It's a given that a spinoff of a successful band has a better chance for initial recognition, but in most cases, spinoffs are just plain terrible. Such was the case with Wilco's mysteriously critically- acclaimed release of A.M., a downright bad record anyway you look at it. But the past is behind Wilco and their future looks bright considering that Being There is a complete turnaround from their debut.

The two-disc set is really nothing more than a marketing scheme since they could have sliced five minutes off the back end and it all would have fit on one CD, but nineteen tracks is still a bit of an overdose for me (and the rest of the world, I'll assume). Being There gets a little self- indulgent at times (if you can imagine that) but there are also moments of sheer brilliance.

"Misunderstood," the opening track, has a bit of a Beck- type thing happening and the melody and buildup is wonderful. "Red-Eyed and Blue" is terribly hummable, as are "What's the World Got In Store," "Someone Else's Song," "Sunken Treasure," and the closer, "Dreamer in My Dreams."

Still, there are some duds here. And Wilco have a long way to go from being musical geniuses, but they've sure got the melody thing down flat.

-Ryan Schreiber