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Sky Blue Sky - Confession of a Relatively New Fan


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There seems to be a lot of SBS hate on the board, but I wanted to express my gratitude for it. It's the first Wilco album I heard. While I do agree it is not the best or most interesting by any means, it peaked my interest enough to get me to dig deeper into the catalog. I still listen to it a good bit, and some of those songs are phenomenal to see live (Side with the Seeds, Hate It Here, Impossible Germany).

 

I know it's not their best but it was my first and you never forget your first.

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There seems to be a lot of SBS hate on the board, but I wanted to express my gratitude for it. It's the first Wilco album I heard. While I do agree it is not the best or most interesting by any means, it peaked my interest enough to get me to dig deeper into the catalog. I still listen to it a good bit, and some of those songs are phenomenal to see live (Side with the Seeds, Hate It Here, Impossible Germany).

 

I know it's not their best but it was my first and you never forget your first.

This is an honest question: where did you first hear it? SBS got more play in commercials, etc, so I'm curious if that's what grabbed you.

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I have a friend who had gotten into them before me. We usually have pretty much the same musical tastes and I trust his judgement. It just happened to be as SBS was being released. I think I got a hold of a leaked copy first then bought it later...

 

I do remember hearing some of the songs in VW commercials though

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When I say this people usually look at me like I said that I like punching puppies, but I don't care. Sky Blue Sky is my favorite. It's all about how it makes you feel, and this one makes me feel happy and comforted.

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I've been surprised at the SBS hate also. I have mixed feelings on the record. When it was first released it wasn't necessarily the album I was expecting from the relatively new (at that time) lineup, and I think because of that I was mildly disappointed. But like all great pieces of art it isn't about what the audience expected, rather what the artist was inspired to produce at that particular point in their career. Once I got past my preconceived expectations it grew on me. It has some classics on it and flows well thematically as an album, which is one area I feel Wilco (The Album) falls short. Is SBS a masterpiece? Not in my opinion, but it's a very, very good record.

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I'm an even newer fan. I have no problem with Sky Blue Sky. Impossible Germany was the first track that really grabbed me after hearing Wilco The Song. Now WILCO is my favorite band.

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Sky Blue Sky is my favorite. It's all about how it makes you feel, and this one makes me feel happy and comforted.

 

From the first track, the music feels like a caress. It is a beautiful record, and while in the end I prefer my Wilco with greater intensity (BT, Ghost), just hearing the opening guitar on "Either Way" is a soothing balm.

 

Ewww... I just used the words 'caress' and 'balm.' Sounds like I'm writing copy for bath gel!

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I'm a big fan of SBS and I agree that it's a beautiful record. It has a certain mood and flow that the other records don't have which makes it stand out. When it first came out, I can remember listening to it literally non-stop on an 18 hour car ride and that's saying something.

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From the first track, the music feels like a caress. It is a beautiful record, and while in the end I prefer my Wilco with greater intensity (BT, Ghost), just hearing the opening guitar on "Either Way" is a soothing balm.

 

That's a very good way to put it, and precisely why sometimes SBS is exactly what I'm looking for... and why sometimes it's the last thing I want to hear.

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SBS is beautiful, even though it took me a long time to get into it. Just the other day I was raving about it in a different topic here.

 

I had wondered if SBS had hooked in many fans. It's great to hear that it has! For me it was YHF that drew me in. Wonder if the timing had been different, if a different Wilco album would have had the ability to pull me in instead?

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I'm a big fan of SBS and I agree that it's a beautiful record. It has a certain mood and flow that the other records don't have which makes it stand out. When it first came out, I can remember listening to it literally non-stop on an 18 hour car ride and that's saying something.

 

Totally agree, SBS is a favorite album of mine. There are days that I need to play it non-stop for hours. It's a mood.

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My first exposure to the band came during the 2007 Austin City Limits telecast featuring the SBS tunes. One of those very rare, special moments when you encounter an artist that you know is going to change your life. I snagged YHF, AGIB and SBS in rapid succession from the local library...found them all remarkably distinctive...and all remarkably addicting. It was a surprise when I stumbled on this site, eager to submerge in all things Wilco...and found a persistent disdain about their latest album. It's been nice to see that turn around a bit over the last few years. I'm not sure if that's because the album is a serious grower, because more late arrivals to the Wilco family have shown up, or because (TA) came along to suction off a lot of the backlash. Or all / none of the above. But it is a great album, and I've built several Wilco fans who consider this their favorite. It's not quite mine, and I won't argue with those who say in the YHF ===> AGIB ===> SBS ===> (TA) progression we've seen a discernible downward slide. But I would argue that in the case of the first three albums it's sliding at an EXTREMELY high level. SBS is a fabulous album, and in my experience a great gateway to the band.

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It's a very good record that gets a bad rap because it's it a catalog of great records. Anyway, f*%k what they (we) say on the board- an emotional connection to music will trump cork-sniffery every single time.

 

Welcome to VC

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My first exposure to the band came during the 2007 Austin City Limits telecast featuring the SBS tunes. One of those very rare, special moments when you encounter an artist that you know is going to change your life. I snagged YHF, AGIB and SBS in rapid succession from the local library...found them all remarkably distinctive...and all remarkably addicting. It was a surprise when I stumbled on this site, eager to submerge in all things Wilco...and found a persistent disdain about their latest album. It's been nice to see that turn around a bit over the last few years. I'm not sure if that's because the album is a serious grower, because more late arrivals to the Wilco family have shown up, or because (TA) came along to suction off a lot of the backlash. Or all / none of the above. But it is a great album, and I've built several Wilco fans who consider this their favorite. It's not quite mine, and I won't argue with those who say in the YHF ===> AGIB ===> SBS ===> (TA) progression we've seen a discernible downward slide. But I would argue that in the case of the first three albums it's sliding at an EXTREMELY high level. SBS is a fabulous album, and in my experience a great gateway to the band.

Where's the Like button? Perfectly said!

 

I don't think I've ever posted in the favorite studio albums thread, because I seriously love all of them and on any given day my opinions would shift. (OK, I would probably have to put AM and W(TA) at the bottom, but for the rest I just can't say which is my favorite.) But I have always loved SBS. It's a beautifully assured record.

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SBS is exactly a feeling and reflects on times during your life that it just fits perfectly. I can sit and listen to this album endlessly and not to mention that it contains my favourite song I have ever heard (so far), Impossible Germany.

 

I can't honestly understand what it is about it that people can dislike... Instrumentation, lyrics, ambience, it's all there!

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Because it's a shitty album.

 

It's ok to be wrong.

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