Sky Blue Sky

[JUDE]

I'd rather have Total Eclipse on repeat for 18 months straight than have to hear Walken one more time.

[sweetheart-mine]

I'd rather have Total Eclipse on repeat for 18 months straight than have to hear Walken one more time.

actually it's on some obscure list of "The 40 Most Awesomely Bad Breakup Songs."

it's only #39, though, so can't be too bad.

[skip]

I found this write-up on another website. It provides a view of SBS from a different angle.

 

 

"Get Back" might've been an apt title for this return to rock n' roll. "Sky Blue Sky" is the sound of Jeff Tweedy getting over his hang-ups about wanting to be seen as unique and groundbreaking, and just writing and laying down what felt natural. He eschews the vague cut-and-paste language for heartfelt declarations of love to his wife, and jettisons the bleeps and bloops for honest-to-god rocking. At this point, Tweedy clearly feels comfortable handing over the reins to his more than capable band: Jeff Tweedy, John Stirratt, Nels Cline, Glenn Kotche, Pat Sansone, and Mikael Jorgensen will go down in history as one of the greatest assemblages of musicians since the heyday of The Who and Led Zeppelin. Each musician is a master at his respective instrument and this is one of the first times they've been allowed to let it all hang out, and thank god they did. "Sky Blue Sky" makes "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" and "Summerteeth" look like self-indulgent side projects. You want to hear Jeff Tweedy with some keyboards and a mixer, stick to those albums. THIS is Wilco.

[FourStrongWinds]

the new band is a serious line up, I'm a big Pat fan, He's just got such a great touch with the organ. I didn't realise he was on Heartbreaker too

Mikael also, is a great player

[uncool2pillow]

"Sky Blue Sky" makes "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" and "Summerteeth" look like self-indulgent side projects. You want to hear Jeff Tweedy with some keyboards and a mixer, stick to those albums. THIS is Wilco.

 

I can see how YHF can be considered self-indulgent (but still an incredible artistic achievement). Not really Summerteeth. While there are a few noises on it, it's still mostly about the songs.

 

Great summary of how I feel about SBS and the current Wilco lineup, though.

[FourStrongWinds]

I can't wait to hear what happens next, I have a feeling this line up will stick together for a while

[lamradio]

I can't wait to hear what happens next, I have a feeling this line up will stick together for a while

 

Yeah, just imagine if they let Nels go all out.. Not hold anything back... Just listen the The Nels Cline Singers, and you will know what I mean..

[jmacomber68w]

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.

shake it off lyrically is tremendous, I don't hate the song. Like all the songs on sbs I say shake it off shines when performed live. Anyways, fav songs off the album

 

You Are My Face

IG

Side/Seeds

On and On and On

 

The rest of the songs are solid, with the exception of What Light and Sky Blue Sky which are just ehhh nothing special

[Guest Cousin Tupelo]

I can see how YHF can be considered self-indulgent (but still an incredible artistic achievement). Not really Summerteeth. While there are a few noises on it, it's still mostly about the songs.

 

Great summary of how I feel about SBS and the current Wilco lineup, though.

 

Agreed.

 

Recently reread Kot's book and in the descriptions of the masterly Tweedy and Bennett supposedly did on Summerteeth, I finally heard the demos and thought, "eh? It's all there. Other than some layers the hooks and the pop sensibilities are all there.

 

Isn't self-indulgence in one sense a theme of YHF? Despite all this layers of noise, it's still one person reaching out beyond his/her own lil world finding something to be sure about.

 

Or maybe that was Total Eclipse of the Heart...

[bjorn_skurj]

I think that was "Kids in America," actually.

[H.Stone]

I'm a big Pat fan, He's just got such a great touch with the organ.

 

[lamradio]

 

[entropy]

Oh, oh, I see what you did there.

[broc]

Yeah, just imagine if they let Nels go all out.. Not hold anything back...

 

I don't think I'd bother to buy that album if that was the case. It'd bore me to tears....

[lamradio]

I don't think I'd bother to buy that album if that was the case. It'd bore me to tears....

 

Yeah, to each his own I guess.. But if you think YHF was experimental and "going out on a limb", just bring some avant-garde guitar in there, and that's about as experimental as it gets.. You know Jeff wouldn't let it get too carried away though. But just listening to the Nels Cline singers, Nels really holds back when he's playing with Wilco.

