Yankee Hotel Foxtrot overrated?

First off, I realize I am in the minority among Claptrappers in terms of my feelings for Wilco's 2002 album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, so I want to be clear I'm not speaking for the entire group here. Taking a look at our favorite albums of the 2000s, 4 out of 6 of us pegged the album in the top 10 albums of the decade -- and all four had it in the top 3. The album also made high showings on numerous other top-decade lists, including Rolling Stone, Paste, and Pitchfork.

I did not include YHFT in my top 10 of the decade, and even though I don't find the album to be bad, particularly, I guess I just don't see (or rather, hear) what all the fuss is about. I almost feel like everyone is in love with the story behind the album, more so than the music itself. Take a look at Paste's review (it was ranked No. 2).

Here's an excerpt: "Yankee has come to represent everything that’s wrong with the music business: tone-deaf executives, a gross misunderstanding of online music, an institutionalized pandering to the lowest common denominator that obstructed the release of a timeless rock classic. And yet, on another level, Yankee’s success means that the system works. The record did come out, full of glorious static and muffled drums and conflicted patriotism. People did buy it."

A vast majority of the reasoning for including the album in its top albums of the decade is not music related -- it's about the perseverance of the band. I admit, it's a good story. I've seen the "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart" documentary, and it's enjoyable. But for me, I don't find the songs to have much pull that makes me want to listen over and over.

For this post, I listened to the album in entirety to see if I was forgetting something. Here are my thoughts:

- First track, "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart," is a good opener. I like the drums and when the keys crescendo at the end. One of my favorite songs on the album.

- I like Kamera, too. It's upbeat and simple, with cool noises in the background. The first 3 out of 4 songs on this album are its best moments, I feel.

- "Radio Cure" is way too slow and boring for me. I basically always skip this song to get to the album's best song, "War on War."

- The next couple tracks -- "Jesus, Etc." and "Ashes of American Flags" make me think of a person yawning. They just don't do much for me. The 9/11 connection with "Ashes" (and how the album cover features "two towers") is kind of cool, but doesn't make me want to listen to the song.

- "Heavy Metal Drummer" is the most radio-friendly song on the album. I'm kind of sick of it, and out of their radio songs, I'd rather hear "Theologians."

- "I'm The Man Who Loves You" is a pretty catchy tune. I do like this one.

- The final three tracks, for me, just don't do much for me. Again, they're not bad songs, but I usually find myself turning off the album after "I'm the Man Who Loves You." I just don't think the songs have that "pull."

I knew this album would make a good showing in lists of top albums of the decade, but was surprised by how consistently high it ranked. So help this Claptrapper out -- tell me what makes this album so great. Is it the story, the mystique of the album? Or is it the songs that make it great?