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Album Details

• Artist: Wilco
• Album: I Am Trying To Break Your Heart: A Film About Wilco by Sam Jones
• Label: Plexifilm
• Year of Release: 2003
• ME Rating:
• Reviewed by: dscanland on 2005-03-17

I am a Wilco fan. I have been following Tweedy for quite some time. Maybe I fell into a second rate fan when I didn't run out and buy I Am Trying To Break Your Heart, the Sam Jones DVD that came out in 2003. Ah, but patience is a virtue. Sonic Unyon just got rights to distribute this DVD in Canada lowering the cost significantly. The whole premise behind this DVD is that Sam Jones, reputed photographer, followed Wilco during the making of Yankee Foxtrot Hotel and documented the whole affair. We get the drama from behind the scenes as well as many inspired live (and studio) sessions pulling material not only from Yankee Foxtrot Hotel but all their back catalog as well.

One of the big things Break Your Heart shows is the constant conflict that Jay Bennett has with most of the band, resulting in his dismissal from Wilco. It's one of those moments that you couldn't really orchestrate if you tried. Another piece that really makes the movie is the ongoing drama with Reprise and the unknown fate of the album, an insider's point of view of how a major label doesn't care about the artist merit of a band. Instead it's all about the press, appearances, and ultimately the bottom line.

The DVD is filmed in a bit of Scorsese style, black and white with a grainy edit. It really works for this film and brings out another side of Jeff Tweedy and Wilco that most of us would never get to experience. I Am Trying To Break Your Heart is not a movie just for Wilco fans. It's for music lovers, people who enjoy biographies/documentaries, and the little guy coming out on top. This is a good film. The second disc includes 70 minutes of bonus features, many alternate takes on songs as well as a making of featurette.

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