stvanderwoude Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 http://www.sfweekly.com/2007-05-02/music/b...orthy-or-banal/ Buzz-Worthy or Banal?Wilco erects a great divideBy Ian Froeb and Jonah Bayer Published: May 2, 2007 Wilco's latest album, Sky Blue Sky (due out May 15), so far appears to be polarizing fans and critics alike. They either love or loathe the group's meandering, rootsy direction. In the spirit of open critical dialogue, here are two takes on Sky from longtime fans Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 That first one made it to 58 words before using "Krautrock." Good for him! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
evil horn Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 I love Big Bird. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
owl Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 That first one made it to 58 words before using "Krautrock." Good for him! Yeah, that cracks me up. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
You Can Be The Stone Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 What's all this crap about SBS being lyrically "banal"? Lyrically, YHF was full of clunkers; not in terms of banality, but the flipside of that, which is pretention; a bunch of ambiguos plays on words that are full of style, but empty on substance. But of course, everyone will justify it as being 'moving', 'personal', or last but least, 'impressionistic'. "Walken" is very lyrically simple, but the sheer earnestness of the lyrics have such a genuine, warm vibe to them, something that wasn't there when Tweedy pieced together random words he found out of TV Guide. "Glenn Kotche doesn't get a good groove 'till the second to last song" ??? Ok, clearly the reviewer wasn't listening to the wonderful 6/8 interplays in "Side with the Seeds" Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Sir Stewart Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 "Glenn Kotche doesn't get a good groove 'till the second to last song" ??? Ok, clearly the reviewer wasn't listening to the wonderful 6/8 interplays in "Side with the Seeds"Or the rest of the whole damn thing! Glenn is my favorite drummer ever after this record. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
TheMaker Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 I wonder when the detractors will begin to bring up songs like "Side With the Seeds" and "Shake It Off" when assailing the "banal" lyrics of the new album. Oh, that's right - doing so would obliterate their whole argument. Ha! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest tandylacker Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 Reviewers are fun. I wonder how they choose which words to use the thesaurus for. Such great 'precipice' they are always in. ? Eh. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
oceanman Posted May 4, 2007 Share Posted May 4, 2007 Hate it here a breakup song?I think not, what an idiot! Quote Link to post Share on other sites
jethro Posted May 5, 2007 Share Posted May 5, 2007 Hate it here a breakup song?I think not, what an idiot!What would you call it? A broken up, pining after the one who left song? I happen to like Glenn a lot and think he's very good but you couldn't prove it by this record. Listen to the Nina Nastasia & Jim White record to see what a great drummer on a quiet record can sound like, though maybe you have more license to be creative when you're playing on a great record. Oh no you d'int, etc. Both reviews have merits, there are a few good songs and you could make an argument for a few of them on a Wilco greatest hits record but it's just not a great Wilco record (nor is it awful, it's just oh so very ordinary). Maybe it's just that I'd really rather see a Jeff, Nels and Glenn side project than another Wilco record that sets out to make pleasant, inoffensive music. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Guest tandylacker Posted May 5, 2007 Share Posted May 5, 2007 Both reviews have merits, there are a few good songs and you could make an argument for a few of them on a Wilco greatest hits record but it's just not a great Wilco record (nor is it awful, it's just oh so very ordinary). When the CD first streamed, I liked most of the songs immediately. Which worried me, because that is not what usually happens for me with Wilco CDs. I thought I would grow tired of it real soon. Well I have listened to this CD several times now and like it more every time I hear it. Once I really got into the CD I discovered it is definitely not ordinary. And a Wilco greatest hits would be impossible to make. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
