for an analog 8-track studio set-up. The result makes VLR truly sound like a record, rather than a CD (audiophiles who grew up actually listening to records will understand the difference between the two).

Along with Lynn’s compelling lyrics and talented singing, the musicians on this record provide a wide range of enjoyable music. Lynn plays acoustic guitar, producer Jack White (in addition to his assistance on vocals) plays acoustic and electric guitar, piano, organ and even some percussion instruments. Assisting Lynn and White with the music is the garage-rock band “The Greenhorne’s� (and a couple of other excellent Detroit and Cincinnati session players). Lynn, in the liner notes of VLR, dubbed this group the “Do Whatevers,� saying, “they got in there and did whatever we needed them to!�

This talent-rich musical gene pool provides surefire, rock-tinged country music that not only complements the lyrics and singing, but provides listeners with a heightened appreciation of the entire Country and Western music genre (which, as a musical category, doesn’t even begin to explain the range of music covered by the songs and music contained on this record).

Coupled with the great production work and warm, rich sound of the record is a strong sense of lyrical honesty, as Lynn digs down deep into her roots and brings forth tales of strong family ties, love, good memories, and the darker stories of revenge, adultery and even murder. Surrounding all of this is the singer’s ever-present faith, as many of Lynn’s songs reflect her faith in and reliance on a redemptive God of love and mercy.

The title cut, “Van Lear Rose� recounts Loretta’s fond memories of sitting on her father’s knees and hearing the story of how her Dad was the “poor boy� that caught the eye of “the belle of Johnson County . . . a beauty to behold, like a diamond in the coal.� Her Daddy proudly told her how he, right under the nose of all of the other coal miners, “stole the heart of the family rose.� The song’s steel guitar wails and cries, the drums are strong (but not overbearing), and Lynn’s voice is in great form as she tells this classic story of how the underdog wins the girl of his dreams, and in doing so surprises all the others that stand around telling you how it “ain’t never gonna happen.�

Next, Lynn shouts out a emotion-crusher-power-ballad entitled, “Portland Oregon�; this song is a duet with Jack White, and it is delivered with the earnest conviction of a woman who has been there and back and yet still lives to talk about her journey. Pain, shame and trials abound as Lynn sings about a woman who bemoans the pitfall of a “sloe gin fizz induced one night stand.� The music is strong and supports the tune that Loretta belts out, and Jack White answers her back in true country-rock duet fashion.

“Trouble On The Line� is the honest woman’s tale of the static that seems to always exist in the relationship between her and the Lord. The steel pedal guitar rings out as if to highlight Lynn’s simple and apologetic prayer: she sings that she “cannot understand a word you’re saying� and that “communication is one thing that we never seem to find.�

This song reminded me of a Bible story (found in the book of Luke, Chapter 18) where Jesus spoke about the Pharisee (in this case, a word for a religious hypocrite) and the tax collector: The Pharisee was very proud of the fact that he was “not like other men—robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.� The scripture goes on to say that the tax collector stood at a distance, and would not even look up into heaven, but “cried out and asked God for mercy.� Jesus said the it was the tax collector who was righteous and deserved mercy, and who was the one person who, in Christ’s eyes, was justified before God (in another part of the Bible Christ said that “he who humbles himself will be exalted.�)

Lynn’s lyrics remind me of the tax collector who was humble, and would not compare himself to others, and because of his humility, ended up being called “righteous� by the Lord. [The message that I read between the lines is that sometimes we are actually closer to God than we may realize.]

“Family Tree� is the cry of a woman who is in the midst of the hardship and pain associated with a husband who has gone astray; this song focuses on the proverbial “other woman,� who in Lynn’s song has come to “tear down the Family Tree.� Lynn sings, “I brought along our little babies, ‘cause I wanted them to see the woman that’s burnin’ down our family tree.� Lynn sings with gut-level honesty and pulls no punches, calling this woman the “trash that is burning down our family tree.� Once again the steel guitar wails and cries along with Lynn, echoing the heartfelt, sad emotions reflected in the lyrics of this simple, and yet haunting tune.

“Have Mercy� an upbeat tune (driven by strong guitar and a steady drum beat) has Lynn crying out to a lover that is tearing her apart; she begs him to “Have mercy on me baby, I’m down upon my knees� and reminds him that “the way you did it to me . . . you know that you done got to me.� She follows up with a line of truth by saying about the other woman, “she’s’ got you hypnotized and paralyzed, like a puppet on a string.� Lynn does not flinch, and tells the truth about what will happen to her lover if he chooses to continue down this road of pain and misery.

