Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
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Free Music Notes for Sky Blue Sky
Free Music Review: A floor cleaner AND a dessert topping (beautiful AND groovy)
Hit: 5 Stars
I've heard a great many Wilco fans remark that Sky Blue Sky is too ponderous or slow for their taste.
On the other hand, many of its advocates are pleased that at the very least it sounds a little like their older work (they remind me of the character in Woody Allen's Stardut Memories who miss his "early, funny films!")
Both takes, in my opinion miss the mark because neither are showing any active appreciation for this incredible record.
In reply to the first point I find it sad that the attention span of music "fans" is so woefully short. Why are listeners unwilling to sit down with a record for an hour or more and just listen to it on its own terms? Isn't it more rewarding to let a piece of art sink in and grow on you? Does it not then become a part of your life and your soul, as this album most certainly does when one gives it a chance?
Secondly, while it is fine to tune in to Wilco's earlier albums (all of them great for very different reasons), why would we expect the band to produce the same things they did in 1995? Perhaps those old early fans should heed Tweedy's advice that "You have to learn how to die if you wanna be alive."
Tweedy and the wonderful, cohesive lineup of the band at present are not trying to be anything other than what seems right for them right now. Isn't that what art is all about?
The result: not only is this album sensitive, delicate and gorgeous when it chooses to be, but in equal measure, it is downright rocking. Even though I prefer to listen to this (or any) record in its entirity, "Shake It Off," "Hate It Here" and "Walken" are some of the grooviest songs, ever. Sometimes I drive around in my car a few extra miles just to dig these incredible tracks.
Not only does SBS reflect Tweedy's increasing maturity and comfort in himself, but also I find it to be very romantic, explicitly revealing his deep appreication and love for his wife, Sue. As the wife of an artist myself, I can attest to the fact that our path, although incredibly rewarding, isn't easy. "Patient with Me," "Hate it Here," and both the opening and closing tracks are very moving love songs, indeed. Thank you, Wilco for enriching my life with your work.
Free Music Review: The Wilco album I've been looking for, without ever knowing it
Hit: 5 Stars
Although I've liked Wilco before now, and do enjoy YFH and Summerteeth, I always sensed an underlying identity problem with Tweedy and his band. Not that THEY didn't know who they were, but rather, I was having a difficult time interpreting who they were. The critically acclaimed Yankee Foxtrot Hotel never really captured me the way it did so many others. The Radiohead comparison's always flew right over my head...I never understood how the Tweedy from Uncle Tupelo would ever create something as abstract as to warrant such comparisons. And strangely, I never understood all of this so well until I listened to Sky Blue Sky.
This album, to me, sounds much more like Tweedy in his natural state, his comfort zone if you will. I'm all for experimentation and branching out, but YFH, at least to me, sounded out of character and forced. I understand that maybe that's my problem, since I seem to be in the vast minority. But when I listen to Sky Blue Sky, I feel like THIS is Wilco, THIS is Jeff Tweedy, in its purest form. This feels as though it's straight from the heart and soul, moreso than any other Wilco release.
I really don't understand what people are missing from this album. Is it too mellow? Is it too straightforward? Is it not challenging enough?
I love challenging bands. But Wilco isn't about challenging. Wilco, to me, is about homegrown, heartfelt, wear-your-feelings-on-your-sleeve songwriting.
There are a lot of different things to like on this album. The Bonham like drumming on "Hate it Here," the faint Pink Floyd influence on "Shake it Off," the brilliant guitar work by Nils, the brilliant but simple and completely relatable lyrics. I listen to Sky Blue Sky and I feel like I'm hanging out in a bar with a bunch of friends talking about the days events, with the occasional bust out laughing moments and occasional sentimental teary-eyed moments. And I feel as comfortable as ever.
This is the perfect summer evening, chill-out album.
And I just have to mention, "On and on and on" is the best song I've heard all year.
Free Music Review: In Praise Of "Blue Sky Blue"
Hit: 5 Stars
I know I have sung the praises of Wilco before.Their last three cd's have been most excellent.'Yankee Hotel Foxtrot' is a modern masterpiece.'A Ghost Is Born',though somewhat lesser of the two cd's is brave and goes beyond the grandness of Foxtrot.Their double live cd,'Kicking Television' puts out some of the definitive versions of some of there best songs.
And boy,does Wilco have great songs.I can not imagine how joyless my life would be without knowing such great songs such as,'Jesus,Etc';Christ For President';'I Am Trying To Break Your Heart';'I Must be High';'Ashes Of American Flags';'At Least That's what She Said';'Hell Is Chrome';'Kidsmoke';'Hummingbird';'Wishful Thinking' and many many more.
