News

One of the most beloved albums of the 2000s is getting a lavish series of reissues – with configurations as head-turning as the album itself.

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, Wilco’s fourth album, will get the box set treatment on September 16 in several different formats. The original album will come with up to three CDs worth of alternate takes and mixes, a collection of demos and rough sketches, and two live performances: a live-in-studio, five-song appearance and interview on Chicago’s WXRT-FM in 2001 – the day the album was first made free to the public – and a celebrated 2002 concert at The Pageant in St. Louis, Missouri.

Now here’s where you’ll need to pay attention, because the formats are many:

• The biggest box set features the album, the three archival sets (American Aquarium, Here Comes Everybody, The Unified Theory of Everything), the demos (Lonely in the Deep End) and the Pageant set across 11 LPs plus the WXRT set on CD only. There are black and silver vinyl variants. The liner notes (in a package designed by Grammy-nominated graphic artist Lawrence Azerrad) feature a new essay by journalist Bob Mehr (featuring interviews with frontman Jeff Tweedy, bassist Jeff Stirratt and drummer Glenn Kotche); a conversation with Tweedy, Kotche, mixer Jim O’Rourke and reissue producer Cheryl Pawelski; plus rare and unseen photos.
• All that audio and book content also appears on an 8CD box set.
• A 7LP edition includes the original album, The Unified Theory of Everything, the Pageant set and all of the musical performances from the WXRT show. It’s pressed on black or red gold vinyl, and packaging includes only Mehr’s essay.
• A 2CD version pairs the album with The Unified Theory of Everything and a handful of bonus tracks from the other studio discs including “Shakin’ Sugar,” “Venus Stopped the Train,” “The Good Part,” “Not for the Season (Laminated Cat),” and “Cars Can’t Escape.”  For those looking to hear the remastered album and a sample of the outtakes and alternates at an inexpensive price point, this is the option for you.
• Finally, a 2LP remaster of the original album will be available on black or gold vinyl. Like all of the sets, it’s been remastered by Bob Ludwig at Gateway Mastering, with Chris Bellman of Bernie Grundman Mastering handling lacquer cutting.

It’s a fascinating full circle moment for Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. The alt-rock band’s fourth album was born amid struggle and transition. New drummer Kotche was in, multi-instrumentalist Jay Bennett was on his way out, and – worst of all – the record was famously rejected by the band’s longtime label, the Warner-owned Reprise, who were frustrated about the band’s lack of commercial success. Undeterred – and with a camera crew following them for an eventual documentary – the group made the bold step of releasing it for free online in 2001, where critical mass started to form around the album. (Pitchfork famously gave it a perfect 10.) In a delicious, ironic twist, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was released the following year on the Warner-distributed Nonesuch label, reaching No. 13 – still their best-selling album.

Links and full track info for the box set can be found below, along with Amazon links for the CD versions.

Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (Super Deluxe Edition) (Nonesuch, 2022)

8CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada
2CD: Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada

CD 1: Original album (released as free digital download, 2001/Nonesuch 79669, 2002)

1. I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
2. Kamera
3. Radio Cure
4. War on War
5. Jesus, Etc.
6. Ashes of American Flags
7. Heavy Metal Drummer
8. I’m the Man Who Loves You
9. Pot Kettle Black
10. Poor Places
11. Reservations

CD 2: American Aquarium – Building Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (Part 1)

1. Anniversary (Nothing Up My Sleeve)
2. Venus Stopped the Train
3. Poor Places
4. I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
5. American Aquarium
6. Cars Can’t Escape
7. Kamera
8. War on War
9. I’m the Man Who Loves You
10. Ashes of American Flags
11. Not for the Season (Laminated Cat)
12. Shakin’ Sugar
13. Let Me Come Home
14. Poor Places
15. Reservations

CD 3: Here Comes Everybody – Building Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (Part 2)

1. Not for the Season (Laminated Cat)
2. Remember to Remember (Hummingbird)
3. I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
4. Kamera
5. Radio Cure
6. War on War
7. Venus Stopped the Train
8. I’m the Man Who Loves You
9. The Good Part
10. Pot Kettle Black
11. Ashes of American Flags
12. Poor Places
13. Shakin’ Sugar
14. Reservations
15. Cars Can’t Escape

CD 4: The Unified Theory of Everything – Building Yankee Hotel Foxtrot (Part 3)

1. A Magazine Called Sunset
2. Remember to Remember (Hummingbird)
3. I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
4. Kamera
5. Radio Cure
6. War on War
7. Jesus, Etc.
8. Ashes of American Flags (Stravinsky Mix)
9. Heavy Metal Drummer
10. I’m the Man Who Loves You
11. Pot Kettle Black
12. Poor Places
13. Reservations

CD 5: Lonely in the Deep End – Demos, Drafts, Etc.

1. Love Will (Let You Down)
2. Lost Poem Demo
3. I’m the Only One Who Lets Her Down
4. Has Anybody Seen My Pencil?
5. The Good Part (previously released on “War on War” U.K. CD single – Nonesuch 7559 79640 2, 2002)
6. A Magazine Called Sunset
7. A Magazine Called Sunset (Backing Track)
8. Anniversary (Nothing Up My Sleeve) (Backing Track)
9. Kamera
10. I’m the Man Who Loves You
11. I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
12. Jesus, Etc.
13. Reservations (Backing Track)
14. Let Me Come Home (Synth)
15. Ooby Dooby

CD 6: Transmission – Sound Opinions with Greg Kot & Jim DeRogatis, WXRT-FM, Chicago, IL – 9/18/2001

1. Interview
2. War on War (Live in the Studio)
3. Interview
4. Interview
5. I’m the Man Who Loves You (Live in the Studio) (previously released on “War on War” U.K. CD single – Nonesuch 7559 79640 2, 2002)
6. Interview
7. Should’ve Been in Love (Live in the Studio)
8. Interview
9. She’s a Jar (Live in the Studio)
10. Interview
11. Ashes of American Flags (Live in the Studio)

CDs 7-8: Snoozin’ At The Pageant, St. Louis, MO – 7/23/2002

1. I Am Trying to Break Your Heart
2. I’m the Man Who Loves You
3. War on War
4. Kamera
5. Radio Cure
6. A Shot in the Arm
7. She’s a Jar
8. I’m Always in Love
9. Sunken Treasure
10. Jesus, Etc.
11. Heavy Metal Drummer
12. Pot Kettle Black
13. Ashes of American Flags
14. Not for the Season (Laminated Cat)
15. Reservations
16. California Stars
17. Red-Eyed and Blue
18. I Got You (At the End of the Century)
19. Misunderstood
20. Far, Far Away
21. Outtasite (Outta Mind)
22. I’m a Wheel