Talk about a grower

[TheMaker]

I'm pretty much in that camp, too, although I'd rate it significantly higher than AGIB (which I still strongly feel is the band's weakest disc).

[radiokills]

i dont like sky blue sky.

[W(TF)]

I was thinking about this again driving home tonight. It either moves you or not, no sense getting too analytical about it. But I was thinking how Lennon and McCartney made a lot of amazing music together -- that came from a lot of strife and discord, both inner and interpersonal. Take the history behind The Beatles (White album) for example...many parallels with records like YHF. The thing is, good music or art doesn't have to come from discord. Lennon's Double Fantasy is a happy (or contented) record, and IMO is just as valid as anything he ever did with the Beatles. Like Tweedy always says, these are just songs. I fully respect anyone's right to like or dislike a record, what pisses me off is the judgment people place on things, or worse yet, the expectation that artists have to give us more of what they gave us before.

[froggie]

AGIB (which I still strongly feel is the band's weakest disc).

 

gee, i thought i was the only one that thought that!

[winter party person]

I have a friend who never like Wilco much and rolled his eyes every time I brought them up. The other day he called me and said "I just listened to Sky Blue Sky all the way through. Ill never say anything bad about Wilco again." Later he told me that he thinks it's "one of his favorite records of all time". That might be a bit of a stretch on his part, but there's certainly something really special about this record. It feels like it exists outside all of the bullshit that's going on in the world right now. Listening to it is like diving into a cool lake on a burning hot day.

[cryptique]

gee, i thought i was the only one that thought that!

I've thought that for years (about AGIB), though I've been revisiting it lately. Having heard most of those songs live many times now, it's taking on some new life for me.

 

Though my opinion of it is improving, I think it's still lodged in the basement compared to their other records.

[allgodsmoney]

I didn't hear SBS at all until it came out--I resisted the urge to listen to the streams or the leaked copies or any of it. The only songs I'd heard were the ones they'd played live the summer before. I instantly loved the album because it just seemed like the exactly right soundtrack for where I was in my life late last spring and summer. Once the summer was over, I really didn't listen to it much until the last few weeks. I spent 8 hours in the car last weekend, and I listened to SBS the whole time and fell in love with it again. I don't understand the haters; this is a seamless album both musically and lyrically, and my favorite after YHF and Being There. I can't wait to hear where they go from here.

Don't you love that when you fall in love again and again with a song/album/woman/man? To me it is the true mark of a great person/piece of art. It's even better when while you are falling in love all over again with your significant other (something I happen to do once or twice a week), you can share somthing like SBS at the same time.

 

I totaly geeked out when I met nels and john, and michael, after the first show of the residency. I told them all that their songs are old friends.

 

 

I'm a stupid geek

[Good Old Neon]

Don't you love that when you fall in love again and again with a song/album/woman/man? To me it is the true mark of a great person/piece of art. It's even better when while you are falling in love all over again with your significant other (something I happen to do once or twice a week), you can share somthing like SBS at the same time.

 

I totaly geeked out when I met nels and john, and michael, after the first show of the residency. I told them all that their songs are old friends.

 

 

I'm a stupid geek

 

What did I tell you about the ecstasy? Once or twice a week, sure, it

[allgodsmoney]

What did I tell you about the ecstasy? Once or twice a week, sure, it

[lamradio]

OK

 

Don't let THDW get to you.. He loves to jerk people's chains.. He excels at it.

[mfwahl]

I think the difference between earlier albums and SBS is related to something Jeff talks about in the Wilco Book. He says something about a work of art being an ark, it's own world, and that holds true for a lot of their albums, especially ST, YHF, and AGIB. SBS comes off as more of a group of really great songs, but it doesn't have the same timeless effect on me. Still better than most records.

[keeprighton2]

Well, to me YHF and AGIB are 'alternative' albums and SBS is more 'classic rock' or 'AOR' which could be interpreted as nudging middle of the road territory. To my mind most discerning Wilco fans listen to 'alternative' music by choice, hence the lukewarm response to SBS.

 

And another thought, Tweedy is in a mellow place these days in contrast to the demons and turbulence of old. And history tends to show that the best rock music comes from dark places/troubled souls. Happiness brings a dearth of creativity, no?

[W(TF)]

Happiness brings a dearth of creativity, no?

 

No.

[keeprighton2]

Lennon and McCartney made a lot of amazing music together -- that came from a lot of strife and discord, both inner and interpersonal.

 

No?

 

Then you've just contradicted yourself

[W(TF)]

You didn't read the rest of my post.

[keeprighton2]

You didn't read the rest of my post.

 

'Double Fantasy' is shite. Utter tripe. 'Nuff said.

[allgodsmoney]

Don't let THDW get to you.. He loves to jerk people's chains.. He excels at it.

 

 

It is what it is...

 

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.p...toryId=18974664

 

gotta listen

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

The records that I end up loving best are the records that challenge me as a listener.

 

Wilco has consistently reinvented themselves.

 

I find that A Ghost is Born has aged very nicely and Sky Blue Sky has really grown on me. I felt that SBS was bit sleepy and plodding at first, but damnit if it didn't open itself up after repeated listens.

