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By
DEBORAH NICOL
This rockumentary is not
your nephew's VH1 "Behind the Music" special, but
an in-your-face study of one of the independent
music scene's greatest bands -- Wilco -- as they
attempt to create a superb album.
Through the evolution of their latest musical
effort "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot," the band is exposed
at every frustrating step towards an album
release. Reprise took a gutsy chance in allowing
the band to both create and record the album with
no overlooking head honchos from the record
company. The band mates' personalities reveal
themselves during debates over noise levels and
mixing preferences, especially those of lead
singer Jeff Tweedy and guitarist Jay Bennett.
Bennett's moody and controlling ego butts heads
against Tweedy's sensitivity and creative genius,
only to ultimately result in the removal of
Bennett from the band. As the album is finally
finished, the blood-letting and sweat-dripping hit
their last drops, Reprise decides the music is not
an easy sell (possibly due to the new experimental
sounds and emotional breadth of the album), and
Wilco feels obliged to leave the company with
music in hand. The irony lays in the fact that the
company (Nonesuch) that ultimately buys the album
and signs a contract with Wilco, shares their
parent company (Warner Bros.) with the original
distributors, Reprise.
Director Sam Jones does an excellent job of
creating a comfortable atmosphere as a fly on the
wall, but also takes hold of the interviewing mic
at crucial moments in this year-in-the-life of a
band. Filled with the requisite but truly
enjoyable concert scenes, the audience is reminded
that for all of the struggle and drama, this story
is about the music. And after watching this film,
it is this significant music that remains.
This documentary is packaged as a 2-disc set, the
first of which holds the film and an interesting
director and band commentary. The second disc is
frothing with extra footage in the form of
numerous concert performances, recordings, and
more interviews. Also included are two uncut solo
performances by Tweedy, and "I am trying to make a
film" -- "a making-of of the making-of," as Tweedy
labels it. For any fan of Wilco's music or fans of
good music who have somehow missed them, this DVD
should be deliciously consumed. |
