I got into Wilco because Nels Cline had joined them (I was aware of their reputation before that of course). And I discovered the Billy Bragg song from a cover by Dave Stewart (the Canterbury keyboardist, not the guy from the Eurhythmics). I looked up the Bragg original later, and I have to say I prefer it to the more polished Dave Stewart cover.

Rating: Wilco. You can hear a little bit of Nels Cline tearing it up in this live version, but it's subdued in the mix. My overall impression of Wilco is that the extremely talented individuals sacrifice personal glory for the sake of group unity. I wish the "group" would allow them a little more freedom to color outside the lines. Score: 92

Rating: Billy Bragg. No problem of unity vs. individuality here, but to his credit, Bragg combines all the elements (melody, lyrics, guitar, vocal) seamlessly and engagingly. This is one case where I wouldn't want one particular element to stand out. Score: 95.