Review: Let's Go (So We Can Get Back): A Memoir of Recording and Discording with Wilco, Etc.

Let's Go (So We Can Get Back): A Memoir of Recording and Discording with Wilco, Etc. by Jeff Tweedy
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I'm not even a fan of Wilco (gasp, right?), and so that means that I went into listening to this book without knowing anything about Jeff Tweedy or his musical career. As I kept listening though, I thought, whoops, I should know this guy. I've seen the Bottle Rockets (he mentions jamming with them in the book) and I'm a big red dirt/Americana/alt country/progressive country music fan now. My problem is that I really only know the bands that I know. It all started with Turnpike Troubadours when I heard Matt Carpenter's walk-up song at a Cardinals game. I went to their show and discovered American Aquarium, who opened for Turnpike. Then, through attending concerts and listening to opening bands, I discovered Reckless Kelly, Blackberry Smoke, Flatland Cavalry, Dirty River Boys, Cody Canada, Jamie Lin Wilson, Jason Boland, Josh Hedley, Kaitlin Butts, Lucero, Mike and the Moonpies, The Vandoliers, and the list goes on and on.

I knew that American Aquarium was kind named after a Wilco song (or something like that?), but I never actually listened to the song or the band. I guess I'll have to go see a show sometime now! And Tweedy just played in Illinois a few months ago, I think.

This memoir is touching and poignant, discussing relationships, love, parenting, and loving what you do. It covers self-esteem, addiction, friendships, and growing up in Belleville, Illinois. Readers can really tell that Tweedy is a songwriter--he is smart and knows how to turn a phrase. Such good writing. How often does reading a memoir create a music fan? It did with me.

(Honestly, I think I know that I won't listen to most of his music because I don't like slow or depressing songs. But I will go see those songwriters perform in person, because music like that moves me when I see it live. I'm looking at you, Jason Eady, who made me bawl like a baby during an acoustic performance.)

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