Wilco's Ghost "Reminds one of On the Beach"

From Hartford Advocate a review of Wilco's "A Ghost is born" by John Adamian with the obligatory Neil reference:

"More than anything, A Ghost Is Born reminds one of On the Beach , Neil Young's 1974 misanthropic masterpiece. Like Young's famous Neanderthal guitar-noise minimalism, Tweedy's six-string skitterings provide an unusual counterpoint to the otherwise stark, somber, and pretty songs. The strictures of the three-minute song form are thoroughly disregarded on tracks like the 10-minute 'Spiders.' Twelve minutes of slow amp noise follow 'Less Than You Think,' which brings you to the disc's semi-hidden conclusion, 'The Late Greats' -- a funny tribute to the unrealized potential of all the bands that never get heard."

The reviewer adds that Wilco´s frontman Jeff Tweedy reveals himself as a "noisy guitar player". hmmm.

But not everyone is impressed by the latest Wilco effort. Over on MSNBC:

"But the real problem here may be the fact that Jay Bennett is no longer in the band. It was no coincidence that Wilco's music took a huge leap with Being There, when Bennett joined the band. He might have been an a*****e, and judging from the I Am Trying to Break Your Heart documentary, perhaps there was no way Tweedy could maintain his sanity while keeping Bennett in the band. But Bennett was a significant creative factor in Wilco, and Tweedy may have needed Bennett to stay focused creatively just as McCartney needed Lennon. Whether Bennett's sacking is indirectly or directly responsible for the downturn in song quality, his absence is palpable."

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