The Jay Bennett track-by-track listing of instruments played on YHF

Wilco chat rooms and bulletin boards (not to mention more legitimate music news sources) have been abuzz with rumors that Jay didn’t actually play that much on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Glorious Noise asked Jay to give us a track-by-track list of exactly what he did, and here it is for all the Wilco nuts to see for themselves!

1. I Am Trying To Break Your Heart
Pump organs
Wurlitzers
A piano (“normal”)
A “prepared piano” – many folks playing it together
Noiz section (including toy piano) – many folks making noiz together
Distorted synth
Manual re-amped drum effects

2. Kamera (writing credit: much of the music, no lyrics)
Electric guitars
Background vocals
Synths
Percussion
Mellotrons

3. Radio Cure (writing credit: much of the music, some lyrics)
Synths (fake organ/noiz/fake piano/whistle)
Electric guitar
Background vocals
Leslie banjo
Manually effected drum sounds

4. War on War (writing credit: some music, no lyrics)
Acoustic guitars
Wurlitzer
Omnichords
Background vocals
Synth

5. Jesus, etc. (writing credit: much of the music, some lyrics)
Wurlitzer
Background vocals

6. Ashes of American Flags (writing credit: much of the music, no lyrics)
Drums
Bass
Pianos
Synths (airy sounds/fake organ)
Acoustic guitars
Mellotron
Manual tape loop effects
“Artificially generated orchestra sounds” (too weird to explain)

7. Heavy Metal drummer
Hammond organ
Piano

8. I’m the Man Who Loves You (writing credit: some music, no lyrics)
Acoustic guitars
Acoustic slide
12-string guitars
Wurlitzer
Background vocals
Artificial kick drum

9. Pot Kettle Black (writing credit: some to much of music, no lyrics)
Wall of feedback
Electric guitars
Mellotrons
Synth
“B-Bender electric guitars”
Manual keyboard effects

10. Poor Places (writing credit: much of the music, no lyrics)
Noiz section (egg beater guitar/Morse code loop)
Wurlitzer
Acoustic guitars
Nylon string guitars
Piano loops
“Guitar hell ” @ end of song

11. Reservations
Pianos (3+)
Pump organs
Electric tack pianos run through Roland synth trigger (bubbly sounds)
Mellotron (mock human voice – high “iiiiiiiiiiiiii” sounds)

Read an exclusive interview with Jay Bennett where he discusses making Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and leaving Wilco.

 

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