You Can Be The Stone Posted May 5, 2007 Share Posted May 5, 2007 What would you call it? A broken up, pining after the one who left song? I happen to like Glenn a lot and think he's very good but you couldn't prove it by this record. Listen to the Nina Nastasia & Jim White record to see what a great drummer on a quiet record can sound like, though maybe you have more license to be creative when you're playing on a great record. Oh no you d'int, etc. Both reviews have merits, there are a few good songs and you could make an argument for a few of them on a Wilco greatest hits record but it's just not a great Wilco record (nor is it awful, it's just oh so very ordinary). Maybe it's just that I'd really rather see a Jeff, Nels and Glenn side project than another Wilco record that sets out to make pleasant, inoffensive music. But they didn't; so deal with it. Frankly, I wish sometimes Tweedy would do lead guitar a lot more; I wish Glenn would demonstrate the subtleties that made "Laminated Cat" and "Handshake Drugs" amazing; Pat's got a pretty cool guitar style, and I wish that would come out more, rather than the organ fills. But if their heart was set on making a more direct record, it would be a complete disaster if they did an experimental record if it wasn't the right time. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Gobias Industries Posted May 5, 2007 Share Posted May 5, 2007 I love the organ fills. So very Band/electric Dylanesque. Don't insult them. You insult the pump organ fills, and they will beat you up in your sleep. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
welch79 Posted May 5, 2007 Share Posted May 5, 2007 what was that line that tweedy said about simplicity and tired of being complex...? anybody remember at all what i'm talking about? Quote Link to post Share on other sites
bjorn_skurj Posted May 5, 2007 Share Posted May 5, 2007 There are certainly exceptions to this, but if you're the kind of Wilco fan that thinks they're the American Radiohead and that every record they make must at least attempt to reinvent popular music as we know it, the subtle and delicate joys of SBS are going to be lost on you. That, and record reviewers are generally full of shit. You would not BELIEVE some of the quarter-baked shit I came up with when I used to write them for CitySearch. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
caliber66 Posted May 5, 2007 Share Posted May 5, 2007 Reviewers are fun. I wonder how they choose which words to use the thesaurus for. Such great 'precipice' they are always in. ? Eh.Why would you have to use a thesaurus to come up with "precipice" - which is not plural, by the way, and not something one would find oneself "in." I think I learned that word in third grade. It refers to the edge of a cliff (or "brink") or, metaphorically, any dangerous situation. In this case, the reviewer extends the metaphor to refer to the artistic risks the band took on previous albums that are lacking on the new one. I'm with jethro - both reviews have merits. There are some very good songs on the album, but there are also some very trite lyrics. I wouldn't go so far as to call the album "ordinary," but I don't think it's their best album. Others may disagree. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
skip Posted May 5, 2007 Share Posted May 5, 2007 Honestly, the "mixed" reviews don't bother me. Hell, the same thing happened after Being There, Summerteeth, YHF, etc... The alt-country purists didn't care for that and now the indie crowd doesn't like this...It just comes w/ the territory of being progressive. Some will get it and others won't. IMO - writing direct songs about hope, being not afraid, etc. takes more...guts. There's nothing to hind behind. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Basil II Posted May 5, 2007 Share Posted May 5, 2007 And a Wilco greatest hits would be impossible to make. No....not unless you have 4 different variations.....so far.... -Robert. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
speakingoftomorrow Posted May 5, 2007 Share Posted May 5, 2007 "Or consider the Big Bird pabulum of "What Light," whose everyone-is-special ethos represents the lack of artistic ambition that bedevils the album: "If you feel like singing a song/ And you want other people to sing along/ Just sing what you feel/ Don't let anyone say it's wrong." I think that is Mr. Tweedy's point. "Don't let anyone say it's wrong." Quote Link to post Share on other sites
caliber66 Posted May 5, 2007 Share Posted May 5, 2007 No apology necessary, Johnny B. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Beltmann Posted May 5, 2007 Share Posted May 5, 2007 I think that is Mr. Tweedy's point. "Don't let anyone say it's wrong."I think it is fair game for a reviewer to question, or even disagree with, Mr. Tweedy's point. In fact, isn't part of the goal of criticism to evaluate an artist's thinking, as well as how skillfully that thinking has been expressed? I might not agree with everything in those two reviews, but both are reasonable in their arguments. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
Wilco LP #7 Posted May 5, 2007 Share Posted May 5, 2007 2nd review=knee jerk reaction... I went through a similar plague on my first 3 or 4 listens of SBS Quote Link to post Share on other sites
WaronWar Posted May 5, 2007 Share Posted May 5, 2007 My problem with both reviews is I get the feeling that they are expecting another YHF or AGIB, which isn't Wilco's thing to do: make the same record. Basically, when it comes to reviews, the only one I'll actually consider is Greg Kot (yes I do enjoy his writing), but he's an honest reviewer and knows the in-depth history of the band. Quote Link to post Share on other sites
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