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    The Phantom Tollbooth 1999/Wilco
    Wilco — Summerteeth cover

    Wilco

    Summerteeth

    (1999)

    Reviewed by Brett MacAlpine

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    Label Warner Bros. RecordsThe Phantom Tollbooth1999
    alternative countryalternative rockamericanaindie rock

    It's time to stop referring to Wilco as "the band with that guy who used to be in Uncle Tupelo." With Summerteeth, Jeff Tweedy and his cohorts establish themselves among the first tier of not just the No Depression crowd, but rock music, period. Leading the listener down a path that is familiar yet fresh, this album is a roots-rock OK Computer. The sound of steel guitar on "ELT" is joined by spaced-out keyboards, and lush pop sounds surround disturbing thoughts like "Our prayers will never be answered again" ("I Can't Stand It"), with nothing sounding out of place. The sky is the limit now for Wilco, and with Summerteeth, they're already soaring.

    5 tocks

    Other coverage for this album

    The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Glenn HarperA funny thing happened to Wilco's frontman, Jeff Tweedy, when his previous band Uncle Tupelo broke up: he began to delve into the rich history of rock with the same vigor that Tupelo had explored the origins of country music. The albums that emerged from this exploration sounded not so much like artistic statements as they did a resurrection. Wilco had brought life to the Frankenstein of rock…The Phantom Tollbooth 1999Reviewed by Steven S. BaldwinMuch of Summerteeth's sleight-of-hand success hinges on turning down the band's former alt-country twang in favor of rootsy retakes of Beach Boys and Beatles sounds (particularly Pet Sounds and Sgt. Pepper's...). Although you mustn't underestimate the influence of The Turtles, The Byrds, and other wonders of the Sixties. Thoroughly lush, utterly catchy, and possessed of surprising pop confidence,…

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