 

This Tweedy guy has got something in his bag.

[Sweet Papa Crimbo]

What did I tell you about the ecstasy? Once or twice a week, sure, it

[laurie]

Don't you love that when you fall in love again and again with a song/album/woman/man? To me it is the true mark of a great person/piece of art. It's even better when while you are falling in love all over again with your significant other (something I happen to do once or twice a week), you can share somthing like SBS at the same time.

 

I totaly geeked out when I met nels and john, and michael, after the first show of the residency. I told them all that their songs are old friends.

 

 

I'm a stupid geek

 

Not so, I bet they were happy to hear it!

[badger]

Well, to me YHF and AGIB are 'alternative' albums and SBS is more 'classic rock' or 'AOR' which could be interpreted as nudging middle of the road territory. To my mind most discerning Wilco fans listen to 'alternative' music by choice, hence the lukewarm response to SBS.

 

And another thought, Tweedy is in a mellow place these days in contrast to the demons and turbulence of old. And history tends to show that the best rock music comes from dark places/troubled souls. Happiness brings a dearth of creativity, no?

 

Time will tell whether the onset of happiness has already consigned Jeff Tweedy's best work to history. However, I'm much more interested in your definitions. I know what you mean by 'alternative' and 'classic rock' insomuch as the former tends to be unusual or experimental and the latter, tried, trusted and familiar. It's undeniable that SBS does not contain many huge YHF-like sonic surprises and, as you say, is closer to most people's idea of AOR. To me though, that's only half the story. I think that one of the reasons a lot of people find SBS boring or disappointing is that it has very little sonic identity or signature, in terms of the ambience created by the use of condenser microphones, reverb, overdubs, edits, strange noises and any number of other standard engineering and production effects and techniques. This kind of ear candy is what we've grown used to hearing (eg "In the deepest ocean.....", awesome reverb on Thom Yorke's vocals at the start of Radiohead's Weird Fishes, but imagine it sung dry) and a bit like special effects in films, we now take for granted. We definitely expect the latest blockbuster from a fairly big time rock band to have all that stuff. That doesn't necessarily mean that SBS is a great 'no frills' album, but whereas the often painstakingly constructed versions of songs found on most albums are nearly always the 'definitive' ones, with SBS I don't think this is the case. Definitive album versions are often difficult to reproduce live, if a lot of production was involved, and production ambience is incredibly difficult to recreate live. SBS has hardly any ambience and that's why I think all the songs sound better live. Right now, I'm finding SBS the weirdest Wilco album, because the shows have become the reference points for its songs, rather than the other way round (which is more often the case). Love it or hate it (I don't hate it, but I'm not sure whether I will ever love it totally), it's non-definitive, and I think that's pretty alternative.

[adjason]

sky blue sky is ok but its not a great record. Any record that I listened to enough times I would probbably grow to like on some level. Its not on par with any of their earlier albums (except maybe ghost is born) in my opinion. AM rocks -if you havent seen it theres a sweet youtube clip of tweedy playing with brian henneman recently.

[froggie]

> theres a sweet youtube clip of tweedy playing with brian henneman recently.

 

 

linky please?

[sticky2000]

wow, I'm genuinely surprised by some of the views airing here.

 

I am a recently converted Wilco fan in all honesty, and after discovering SBS, I could not stop listening to it.

 

I can't see why people can see this album as boring really, the amazing soloing of Nels, Glenn's fantastic beats and yet more lyrical beauty from Jeff.

 

Listening to previous albums, this record seems to have more of an upbeat feeling and of positivity in comparison to the previous records, and as a collection of songs and individually, I can repeat earlier sentiments about how I think this is one of the greatest records ever.

 

But I have to ask, exactly what is it about SBS that you don't like? Personally, it ticks all the boxes but I'd like to see what you all think about it.

[Bubs101]

wow, I'm genuinely surprised by some of the views airing here.

 

I am a recently converted Wilco fan in all honesty, and after discovering SBS, I could not stop listening to it.

 

I can't see why people can see this album as boring really, the amazing soloing of Nels, Glenn's fantastic beats and yet more lyrical beauty from Jeff.

 

Listening to previous albums, this record seems to have more of an upbeat feeling and of positivity in comparison to the previous records, and as a collection of songs and individually, I can repeat earlier sentiments about how I think this is one of the greatest records ever.

 

But I have to ask, exactly what is it about SBS that you don't like? Personally, it ticks all the boxes but I'd like to see what you all think about it.

 

I have a couple of problems with SBS. For one, I don't think it's actually a great album as such. Some fantastic songs but I struggle to listen through it from start to finish compared to AGIB and YHF which blend so well (excluding the drone). Also, you mention the upbeat lyrics as a positive but I got into Wilco because of the sad ones and I preferred what I had before.

 

I also think there are some very very average songs on it that I wouldn't have given a third listen to if it weren't Wilco like Please be Patient, Sky Blue Sky and Either Way. Having said that, I adore Hate it Here, You are my face, Walken and Impossible Germany