Wilco - A.M. demos (1994)

To this day I've never been able to pin down exactly why Wilco's first album was the only one to light a fire under my ass, as it were.  Most folks got on board circa Being There/Summerteeth/YHF, but Wilco largely began and ended with A.M. for this set of picky ears.  Maybe it's because it was the only needle in their proverbial haystack that struck me as even remotely feisty or fun.  Granted, the record did have it's share of Jeff Tweedy pedal steel ballads, something of a holdover from his previous endeavor Uncle Tupelo, if that rings a bell to you.  It didn't hurt that in this phase of their career Wilco bore an uncanny resemblance to Cracker.  At any rate, the first five cuts here were early prototypes of tracks that made the grade for A.M., specifically some of that album's most swingin' numbers including "Box Full of Letters" and "Passenger Side."  As for the remainder, "Promising" is a sensitive acoustic piece from Tweedy, later recut as a b-side.  The band give Moby Grape's "I'm Not Willing" a twangy, sounding not terribly removed from Gram Parsons.  The rousing "Let's Hear for Rock" was a live favorite, but from what I understand never appeared on a Wilco record proper.

01. I Must be High
02. Shouldn't Be Ashamed
03. Box Full of Letters
04. Pick Up the Change
05. Passenger Side
06. Promising
07. Let's Hear it for Rock
08. I'm Not Willing

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