Now,comes their new cd,'Blue Sky Blue'.And,like most Wilco cd's,it is not totally like any other Wilco cd.'Blue Sky Blue' is what I would call Wilco's most commercial cd to date.And I mean that in a very good way.Throughout the cd they channel 'The Eagles','The Allman Brothers Band',Neil Young' and other 70's icons....while still keeping it 2007 fresh and a blazing new Wilco.
Jeff Tweety and company have done themselves proud.Just listening to songs like,'Impossible Germany';'Sky Blue Sky';'Please Be Patient With Me' and 'Hate It Here',make me want to have a record listening party.
However,like most of the freshest,newest sounding music,the full affect of this cd's greatness does not hit you until after your forth or so listening[some of you anti-SBS people should give this a try].Beware,you will be caught off guard catching yourself humming and singing these tunes if you give the cd the chance to grow on you.I know with the throw-a-way music that is out there now-a-days that is asking allot.But this Wilco cd stays with you just like the music did in the good ol'days.And that is high praise,indeed.
If there were any justice,Wilco would be king of the FM radio heap.This is what today's modern FM radio should should like.
Free Music Review: Amazing album for anyone to listen to
Hit: 5 Stars
Sky Blue Sky is the album to get for 2007. Why?
1) Great melodies
2) Amazing Guitar solos
3) Beautiful and haunting songs
4) Tweedy's vocals sound great
Not convinced enough? Okay, I'll add my input
First of all, the album is very mellow, but at times, its energetic, and it just rocks. Some of the faster tunes such as "Walken" and "Impossible Germany" are classics for the album. Both have amazing guitar solos and hooks that are extremely catchy. Other songs on the album start off slow, but they seem to progress into a beautifully written landscape with more awesome guitar solos and more chord structures and layering.
Songs like "Side with the Seeds", "You are my face", and "Shake it off" start off slow, but progress into catchy melodies. In Shake it off, they differentiate the meter, switching up the 4/4 beat into series of different meters and going back to the original.
Other songs are just beautifully written ballad songs like "Either Way" and "Please Be Patient with Me". Its very acoustic and it shows Tweedy's vocals very well.
My favorite song off the album is "On and On and On". It is eerie, dark, yet happy. Its about being with someone else forever and for you to go on and on in life. The lyrics and how its sang is very catchy and the melody stays in your head. I love how the song progresses harder and uses different instruments.
You should definately listen to this more than a few times. It grows on you more and more. Compared to the music out there currently, its nothing you've heard of. It's folky, classic rock, and its awesome. It has a 60ish and 70's vibe. You'll love this album.
By the way, if you buy this album on Itunes, you get an additional song that's not on the actual cd. If you get the CD, you might want to pick up that one song and purchase it. It's a fast song, and kinda different from Sky Blue Sky.
Free Music Review: Their best yet.
Hit: 5 Stars
I probably have certain eccentricities that keep me from understanding some music and basically I wasn't much of a fan or a cult follower of this band. Yankee Hotel Foxtrot left me puzzled at all the hoopla. I complained about the filler and shortage of quality songs in A Ghost is Born (come on now, do you really still sit through the noise at the end? or agree it's a bit overindulgent?)and have always felt there was more hype than brilliance surrounding this band.
It doesn't help probably that I think Jay Farrar's music is more consistently interesting.
Not any more. This is Tweedy's masterpiece. Uncle Tupelo brought a success to both Tweedy and Farrar that neither could deal with if you look at the progression of their music. They tinkered often pretentiously at times and more often than not came across as self-absorbed self-proclaimed geniuses these last ten years. At least to me.
Now they both seem comfortable with what they both are-Brilliant song writers. I thought this on Farrar's The Search and now Sky Blue Sky is simply incredible.
For the first time, it seems to me, Tweedy isn't hiding behind fame or troubles or artsy fartsy pretense. He's focused on the song.
And he's writing great songs filled with beatlesque flourishes and some simply incandescent guitar flashes that add touches to his music with so much more depth than the Arc Weld Neil Young flashes on A Ghost is Born.
Lyrically, he's always shined and there are subtle lines in this one as great as any he's written.
A ceiling fan is on
Chopping up my dreams
Tweedy has arrived and let's hope that cosmic bus station there at the end has an old buddy standing next to him as they talk about that final album they did together in Nashville.