Yankee Hotel Foxtrot | ||||
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Studio album by Wilco | ||||
Released | September 18, 2001 (webstream) April 23, 2002 (physical release) |
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Recorded | Late 2000 – Early 2001 | |||
Studio | The Loft (Chicago, Illinois) |
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Genre | ||||
Length | 51:51 | |||
Label | Self-released (webstream) Nonesuch (physical release) |
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Producer | Wilco | |||
Wilco chronology | ||||
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Singles from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot | ||||
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Professional ratings | |
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Aggregate scores | |
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 87/100 |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
Blender | |
Entertainment Weekly | A− |
The Guardian | |
NME | 8/10 |
Pitchfork Media | 10/10 |
Q | |
Rolling Stone | |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
Uncut |
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot is the fourth album by Chicago-based rock band Wilco. The album was completed in 2001, but Reprise Records, a Warner Music Group label, refused to release it. Wilco acquired the rights to the album when they subsequently left the label. In September 2001, Wilco streamed the entire album for free on their website. Wilco signed with Nonesuch Records (another Warner label) in November of that year, and the album was officially released on April 23, 2002.
Yankee Hotel Foxtrot was acclaimed by music critics, and is widely regarded as one of the greatest albums of the 2000s. It is also Wilco's best-selling work, having reached number 13 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. It was the band's first album with drummer Glenn Kotche, and the last with multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Jay Bennett.
In 2012, Rolling Stone ranked it 493 on its list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
Wilco was touring to promote Mermaid Avenue Vol. II in May 2000 when Jeff Tweedy was invited to play at the Noise Pop festival in Chicago. The festival promoter offered to pair Tweedy with a collaborator of his choosing, and Tweedy decided to perform with Jim O'Rourke. Tweedy frequently played O'Rourke's album Bad Timing in his car while he traveled during the previous winter. O'Rourke was an accomplished producer as well as a musician, and had produced over 200 albums by the time that Tweedy requested the collaboration. O'Rourke offered the services of drummer Glenn Kotche, and the trio performed at Double Door for the festival on May 14, 2000. Tweedy enjoyed the performance so much that he suggested that the trio record an album together. They chose the name Loose Fur, and recorded six songs during the following summer.