2002, USA
Documentary, Music
This rockumentary is not your nephew's VH1 "Behind the Music" special, but an in-your-face study of one of the independent music scene's greatest bands -- Wilco -- as they attempt to create a superb album.
Through the evolution of their latest musical effort Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, the band is exposed at every frustrating step towards an album release. Reprise took a gutsy chance in allowing the band to both create and record the album with no overlooking head honchos from the record company. The band mates' personalities reveal themselves during debates over noise levels and mixing preferences, especially those of lead singer Jeff Tweedy and guitarist Jay Bennett. Bennett's moody and controlling ego butts heads against Tweedy's sensitivity and creative genius, only to ultimately result in the removal of Bennett from the band. As the album is finally finished, the blood-letting and sweat-dripping hits their last drops, Reprise decides the music is not an easy sell (possibly due to the new experimental sounds and emotional breadth of the album), and Wilco feels obliged to leave the company with music in hand. The irony lays in the fact that the company (Nonesuch) that ultimately buys the album and signs a contract with Wilco, shares their parent company (Warner Bros.) with the original distributors, Reprise.
Director Sam Jones does an excellent job of creating a comfortable atmosphere as a fly on the wall, but also takes hold of the interviewing mic at crucial moments in this year-in-the-life of a band. Filled with the requisite but truly enjoyable concert scenes, the audience is reminded that for all of the struggle and drama, this story is about the music. And after watching this film, it is this significant music that remains.
This documentary is packaged as a 2-disc set, the first of which holds the film and an interesting director and band commentary. The second disc is frothing with extra footage in the form of numerous concert performances, recordings, and more interviews. Also included are two uncut solo performances by Tweedy, and "I am trying to make a film" -- "a making-of of the making-of," as Tweedy labels it. For any fan of Wilco's music or fans of good music who have somehow missed them, this DVD should be deliciously consumed.