Jeff Tweedy - Story about Jay Farrar in Mexico

[infernus44]

Been a fan since No Depression first came out(were you?), and the true talent in UT was always Jay Farrar. Jeff finally learned to write good songs and we got Wilco out of it. I personally do not like Wilco, other than Being There. I feel that Jay is the embodiment of something real, and Jeff just genre hops, and panders to the Dave Matthews/Ben Harper crowd. We don't all have to agree though, just listen to what you like, and fuck what anyone thinks.

[DanPF9]

Tweedy > Farrar. Plain and simple. Better voice, more charisma, less of a dick. Tweedy a junkie? Been clean for quite some time now. An asshole? Come on. Watch the video. Not saying Farrar is bad AT ALL, I am a fan of his. Just not as good. Haters gonna hate.

[aprilglaspieable]

Jeff Tweedy is a junky jerk as dumb as his name sounds.

[ValueForValue1965]

Jay's voice is VERY generic and boring to me. Sounded like he wanted to be Michael Stipes and then grunge got popular, and so on and so on..Jeff Tweedy on the other hand is a national treasure.

[kives1985]

@ValueForValue1965

Weird. I would never describe Jay's voice as more generic. I think it's because most of the Son Volt's songs hinge on his voice really. Tearstained Eye for instance is all about Jay's voice. Whereas with the Wilco stuff, there's horns and they switch tempos and what-have-you. Their songs are more adventurous in form I guess. They both have nice voices though. : )

[youenjoy00myself]

"And in the house between us, there's an Uncle Tupelo fan!" Too funny.

[aprilglaspieable]

Farrar, Coke and Gibson.

[wildcats2012]

.....easy for you to say, Jeff. I know of long term friendships that have ended under similar circumstances.

[friendofsyd]

you are definitely alone when you say jeffs voice is more original . Jay has the pure voice , jeff mostly plays characters in his own songs . Jay speaks genuinely from experience ......

[tehJESSEH]

@friendofsyd Don't know who you're talking to, but they're not alone. Jeff Tweedy has one of the most original voices I've ever listened to. Farrar is generic.

[amc987654321]

@tehJESSEH That's funny......and stupid

[TheLadyKatey]

The real question here is- why does Jeff need FIVE acoustic guitars?

[JohnFordDanceTroupe]

@TheLadyKatey To attempt to replicate "Less Than You Think" at the unplugged show.

[andyhounddog]

@TheLadyKatey - Back up guitars, guitars with a different sound to them which suits different songs and probably mostly guitars already tuned down to different keys . Saves having to tune up and down during the gigs.

[aplbomr79]

Who gives a shit about who shot the first shot? Too bad these guys can't forgive each other for passed transgressions (when they were what? 20? 24? - who didn't do stupid shit at that time?). I do like having Son Volt and Wilco though - two is better than one!

[nexpose]

True story,,, the original UT guys were a year ahead of me at Belleville West HS in Illinois. Never knew any of them then but Tweedy was class president which is probably no surprise and Farrar had nothing listed. And I've got the yearbook to prove it all. :) Jeff has the personality no doubt but totally brushed away the alt. country sound and just can't ever get into him anymore. No doubt Farrar does the same ole thing but I'm glad he stays true.

[ElGoodo]

@nexpose Have you heard Wilco's last two albums? Wilco (The Album) and especially Sky Blue Sky are totally filled with the "Alt. Country" sound.

[CancerWTF]

Jeff tweedy sucks. jay farrar rules for staying to the originginals sound

[ActionPocket]

@CancerWTF break your keyboard. they are both good, get your brain fixed

[richmonksgtr]

Allergic to the sun: I guess I gotta go goth now. LOL

[whiskeyprick]

I met Jay once, and that's just the way he talks. Couldn't tear Tweedy away from the St.L Blues game. I was too pussy to get an autograph.

[MultiSwist]

tae

[riptvz]

This just makes me shake my head.

Stay "classy" Tweedy

[friendofsyd]

Tweedy seems a lot kinder than Jay , but i have to say , i believe jay is the real talent there . Sorry guys

[irishpier]

Seriously?  Wow. Care to elaborate?

