Wilco: Learning How to Die

by Greg Kot

Book Overview

The intimate story of one of the great American bands of our time, creators of the controversial masterpiece Yankee Hotel Foxtrot When alt-country heroes-turned-rock-iconoclasts Wilco handed in their fourth album, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot , to the band's label, Reprise, a division of Warner Brothers, fans looked forward to the release of another challenging, genre-bending departure from their previous work. The band aimed to build on previous sales and...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0767915585
• ISBN13: 9780767915588
• Release Date: June 2004
• Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY)
• Length: 247 Pages
• Weight: 0.71 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.6" x 6.2" x 9.2"

Customer Reviews

Wilco Insight

Written Well. Comprehensive. Paints Jay Bennett in the positive light he deserves. I didn't like the light he was given in the Wilco film (too many cheap shots) on a music genius. Jay Bennett allowed the WIlco material to rock. I really liked how the book provided insight into Jeff Tweedy and what has led him to make the decisions he has made. Jeff is brilliant and the book provides insight into this man that will aid in the listening experince. Great Book, a must for the obsessive and hip Wilco / Music fan. Wilco is and will be forever one of the Greatest Rock and Roll Bands.

Fascinating

I was fortunate enough to purchase this a while ago. For a few months, I was on the fence... I knew I wanted to read it, but I didn't know if it was worth buying. It was. Kot does a magnificent job capturing the history of Wilco. He discusses Tweedy's family and addiction to an appropriate extent, but does not dramatize or dwell on it. I learned many amazing things and gained more o an appreciation for the music I love. Kot also approaches the music with a critical yet appreciative eye, and hearing his take is nice. Kot's one mistake, in my opinion, is not discussing drummer Glenn Kotche as much as he perhaps could have. Glenn has an interesting history and lends a lot to Wilco's latest music. This book discusses everything pre "a ghost is born" era. I would love to see an updated version.

stellar biography of a very complex band

What a great read! It would have been very easy for this book to have simply been a valentine to Wilco. However, this book gives us a balanced (sometimes brutally honest) portrait of a very complicated, brilliant songwriter (frontman Jeff Tweedy), the intricacies of inter-personal relationships within the band and the larger organization surrounding them, and the creative process. Highly satisfying, very illuminating.

Like I'm Part of the Band

That's how I felt reading this rich, wonderfully researched and intimate portrait of one of the most vital bands around. Yes, I'm a Wilco fan and perhaps predisposed to like the book -- no, strike that, I could very well dislike it intensely for that reason -- but even if you're not, if you're simply a lover of great artists and great music and fascinated with the creative process, this is necessary reading. Gret Kot captures not just the sights and sounds, but the desires and heartbreaks, along with the occasional triumph.

Awesome read for fans of UT, Wilco and Son Volt

After reading this book, I feel like I've received the secret decoder ring that unlocks the stories behind some of my all-time favorite artists. We all speculated on the reasons why UT split ... this book spells it out for fans with first-hand accounts from guys like Tweedy, Farrar, Hennemann and Heidorn. I seriously cannot put it down ...