My Favorite Album of the Decade is...Yankee Hotel Foxtrot

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot-Wilco
Written by Greg Brinkmeyer
I was first introduced to the band Wilco in the late 90s in my brother's one-bedroom apartment in downtown Evansville. Many nights were spent there sipping drinks, watching movies, and listening to music. I'll never forget the alt-country sounds of Wilco's sophmore effort Being There echoing through the room as we tipped back several beers and grapefruit juice with vodka. It was an unfamiliar sound but a sound I wanted to become more acquainted with. I bought the album days later and still listen to it on a consistent basis to this day. The band's third album Summerteeth showed a band evolving as well as their sound. Strings were replaced with bells, horns, and periods of distortion. It seemed the band was on the brink of creating a new sound that would indentify with joy and pain simultaneously. Being There holds a special place in my heart, but Wilco's fourth album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot helped change the way I would listen to music.
Chaos is the only word that describes the opening of YHF. Distortion takes over as the piano and guitars slowly fade in as Jeff Tweedy's haunting vocals give birth to "I Am Trying to Break Your Heart". The opening track sets the tone for the entire album and catapults Wilco into a new dimension of music. The band energizes listeners with pure rocka and roll songs that connect on a deeper level. "Jesus, Etc." is a beautiful ballad that incorporates both the new and old sound of Wilco leaving fans wanting more.
Although YHF was a critical success, it also highlighted the inner turmoil of the band. Sam Jones' film I Am Trying to Break Your Heart documents the power struggle between Jeff Tweedy and the late Jay Bennett which eventually lead to Bennett's dismissal from the band. Jeff Tweedy's battle with migraine headaches also explains the mystery behind the lyrics and the defining sound. Warner Bros. records refused to release the album because it didn't sound like the Wilco of old. The album was later picked up by Nonesuch Records, a division of Warner Bros.
Wilco released four albums in the past decade. Each album is unique and shows the evolution of the band through personal and professional struggles. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was the beginning of this journey and its music is still relevant today. Chaos meets experimentation meets rock and roll, the end result is a remarkable album worthy of the greatest albums of the decade.