pitchfork gives SBS a 5.2

[imsjry]

Pitchfork lost any credibility when they picked discs by "And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of The Dead" and "The Rapture" as their consecutive discs of the year. Seriously people, with all the great blogs and access to fan news why does anyone read their crappy site anymore??

[bedbug]

IMO, they went downhill when they switched to a daily format. I might be missing something, but Bad Brains doing a concert on a cruiseship doesn't strike me as much of a "headline."

 

It seemed like the punching incident monopolized about 4 days worth of news. "Tweedy explains explanation of punching incident ..."

[Kalle]

For a band website who can credit a hefty part of their charm to always thinking they're weirder than they actually are

 

Hoho! Take that pitchfork!

[welch79]

did that guy have an axe to grind or what?! that review was pretty harsh.

 

you know, regardless of whether or not you like the album, i don't know if you should attack someone's creativity, especially someone's who has consistently, for almost 20 years now, put out great material (tweedy).

 

i bet if you took this guy out to a mexican restaurant and he ordered something hot he would bite into it and his face would turn red and his eyes would water. you'd ask him if it was hot and he needed something to drink he'd say, "it's not so bad," and continue eating.

 

he just strikes me as that type...

[You Can Be The Stone]

Why does Rob Mitchum hate Wilco?

 

Seriously; his review of "Ghost is Born" was terrible, and now this.

[jakobnicholas]

Pitchfork is a very worthy music site, but they can be baffling at times.

 

The below quotes could almost apply for Sky Blue Sky, but are actually Pitchfork quotes from an album that got an 8.2 rating:

 

"beautiful moments-- even when the songs themselves aren't particularly engrossing"

 

"The (album) is so confident that its strangeness could easily go unnoticed"

 

"meandering tunefully through subtle but effective changes in texture and tone"

 

"doesn't provoke deep absorption or self-reflection so much as a kind of fond familiarity"

 

 

These are quotes from Bonnie "Prince" Billy's very good album, "The Letting Go".

 

Of course, Bonnie sings about love lost or love desired and sounds pained and sad throughout....y'know....he's a suffering artist. How dare Jeff Tweedy sing songs of hope! How dare Tweedy write lyrics that are more gray than black and white!

 

 

Had Rob Mitchum gave the disc more of his time, perhaps he would have written something as profound as this quote from Popmatters' review:

 

I've listened to the album countless times, and am fairly steeped in the consternation, confusion, and griping surrounding its songs, production, direction, lyrics, etc., in the reams of web and other chatter. No doubt you're familiar with it as well, even if you haven't heard the record yet, which, where the hell have you been? I can also understand a lot of the present and future complains with Sky Blue Sky, because at various points I've shared them: the album is too slick, oddly unexperimental, straightforward, sentimental, embarrassingly direct. But lately I've had to face the awkward truth that despite my initial misgivings, I've listened to the album more than any other released in 2007 thus far, and there's no stopping in sight.

[Chendizzle]

Ok time to play some devil's advocate...

 

dude called "ALTWYS" soft rock?

all i can think of is

To be fair, he said soft rock followed by guitar solos (and damn that is some guitar solo).

 

Pitchfork lost any credibility when they picked discs by "And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of The Dead" and "The Rapture" as their consecutive discs of the year.

Just because their tastes don't exactly align with yours doesn't mean they have lost their credibility. Source Tags and Echoes are still pretty great discs.

 

Didn't Pitchfork name Justin Timberlake's album best of 2006?

No, Knife - Silent Shout was.

 

And as harsh as people want to think that review was, it wasn't all bad and I don't think there was any axe-grinding.

 

Pitchfork bashing is too easy and gets tired pretty quickly so I'll try to think of some constructive things to say:

I agree that while Nels and Glenn aren't utilized in the coolest of ways, I do think their playing fits the album's mood perfectly.

 

"What Light" ... even if the song title calls for an exclamation point (or at least a question mark) and is sung with an indifferent period.

Yes, exactly one of the things that drives me nuts about that song.

 

I think the classifications of Hate it Here, Walken and IG as stemming from Skynyrd/White Album aspirations is pretty far off the mark.

[You Can Be The Stone]

Well, the pitchfork review seems representative of the whole of Sky Blue Sky's effect; being artistically, a very viable album, as well as (thankfully) alienating the hipsters that came in around YHF (ok, except for me)

[geemoney]

Don't get me wrong, I love this band, but are these the worst reviews they've had?

