Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
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Free Music Notes for Sky Blue Sky
Free Music Review: Wilco, says enough with the avante garde, here's what we do
Hit: 5 Stars
Wilco, probably deserve to be the most talked about band of all contemporary bands. Derived from a Genre creating band in Uncle Tupelo (How do the Jayhawks feel about that?)the leader, Jeff Tweedy, being the other guy in the band who, when left, alone, lost and disillusioned, outgrew his former bandmate and didn't stop until he'd nearly explored everything in terms of avant garde music, illness, breakups, narcotics and especially greatness.
Wilco's first two albums were Alt Country masterpieces, then came Summerteeth, less alt country , more Avant Garde Pop brilliance until they/Tweedy, went the full whole hog with Yankee Hotel and a Ghost is Born in terms of exploration, utilisation of the best free style instrumentatlists, Nils Cline and Glen Kotche and just plain out there stuff. I love Spiders (Kidsmoke) its an all time classic but ain't Alt Country in any shape or form.
So here comes Sky Blue Sky and its like Jeff said no!, we'll do an album that is lovely, accessible and beautiful. Its almost like Jeff suddenly reached maturity and came up with the goods. The opening track is lovely Jayhawks/Byrds like jingle jangle with expressive Tweedy lyrics and on, it goes, no ego's just band created mellow crafted tunes.
Track 3 " Impossible Germany" grabs you with its tunefulness and melodics not to mention the absolutely amazing guitar by Nels Cline. The elongated guitars augmented by astonishing percussion and the support guitars of Pat Sansone are brilliant. I have no idea what the lyrics mean, i'm guessing its something to do with the 2nd World War, or aftermatch of, but its the music that kills ya on this track. Followed up with "Sky Blue Sky" & "Side with the Seeds" absolute gems. Further on the Beatles, Dylan and all other influences are trialled, and on at least three tracks towards the end (On & On & On)it could be JL singing.
My gut feel is that if this had followed Being There and the band had expanded into Ghosts and Yankee from there, everyone would have been happy, but for me this is their best album, gutsy, relevant and brilliant.
This is the first of a triumvirate of Alt Country Artist's, who have delivered masterpieces in 07/08, (Wilco, Ryan Adams, Gary Louris)hopefully bringing them all, the attention they deserve.
Free Music Review: Wilco's Best
Hit: 5 Stars
I have only recently been into Wilco, but I think this album is their best so far. I also think it's the best of 2007 along with In Rainbows by Radiohead. It is more mature than their previous work, and they do a better job at keeping the songs tight but complex. Nels Kline on guitar is also a great addition on the CD that the band needed badly. Look foward to seeing them live again!Free Music Review: Well Done
Hit: 4 Stars
Nice to see Jeff and the boys back in the saddle. I enjoyed this one.Free Music Review: Not quite surprised, but pleased
Hit: 4 Stars
Wilco is not your ordinary pop band. Any new Wilco album will take time to get to know.
When I first listened to Sky Blue Sky, I liked what I heard, and even picked out 3 favorite songs right off.
Now I have listened to the album at least 15 times and feel that Wilco is both branching out to new sounds and refining their old style. They have really found their niche.
This album is definately Wilco. If you liked Hotel Foxtrot, on whole, you will like this album. Give it at least 3 listens before deciding whether it is your favorite Wilco album or not.
Free Music Review: Like a well-worn sweatshirt. Comforting.
Hit: 4 Stars
Let me start by saying that I was a fan of Uncle Tupelo and I have followed this band from the beginning. Still and all, I am not what you would call a rabid fan. I'm really just not the rabid fan type. Some of their records are better than others. Records like Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost is Born are works that might be called high water marks in the career of any band. That being said, I think it took a good two years before I made it all the way through AGIB. That album hurts. It's painful. Sure, that's one of it's strengths, but sometimes you just don't want to feel that bad.
Sky Blue Sky is one of those records that, for me, does a brilliant balancing act. The lyrics are amazingly depressing at times, but the music is so...hopeful. It's as if Tweedy is saying: "Yeah, I'm a mess, the world is a mess, but that's okay. We'll get through it." There is music for every sort of mood under the sun, and one of Wilco's strengths is that they have always been able to capitalize on that.
I had the same initial reaction to this record as a lot of other reviewers. I thought it was a bit boring and the guitar work was a little too noodling for my taste.
I'm sure someone else has pointed this out already, but so much about how you perceive music is based on your expectations and where you are (mentally and physically) when you hear it.
Expectations for this record were undeniably high for a lot of people. High expectations can, unfortunately, cause people to project what they want a thing to be, and tend to make it hard to appreciate things for what they actually are.
I initially stuck Sky Blue Sky in my itunes folder and forgot about it. Then one night, when I was listening to Wilco on my computer, this record started playing and something just clicked.
Now when I'm feeling beat and tired and overwhelmed, this record always puts me in a more positive mood. It feels comfortable. It is the sky blue sky that makes those bad times not so bad.
Is it their best record? Probably not. It's not as complicated as some of their other work. It doesn't demand as much of you. But I've probably spent more time with this album since it came out than any other. It definitely opens itself up to you slowly.
To me, this record seems like a natural progression. It still feels like Wilco, and by that I mean it still feels like the same band that has changed and morphed many times before (and probably will again) somehow without ever sounding like anything but themselves. I think that most people who are fans of this band will find themselves putting this on at some point and saying: "Oh, yeah. Right."
And if you don't, then you can always tell me I was wrong. I won't mind.