"Summerteeth" was released in 1999. It was Wilco's third and I still hadn't been completely sold on the band. I liked the sloppy mess of their debut and I thought what was great on their follow-up "Being There" was great, but what wasn't, really wasn't. There is some clamor over "Summerteeth" and the Beach Boys seem to get name-dropped by more than a few reviewers and fans. So I listen, and of course, I don't hear the Beach Boys, much like I don't hear The Beatles when I listened to Oasis. It takes more than a minor 7th chord to sound like the Fab Four and it takes more than a few harmonies to sound like the Wilsons.
I didn't fall as hard as others, but I did like "Summerteeth" enough to keep it close and to see the band live at the Bowery Ballroom, on a guest ticket from a friend. That show turned me around and I've been a fan, occasionally a fanatic, ever since.
Over the course of however long it took, maybe a few years, songs would pop up randomly on the iPod, some by the Beach Boys and some from "Summerteeth." That's when it would hit me, a song at a time, unexpectedly hitting the right nerve. What I hadn't been hearing on the first pass or two, suddenly became as clear as day, though I was still skeptical over what the critics were hearing in 1999. Nothing specific had ever been mentioned, so it was easy for me to toss it all aside when nothing from Wilco's album sounded like "Don't Worry Baby."
Soon "Summerteeth" will be 20 years old. I don't recall what age it was when it became one of my favorite records of all time. But the more I listen, the more I hear late 60's and early 70's Beach Boys. I gave it one more pass to seal the deal and decided to create this playlist.
Check out the mix, if you're up for it. Maybe you're not a fan of either band, in which case, enter at your own risk, or simply go home. There's nothing to hear here.
But if you're even a casual fan of either, listen and maybe you'll hear what I hear, which is a record that plays almost perfectly, even though half the songs were written and recorded between 20 and 30 years prior to the other half.
I hope you can get some fun out of this, because I had a blast.
Thanks to BBJ for the cover art.
"All Summerteeth Long"
Wild Honey
I'm Always In Love
Pieholden Suite
Wind Chimes
My Darling
Be Still
Marcella
Candy Floss
This Whole World
We're Just Friends
Cuddle Up
Do It Again
A Shot In The Arm
zip
9 comments:
Well, I think the playlist proves out your point because, while listening to the zip, there were moments when I thought, 'Wait a sec, which group is this?' And I think the later you go in the Beach Boys' portfolio, the more apt the comparison. I still don't hear the Beatles, though, in Oasis....
Haven't had a chance to listen yet, but I'm looking forward to it. Never crossed my mind to link Wilco & The Beach Boys.
Came to Summerteeth late but really like it. Don't get the Beach Boys comparison except for maybe fleeting glimpses in the production. Maybe this playlist will open my ears.
I'm curious how this will work.
I'm diggin' the mix.
Thanks
This is a great listen. Summerteeth took awhile for me to get into because it was such a departure from prior Wilco/Tupelo.
The Beach Boys I love; Wilco I've only dipped my toes in the cool, cool water from time to time. Enterprising concept well worth a listen. Thanks & cheers!
This mix is so much fun! Love the idea and love the way it works.
Thanks
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