Jay Bennett has passed away. This isn't huge news on a global level, but it is terrible news and of significance because it adds another (unfortunately sad) chapter to the story of Wilco (the band). Clearly this blog is a fan of Wilco, but Jay Bennett wasn't in Wilco anymore and hadn't been since 2001. The Wilco of today has very little in common with the Wilco of eight years ago, but Jay Bennett was always present, for better or worse.

A little background for the uninitiated. Jay Bennett was in Wilco when they recorded and released most of their earlier material, namely the albums Being There and Summerteeth. He wrote and recorded with the band during the creation of their critical breakthrough/career-defining album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Then he left/was forced to leave. All of this is documented in Sam Jones' excellent documentary I Am Trying To Break Your Heart.

Since leaving the band, he continued making music and continued being at odds with Wilco and Jeff Tweedy specifically. Even as recently as a few weeks ago, he filed a lawsuit against Tweedy in hopes of recouping money he felt he was owed from royalties of Wilco's material, including the aforementioned documentary that climaxes with him leaving the band. These legal actions were probably tied to his financial troubles resulting from a combination of physical ailments and lacking health insurance. Maybe all would have been forgiven if Wilco's subsequent success could help pay for his hip replacement? The world will never know.

In the documentary, the viewer never gets any more of a negative impression of Bennett than they might of Jeff Tweedy, the obvious centerpiece/leader of the band. It is unfortunate that bands always seem to need a "frontman" and it is usually the singer, for better or worse. This is definitely the case for the Tweedy/Bennett era of Wilco. They made some amazing records, but ultimately the band just wasn't big enough for both of their egos. The same might be said for Tweedy and Jay Farrar in Uncle Tupelo. The problem isn't necessarily Tweedy, though. Since Bennett left Wilco, they have continued to make great records, although most would posit that the Being There/Summerteeth/Yankee Hotel Foxtrot trifecta far surpasses the subsequent A Ghost Is Born/Sky Blue Sky/Wilco (The Album) one. That may be true, but eight years have passed and the common members of the band (Tweedy and John Stirratt) are both eight years older and eight years further into their musical careers. Certainly it bears mentioning that Tweedy has also exorcised some of his addiction demons in that time and simply seems like a more grounded and happy (gasp!) person. The music was bound to change.

Regardless, this entry is about Bennett (for once). From a personal standpoint, he will always be a solid part of Wilco because he shared writing credits on the song "Can't Stand It", which is about as good as Wilco gets. The "personal" aspect becomes more glaring after waking up early this morning and spontaneously watching I Am Trying to Break Your Heart in full, without knowing anything of Bennett's demise. Being without cable television or internet service at the time meant that this viewing was made without any reaction from having heard the sad news. It was an unbiased observation of the dynamics of what went into the film, the record and the split. From a purely artistic standpoint, it also allowed for what is now an incredibly bittersweet viewing of Jay Bennett's solo rendition of "My Darling" from Summerteeth. If you have any chance to see this for yourself, please do. Today's news of Bennett's death will make it all the more poignant.

Perhaps even more poignant is the inclusion of a post-Bennett performance of "Outtasite (Outtamind)" at the end of I Am Trying To Break Your Heart. It almost seems a jagged send-off to Bennett, but if it makes people feel better, it could just as easily be giving the same farewell to Reprise Records and the difficulties examined in the film. Regardless, Jay Bennett will be missed by some more than others. However, unlike so many people, he created something that will continue to carry his legacy.


Other takes:
Bob Boilen
Greg Kot
Jim DeRogatis