[friendofsyd]

Not really. I know what my ears tell me , and Jay is a fantastic vocalist and songwriter. Jeff is a better bandleader i will admit , but the fact that wilco is so much more popular(than they should be), i would rather listen to the rawness of Jay's songs

[ElGoodo]

@friendofsyd I just really don't care for Jay's voice it's so generic where as Tweedy's is totally his own. I don't know how Wilco is more popular than they should be, it's not like their a huge mainstream band they've earned fans through amazing songwriting and being a great live band. Truth told I skip over the songs that Jay's sings on Uncle Tupelo's albums and "Are you sure hank done it this way" is so cheesy it makes me cringe.

[richmonksgtr]

The entire story is a stone riot. Man, that dude is funny. So glad that Chicago can claim him as our own.

[davebest2001]

He's a genuinely funny man. He surprised me with how witty he was when I saw them live in Dublin. I always expected him to be a narky type

[gwmod]

why take sides!! they are both great!!

[peacemonger67]

not sure If anyone has noticed, but jeff tweedy is the closest thing we have to john lennon in 2009

[thinkoutsidethebox22]

why would you say that....john lennon was a faggot!

[Sandstone82]

why even say that

[tomonsterboy]

Love these stories from the stage. Let 'em laugh! They paid for their tickets and traveled a long way!

[bradattax]

i really hate it that ppl laugh at his every word. when i saw him live it was the same way. some people are pathetic in that they'll laugh at anything.

[rotolo]

you sound like a generally negative hateful person, nobody likes your type of comments ..

[bradattax]

i am hateful, but i can learn to love.

[whatthehellbrosef]

I'm just getting into Wilco and the alt-rock thing, and I get that Jeff is probably responsible for a lot of it, but I have to agree. There is a lot of stupid adulation and idolatry of this ONE guy. But alas, what is a rock crooner without hysterical fans.

[MattieCooper]

He's so fucking adorable! Great story!

[wms3695]

jeff tweedys hilarious

[bluesboy68]

It was a sign! Get back together for an album and tour!

-God

[hippietrucker67]

fucking hilarious...

[castillotruth]

Tweedy or Farrar? Coke or Pepsi? Gibson or Fender? It all depends on my mood. Today I'll enjoy an RC cola while practicing Jayhawks songs on my Gretsch.

[Heinekren]

That's basically the funniest comment I've ever read on YouTube.

[jdmellin]

agreed, way to be.

[LuckyEmily25]

pasha

[baronvonhypnosis]

Love the jayhawks:)

of course you could always mix all the soda's together with golden smog.

[peacemonger67]

20-30 years from now, Jay Farrar will be a footnote while Tweedy will be up there with the Late Greats

[JohnFordDanceTroupe]

@castillotruth How about Jay and Jeff drinking a mixture of Pepsi and Coke and singing Son Volt and Wilco songs?

That's more interesting than RC and a Gretsch.

[siltysand]

Jay and Jeff are both great in their own ways, but I find it incredibly sad they they couldn't set things aside as a result of this chance meeting. They should have met halfway and and had a jam for the fan in between their huts. Would have been a fantastic story and a dream come tru for the fan.

[tbzeee]

like the beatles, uncle t were all about a MOMENT IN TIME & picking sides is pointless now. these 2 chose different paths & that's ok cuz the world of music is big enuf to fit both jeff & jay...we're lucky they're still around creating good stuff! enjoy it all, folks. living in the past is a dead end

[theMonk1]

Couldn't have said it better myself. I don't get this competition thing between these two, just enjoy the music, all of it.

[Shotgunnova]

Farrar's awesome, dudes, and so's Tweedy. Good story. =p

[dicanio150]

just go to 1:43 to get to the point btw

[dicanio150]

is he a tortured, witty musical genius, or an over hyped, arrogant twat? i havent decided yet. probably somewhere in between. imho

[hutsonrock]

Awesome story.....

[dorianfg]

I was at that show! He is really funny in real life!

