I picked up Wilco: Learning How To Do by Greg Kot sometime over the past year. My guess would be that it was probably around June or July, either in preparation for or response to seeing Wilco in Charlottesville, VA. I pretty into them, picking up live concert DVDs, their documentary and this book. I picked it up a couple of days ago and read it pretty quickly.
The book reads like a fan's platonic love letter to singer-songwriter Jeff Tweedy, following his musical start in Belleville, IL with the Primitives. The Primitives morphed into fan favorite Uncle Tupelo, who are credited with the start of the alt-country movement. It then follows the disbanding of the group and the Tweedy's new group, Wilco (the subject of the book). It also focuses on Tweedy's involvement with Golden Smog and Loose Fur. Kot chronicles the hiring and firing of various band members. He also devotes a good amount of time to detailing the various Wilco recorded up until A Ghost Is Born (the album most recently released at the time of the book's publication). It is clear that Kot admires Tweedy; throughout the book, he is written in a mostly positive, or at least sympathetic, light. Even during passive-aggressive firings of band member, during which you know Tweedy's performance was less than admirable, the singer-songwriter comes out in a positive light.
While the book is described as the story of Wilco, it is really the story of Jeff Tweedy, focusing mostly on the front man. However, to be fair, maybe Tweedy is Wilco and the stories are one in the same. Either way, it was an interesting and mostly enjoyable read.
Wilco: Learning How to Die
The book reads like a fan's platonic love letter to singer-songwriter Jeff Tweedy, following his musical start in Belleville, IL with the Primitives. The Primitives morphed into fan favorite Uncle Tupelo, who are credited with the start of the alt-country movement. It then follows the disbanding of the group and the Tweedy's new group, Wilco (the subject of the book). It also focuses on Tweedy's involvement with Golden Smog and Loose Fur. Kot chronicles the hiring and firing of various band members. He also devotes a good amount of time to detailing the various Wilco recorded up until A Ghost Is Born (the album most recently released at the time of the book's publication). It is clear that Kot admires Tweedy; throughout the book, he is written in a mostly positive, or at least sympathetic, light. Even during passive-aggressive firings of band member, during which you know Tweedy's performance was less than admirable, the singer-songwriter comes out in a positive light.
While the book is described as the story of Wilco, it is really the story of Jeff Tweedy, focusing mostly on the front man. However, to be fair, maybe Tweedy is Wilco and the stories are one in the same. Either way, it was an interesting and mostly enjoyable read.
Wilco: Learning How to Die
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