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Sky Blue Sky - Confession of a Relatively New Fan


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I agree that the first half of the album is vastly stronger. In fact, I'd be fully on board with the non-fans if the album started at track 7. Along with being one freaking short album, it's my least favorite stretch of songs on any Wilco album. Walken and Hate It Here each have an awesome riff that has made them concert staples, but are otherwise pretty forgettable (to me). Please Be Patient and Leave Me are pleasant little songs but, again, nothing special (to me). What Light is one of my least favorite Wilco songs. Although, ha ha, it never seems as bad as I think it is when I'm actually listening to it. Tweedy's vocals almost redeem it for me...the parts where he is more speaking than singing.

 

As others have said....On and On and On is terrific. One of the greatest bridges I've heard by any artist, ever.

 

And, yeah, I pointed at track 7 as the beginning of the end. I think "Shake it Off" is an excellent song. Sure, it's kind of grating, but that dissonance is one of the things we like about the band, right? This is Exhibit A for those who say SBS is just too bland, just not adventurous enough. True, one song does not make an album. And that's ok, because I'm not sure I'd love an album full of "Shake It Offs". But one of them is ok on one of my favorite albums.

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shake it off is an insanely awesome song

 

top 3 on that album

 

or at least top 3.5

 

maybe 4.25

 

You were at the Paladium show, weren't you? It was a great opener.

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was it any good live? Cause I've seen and heard tons of bootlegs, and that song always seems to be left out.

 

As Jules said, it was very good live. The dynamics of the song forces the audience to pay attention and Glenn and Nels simply shred it.

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Shake it Off" is an excellent song.  Sure, it's kind of grating, but that dissonance is one of the things we like about the band, right?  This is Exhibit A for those who say SBS is just too bland, just not adventurous enough.

 

 

Of course this is all very subjective.

 

But to me, Loose Fur's "Wreckroom" is an example of a train-wreck of a song that is beautiful and wonderful, while "Shake it Off" is just an irritating train-wreck.

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yep. that was a fantastic show.

 

they don't play "shake it off" live very often because of some comments that appeared on this board.

 

Good God, I hope that Jeff isn't making musical or performance decisions based on what is posted on this board.

Holy Crap.

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I heard he was hanging out here a lot around the time of W(TA).

 

Oh

My

God

 

It's a wonder he can even get out of bed in the mornings if he read some of the 'internet muscle' posts that fly around here.

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just want to say I don't HATE any Wilco songs...I just prefer some more to others. I like when Wilco is adventurous, but Shake it off just doesnt work on the album. I can can see that it may work much better live, when you can actually see the energy behind it.

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Emotional connection trumps everything else when it comes to judging music, I believe at least. It doesn't surprise me at all people love SBS, there's a lot of beautiful stuff on that record. It's really about recovery in a lot of ways. I think it's probably the most vulnerable lyrically of anything they put out. All of their albums prior to it certainly went to darker places, but I always get sense of "I'm miserable, but fuck you" from the stuff on Being There, Summer Teeth, YHF, AGIB. And from the interviews from around the time of that record it seems like Jeff really wanted to take a lot of the 'f-you' away and make a really direct statement. You can then see how it gets tagged with the "wuss-rock" or "Dad-rock" tag. But I feel it's a fully sincere piece, which is I think what I respond to more than anything else in art. And when I am not trying intellectually break it down or subconsciously trying to turn it into one of their other records that I may have felt more from, I do very much enjoy it.

 

--Mike

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has Wilco ever played Shake it Off Live? You can usually tell what songs Wilco is "embarrased" about by the songs they choose or don't choose to play live. I can't remember seeing a set list with that on it.

 

It's the worst song on the album, mainly because it doesn't fit with anything else on the album. It's really out of place.

 

Yep, they opened with it at Kesselhaus, Berlin, May 24th, 2007. I was there.

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I don't know that you CAN say the band IS embarassed by any song. You would have to be a real insider to know that, and I have my doubts that this board has any real insiders.

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I don't know that you say the band embarassed by any song. You would have to be a real insider to know that, and I have my doubts that this board has any real insiders.

What makes you say that?

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I really have tried and don't understand what you're trying to say.

typos fixed...

 

What makes you say that?

 

lack of faith that anyone besides fans hang out on message boards

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