pitchfork gives SBS a 5.2

[caliber66]

It is so fucking fun to read people react to unflattering Wilco reviews. Someone get me some popcorn.

[LouieB]

I give Pitchfork a 1.849493332.

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

Amazing it is..

 

I just don't understand the decimal points. How can anyone break down a rating system that far?

 

LouieB

[Starry Eyed Squirrel]

Agreed. That was my point. These numbers they hand out are hilarious. Where do they come up with this shit?

[solace]

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.

which is fine, but Mitchum and others like him seem to indicate that the problem they have w/ the album is Wilco's fault, not their own preconceived notions/expectations

 

[So Long]

 

I'm glad I like it.

[people are leaving]

The "one" thing they got right was Nel's solo on the opening track. It's George Benson 'cringe-worthy'.

 

That said, I could care less what those paintywaist pedigreed bookend dweebs over at Bitchfork have to say.

[Starry Eyed Squirrel]

The "one" thing they got right was Nel's solo on the opening track. It's George Benson 'cringe-worthy'.

 

That said, I could care less what those paintywaist pedigreed bookend dweebs over at Bitchfork have to say.

 

I fuggin' LOVE that solo.

[LouieB]

I mean I suppose if you are looking for something between 9 and 10 you could go with 9.5 or something, but come on. Even in movie reviews of four or five stars, a reviewer usually will go with a half star or something, not .23.

 

Go figure.

 

LouieB

[people are leaving]

I fuggin' LOVE that solo.

 

 

Well played, yes. Unfortunately technique is nothing more than a failed style.

[Sir Stewart]

Well played, yes. Unfortunately technique is nothing more than a failed style.

He didn't say it was well-played, he said he loved it.

[Starry Eyed Squirrel]

Well played, yes. Unfortunately technique is nothing more than a failed style.

Not to get this topic off track... but how so? I like the solo because of where it carries the song emotionally. The song has a pensive, sad feeling to it, whereas the solo is hopeful and soars, so from a songwriting standpoint, I think it fits poetically into the theme of the song coming at the end of it, and sets the stage guitar-wise for what's to come on the remainder of the album. Stylistically, I'd like to hear what you mean by "Failed style". That intrigues me... thanks!

[people are leaving]

He didn't say it was well-played, he said he loved it.

...and I respect him for loving it.

[Wilco LP #7]

It's pretty simple: they just don't get it. Derogatis' review made me so happy when he said he gave it a dozen listens to break in because Tweedy is essentially the only guy around who has earned that. Pitchfork doesn't get that. I wish they din't have a decent news section, so then I wouldn't have to happen across their reviews when trying to find out about shows and such.

[TheMaker]

I still can't believe that some people, like, actually prefer AGIB to SBS. I find that baffling.

[Wilco LP #7]

Wilco's newest album always becomes my favorite Wilco album.

[cryptique]

Yea..really.

...the hazard of merged threads -- that was a reference to this post, which used to be the lead post of a separate thread.

 

Wilco's newest album always becomes my favorite Wilco album.

Jeff?

[cash]

Pitchfork is just sad that Tweedy's not addicted to painkillers and thus his music is more happy.

 

I bet if you gave them the album with no artist attached to it, (and assuming they can't recognize tweedy's voice) they would score it higher... everyone's always hoping for another YHF, but they've been there and done that, so critics just need to get over it

[lost highway]

I really think that Pitchfork couldn't be any more right in awarding Side With the Seeds the best track ribbon.

I also think they couldn't be any more wrong when they say Nels Cline contributed solos, but not texture. Someone needs to buy that constipated critic a pair of headphones and tell him to slow down his mouth and open his ears.

[jakobnicholas]

Is Pitchfork fair to Wilco?

 

Below is Wilco's album ratings with 10 of their contemporary bands' album ratings. Notice at the very bottom, that Wilco makes up almost all the worst 5.

