Wilco: Sunken Treasure

Book excerpt: In this comprehensive and probing biography, Tim Grierson examines Wilco’s history, discussing each of their albums in detail and exploring their often divisive 20-year output. With an eclectic blend of country, alternative rock and classic pop, Wilco was born out of the influential alt-country group Uncle Tupelo in 1994. Led by Jeff Tweedy, Wilco then made a series of albums that won varying levels of acceptance. From the relatively unsuccessful A.M. through the praised but contentious Mermaid Avenue collaboration with Billy Bragg and the troubled Yankee Hotel Foxtrot that eventually became their best-selling album, Wilco and Tweedy have kept the show on the road for two decades, winning Grammys, inspiring countless other bands and taking the flak on the way. This is their extraordinary story.