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I Am Trying to Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco | |
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Directed by | Sam Jones |
Produced by | Peter Abraham Sam Jones Gary Hustwit |
Starring | Jeff Tweedy John Stirratt Leroy Bach Glenn Kotche Jay Bennett Tony Margherita Jonathan "JP" Parker |
Edited by | Erin Nordstrom |
Music by | Wilco |
Distributed by | Cowboy Pictures Plexifilm |
Release date |
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Running time | 92 minutes |
Country | United States |
Language | English |
I Am Trying to Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco is a 2002 black-and-white documentary film by director/photographer Sam Jones, following the American alt-country rock band Wilco through the creation and distribution of their fourth studio album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. The film, distributed to theaters in the United States through Cowboy Pictures, was released on July 26, 2002, three months after the album's retail release. [1]
With Wilco nearing completion of their album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, conflict arose between the band and its record label Reprise, a division of the Warner Music Group. Wilco's prior albums had not performed to Reprise's sales expectations and Reprise were concerned with how to market the new album. They consequently rejected the work and dropped Wilco from the label.
With a completed album and no contractual obligations to Reprise, Wilco made the album available to download on their website. Awareness of the new album became apparent and Wilco's profile was rising. In response, another record label, Nonesuch Records, offered Wilco a new record contract. Nonesuch Records, like Reprise, is a division of Warner Music Group, so Wilco were essentially paid twice for the album by the same record company.
Other scenes depicted the breakdown of the relationship between members Jeff Tweedy and Jay Bennett, and Tweedy's debilitating migraines.
In addition to regular theatrical releases throughout the United States, the film was an official selection of the Los Angeles Film Festival, where the film had its world premiere in June 2002. [2]
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 88% based on 60 reviews, and an average rating of 6.92/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "Besides being a treat for Wilco fans, I Am Trying to Break Your Heart also exposes the workings of a profit-driven music industry." On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 66 out of 100, based on 24 critics, indicating generally favorable reviews. [3] Reviewing the film after its DVD release, The A.V. Club 's Scott Tobias wrote, "On hand with a 16mm black-and-white camera to document the recording process, director/photographer Sam Jones came away with more than he bargained for in I Am Trying To Break Your Heart, a superb portrait of a band and an industry in flux." [4] Chris Morris, reviewing the film for Billboard , wrote that it was "one of the best films ever about the inevitable clash between art and commerce." [5]
A DVD of the film was distributed through Plexifilm and released on April 1, 2003. [1]
(Note that there are two versions of the film on DVD: The original two-disc set, and a newer version which omits Disc 2 and is generally less expensive.)
Disc 1
Disc 2
Plus:
All songs written by Jeff Tweedy, except as noted *, written by Jeff Tweedy and Jay Bennett
In a 2021 interview with Vanity Fair , The War on Drugs lead singer Adam Granduciel stated that the documentary had inspired him to become a musician. [6]
Wilco is an American rock band based in Chicago. The band was formed in 1994 by the remaining members of alternative country group Uncle Tupelo after singer Jay Farrar's departure. Wilco's lineup changed frequently during its first decade, with only singer Jeff Tweedy and bassist John Stirratt remaining from the original incarnation. Since early 2004 the lineup has been unchanged, consisting of Tweedy, Stirratt, guitarist Nels Cline, multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone, keyboard player Mikael Jorgensen, and drummer Glenn Kotche. Wilco has released thirteen studio albums, a live double album, and four collaborations: three with Billy Bragg and one with the Minus 5.
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is the fourth studio album by the American rock band Wilco, released on April 23, 2002. Recording sessions for the album began in late 2000. These sessions, which were documented for the film I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, were marred by conflicts including a switch in drummers and disagreements among the band members and engineers about songs. Despite this, the album would be mostly completed in early 2001. The album showcased a more atmospheric and experimental sound than the band's previous work, and has been described as art rock and indie rock by music critics. It was the band's first album with drummer Glenn Kotche, and last with multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Jay Bennett.
A Ghost Is Born is the fifth studio album by the American rock band Wilco, released on June 22, 2004, by Nonesuch Records. It features singer Jeff Tweedy on lead guitar more than any previous Wilco album. The band streamed the album online free, and offered a five-song EP to purchasers.
Jeffrey Scot Tweedy is an American musician, singer songwriter, author, and record producer best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist of the band Wilco. Tweedy, originally from Belleville, Illinois, began his music career in high school with his band The Plebes along with Jay Farrar, also in the band. It became the alternative country band Uncle Tupelo.
Summerteeth is the third studio album by the American rock band Wilco, released on March 9, 1999, by Reprise Records. The album was heavily influenced lyrically by 20th century literature, as well as singer Jeff Tweedy's marital problems. Unlike previous albums, Summerteeth was heavily overdubbed in the studio with Pro Tools. Tweedy and Jay Bennett wrote most of the album in the studio, a contrast to the band's previous albums, which were often recorded live by the entire band with minimal overdubs.
