summerteeth (Deluxe Edition) 4CD

Wilco’s third album, Summerteeth, arrived in March 1999 to glowing reviews for its daring arrangements, lush harmonies and revealing lyrics. More than 20 years later, the Chicago-based band is expanding one of its best with multiple collections packed with hours of unreleased studio and live recordings.

The first is this SUMMERTEETH: DELUXE EDITION, a four-CD set that includes a Bob Ludwig 2020 remastered version of the original album (making its CD debut), along with an entire disc of unreleased studio outtakes, alternate versions and demos that chart the making of the album from songwriting demos to alternate studio arrangements to finished masters.

Summerteeth introduced many fan-favorite classic tracks that the band continues to play live today, including “I’m Always In Love,” “A Shot In The Arm” and “Via Chicago.” The 24 previously unreleased recordings that debut on the DELUXE EDITION explore the making of the critically acclaimed album with demos “No Hurry” and “I’ll Sing It,” outtakes “I’m Always In Love” (Early Run Through) and “Viking Dan,” and alternate versions “Summer Teeth” (Slow Rhodes Version) and “Pieholden Suite” (Alternate).

The two remaining discs in the CD version of SUMMERTEETH: DELUXE EDITION feature a previously unissued live show.  The concert took place late in the Summerteeth tour, on November 1, 1999 in Colorado at The Boulder Theatre, when the new songs had been road-tested and the band was in top form. Sourced from an uncirculated soundboard recording, it features band members Jeff Tweedy, John Stirratt, Ken Coomer and Jay Bennett. Most of the songs on Summerteeth were performed during the show, along with several tracks from the band’s two previous records, Being There (1996) and A.M. (1995), as well as Mermaid Avenue (1999). The latter was the first in a series of albums that Wilco recorded with Billy Bragg where the group wrote music for and sang previously unheard lyrics penned by folk icon Woody Guthrie.