 

Like a 'good' fan, I'll support them through this album/tour etc., but I am a little disappointed they didn't build on the brilliant songcraft and musicianship of the previous two albums: records, I think, will stand up as classics in years to come, if not already now. These were really brave records, and it just seems like they've turned their back on all of their great facets in favour of a 70's pastiche record. Where are those brilliant lyrics? unpredictable arrangements? innovative production? awesome musicianship? Why is Glenn playing nothing more intelligent than Ringo? I just hope this a quick phase.

 

I'm not posting this to stir, just feeling a little disappointed. Even after Kicking Television, it seemed there was so much to be excited about, new boundaries to be explored.

[godzreal]

Meanwhile it is time to move on to the next Wilco release.

 

LouieB

 

Hahaha, you do remember that this album still hasn't been officially released, right!

 

I always see Pitchfork reviews as well-written personal opinions by people who know a lot about music, not as objective reviews. They're helpful usually to help me get some sense of an album (as long as I don't take it too seriously), but I want an honest, good assessment, I go to allmusic

[yermom]

I'm just worried that Wilco won't give them the challenge that they need and they'll shop their talents elsewhere.

Ack! Not gonna happen...and it would certainly suck pretty big time if it did. Nels and Glen are freaking awesome and I love Wilco just how it is.

 

Seriously, is Pitchfork trying to lay down some payback for the stiff interview they had with Jeff or something?

(I haven't read the review yet...I'm going by what's posted here. I should just go read the thing.)

[indy81]

I don't love the new album but even I've gotta say that a lot of the negative criticism is stemming from the reviewer's preconceptions. At least Jim DeRogatis could admit that he had to listen to it 12 times before he could get rid of his expectations. And the guy at Pitchfork obviously was expecting another avant-gardish, indie rock album from Wilco. His review is expressing his personal disappointment at the band's direction more than an actual assessment of the music.

[LouieB]

Why does Rob Mitchum hate Wilco?

The orginal Robert Mitchum would have loved it....

 

LouieB

[cryptique]

You needed a whole new thread for this?

[You Can Be The Stone]

I don't love the new album but even I've gotta say that a lot of the negative criticism is stemming from the reviewer's preconceptions. At least Jim DeRogatis could admit that he had to listen to it 12 times before he could get rid of his expectations. And the guy at Pitchfork obviously was expecting another avant-gardish, indie rock album from Wilco. His review is expressing his personal disappointment at the band's direction more than an actual assessment of the music.

 

Definately. Read Rob Mitchum's review of "A Ghost Is Born", which should've been titled "Why isn't it YHF?!"

 

I thought it would be discrediting to Pitchfork to assume they'd trash this album, because the songs had substance beyond the dad-rock exterior, and pitchfork would be smart enough to look beyond such externalities; but nope, I was wrong. This review pretty much borders on self-parody.

[solace]

His review is expressing his personal disappointment at the band's direction more than an actual assessment of the music.

nail -> head

[Dude]

Love the new album or loathe it, you have to admit this is hilarious:

 

Among Sky Blue Sky's most distressing attributes is its misuse of the experimentalist weapons at Tweedy's command: drummer Glenn Kotche is given no room to stretch beyond routine time-keeping, and Cline is used for his capacity to rip and wail rather than his ear for texture and atmosphere. Case in point, the drowsy opener "Either Way" sleepwalks through a list of indecisive sentiments ("maybe you love me, maybe you don't") before breaking for a Cline solo that's straight-up Weather Channel Local on the 8s.

[Elixir Sue]

I agree with pretty much everything said in this review, although my feelings too can be described as indy stated: personal disappointment with the band's direction.

[Shortage of Cashews]

nail -> head

 

Well, that's what reviews are--personal assessments. That review doesn't reflect the views P4K, it reflects the views of the writer. Though, my apathy for P4K goes beyond their review process.

[LouieB]

Hahaha, you do remember that this album still hasn't been officially released, right!

Yea, of course, but by the time it gets here (midnight tonight), everyone will have listened to it so much it promises to be an anti-climax. Ah for those carefree analog days of yore....

 

Even I have listened to this far more than any album I don't own. I listened a bit to the feeds on YHF and I tried to beg a tape copy from someone of BT and I do own an imcomplete copy of AGIB from pre-release, but this is the first time I have ever given any album such a going over prior to actual release (remember I am old...)

 

With the amount of disonance regarding SBS, I do hope Wilco lays out another album for everyone within the year. I think the market can certainly bear it. Personally I like the album alot. But then I am a dad, so it figures.....

