Sky Blue Sky

[Panther]

Ive been playing this record allot lately , intense sittings and Im loving it even more than I did a year ago.

The guitar tones really get me in the gut and the album feels like its 20 min longs at this time YHF feels like 10.

 

So what do you all think/feel or hate a year later.

 

I think its a bonifide classic

I love leave me like you found me its very sweet

I think side one is nothing like side two but thats okay I get the blue eyed soul

theres no Shot In The Arm so what? great record, keep them coming

[Guest Muncle Douchey]

sky blue sky is a good record, but i've been disappointed with it since the get-go.

[H.Stone]

I loved the majority of SBS on my first listen, and I still listen to it regularly.

[uncool2pillow]

I love it. Wasn't disappointed at all. The more I listen to it, the less I think it was a return to their earlier sound. There's a lot of unique sound to this record. I was surprised by the way it sounded. I expected a lot more noise with the addition of Nels.

[Three dollars and 63 cents]

I listened to all the Wilco albums during my drive back from St. Louis the other day, and it's the first I listened to SBS in awhile. I still love it, though I definitely overplayed it last summer. It's one of those albums that marks a very specific moment in my life. There were so many changes happening in my life last summer, and SBS was the soundtrack for all of them. It was nice to revisit the album and all of those memories a year later.

[Preferred B]

It's hard for me to figure out when my "first listen" to Sky Blue Sky would be, since I was already familiar with so many of the songs from live shows by the time I actually heard the genuine article.

 

I wouldn't say my feelings about it have changed in the past year. Thumbs up.

[Moe_Syzlak]

There's one great song (You Are My Face), one terrible song (On and On and On) and a bunch of decent to good songs. I still feel, as I did a year ago, that I would like to hear O'Rourke's mix.

[Wendy]

I think it's a beautiful record ... but I also can't wait to hear a new one.

 

I can't say that I play SBS often, definitely not more than other Wilco albums. But mostly because I like to listen to a lot of other music, too.

 

And because I know Wilco's music so well, I kinda had to stop listening to all of it so often, as I was afraid I could start getting tired of it. That can happen to me if I'm not careful. And I would never want to get burnt out on Wilco, so I try to pace myself.

 

Hey - seeing Wilco live is better than anything, and then the songs are that much better and fresher, having not over-listened. In my experience, anyway.

[Mr. Kinsley]

Two complaints:

1- Track #6, Stink It Up or Suck It Down or whatever it's called, is possibly the most unlistenable piece of music I've ever heard in my life. I've tried to get all the way through it several times and it is just too painful every time I try. Why did that make the album and not Thanks I Get?

2- Leave Me Like You Found Me and Please Be Patient are too similar. They don't sound EXACTLY the same, and thematically they aren't EXACTLY the same, but they are too similar to both be on the same album. Having said that, I do like both songs, I was just confused by having them both on the same album.

 

Everything else is fantastic!

[froggie]

1- Track #6, Stink It Up or Suck It Down or whatever it's called,

 

 

 

 

personally, i love the album. i loved the new songs as soon as they started getting played before it was released. it came as a welcome relief after AGIB for me

[Kalle]

I still love it, it helped me through tough times and what Jeff went through and he talked about on the record were the same things that I went through so there's definitely a sentimental value attached to it. But, I still think it's a great record that is an essential part of the Wilco catalogue minus all the other stuff.

[H.Stone]

It's hard for me to figure out when my "first listen" to Sky Blue Sky would be, since I was already familiar with so many of the songs from live shows by the time I actually heard the genuine article.

 

That's an interesting dynamic, I think. I didn't connect with AGIB so drifted from Wilco for awhile until Kicking Television came out. So hearing SBS was a beautiful way to return to Wilco. I think the utter new-ness of it was a huge part of my initial impression.

[Panther]

Shake it Off is definetly the most challenging song on the record but I think sitting threw it really sets the tone for side two

its like please be patient with me and HIH are the cure.

Also personaly I think Shake it Off is very profound lyricaly although the vocals hide that.

[Mr. Kinsley]

Also personaly I think Shake it Off is very profound lyricaly although the vocals hide that.

I will agree there. The lyrics are unfortunately obscured by all the other crappiness going on in the song, vocal and otherwise. I'm now going to have to go back and listen to it again to try and remember why I hated it so much!

[BigWheeledWagon]

I listened to all the Wilco albums during my drive back from St. Louis the other day, and it's the first I listened to SBS in awhile. I still love it, though I definitely overplayed it last summer. It's one of those albums that marks a very specific moment in my life. There were so many changes happening in my life last summer, and SBS was the soundtrack for all of them. It was nice to revisit the album and all of those memories a year later.

 

It's funny how that happens -- Summerteeth was that way with me. The summer after I graduated from college, well, a lot of change was going on, and that disc was spinning all the time.

[giraffo]

I don't really understand the hate against Shake it Off. I kinda like it, there's some groove in there, some sweet parts.

[So Long]

I like 7 songs on it. And the rest I can do without...officially my least favorite Wilco album.

 

1) Either Way

2) You Are My Face

3) Impossible Germany

4) Sky Blue Sky

5) On and On and On

6) What Light

7 Walken

[Guest Cousin Tupelo]

I agree. I think it's an incredible song and an incredible dense album. I'll go out on a limb and say this is the closest a Wilco album has truly come to a "band" -- a collaboration among equals (or to quote Animal Farm, some more equal than others ;-P). I may be projecting, but you get the sense that he is creating, respectfully, among equals with Nels, Glenn, John and Co.

