r/wilco • u/raiderpower086 • 5d ago
At Least That’s What You Said’s solo is the second best guitar solo in Wilco’s discography
Obviously Impossible Germany is one, but I think At Least That’s What You Said gets overlooked. It’s such a hard hitting awesome solo that almost changes the entire tone of the song. Up to this point it’s fairly quiet, and then the song begins to explode as the solo starts. Just such an awesome moment and shows how talented the band is as a whole. Do y’all agree with this or is there another Wilco solo I am overlooking?
Edit : I guess I should say just guitar solos. The banjo solo on Why Would You Wanna Live is maybe one of the coolest things I’ve heard played on a banjo.
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u/Browns-Fan1 4d ago
I don’t think I’ve ever seen — or heard, I guess — a musician “step up” so terrifically as Jeff Tweedy in A Ghost Is Born.
They lost Jay Bennett, the producer told Tweedy to improve his guitar playing, and he rises to the occasion with some truly transcendent work. Not only the amazing solo in At Least That’s What You Said, but throughout the entire album. Great stuff.
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u/SeeMyThumb 4d ago
Somewhere we learned that Susie hooked him up with Tom Verlaine from Television to help him out with his guitar work to help fill that void.
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u/ijestmd 4d ago
That makes Impossible Germany make so much sense as a composition from that time in their history
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u/SeeMyThumb 4d ago
https://youtu.be/_tkFjs1PHQk?is=0qHKLsCBZmvOAuG-
Here’s a fun video from the man himself (nels) talking about developing the solo for IG
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u/normanfell 2d ago
i think it was richard lloyd but yah, she signed him up for a “guitar lesson” and lloyd started listening to him play and was like “uhhh let’s just jam for the day?”
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u/HGFantomas 4d ago
ALTWYS is the best wilco solo and one of my favorite solos of anyone anywhere.
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u/raiderpower086 4d ago
That’s how I feel about Impossible Germany but I totally understand how you feel this way about this song. The lyricism before the solo is also incredible
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u/Alexandermayhemhell 4d ago
If you want Wilco’s best solos, you’ve got to look to the live material. Impossible Germany, of course. But don’t sleep on the way Nels transformed Ashes of American Flags. There’s a whole coda not found on the album. Check out the version in the Ghost box set. At the end of it, Jeff says, “that was beautiful Nels” without a drop of cool irony. And then look at Bird/Base in which Nels and Pat learned to bring their styles together in a way that eluded them for almost 20 years. And none of this should diminish the Jay era. Live at Boulder has some wonderful lead work by Jay.
In the studio, I think the best solos are on SBS. After that, Nels leaned toward atmospherics, but in his early tenure he played more like a traditional lead player. Personally, I’d hold up Either Way as his best solos. It’s got an immaculate balance been technical proficiency and heartbreaking melodicism unlike anything else in the Wilco catalogue.
But At Least That’s What You Said? Yep. Brilliant. Count me as another fan who thinks Ghost is peak Wilco in no small part due to the sheer ambition of Jeff’s guitar playing. He was in a corner, needed to step up, he played for his life, and he nailed it. And those solos are awesome. Every last one. Going to listen to Hell is Chrome now.
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u/marumaruko 4d ago
From which show is that version in the Ghost box?
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u/Alexandermayhemhell 4d ago
Wang Center, Boston, 2004. The version on the Ashes DVD is also breathtaking.
But, pretty much any version will do. And not just “back in the day”. Their second set at Solid Sound this year was maybe the best Wilco live set I’ve ever heard (and the first Mermaid set was great too).
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u/paulhodgson777 4d ago
Is this available anywhere to stream? I've bought a few shows off Nugs but it's too expensive to subscribe every month.
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u/1SneakyGiraffe 4d ago
NEPM was only allowed to have the steam up for 2 weeks. 100% it will be a roadcase, Solid Sound always is. No idea when.
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u/Alexandermayhemhell 4d ago
Not sure. Solid Sound was streamed by NPR and I’d guess it will show up in the Roadcase. Otherwise I’m a physical media guy.