 

LouieB

[You Can Be The Stone]

[quote name='Đ

[LouieB]

You needed a whole new thread for this?

Yea..really.

 

At this stage of Wilco's career (as a mature and critically aclaimed band), why does anyone think (see other threads) that all these albums have to be equally good to everyone? No artist consistantly puts out albums that please everyone. SBS is a good album, which may or may not be up there with the greatest stuff they ever did (or will do). After months of hearing that people wanted a new album, all of us should be pleased we finally have a new one and another new one on the way in the not too distant future.

 

LouieB

[Dude]

I agree with pretty much everything said in this review, although my feelings too can be described as indy stated: personal disappointment with the band's direction.

The direction towards producing sleep aids?

[Basil II]

unpredictable arrangements? innovative production? awesome musicianship?

 

 

 

 

 

Last time I checked........ Jay Bennett's no longer in the band.

 

 

-Robert.

[Starry Eyed Squirrel]

For those of you who might feel intimidated, offended or otherwise put off by anything that comes out of pitchfork's horribly laughable website, I'll attempt to give you some insight to just how irrelevant they've become.

 

As they say.... "proof is in the numbers". Here's a sampling of albums with questionable scores.

 

Wilco - Sky Blue Sky 5.8

As you know, this is an absolute JOKE.

 

Gwen Stefani - The Sweet Escape - 6.5

Gwen gets a higher score than SBS. Sing it with me... "B - A - N - A - N - A - S!" Kill. Me. Now.

 

Beach Boys - Pet Sounds - 7.5

Last time I checked, this album is one of the greatest ever writ.

 

Belle and Sebastian - The Boy With The Arab Strap - 0.8

Why not 0.5? Or 1.3? Or, hey... how 'bout 3.4? B&S is a nice band, nothing revolutionary, but c'mon, 0.8?

 

And You Will Know Us By The Trail of Dead - Source Tags and Codes - 10.0

And We Will Know Pitchfork By Their Idiotic Scoring System

 

Save Ferris - It Means Everything - 9.5

Save Who? Pitchfork?

 

Wilco - A Ghost is Born - 6.6

Lest we forget their previous Wilco brain-fart rating. "When the devil came, he was not red. He was cruel and he said, "Pitchfork"."

 

Wilco - Being There - 6.8

Hey, it's 0.2 better than AGIB. Personally, I think 9.7 or perhaps, 9.732 (Can I do that?) would be more fitting.

 

The Blood Brothers - Burn, Piano Island Burn - 9.1

I like punk and love bands like Fugazi, mewithoutYou, etc., but seeing a 9.1 for this earbleeding spewtastic bucket of death, is and was the end of Pitchfork's credibility for me.

 

Coldplay - Parachutes - 5.3 / Coldplay - A Rush of Blood to the Head 5.1

Sorry. Laugh all you want at Coldplay and their rise to fame (Martin bugs me too), but their first 2 albums were better than a 5.

 

William Basinski- The Disintegration Loops I-IV - 9.4

For the uninitiated, this is about 4 hours of tuneless drone. Basinski recorded old analog tape reels physically disintegrating. The result: an intriguing science experiment. And yes, it received scores higher than any Wilco record other than YHF. But it DID tie Summerteeth's score of 9.4. So digest that fact for a minute: Wilco's Summerteeth was phenomenal. A band writing songs, playing instruments, singing lyrics for Christ sake. But Pitchfork suggest that 4-hours of "Less Than You Think" drone is AS good as ST and better than SBS, BT, AM, MA1, MA2, etc.

 

Boards of Canada - Music Has the Right to Children - 10.0

I own it. I like it. 10? No.

 

The Flaming Lips - Zaireeka - 0.0

I own it. I don't like it. 0? No.

 

Here's an interesting quote that sums up Pitchfork in all of their pretentious wonder:

In their review for the Fiery Furnaces EP, which garnered a glowing 8.9 rating because the LSD had really starting kicking in right about the time they grabbed their dice to roll out a magic review number (that's how they get their numbers, really! It's....mathematical.), they were feeling especially holier than thou and decided to begin their review with this infamous quote: "If you don't like Blueberry Boat, I don't like you. It's no longer a matter of taste, other than the fact that I have good taste, whereas you, Fiery Furnaces-hater, do not."

 

 

My response to all this bullshit?

 

I give Pitchfork a 1.849493332.

 

And by the way.... SBS is amazing.