Tweedy Bird Talk..Recording A.M. Nels Cline?

[Muddy Waters]

I really liked this record when it came out..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D85f5BlgOQs

Brian where was the A.M. record recorded and what instrumentation and effects did you use during the recording?

Was there any thoughts of you going out on the road with these boys or were you essentially a hired gun?

Very tasteful lead guitar all over the A.M. record me thinks...

Also this is a neat tune below..but my favorite incarnation of Wilco was when they were playing four piece and Jeff was playing alot of lead..I really liked his unorthodox lead playing....I was never head over heels with Bennet or Cline although both talented musicians..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRmWJkURYpc

[Buck Stopshere]

A.M. was recorded in Memphis, at the dearly departed Easley Studio.
It was destroyed in a fire since then.
I mostly used my Telecaster, but DID use my old Rickenbacker 360 for "Must Be High".
I used my Gretsch Jet Firebird on a few things too. "Blue Eyed Soul", and the one that sounds like soft rock. I can't remember the name of it.
There was an SG junior there too, I'm not sure if it was Jeff's, or, John Stirratt's. I used that for "Shouldn't Be Ashamed", and, "Casino Queen".
Oh yeah, I used Tom Parr's Les Paul Custom for "Box Full Of Letters".
We also recorded a pretty crushing version of "Outta Mind Outtasite" with the Les Paul, but, it didn't end up on the album.
They put a different version out later in their career.
Jeff asked me to join, early in the proceedings, but, I declined.
Good move I think. I'm certain I woulda been fired eventually.
I was quite the drunk back then.
For amps, I used some kinda silverface Fender, I don't remember which model, maybe a Super Reverb? Deluxe Reverb? An ancient Alamo amp Jeff ended up giving me, the "infamous" Vox AC-30 (Undertow Bob knows this one all too well...), this really bizarre old Rickenbacker amp, with tape delay built in it. It belonged to the studio. There was also some kinda big Marshall there. I think I used that on "Casino Queen", I know I used it on the aborted "Outta Mind Outtasite".
There was a Silvertone 1482 amp too. I used it on the soft rock song that I can't think of the name of.
I used this really cheap, DOD "American Metal" pedal for "Shouldn't Be Ashamed", and an old Electro-Harmonix Small Stone phase shifter on "Passenger Side".
I'm pretty sure that's everything. If it ain't, it's 99% of it...
Brian

[undertow]

ah yes, the AC-30 incident... that was when i knew i needed to find a new job.

my memory is not nearly as good as Brian's. but what i remember most..

waiting around for three days for the UPS guy to deliver the AC-30.

sitting around all day while not much got done.

picking up food from Mc Donald's and/or Taco Bell.

standing around in the gravel parking lot while everyone kicked a hacky sack around.

sitting in this tiny little room off to the side of the control room making cassette tapes of Aretha Franklin LPs on the studio's stereo system.

i left there very depressed.

[Buck Stopshere]

"Should've Been In Love", that was the "soft rock" song I'm thinkin' of.
I remembered, there was another Gretsch I used on that song, it wasn't my Jet Firebird, it was an old, solidbody, Gretsch Corvette, with the hugest neck in the world.
It was either mine, or, John Stirratt's, I traded it away, to John, for an Ampeg Rocket amp he had, I don't remember if that happened before we made A.M.
Now that I think of it, I don't think we recorded "Outta Mind Outtasite", I think we just worked up an arrangement, and never got around to recording it.
I'm pretty sure THIS is everything.
If not, it's 99.5% of it...
Brian

[Buck Stopshere]

I also remember hearing "Trace" for the first time, when we were almost finished with A.M., and getting the sinking feeling that we just had our asses whupped...
Brian

[Buck Stopshere]

Also...
I did NOT once kick the hacky-sack. I was in the tiny room, drinking gin, watching Bob make Aretha Franklin tapes...
Brian

[undertow]

i don't remember who's Les Paul Jr is was... but i i remember the headstock was split and i did a ghetto repair on it with some Elmer's wood glue and a C-clamp. worked like a charm.

[undertow]

i was also the hackey sack roadie... i had to go up on the roof of the studio to get the hackey sack back a few times because i was the only one who was not stoned.

[chimpana]

it's stories like this that make me wish i was a better musician...

[bentonbourbon]

This makes me want to get the old tape (yes folks, tape!) out and listen to A.M. again ..

[marcia]

Also...
I did NOT once kick the hacky-sack.

Thanks for clearing that up, I know I'm not the only one here who was having trouble picturing that....

I was in the tiny room, drinking gin, watching Bob make Aretha Franklin tapes...
Brian

That, we pictured....

[daveffreep]

it's stories like this that make me wish i was a better musician...

Or not a Flaming Lips fan, too!

[Derek Bassett]

Brain,
so that's you playing the "small stone" arpeggios on Passenger Side?
No wonder I've always dug the hell out of that line!

