Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
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Free Music Notes for Sky Blue Sky
Free Music Review: Wilco: A Band That Will Not Be Contained
Hit: 5 Stars
It is quite possible that wilco has never written a better song than "Impossible Germany." It is an epic that moves with grace with it's blazing guitars and gentle riffs. It is simple, yet complex. It's actually the type of song that rarely comes along. I applaud Wilco and their creative force which drives this song. Nels Cline's guitar is a welcome added dimension to the album. It's one of the things I like about it best. It's just pretty. It gives me goosebumps, really. He plays with such space that it could only be compared to improvisational jazz musicians like Miles Davis or Coltrane.
The other reviews say that the album's best songs are the first and last three songs contained within it. But don't be fooled, the songs in the middle are remarkable as well. "Side With The Seeds" finds Wilco blazing with scorching wings through this instant classic. Sure to be a great one to see live, no doubt. Do not be fooled by the reviews that call this album "afraid to be loud" or "alarmingly soft and weak." There are moments of sheer power on this album. Sure enough to please any rock fan.
"Shake it off", "Hate it here" and "leave me like you found me" are good too.
While some songs may be better than others, there isn't one bad song on the record. That is more than you can say for most bands today who fill most of their albums with filler. This album finds Wilco as a band that will not be contained within one dimension, within one particular sound, and to that I say cheers!
Free Music Review: Unquestionably Wilco's finest album
Hit: 5 Stars
Many reviewers have lamented the mellowing of Wilco on their latest release, Sky Blue Sky, at least in relation to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and a Ghost Is Born. I submit to you that Wilco has not so much softened their sound as matured in their approach; this is an entirely positive development.
Sky Blue Sky is Wilco's most cohesive album, both in song-to-song quality and production. The studio trickery that has been Wilco's crutch since Summerteeth is all-but-absent here, replaced with a warm, live sound last captured on a few of the songs on Being There. Here, Tweedy's tunes are finally given a chance to succeed or fail on their own terms, and overwhelmingly, they triumph. "Either Way", "Sky Blue Sky", and "What Light" are three of Tweedy's finest works, and they are performed by a sympathetic band that knows when to lay back and when to explode. Nels Cline's playing suits the songs beautifully--his ghostly steel guitar and fiery leads providing compliments and counterpoints to Tweedy's fine lyrics and melodies.
On Sky Blue Sky, Tweedy's best songs are performed by Wilco's finest lineup, and it's all captured on their cleanest, warmest, simplest recording to date. This is a moving record, a grower, and possibly the best Wilco has to offer. I'm not sure they can top this.
If, for whatever reason, you haven't given this record a fair chance, you're cheating yourself. Sky Blue Sky is the sound of confident a band at their musical peak. Don't pass it by.
Free Music Review: In a word...PERFECT
Hit: 5 Stars
I don't know what else there is to say about this album except that it's simply incredible. This is Wilco at it's finest form, and together they have created a flawless piece of work. The songwriting is strong as usual, the band is very tight (having recording the album live-in-the-studio with few overdubs), the production is great, and even the packaging and presentation are well done. There is not one thing that I would change.
That being said, I want to comment on any other reviewers who might call this album "dull," "boring," "a step back," or "uninspired." Sure this is more like the Wilco of old and lacks the experimental sounds prevalent on "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" and "A Ghost is Born," but the result is equally awe-inspiring and worthy of praise. I love both of those albums, but Wilco has managed to strip down the layers of sound to reveal the core of their talent. Only Wilco can do so much and say so much in one song. You can hear everything going on musically, and can sense Jeff Tweedy's thought process. Wilco is growing up. They are not trying to appeal to the trendy or "indie" crowd that popularized their most recent two albums. They are just doing what they do best, and I wouldn't want it any other way.
If you have a few extra bucks, make sure you buy the Deluxe edition with the DVD. It's worth the price of the album alone.
Free Music Review: Wilco evolves...why not you?
Hit: 5 Stars
So, I have been reading the reviews for SBS, both here and online...what strikes me is that virtually every reviewer is prisming (yes, I verbed prism) their review based on the Wilco they liked, and the album that represented that sound. And I'm quite confident that age plays no small role in your embracement/acceptance/disdain/neglect (I don't think a non-fan would care enough to hate them) of the band. I've been a fan since A.M., and like it all. I enjoy the journey.
Is there any doubt that this album sounds like Wilco? It's what they (Jeff) are (is) doing now. Judge it like that, and I think you'll like it. Remember, these are the bands that we need to encourage to record and tour-- the fact that the album they'll be supporting stands on its own will make the tour that much more enjoyable.
I know that this review told you nothing about the sound of the album. If you've been a fan for Wilco for some years, don't let the negative reviews bring you down. It does rock; just in a different way than some of you may be accustomed. You know this is Wilco. For the YHF and AGIB fans, try it. If you don't dig it as a one-off, with them (him) experimenting with a 70s singer-songwriter sound, don't sweat it. The next album will be different.
Free Music Review: "I know you'll be listening..."
Hit: 5 Stars
Every Wilco album is a new road and Sky Blue Sky is no exception. They have moved from the Broken 60's Pop of Summerteeth to the Mysterious Noise of YHF to the Quiet Reflection of Ghost. All personal favorites of mine. Now they bring us the Melodic Guitar Driven Sky Blue Sky. I have been playing it since getting it a few months ago. If I am to judge simply by the number of times played in the first month after purchase, this album is equal to YHF and just ahead of Summerteeth for me (Ghost took awhile to click for me, as did Being There. I still don't love A.M.). The usual Wilco changes in rhythm mid-song, obscure lyrics side by side with straight lyrics, and country-folk roots are all present. The album has more melodic lead guitar (courtesy Nels Cline), fewer experimental sounds, and Tweedy's voice very forward in the mix. I usually don't skip a song on the album, but stand-outs for me are: "You are my Face", "Either Way", "What Light", "Impossible Germany", "Leave me (Like You Found Me)" and "On and On". That was the best I could do in picking just a few! So put this down as a rave review. If you are new to Wilco this is a good place to start. But wherever you start with Wilco, you have to know they are never the same the next album you get.