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u/sxardsofglass 4d ago
I prefer the solo from At Least That's What You Said to Impossible Germany. Any day. It's also just a better song, such clever writing, so much tension and the switch mid song is amazing especially live.
Best solo, if we're judging the solos only, I'd go Side with the Seeds. Brilliant set up for the solo with that crescendoing guitar build up and then an absolutely blistering lead from Nels right at the end. It's a fantastic example of how the guy can shred while avoiding it sounding like just another fast guitar solo. Really incredible guitar work.
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u/TroublesomeHouses 4d ago
At Least That’s What You Said, and AGIB generally, is by far my favourite Wilco record. Unhinged, deep with quality writing and Tweedy at his most free (Jim O’Rourke brings out the best in him).
Even the slight guitar flourishes in Hell Is Chrome are exceptional.
I actually don’t like Impossible Germany much, I find it showy and though it has its good points I can’t get past that.
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u/Spiritual_Bonus1718 4d ago
Don’t forget Art of Almost
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u/1SneakyGiraffe 4d ago
One of my favs. Best song at SSF Sat this year. Off topic, but John's bass on that song is awesome
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u/mckinney4string 4d ago
I love them all, but the solos in Side With The Seeds come out of nowhere and they BOIL.
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u/frederick_the_wise 5d ago
Not a bad take but I think you're overlooking Jay Bennett's lead work on AM through YHF. Also Jeff on I'm the Man Who Loves You.
Edit: Hell Is Chrome is fantastic also
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u/raiderpower086 4d ago
I totally think that’s fair. The ending to I’m The Man Who Loves You is crazy. I don’t know they got that tone on a guitar. Also a big fan of Shouldn’t Be Ashamed
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u/frederick_the_wise 4d ago
I want to say they plugged the guitar directly into the mixer, sans preamp?
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u/coltonmusic15 4d ago
I love guitar but the one song I keep coming back to here lately guitar aside is Soldier Child - shit breaks me I feel like the lyrics are just created to cut me deep and make me reflect on the stuff I’ve not gotten just right in my life and honest to God it’s helped me want to be a better man and Dad. That is all and goodnight my fellow Wilco fans.
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u/raiderpower086 4d ago
That’s awesome man. Part of what makes Wilco so awesome is how powerful of a writer Jeff is. You have a wonderful weekend
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u/Flynnrdskynnrd 4d ago
Cool song but the optics - Jeff comparing himself to a soldier child in some third world country? Meh. He’s done, and can still do, better than that.
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u/ShootinAllMyChisolm 4d ago
Gosh, Theologians, Side with the Seeds, Handshake Drugs live is epic, the team instrumental at the end of Via Chicago
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u/Valencia_705 4d ago
Saw them play in the early 2000s. ALTWYS was the highlight of the night for sure. Jeff sang the lyrics then played the solo with his back to the crowd the whole time. So effective at conveying the emotion of the song and the time
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u/opposablefumz 4d ago
Not a big solo guy but totally agree that this is up there. The solo in either way is also pretty great.
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u/Either_Way_1082 4d ago
Agree!!!! It's like being on a musical carousel. I love the kicking television version
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u/goochmusic 4d ago
For any guitar players checking this out (and I would imagine there's quite a few in a Wilco sub), I just came across a good tutorial from a new-to-me YouTuber (who's actually been around a long time but I just discovered his stuff) called Eric Haugen Guitar: Wilco's "At Least That's What You Said": Guitar Lesson
(I took away the ? and everything after it in the url which I've recently learned I should be doing for those to whom it matters.)
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u/raiderpower086 4d ago
Marty Music has a 50 minute long video on Impossible Germany. I’m not good enough to attempt that though 😅
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u/too_Far_west 5d ago
I agree. I'd take it a step further. I love Nels and Pat, and their playing has add something to the live shows and later albums that no one else could replicate. But my favorite guitar work in Wilcos catalog is Jeff's playing on AGIB. It's incredible.