Search - Loose Fur :: Loose Fur

The lost Wilco album

Mike Smith | Albuquerque, NM | 10/05/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The vocals, songwriting, and guitar of Jeff Tweedy. The drums and percussion of Glen Kotche. And the vocals, guitar, and songwriting of Jim O'Rourke.

That should be review enough. That should tell you: buy this!

If it's not, let me just tell you that if you're a Wilco fan, you've heard Loose Fur before. On "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot." On that Wilco album there's a moment in--I believe it's the song "Poor Places," where Wilco becomes Loose Fur. Jeff Tweedy and Glen Kotche are in both bands, and Jim O'Rourke has produced (and contributed to) two Wilco albums, and it just happened that way.

And, not to insult any other members of Wilco (John, you rock!), but sometimes that three's all you need.

This is a stripped down, more experimental Wilco, with a hearty dose of Jim O'Rourke thrown in. Its jams are about as good as "Spiders (Kidsmoke)" on Wilco's "A Ghost is Born" album, its lyrics are heartfelt and unique ("You were wrong to believe...in me," "If I said I loved you, I was talking to myself.), and it is always interesting and fun to listen to.

The songs include a word-sample from Wilco's "Heavy Metal Drummer," a long shambling chain of lalalalala's reminscent of Bob Dylan's "Pat Garrett and Billy the Kid" soundtrack, wild mercury drums that sound as if Kotche just threw his sticks into a clothesdryer and recorded them, and some excellent experimental noise rock.

I highly recommend this to any Wilco fans that were with it enough to make the transition with Wilco from "Summerteeth" to "Yankee Hotel" and from "Yankee Hotel" to "A Ghost is Born." This may take a few listens to get used to, but you may discover it's a classic.

I know I did."

The genesis seed for YHF

Hazel Motes | Brooklyn, NY | 05/16/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Maybe calling Loose Fur a supergroup is a bit reaching, especially since none of its participants, aside from maybe Jeff Tweedy, has actually helmed a major act in the traditional sense. In other words, Traveling Wilburys this ain't...which is probably a good thing, if truth be known. Yet like the Wilburys, there is a casual nay "loose" quality to the six songs on this album that are nothing if not charming and well arranged, with the three Tweedy sung compositions being the highlights.



What's more intriguing about this album is in hearing the stylistic seeds of what would become Wilco's Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. As such, a song on the Loose Fur debut like "Laminated Cat" hails from an earlier YHF outtake called "Not For The Season," and while the Loose Fur debut was released in 2003, it was recorded in the summer of 2000 and, in fact, corresponds somewhat with the YHF sessions; to the point that both Jim O'Rourke and Glenn Kotche from the Loose Fur trio would end up replacing members of Wilco, with O'Rourke taking on a significant role as co-producer of YHF. Adding to the cross-pollenation, as producer and remixer, O'Rourke removed many of the previous contributions of other Wilco members so that several YHF songs would only feature the music of Tweedy, Kotche, and himself, i.e. Loose Fur.



All in all, though, this album stands on its own. Fun, interesting, and well worth the price of admission. But for those who hanker for the wonder that is Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, this album stands as both a precursory and taster for what was already cooking in Jeff Tweedy's brain in the warmer months of 2000."

If you love Wilco...

A. Dennis | Portland, Maine | 03/22/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"AND you love the Thrill Jockey bands AND you dig noise experimentation a la the Velvet Underground via Sonic Youth,,,you shall be enthralled with this record. It is YHF's wake-n-bake weekend cousin...all strummy and percussion everywhere. Jim O'rourke adds a fine tune and some good vocals, but Tweedy's songs are great and the instrumental passages weave like a snake and seem to never end. The whole thing is very chill, with all of the best elements of a great Tweedy or Wilco or Sea & Cake record rolled up and smoked....."