[tanzio]

Jay Farrar is a one-trick pony, and he borrowed the trick from Neil Young. Tweedy is far superior.

[Rauoul]

I could not disagree more with tanzio. Jay Farrar still emodies the heart and soul of what was Uncle Tupelo's country/folk/punk sound. This is no slight to Jeff as he has indeed expanded his musical horizons in many great ways. For me, Jay belongs in the same category as Neil Young, Steve Earle, Townes Van Zant, Woody Guthrie, et al. All wonderful singer/songwriters of the true American Country sound.

[moe354sa]

neil young is canadian

[Rauoul]

Ok, so he is. However, his sound is rooted in true "American Country". . the genre.

[Albeleo]

Sides shouldn't be chosen in this thread, I'm sorry. Jay Farrar and Jeff Tweedy were meant to assemble and then separate. They respect each other, even though they refuse to work together after the fact. I love Uncle Tupelo, I love Son Volt, and I love Wilco. They are all creative appendages of these guys as artists, and the fact that they have shit to reconcile is normal throughout all of us. We got three bands for the price of one. Our fuckin' steal.

[tubeeoo]

WELL SAID!!! Thank you!

[kraftwerk456]

woo!!! joy division, wilco, son volt , jay farrar, jeff tweedy, and a full bodyrash story: this video has everything.

[carmex25]

jay was an ego maniac...riding the coat tails of jeff

[dwprince69]

Jay has more talent than Jeff and has never publicly tried to be an asshole to him, sorry you n yeer Tweedey sellouts think you can cover up the fact that Jay was the soul of both Uncle Tupelo & Son Volt

[HighSchoolReality]

"soul of... Uncle Tupelo", eh? I'll see yr fuckin' "Grindstone".... and raise you one "Black Eye"!

[kickingtelevision]

Weird thing is Farrar came out in an interview saying that Tweedy was after his girlfriend. So he kinda did publicly be an asshole to him.

[mattaki]

he did so to clear all the stories about why he wasn't being conversational with jeff, and wasn't talking to the press about it for 10 years.

[TrippleT7]

I love UT. No doubt. But he managed to evolve and create timeless, brilliant music. Jay wrote some good songs, but they were so goddamn serious. He was a tight ass! Jeff managed to be loose (despite major anxiety issues, think about that!) and look where that got him!

[AU88]

UT could have been bigger and better than REM. Tweedy wrecked it. In his heart, he knows it.

[HighSchoolReality]

Right, I'm sure the guilt is just KILLING him.

[DynamiteKid156]

I'm sure the million copies of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot he sold are some comfort.

[eyepatchplease]

Wow, great point. I never knew what it was that I didn't like about Jay and you said it.

[SummerTeethEtc]

Ha, this is great! It's like a Jeff Tweedy stand up show! That's cool.

[mightymattjr]

great songwriter and storyteller either way

[Heinekren]

Has anybody ever heard Jeff's side of that story, or are you just basing that on Jay's bogus sounding story that eerily coincided with his promotion of another tepidly received solo album?

[ktheintz]

Anthony DeCurtis asked Tweedy (in the same Relix) story, Tweedy wouldn't comment. Which is to say, he didn't deny it.

[nowheyjose2]

hurrafan is right.

[hurrafan]

Jeff is way overrated. Jay is way underrated. 'Nuff said.

[keyehaw]

I like Jay, but Jeff is way more musically adventurous and his risks pay off way more than Jay's.

Plus he appreciates an audience.

[blueinjun]

Delusional Wilco fans crack me up. lol.

[easylikepie008]

Weird story, what the hell are the odds of something like that actually happening ?

" Oh my god man, This Is Crazy ! " LOL.

The Housy thing was hilarious, Too.

I do wonder what Jeff's wife was talking about with Jay.

[rugshort]

Jeff and Jay should've seen it as a sign to get back together for a tour. Just spotted a "For Billy" ref in Related vids, now let's see what he's gotta say about limeys. Is that a big fat beergut?

[chickendance103]

haha holy shit that is the CRAZIEST story. i love wilco and uncle tupelo.