About fourteen years ago I was sitting in my apartment reading the latest issue of Rolling Stone. I came across an article about a new band named Wilco. I don't remember what it said, but something about that write-up made me want to go out and buy the album. You've got to understand... that was a big deal. Before the days of Itunes and downloading, you couldn't preview music before you bought it. You had to take the chance that the $11.99 you were shelling out for some cd was going to be money well-spent. I used to have this code when it came to buying albums: If I heard one good song on the radio, that got me curious but one song was not worth the purchase of the entire cd. If I heard TWO good songs of the record, then I was willing to take the chance. So for me to go out and buy Wilco's "AM" without actually hearing any of it was a big deal. I'd never done that before."AM" did not disappoint. It's filled with great and simple rock songs. A few chords here, some melodies there... it all works. It's kind of loud and ramshackle. It sounds like a band having a good time. Wilco, of course, has gone on to have a long and acclaimed career. Their music has evolved so much over the years. For me, though, I miss the simplicity of "AM." I can admire their musical experiments and their artistic need to explore new sounds and styles, but I liked the stripped-down nature of their earlier records. But despite their ever-changing nature and their status as mega music geniuses, I still think of them as the little band I discovered long ago.
"Box Full of Letters" is the kind of song Wilco doesn't seem to make anymore. It's loose and fun. Wilco rocks out pretty hard live, but their newer records are kind of subdued. "Box Full of Letters" is a great for blasting out of your car stereo and driving fast with the windows down.
"Box Full of Letters" is from the album "AM." To hear the song, click on the icon in the widget jukebox along the side of the blog.
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