[Stegman]

I also remember hearing "Trace" for the first time, when we were almost finished with A.M., and getting the sinking feeling that we just had our asses whupped...
Brian

What was Tweedy's reaction?

[daveffreep]

I also remember hearing "Trace" for the first time, when we were almost finished with A.M., and getting the sinking feeling that we just had our asses whupped...
Brian

What was Tweedy's reaction?

I've read that the band was driving around listening to it in a car/van and all feeling a little "whupped", even Tweedy.

[H-Bomb Henry]

Jeff asked me to join, early in the proceedings, but, I declined.
Good move I think. I'm certain I woulda been fired eventually.

I really wonder about this. I really doubt you would've been fired. It's kind of interesting to think about what direction Wilco would've taken. I can't see Brian taking part in Summerteeth. And it seems as if your addictions did run concurrent to Tweedy's at least. So at least you wouldn't have been kicked for excessive drinking.

I do think it was a great move though Buck. I can't imagine how boring life would be without a Bottle Rockets album to throw on at least once a day. But I also can't help but wonder a little what wilco would be.

Also at the time I listened to Trace more when they both came out but I think AM gets spun more often these days.

I'm curious Buck do you purchase Wilco albums?

[Hot Rod Girl]

I am so relieved to hear that you weren't involved in the hacky-sack, that was a very troubling thought.

[Sparkle 125]

I also remember hearing "Trace" for the first time, when we were almost finished with A.M., and getting the sinking feeling that we just had our asses whupped...
Brian

What was Tweedy's reaction?

I've read that the band was driving around listening to it in a car/van and all feeling a little "whupped", even Tweedy.

WOW!

I was so excited when those albums came out. But ya know I loved them both almost equally. It's just that Windafall blew me away.

[stagbeer]

so music is a competition!

[calexico]

I also remember hearing "Trace" for the first time, when we were almost finished with A.M., and getting the sinking feeling that we just had our asses whupped...
Brian

What was Tweedy's reaction?

That is something I would have loved to listen in on.

[twitcher73]

I also remember hearing "Trace" for the first time, when we were almost finished with A.M., and getting the sinking feeling that we just had our asses whupped...
Brian

D'you think the Grammy made Jeff and John feel a little bit better since then?

[haldenspoonwood]

Being already obseesed over Uncle Tupelo at the time, I immediately bought both records upon release. It was clear that Trace was a way better album, in terms of songwriting, but I totally dug A.M. as well. Then, I proceeded to see each of them half a dozen times that year, and Wilco proceeded to kick Jay's ass on that front, hard, hands-down. I don't know, maybe I'm still just pissed that Jay stopped playing those fucked-up SG whammy bar solos all the time. I haven't seen him in years, but it started to seem like he was just going through the motions. Lifeless. Anyways, I did feel that A.M. was more interesting musically, particularly the guitar playing. And I'm not just saying that to be a suck up.

[the art guy]

Jay still pulls out some fucked-up SG whammy bar action once in a while. It's just usually on a Gretsch (or an Epiphone) these days. And mostly just for the encore.....

[Harlo]

I also remember hearing "Trace" for the first time, when we were almost finished with A.M., and getting the sinking feeling that we just had our asses whupped...
Brian

I put "A.M." and "Trace" in my "top-50-if-I-get-stranded-on-an-island list.

I write today to note how telling it is to read that even the great-Buck (to many of us out here, a more compelling player/singer/writer than even Neil-freakin-Young) can be, at least for a moment, racked with self-doubt. I'm sure that helping Tweedy make A.M. is quite different, more tedious, more smelly, than the experience I had - I just popped the finished product into my CD player, over and over, saying "Holy Crap - this is amazing."

A bottle of gin and a listen of the finished "Trace," could sink Faron-freakin-Young, again!

I hope Buck is comin-round and can claim, "at least a bit sated," rather than "starving artist." I will have no faith in music if Buck has to hang sheetrock.

[haldenspoonwood]

"Should've Been In Love", that was the "soft rock" song I'm thinkin' of.
I remembered, there was another Gretsch I used on that song, it wasn't my Jet Firebird, it was an old, solidbody, Gretsch Corvette, with the hugest neck in the world.
It was either mine, or, John Stirratt's, I traded it away, to John, for an Ampeg Rocket amp he had, I don't remember if that happened before we made A.M.
Now that I think of it, I don't think we recorded "Outta Mind Outtasite", I think we just worked up an arrangement, and never got around to recording it.
I'm pretty sure THIS is everything.
If not, it's 99.5% of it...
Brian

Hey Brian,

How are those Gretsch Corvette guitars? I've been curious about them forever. I think I saw Ashley Kingman (gtr player in Big Sandy's Fly-
Rite Boys) playing one and it was kick ass, but that might just be because he kicks ass. I've never seen one in a music store or somewhere I could test drive one.

Spoonwood