This collection of stray tracks from
Scott McCaughey and his various permutations of
the Minus 5 -- five of which were recorded during sessions for the
Down With Wilco album, with various members of
Jeff Tweedy's stellar ensemble backing up
Scott, with
Peter Buck and
Rebecca Gates also dropping by the studio -- is the sort of release that's useful to fans and of dubious value for newcomers. Though plenty of folks who haven't heard
McCaughey would be charmed by the great songs on deck, not to mention the fine performances that hit a solid balance between skill and easygoing playfulness, at only seven songs this is the sort of EP that just gets up to full speed when the curtain comes down for the noisy goof of "One More Bottle to Go." What's here is certainly fine stuff, but "I've Got a Lyrical Stance," "Hotel Senator," and "The Town That Lost Its Groove Supply" are good enough that they should be anchoring an album, not adding bulk to a seven-cut throwaway. In short, if you're a fan you'll certainly enjoy this, but otherwise you might want to check out
Down With Wilco or
In Rock instead -- not that this won't make you want to hear more. Added value: this EP also includes a Quicktime video for "The Town That Lost Its Groove Supply," and the version of "The Days of Wine and Booze" here is the one
McCaughey and
Wilco cut on September 11, 2001. ~ Mark Deming