 

I had a very interesting experience with SBS. Last spring I flew back to IL from Fla. to go to my dad's 80th birthday. Before I left, I bought SBS and Kicking Television from iTunes. Through delightful happenstance, my flight was 3 hours late and the car rental place gave my the car I rented away. To make up for it, they loaned me a Mitsubishi Eclipse Spyder convertible with a 650-watt stereo. I spent five days driving around, top down with the disks of Wilco's current incarnation cycling through a sunny spring weekend.

 

The "noise" of the previous two albums was gone, but Tweedy removed much of the noise, or rather the obscurity, of lyrics. He's laid bare, but seldom has he sounded this hopeful, this settled.

 

There's a timelessness to this album that's akin to Summerteeth and Being There.

 

Impossible Germany is a tour de force. The ramble of Walken, the soulful Hate it Here, with the Beatlesque break, and yes, Shake it Off.

 

I'm afraid there are many Wilco fans that are afraid to love this album.

 

I don't really understand the hate against Shake it Off. I kinda like it, there's some groove in there, some sweet parts.

[Moe_Syzlak]

The "noise" of the previous two albums was gone, but Tweedy removed much of the noise, or rather the obscurity, of lyrics. He's laid bare, but seldom has he sounded this hopeful, this settled.

I feel like I hear this "criticism" of ST, YHF and AGIB a lot, even from Tweedy himself. But it wasn't the noise that made these albums special, IMO (particularly YHF and AGIB). The song structures themselves are more unique. They aren't all verse, chorus verse, chorus, bridge, chorus. It's not the noise I miss with SBS, it is the riskier songwriting. Tweedy may feel more collaborative, more confident with this album, but it still feels less exciting to me.

 

DISCLAIMER: SBS was still a top 5 album for me in 2007.

[zebra]

This thread is so odd because I was driving home and listening to SBS thinking, "It's been a year or so since this has been out. Has my attitude towards this album changed?" I still love it, but after hearing live versions of the songs, I would love to hear more piano on songs like "You Are My Face". It seems like Mike had his volume turned down.

 

 

Leave Me Like You Found Me and Please Be Patient are too similar. They don't sound EXACTLY the same, and thematically they aren't EXACTLY the same, but they are too similar to both be on the same album. Having said that, I do like both songs, I was just confused by having them both on the same album.

Completely agree.

[lamradio]

2- Leave Me Like You Found Me and Please Be Patient are too similar. They don't sound EXACTLY the same, and thematically they aren't EXACTLY the same, but they are too similar to both be on the same album. Having said that, I do like both songs, I was just confused by having them both on the same album.

 

Hmm.. I really don't hear the similarity at all. But I am going to listen to it right now to try and see your point.

[Wilco Worshipper]

one terrible song (On and On and On)

 

 

I really think you need to re-listen to it.

[Guest Cousin Tupelo]

I was speaking of "noise" metaphorically. I meant his lyrics, imagery were unambiguous (other than some of You Are My Face). He laid himself bare.

 

You are quite right about the strong structures and I guess that's another feature that stands out for me. I agree with everything else you're saying -- I think you can draw from some of Tweedy's comments on the bonus DVD that less exciting was welcome at this point.

 

Thanks for your response.

 

 

I feel like I hear this "criticism" of ST, YHF and AGIB a lot, even from Tweedy himself. But it wasn't the noise that made these albums special, IMO (particularly YHF and AGIB). The song structures themselves are more unique. They aren't all verse, chorus verse, chorus, bridge, chorus. It's not the noise I miss with SBS, it is the riskier songwriting. Tweedy may feel more collaborative, more confident with this album, but it still feels less exciting to me.

 

DISCLAIMER: SBS was still a top 5 album for me in 2007.

[Moe_Syzlak]

 

I really think you need to re-listen to it.

Oh I have given it plenty of chances. I understand that many people like it, it is just, for me, like nails on a chalkboard. Just a tune I can't take at all and need to skip every time at this point.

 

I was speaking of "noise" metaphorically. I meant his lyrics, imagery were unambiguous (other than some of You Are My Face). He laid himself bare.

 

You are quite right about the strong structures and I guess that's another feature that stands out for me. I agree with everything else you're saying -- I think you can draw from some of Tweedy's comments on the bonus DVD that less exciting was welcome at this point.

 

Thanks for your response.

Thanks for yours. I am a firm believer in any artist's right to do whatever moves them at the moment and not do "what the fans want." But I also feel like if I am honest with myself, the lack of risk on this album made it a disappointment, despite being a top five album for me. Same thing with In rainbows from Radiohead. My #3 album from last year (so obviously I like the songs on there and enjoy listening to it), but it still feels a bit like a step backwards and therefor a disappointment. The strange thing is both bands could have made riskier albums that I liked to listen to less and I would have found them LESS disappointing. How f'ed up is that!?!

[Guest Cousin Tupelo]

I know what you mean, so not f'ed up at all (or you at least have company!) Maybe I just needed something "comfortable" at the time. I think overall between SBS and KT, I am just fully enjoying this line-up.

 

 

Thanks for yours. I am a firm believer in any artist's right to do whatever moves them at the moment and not do "what the fans want." But I also feel like if I am honest with myself, the lack of risk on this album made it a disappointment, despite being a top five album for me. Same thing with In rainbows from Radiohead. My #3 album from last year (so obviously I like the songs on there and enjoy listening to it), but it still feels a bit like a step backwards and therefor a disappointment. The strange thing is both bands could have made riskier albums that I liked to listen to less and I would have found them LESS disappointing. How f'ed up is that!?!