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I've got a weird theory about Wilco's downbeat and heavily acoustic new record, Schmilco.
After a dozen or so listens, the only way this sharp turn back toward alt-country makes sense to me is if it's supposed to be concert filler—a way to give a break between the soaring guitar solos of the Dad Rock era without simultaneously stimulating the raw nerve of nostalgia that accompanies the strummy stuff from the band's first two records.
Regardless, Schmilco marks the end of an era for Wilco. Twenty years after Being There, the band has again unplugged, retreating to the subdued sound of its earliest days.
To mark the occasion, here's the definitive ranking of Wilco records, from best to worst.
1. Sky Blue Sky (2007)
Upon its release, the Dark Side of the Moon of American Dad Rock was the most harshly reviewed record of Wilco's career—Pitchfork called it "the stylistic equivalent of a wardrobe change into sweatpants and a tank top." And yet, a decade later, the first record with Cline is pretty much perfect, with some of the band's best tracks in "Impossible Germany," "Hate It Here" and "You Are My Face."
2. A Ghost Is Born (2004)
Tweedy was hopped up on goofballs while making this record and played the twitchy solos himself after firing Jay Bennett, who later died from a painkiller overdose. That lends the album an almost disorienting dynamism, with tracks like "At Least That's What You Said" and "Handshake Drugs" meandering before exploding into chaotic soloing.
3. The Whole Love (2011)
If you like Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, its spiritual sequel has loads of humming electronic loops ("Art of Almost") and dalliances with arena rock ("Standing O," "Born Alone") but presented with the polish you only get from the band's post-opiate works.
4. Being There (1996)
This double album—it runs 76 minutes; a CD of that era held 74—is the most varied in the catalog, with honky-tonk ("Forget the Flowers," Wilco's best-ever country song) and cacophonous noise rock ("Misunderstood") somehow sitting easily next to each other.
5. Wilco (The Album) (2009)
The goofiest Wilco record has a definite midperiod Dead vibe to it. You can pretty much boil it down to three songs, though: "Country Disappeared," "I'll Fight" and "Wilco (The Song)."
6. Star Wars (2015)
Apparently the last album of the Dad Rock era, Star Wars soars with tracks like "Taste the Ceiling" and "King of You." It appears to have been heavily influenced by Tweedy's wife's cancer diagnosis, with an instrumental noise opener, "EKG," and the intense ballad "Magnetized."
7. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (2001)
Overpraised, but the era gave us some incredible B-sides, like "A Magazine Called Sunset" and "Venus Stop the Train."
8. Summerteeth (1999)
The weird, Byrds-y, Bennett-and-morphine-influenced pop album seemed to make sense at the time but now feels wildly out of place in the catalog. The creepy murder ballad "Via Chicago" and the moody "A Shot in the Arm" are common live offerings.
9. A.M. (1994)
This is really the final record of Tweedy's previous alt-country band, Uncle Tupelo, which split into Wilco and Son Volt. The best songs are mostly good for opening an encore set.
10. Schmilco (2016)
It sure seems like filler to me—we'll know more after Sunday's show.
SEE IT: Wilco plays Arlene Schnitzer Concert Hall, 1037 SW Broadway, on Sunday, Sept. 4. 7:30 pm. $39.50-$69.50. All ages.
Willamette Week