“High on a Mountain Top� is a charming song that evokes the smoky mountain music and close-knit family life that the coal-mining region of Virginia is famous for. Loretta sings this song as if she had never left her hometown or the family roots that she still seems to be closely connected to. She tells how her family “never did have a lot of money, but they laughed a lot.�

I was talking with someone just the other day and wondering how we ever made it without cell phones, fax machines and microwave ovens? Oh, for a bit more simplicity as the pace of life seems to run at such fast speed!! Singer/songwriter Bob Dylan captured this thought well, as he sang, “Time is a jet plane, it moves so fast� in his song “You're a Big Girl Now.�

“Little Red Shoes� sounds like a page right out of the singer’s childhood diary: in the song she tells a story of growing up in a family of humble beginnings, where money did not grow on trees. Lynn has an amazing ability to draw the listener in to her early world (even during a song that seems to ramble around a bit too much) and the memories, both happy and sad, that seem to be so strongly etched into this woman’s heart, soul and mind.

“God Makes No Mistakes,� expresses the simple faith that seems to be at the core of Lynn’s life. She expresses her confidence in the Maker, and attempts to provide some answers to the “why did God allow this?� questions that almost everyone seems to ask at one time or another in their lives. The bedrock faith that the singer seems to hold close to her heart comes shining through with an autobiographical tone in this simple song of testimony. The message of this tune rings true as Lynn attempts to connect with listeners and provide them with some answers to their own questions of faith.

“Women’s Prison� is the earnest cry of someone who caught her lover cheating and, in a “crime of passion,� committed murder. In this song Lynn sings that she knows that she “has been forgiven, but the price of love is high.� In the midst of the singer’s pain and cries there is an expression of faith that surfaces as the song trails off into an “Amazing Grace that saved a wretch like me� chorus. This song portrays the eternal hope that someone with faith may experience, even in the midst of the dark walls and hardship that are so often associated with the life of a prisoner on death row.

“This Old House� recounts the Lynn’s childhood years, as she sings about pleasant family related memories that come from a warm and loving home life. It seems that this “coal miner’s-daughter� has never forgotten her roots, and her strong sense of family and related memories of “home-sweet-home.�

“Mrs. Leroy Brown�: Crafty guitar hooks and quick-paced drums are combined with Lynn’s singing and sense of humor in this tune about a woman who is fed up with having to stay at home “bouncing babies on her knees� while her husband is down carousing at the local bar. The song’s character, “Mrs. Leroy Brown� draws all of her husband’s money out of the bank to buy a pink limousine, that she then uses to chase her wayward husband all the way around town, finally confronting the mistress that has wreaked havoc on her home life. Lynn sings that “I’m gonna grab ‘er by her phony ponytail, I’m gonna sling her around and around. When she wakes up she’ll know she met up with mad Mrs. Leroy Brown.� Talk about revenge: this woman is not content to sit by idly but instead gladly and literally takes matters in her own hands! (this song brought back memories of the early 1970’s hit song, “Bad, Bad Leroy Brown�, by the late Jim Croce).

In the song “Miss Being Mrs.� Lynn remembers her late husband as she sings of lying all alone in her bed of memories, and dreaming of her husband’s sweet kiss. As the song title so aptly says it, she misses being Mrs. Tonight. This song is the sad and haunting cry of a widow bemoaning the loss of her husband, and coming to grips with living life without her mate. Apparently this song is very close to Lynn’s heart and her life, as she lost her husband Doo back in 1996 (who died as a result of a long illness), and now knows all too well that pain and hurt that a grieving widow struggles with as they face life without their marriage partner.

“Story of My Life,� the autobiographical closing song on the album, retraces the steps of Loretta’s life: Lynn sings “Here’s the story of my life, listen and I’ll tell it twice . . . folks in Kentucky are born lucky� and continues to tell the story of her rise to stardom, “ Got me a guitar, moved to Nashville and wrote me a song,� recounting her marriage at a young age and early motherhood and caps off her album by singing, in spite of life’s hardships and trials, “I hafta say that I’ve been blessed . . . Not bad for this ole Kentucky girl, I guess.�

This “ole Kentucky girl� has done well, and the most recent proof of this is Van Lear Rose, a powerful collection of all original Loretta Lynn songs. Lynn’s cutting edge collaborative effort with Jack White has produced a record that stretches (and pulls apart) the “County and Western� and “Nashville� music categories, and in doing so, these artists rightfully deserve the acknowledgment by the Grammy Award judges. Keep your ears open to find out what happens at the Grammy Awards, but in the meantime give this record a good listen.

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