 

WILCO:

Being There - 6.8

Mermaid Ave. One - 7.8

Summerteeth - 9.4

Mermaid Ave. Two - 6.3

YHF - 10

A Ghost is Born - 6.6

Sky Blue Sky - 5.2

 

 

WHITE STRIPES:

White Stripes - 8.3

De Stijl - 9.0

White Blood Cells - 9.0

Get Behind Me Satan - 7.3

 

BUILT TO SPILL:

Perfect From Now On - 9.2

Ancient Melodeis - 8.6

Keep It Like A Secret - 9.3

You In Reverse - 6.8

 

MODEST MOUSE

This Is Long Drive - 6.8

Moon and Antarctica - 9.8

Lonesome Crowded West - 8.9

Building Nothing Out of Something - 8.9

Good News - 7.9

We Were Dead - 7.8

 

FLAMING LIPS:

Zaireeka - 0.0

Soft Bulletin - 10.0

Yoshimi - 8.4

At War with the Mystics - 6.7

 

OKKERVIL RIVER:

Don't Fall in Love - 7.2

Down the River of Golden Dreams - 7.5

Black Sheep Boy - 8.2

 

SPOON:

Series of Sneaks - 9.2

Girls Can Tell - 8.0

Kill the Moonlight - 8.9

Gimme Fiction - 7.9

 

SHINS:

Oh, Inverted World - 8.0

Chutes Too Narrow - 8.9

Wincing the Night Away - 7.0

 

RADIOHEAD:

OK Computer - 10

Kid A - 10

Amnesiac - 9.0

Hail To The Thief - 9.3

 

MY MORNING JACKET:

Tennessee Fire - 8.0

At Dawn - 7.1

It Still Moves - 8.3

Z - 7.6

 

DECEMBERISTS:

Castaways and Cutouts - 8.1

Her Majesty - 8.2

Picaresque - 8.3

The Crane Wife - 8.4

 

 

WORST 5 RATINGS OF ABOVE LIST (EXLUDING ZAIREEKA):

Sky Blue Sky - 5.2

Mermaid Ave. Two - 6.3

A Ghost is Born - 6.6

At War With the Mystics - 6.7

(tie) Being There & You In Reverse & This is Long Drive - 6.8

[coast to coast]

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.

 

That is such a good post - all the things you quoted.

 

Last things first - the popmatters quote is exactly what I've thought and what I've done. Initially I was a bit sketch on this album but the more I listen, the more I want to listen. And track by track its breaking me down. Initially I was so underwhelmed by some tracks and just not into otehr but now I'm starting to love each one.

 

One other thing I can say is that I'm a littel suprised that they (Pitchfork, that is) didn't put two and two together for this between the Jeff Tweedy interview and the review of his band's album: the main point being, this is exactly the record they set out to create. I know that sounds kinda tautological - but I mean you can hardly criticise its directness or its simplicity or its very straight forward six-guys-in-a-room sound. You can I guess only say that you don't like it, but (and this brings up the whole star-ratings/one guys opinions chestnuts) thats about it.

 

The Pitchfork guy is still pretending he's reviewing the album for everyone rather than just himself (or at least he seems to, maybe I'm mistaken) but that popmatters quote is very much in admittance of its subjectivity, which is I think, honorable.

 

Anyway, like I said... the more I listen to this album, the more I enjoy it. I don't think of it much in comparison with the other Wilco records I love. For some reason I find their albums very easy to wall off from one another and appreciate on their own terms.

 

Also, At Least Thats What You Said is "soft-rock" - that is just bizarre. Its quiet, followed by big arsehole ripping Neil Young influenced guitar solos over a two chord vamp. "Soft-rock" usually refers to over-produced mushy sounding seventies AOR records - Wilco, or at least A Ghost is Born, doesn't really deserve to be tarred with that brush.

 

edit:

Also I just noticed that they gave A Ghost Is Born a 6.6 - I kinda forgot that that was also kinda unpopular when it came out (The whole "Its the demos" thing) - and fuck me, that album has aged well. I have confidence in whatever Wilco does, such is their integrity.

[jdmel]

maybe a 5.2 out of 5.2

[pickleboiler]

A very good review.

[wattsup32]

well, i for one, am encouraged by this. see, i've always wanted to be a rock writer, but i assumed i would have to know something about music. turns out, that's not true.

[LouieB]

well, i for one, am encouraged by this. see, i've always wanted to be a rock writer, but i assumed i would have to know something about music. turns out, that's not true.

What was it Frank Zappa said about rock critics?? "People who can

[caliber66]

After having finally pulled it together enough to actually read this review, I can't say I find a whole lot of fault with his analysis, despite the fact that I clearly like the album more than the reviewer does. I would have substituted "Handshake Drugs" for "At Least That's What You Said" for the soft-rock-plus-solos comparison, and he's probably projecting his expectations a little, but overall I thought it was pretty accurate.