[broc]

I totally agree Lamrod and to each his own. I think the YHF demos are as good as the released album and they're more straightforward with less effects etc etc.

 

As I've said before I like a good portion of SBS, it's just all Cline's twiddly noodling stuck onto the end of songs that bores me and actually takes away from some of the tracks.

 

If that's Cline holding back then I have zero interest in the NC Singers (which I haven't heard and don't intend to).

 

On another point Glenn Kotche must have been really bored making SBS, he's one of the best drummers around but it sounds like any drummer could have done what he did on SBS.

 

Cue abuse!!

[skip]

A couple of others mentioned a few items from a piece I found on-line (didn't write personally)....

 

I can see how YHF can be considered self-indulgent (but still an incredible artistic achievement). Not really Summerteeth. While there are a few noises on it, it's still mostly about the songs.

 

and

 

Recently reread Kot's book and in the descriptions of the masterly Tweedy and Bennett supposedly did on Summerteeth, I finally heard the demos and thought, "eh?

 

I love ST, but it wasn't much of a band playing on that one. It's a excellent example of what ProTools can do for you. Agreed - the songs were and are great, but that record, in my mind, was a Jeff and Jay Bennett studio experiment. Sure John and Ken "added" a few parts here and there. And in that process of adding layers, what was taken away? Not much in my opinion. Is there an editor in the house? Again... I love ST and wish we'd hear more songs from it on Wilco tours, but the songs are very dense - almost claustrophic. Perhaps hard to pull off live even.

 

Have you heard the ST demos? Definitely a lot less keys and synths. In the Kot book, didn't they (Tweedy and Bennett) mention that there was a conscience effort to cover up the dark lyrics?

 

Peace.

[caliber66]

Have you heard the ST demos?

He says he heard the Summerteeth demos in the post you quoted.

[skip]

QUOTE (skip @ May 30 2008, 09:15 AM)

Have you heard the ST demos?

 

He says he heard the Summerteeth demos in the post you quoted.

 

The question was rhetorical.

[caliber66]

The question was rhetorical.

Was it a rhetorical question?

[uncool2pillow]

Listening to SBS right now. If I ever produce a game show, I'm using the opening of Shake it Off as the think music!

[lost highway]

Brought it out for the first time in months. The production is so distinctive, it just sounds great. Also, one of the best rhythm sections in the history of rock. I think the Kotche/Stiratt combo stands up to Jones/Bonham, Lally/Canty, Simone/Hedon, McCartney/Ringo etc.

 

The songs: looking back I find about 89 percent of the material to be entirely engaging. The remainder borders on being a little too vanilla but always redeeming qualities, or moments. I think down the road I'll look back at the album fondly. It seems as of the beginning of my Wilco fan years each of their albums marks a period in my life. This one is already bringing me back a year.

[Guest Cousin Tupelo]

A couple of others mentioned a few items from a piece I found on-line (didn't write personally)....

 

 

 

I love ST, but it wasn't much of a band playing on that one. It's a excellent example of what ProTools can do for you. Agreed - the songs were and are great, but that record, in my mind, was a Jeff and Jay Bennett studio experiment. Sure John and Ken "added" a few parts here and there. And in that process of adding layers, what was taken away? Not much in my opinion. Is there an editor in the house? Again... I love ST and wish we'd hear more songs from it on Wilco tours, but the songs are very dense - almost claustrophic. Perhaps hard to pull off live even.

 

Have you heard the ST demos? Definitely a lot less keys and synths. In the Kot book, didn't they (Tweedy and Bennett) mention that there was a conscience effort to cover up the dark lyrics?

 

Peace.

 

My response was I found the demos stood on their own -- in a few cases I thought all the extra layers got in the way.

 

I think I flunked my rhetoricals.

[Guest Cousin Tupelo]

On another point Glenn Kotche must have been really bored making SBS, he's one of the best drummers around but it sounds like any drummer could have done what he did on SBS.

 

Cue abuse!!

 

I think he adds a great deal of texture, a lot of variety rather than just banging away (although he does that too!) Plus he gets the only drum solo on a Wilco album that I'm aware of!

[lost highway]

If you really put your mind on the drum parts you will realize most drummers couldn't pull of SBS like Kotche. There are a couple of technically difficult parts (the fast parts of Side With the Seeds) and an overall attentiveness and groove that is hard to match.