Being There is the second studio album by the American rock band Wilco, released on October 29, 1996, by Reprise Records. Despite its release as a double album, Being There was sold at a single album price as a result of a deal between lead singer Jeff Tweedy and the band's label Reprise Records. Compared to their debut album A.M. (1995), the album was an improvement for the band in both sales and critical reception. Taking its name from the 1979 film of the same name, the self-produced album featured more surrealistic and introspective writing than on A.M. This was due in part to several significant changes in Tweedy's life, including the birth of his first child. Musically, it juxtaposed the alternative country styles songs reminiscent of Uncle Tupelo with psychedelic, surreal songs. It was the only Wilco album with steel guitarist Bob Egan, their first with multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett and their last with multi-instrumentalist Max Johnston.
A.M. is the debut studio album by the American rock band Wilco, released on March 28, 1995, by Sire Records and Reprise Records. The album was released only months after the breakup of Uncle Tupelo, an alternative country band that was the predecessor of Wilco. Prior to its release, there was debate about whether the album would be better than the debut album of Son Volt, the new band of former Uncle Tupelo lead singer Jay Farrar.
Kicking Television: Live in Chicago is a live album by Chicago alternative rock band Wilco, released on November 15, 2005, by Nonesuch Records. The album consists of material from four live shows at Chicago's Vic Theater recorded May 4, 2005 to May 7, 2005. Although the band filmed the concerts, they decided not to release the footage as a DVD. It was the band's first album with an expanded lineup featuring Nels Cline and Pat Sansone.
Loose Fur was an American rock supergroup comprising Wilco members Jeff Tweedy and Glenn Kotche, along with Wilco collaborator and Sonic Youth's multi-instrumentalist Jim O'Rourke. The trio first convened in May 2000 in preparation for a Tweedy performance at a festival in Chicago. Tweedy was offered the opportunity to collaborate with an artist of his choosing, and he decided to work with O'Rourke. O'Rourke brought Kotche to a rehearsal session, and the trio recorded an album's worth of songs. The trio have since released two albums, 2003's Loose Fur and 2006's Born Again in the USA, for Drag City. The band has only toured once.
The Conet Project: Recordings of Shortwave Numbers Stations is a four- CD set of recordings of numbers stations and noise stations released by Irdial-Discs beginning in 1997. Numbers stations are shortwave radio stations believed to be operated by government agencies to communicate with deployed spies. The collection of recordings is primarily the work of Irdial-Discs founder Akin Fernandez, who began recording the transmissions of numbers stations in 1992. The original 4 CD set was released in 1997 and reissued in 2013 with an additional 5th CD.
Man in the Sand is a 1999 documentary that functions as both a biography of American folk singer-songwriter Woody Guthrie and a chronicle of the creation of the Billy Bragg & Wilco Mermaid Avenue albums, which feature songs consisting of previously-unheard Woody Guthrie lyrics set to newly-created music.
Sky Blue Sky is the sixth studio album by the American rock band Wilco, released on May 15, 2007 by Nonesuch Records. Originally announced on January 17, 2007 at a show in Nashville, Tennessee, it was the band's first studio album with guitarist Nels Cline and multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone. Before its release, the band streamed the entire album on its official website and offered a free download of "What Light".
Ours To Destroy is a Canadian folk rock band from Calgary. The current line-up is David Morley, Steven Dodd, and Roland Griffith. The band's name is taken from Jeff Tweedy's reference to their music "We made it, it's ours to destroy" in the Wilco documentary I Am Trying to Break Your Heart on the making of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
The discography of the American alternative rock group Wilco, consists of thirteen studio albums, five extended plays (EPs), three live albums, twelve singles and four videos. As of 2012 they had sold in excess of two million albums worldwide.
Wilco Live: Ashes of American Flags is a live performance DVD by the American alternative rock band Wilco.
Jay Walter Bennett was an American multi-instrumentalist, engineer, producer, and singer-songwriter, best known as a member of the band Wilco from 1994 to 2001.
Mermaid Avenue: The Complete Sessions is a 2012 box set of albums by Billy Bragg & Wilco, all of which feature songs consisting of previously unheard lyrics written by American folk singer-songwriter Woody Guthrie set to newly created music. It was released by Nonesuch Records on Record Store Day to commemorate Guthrie's 100th birthday.
JC Brooks Band is an American indie soul band from Chicago, Illinois, United States. The band consists of JC Brooks (vocals), Alec Lehrman (guitar), Theodore Berry the IV (bass), Jeremy Tromburg (keyboard), Jovia Armstrong (percussion) and Kevin Marks (drums). Describing their sound as "post-punk soul," the band combines elements of funk, soul, indie rock, R&B, and punk, into a unique take on the soul genre.
"Heavy Metal Drummer" is a song by American alternative rock band Wilco. Written by Jeff Tweedy and Jay Bennett, it was released off their critically acclaimed 2002 album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. The lyrics describe a nostalgic reminiscence of "those heavy metal bands" Tweedy used to go see "on the landing in the summer", and the loss of "the innocence [he'd] known".
Together at Last is the first solo album by Wilco's Jeff Tweedy. It was released on June 23, 2017 by dBpm Records. It marks the first release of a proposed retrospective series titled Loft Acoustic Sessions that will see Tweedy revisit songs from Wilco's catalog, as well as from his Golden Smog and Loose Fur side projects.