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Wilco Movie

Date: Oct 14 2002

Intro

1. Learn Vocabulary - Learn some new vocabulary before you start the lesson.

2. Read and Prepare - Read the introduction and prepare to hear the audio.

I recently wrote about a band called Wilco and their new album, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Wilco is one of my favorite bands and the Yankee Foxtrot is one of the best albums I’ve ever heard. Last week I saw a movie called I Am Trying to Break Your Heart, which is about the making of the album. It was really cool to see how the guys in the band worked together to create the music. I’ve never seen anything like it. I recommend it to every true music fan.
Read on to learn more!

Dialog

1. Study - Read the dialog again to see how the vocab words are used.

I’ve seen music documentaries before, including Rattle and Hum which is a movie about the band U2, but I Am Trying to Break Your Heart is much different than any of those. It allows the viewer to see into the difficult, complicated and emotional process that a band goes through when making music. It gives the viewer a glimpse of the obsessive personalities which make up the band. It helps the viewer understand what creating music is all about.
During the course of making Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, two members of the band quit. They couldn’t get along with the other members. This makes for good drama in the movie, and it also shows how difficult it is for strong personalities to work together.
Luckily, the other members of the band were able to complete the album – which is a masterpiece.

Quizzes

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Discussion

I’ve never made music before. Well, that’s not true, I have played the piano and the bass guitar – but never well enough to call what I’m playing music. However, I am very interested in the process by which music is made. It’s fascinating to me. It’s amazing that people can continue to think of new ways to make music. After thousands of years of music, it’s still possible for bands like Wilco to make something new.
If you’re a huge music fan like me, you’ll love I Am Trying to Break Your Heart. If you’re not a big music fan, you still might like it. Either way, I suggest you check it out.
Rock on,
Migs