Wilco - Sky Blue Sky
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Posted on Jul 06, 2007 02:52 pm
Tadpui
I am not a crook's head
Member Since: Mar 14, 2003
Anybody listened to this one yet? I'm not sure how many Wilco fans we have in our ranks here...I can't say I remember many mentions of them. I've been a fan for several years now, since my first listen to Yankee Hotel Foxtrot.
Their last album, A Ghost Is Born was a huge disappointment to me. The lack of reverb made it sound dry and a bit clumsy to me...and the experimental portions of it were way too over-the-top.
Now comes Sky Blue Sky, recorded with the same reverb-less style, especially on the vocals. But this time it has a certain charm to it.
The first few songs are some of the best I've heard this year from any artist. "Either Way" was featured on a Volkswagon commercial recently, "You Are My Face" is an awesome 70's influenced ditty, and "Impossible Germany" has some of the most beautiful and inspiring guitar playing (and tones) that I've heard in a long time. The harmonized guitars smack of the Allman Bros, and the playing is so tasteful and restrained that I can barely take it! This album is a shining example of why guitarists love tube amps...if anybody ever asks you why you love tube warmth in a guitar amp, point them to the guitar solo in Impossible Germany and you'll need to say no more. Just sublime.
But the weakness of the album starts to show at about the half-way point. The lyrics are pretty lifeless by Jeff Tweedy's standards, although there are some interesting images scattered throughout the album. But from 1/2 way thru the album, the songwriting quality starts to slip and the songs get pretty forgettable. But 2 of the last 3 songs redeem the album a bit.
Anybody that likes that 1970s feel to their music in a slightly country-tinged style, definitely check this one out.
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TallChapAnswer:On a good day, lipstick.Member
Since: Jun 24, 2004
Jul 06, 2007 03:05 pm Haven't heard it yet.
I loved Summer Teeth. Great songs. I love some of the Uncle Tupelo stuff too.
Got suckered into buying "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" - biggest steaming pile of.....Sorry if your a fan. It just didn't float my boat at all.
I just hope this one's better.
Jul 06, 2007 03:09 pm Funny you should ask...
Wilco is a band that has somehow always slipped under my radar. I'm a big fan of Uncle Tupelo, and never realized the connection between to two.
A few weeks ago I was channel surfing, and I came across a movie called "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart", and it was a documentary about the making of Wilco's "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" album. What an awesome movie. Never having heard Wilco before, I was immediately taken in. I've since done a little reading up and listening up. I bought the "YHF" CD and I really like it.
It probably comes as no surprise that the Wilco sound is right in my wheelhouse. I can't believe it took me this long to find out!
Have you seen the movie, Tad?
Anyway, I'll definitely be checking out "Sky Blue Sky"!
Jim
EDIT: Those of you who are Wilco fans...Which albums do you suggest as their strongest or most like the Uncle Tupelo stuff?
TadpuiI am not a crook's headMember
Since: Mar 14, 2003
Jul 06, 2007 03:15 pm Yeah Jim I loved that movie too! The demise of Jay Bennett (or am I getting my Jays mixed up?). I liked the look into the making of the album...hearing the building blocks of the songs that I've come to love so much was cool. I just like Jeff Tweedy even if he comes off as somewhat of a control freak...he must be a little difficult to deal with seeing how they've had a revolving door of personnell over the years.
An Jim if you're looking for another cool movie check out "Man In the Sand", which is a similar documentary about the making of Mermaid Avenue. Cool story behind that album:
Woody Guthrie's daughter curates a valut of Woody's old lyrics. She asked the Scottish folk musician Billy Bragg to write music to some of the old lyrics and make an album of it. He didn't feel he could do it alone so he enlisted Wilco to help. So Wilco and Billy Bragg put music behind some of these old lyrics of Woody's and made 2 albums out of it. Definitely worth a watch (and a listen!).
Actually TallChap, I'd rank YHF as one of my top 5 albums of all time...I just fell head-over-heels in love with it. The songwriting, the production, the arrangements, the atmosphere and noise of the album makes it one of my very favorite start-to-finish listens ever. I can see how its not everybody's cup of tea though. But I loved Summerteeth also. Definitely one of my favorite road trip album duos!
Jul 06, 2007 03:21 pm Well, now you got me on a mission! I've always been a huge Woody Guthrie fan as well. I've heard of the Billy Bragg & Wilco CDs, but, again, I guess they just slipped by. It's off to iTunes I go!
TallChapAnswer:On a good day, lipstick.Member
Since: Jun 24, 2004
Jul 06, 2007 03:34 pm Jim:
Summerteeth. Great album.
TallChapAnswer:On a good day, lipstick.Member
Since: Jun 24, 2004
Jul 06, 2007 03:37 pm Yeah, it's funny Tadpui. I guess I was expecting something different. YHF just didn't get the blood flowing in the same way, say, an XTC album would, or something by Maria McKee.
TadpuiI am not a crook's headMember
Since: Mar 14, 2003
Jul 06, 2007 03:59 pm I agree: Summerteeth is a great album. It displays a characteristic that I'm always trying to play with in my own songwriting, which is having songs that are happy upon first listen, but once you start to actually listen to the lyrics you start to realize that they're pretty dark songs.
Like "She's A Jar", where the last line of the song is "She begs me not to hit her". What a dark way to end a song!
Plus the guitar playing on that album is great...just the first few notes of "Can't Stand It" are awesome...what a cool riff.
Jul 06, 2007 05:41 pm Quote:
XTC ... Maria McKee
Crap...now I have some more stuff to go listen to! :-)
Noize2uCzar of MidiAdministrator
Since: Apr 04, 2002
Jul 11, 2007 09:33 pm Tadpui, and all. Wilco is another of the fine bands with huge MN roots that happened to form out of the ashes of Uncle Tupelo and a couple other MN related bands. If any of these ring a bell. Loose Fur, The Autumn Defense, Golden Smog, The Gourds, Bottle Rockets, Son Volt, The Plebes, The Primatives, The Jayhawks, The Honeydogs, Big Star and a couple of others I can't remember were all tied together with one member or another. I think if you have not listened to the Jayhawks yet you will find that original alt country sound there as well. I am proud to say I know several of those guys that were in one band or another and man do they rock.
And actually I must say I like all the Wilco albums to be honest. I managed to find something interesting even in the lifeless A Ghost is Born album.
Jul 11, 2007 09:47 pm I'm a huge Jayhawks fan. It seems that they are no longer recording together. Their last album, "Rainy Day Music" was just incredible.
TadpuiI am not a crook's headMember
Since: Mar 14, 2003
Jul 12, 2007 12:51 pm I tried the Jayhawks a couple of years ago but it didn't really light my fire. Maybe its time for a revisit. Same for Uncle Tupelo...I just never cared for Jay Farrar's vocals. Maybe its time to try that one again too.
I tend to like my alt-country with more alt and less country.
Jul 12, 2007 01:09 pm Try The Jayhawks, "Rainy Day Music", that's the one that got me hooked. "Tomorrow the Green Grass" is good too. Their earlier stuff is definitely more country than alt.
Uncle Tupelo's "No Depression" is my favorite of their's.
Jul 12, 2007 01:32 pm I've always liked the Jayhawks music, their live shows suck tho, I don't think I have ever seen them play more than maybe 45 minutes...
Jul 26, 2007 04:49 pm Sky Blue Sky is an amazing record! Wilco did it again! If you like Wilco be sure to check out Seth Lakeman! He is a English folk singer/songwriter and it is some really amazing music!
