Wilco – A.M.

Unreal how good this is. Kevin Gray’s work here is absolutely stunning. I’ve heard A.M. in every format—CD, stream, vinyl—for most of my life, but I’ve never heard it like this. Instrument separation is razor sharp, and Jeff’s vocals are undeniably front and center—as they should be—but everyone else is brought forward too. It’s cohesive and full without sacrificing presence. No one feels tucked away. This isn’t a nostalgia trip. This is A.M. finally getting the respect it deserves sonically.

Will this be available in Europe ? It's pressed in but you have to buy it in the US !

I saw the remaster from Rhino coming up and ed the discontent with this specific pressing. Checked the matrix numbers, same pressing as the VMP https://discogs.desbloquearpagina.com/release/7339202-Wilco-AM which gets better reviews than this one. Funny, although I usually don't really trust the average Crosley owning VMP listener.

Very interested how the new AAA holds up against these ones.

Honest review here... I was always hesitant to pick up this reissue because the CD / digital version sound quality left a lot to be desired. But I found a used copy recently at a decent price and I am glad I grabbed it. Much improved over any version I had heard before! The somewhat simple recording process lends itself to this album and the LP and Bellman cut really makes things open up a lot. Recommended!

Wilco’s debut A.M. doesn’t have the expansive soundstage of later albums, but this pressing offers just a bit more than I was expecting. A standout example is Box Full of Letters, where the competing guitars remain distinct without getting muddled, and this is the best Dash I think I’ve heard. Some have noted sibilance on this VMP release, but I don’t hear it. Instead, what stands out is how dead quiet the pressing is—if you’re after surface noise, look elsewhere. A solid pressing, maybe not the most dynamic *Wilco* pressing but solid for this release.

Why does this album get crapped on by so many including critics? Is it the specter of Son Volt’s trace or is it what came after for the band? Who knows! But what I do know is this album is chock full of excellent songs with tons of energy & replay value. I don’t hear any filler here at all and certainly don’t find this to be middle of the road. It’s catchy with songs that fare well when taking road trips. Is it as good as being there? Not really, however it’s an excellent album on its own while being there is a classic. A B to being there’s A- It’s hard to measure up to a classic and really not necessary. AM on its own stripped of all of the circumstances surrounding it, is a brilliant album with toms of hooks and memorable songs. Think Tom Petty, the Stones, Teenage Fanclub as a few references. Pretty good company don’t ya think?

I have no idea how long it takes for the PVC to affect the vinyl but I bought my copy around 2005 and have stored the record in a separate polylined innersleeve since then (which is just pure luck, I didn’t find out about PVC damaging vinyl until a couple of years ago) and it’s in perfect condition.

great pressing, quiet with good seperation and low end punch, and it can be had for a decent price.

The warning below about the PVC sleeve damaging the vinyl is very true. If you’re buying this to play there’s no such thing as a Mint or even VG+ copy unless it was removed from the original sleeve when new. A collectible for sure but that’s it.

I feel like this album was initially conceived and mastered to sound as if you were listening on an AM radio station: crisp and clear... powerful, even... but definitely compressed by the narrower bandwidth of amplitude modulation. Folks who know Wilco as a Chicago band shouldn't forget that the group started out way down in Southern Illinois, where AM radio was still known in 1994 for playing country music as much as it was for talk programming. "A.M." is an alternative country record, just like the last Uncle Tupelo release that preceded it (as well as the next Wilco disc that would arrive in 1996.) If you're put off by the slightly tinny sound of "A.M.," just use your system's EQ to add a bit of extra bass. If you're a stickler for hi-fi vinyl without tone controls, welp... That's your problem.
Do take care to remove this disc from its nasty, thick-and-sticky, clear sleeve howevs! Those things really do infect record grooves after a decade or three stuck in a bin under warm-enough temps. Make sure if you're buying this version of "A.M." nowadays that both sides appear very clean and glossy, and that all its grooves seem unclogged by years of volatile-chemical evaporation from that damned original sleeve. A good copy of this disc is a very listenable, very crank-up-able first pressing of the very first Wilco album! That's a kinda' big deal in my book, and it means that you can properly enjoy an excellent little time capsule from when those guys made made a really big and tangibly twangy noise from the cornfields around Saint Louis.