It’s hard to believe that on April 23rd, Wilco’s fantastic fourth album will be 20 years old. But wait a second, many fans, like me, consider YHF to be a 2001 album. That’s because it was streamed online on Wilco’s official website on September 18, 2001. Many fans, like me, had heard it before that as it had been leaked over the summer of that year. The album’s set release on Reprise Records was originally September 11 (that’s right, 9/11), but Jeff Tweedy and Company were dropped by their label and…well, you know the rest (if not there’s several books, and a documentary you should see).
So April 23 has been retconned as the official retail release date of YHF. This is why some critics voted for it as the best album of both 2001 and 2002. There are also rumors that there will be a deluxe box set, which will compile many of the demos, and outtakes from the album’s sessions. Much of this material has already been in fan’s hands as they’ve circulated as bootlegs in the years since YHF’s release. It’s great stuff, so I’m happy that it may be more accessible soon.
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| Wilco's new promotional picture taken by Charles Harris |
Tickets for the YHF 20th Anniversary shows are available through Wilco’s official website on February 11th (there are presales starting on February 9).
Post note: Hardcore Wilco fans, like me, will remember that they played YHF in its entirety before at their Solid Sound Festival in North Adams, MA, on June 23, 2017 (this great show is available in the Roadcase section of Wilco’s website.
More later...
