Being There (Vinyl)

"Being There" is the album that cemented Wilco's status as a band worth watching on its own merits (insert obligatory "springing from the ashes of Uncle Tupelo" comment here), and as such it deserves a great deal of praise. The songs are tremendous--rocking, energetic, technically flawless, fun, catchy, and interesting.

Tweedy is coming into his own as a frontman here, and his simultaneously loose and authoritative attitudes conspire to create a really enjoyable listening experience--there is much good to be said about the artistic value of tension between laziness and perfectionism, and this album seems to capture it perfectly.

More than any other Wilco record, though, Being There shows the effect Jay Bennett had on the band. Relying on the terrific guitar skills of Brian Henneman for Wilco's debut album was a masterstroke--he was the ideal transition between the Uncle Tupelo days and Tweedy's new band's first phase. A.M. is a truly great country rock record. But with Jay Bennett taking over as lead guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, and engineer, on Being There Wilco stretches out, and stretches the genre along with it. These songs all come from country, but their heart is rock. Thank Bennett's energy, focus, and care for that (Max Johnston, lamentably oft forgotten Wilco member, bears thanking too--he's Bennett's country counterpoint).

In short, Being There holds all of what it meant to be Wilco. There's a nod to the UT past, there's a tinge of twang, there's searing, scissor-kick-worthy rock, there's balladeering, there's sonic experimentation, there's feedback, there's laughter. It's a must-own.

Now...I have been looking for a vinyl copy of this album for about a decade, and could never find one in decent shape for a decent price. It's almost as sought after as Son Volt's Trace (anyone know where I can score a copy of *that*?). So when I discovered Nonesuch had re-pressed this record, I quite literally had a copy on its way to my house in a matter of seconds. Listening to it today, I have to say I'm disappointed. The music is as great as ever, of course. But the sound...something is missing. Not being an expert in mastering/vinyl pressing matters, I cannot speak with any authority here. But I will say that to these ears, the mix seems far muddier than on the CD. This is most glaring in terms of the vocals. Right from the start, on "Misunderstood," Tweedy's vocals are *straight* up front in the mix on the CD. Here, though, they seem to be hidden beneath the instrumentation. In fact, the vinyl mix seems to put everything on an equal footing, which actually seems to have the effect of deadening the sound of the whole work. There just doesn't seem to be the range or the space you hear on CD, leading in the end to a somewhat muted listening experience.

I contrast this with the 30th anniversary vinyl pressing of Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon. That record just explodes off the wax, with a seemingly identical volume, range, and separation of the CD. This of course may be to do with the remastering process--I don't know. All I can say is that Being There's new vinyl pressing just doesn't measure up. It has the warmth and some of the "depth" of analog, but the power of the initial release is just not retained here. I love Being There, and I want to squeeze every drop out of every listening experience. This vinyl release leaves a few drops in the orange, and that makes me sad.

If you love Being There and own a turntable, buy this. It's always worth it. Be aware, though, that you may well be disappointed with the sound quality, as I was.

I forgot how great this album was and is. Not to mention I love how it sounds on vinyl. I hope I don't wear the record out!

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