The new Wilco CD is going to be something that you won’t like. You’re going to say it’s “easy listening music”, it “sounds neil diamond-ee”, or “whatever, man”. We’ll you’re also going to be an idiot. Yes, there are moments when Sky Blue Sky sounds schmaltzy. There are moments when it sounds like John Lennon vomitted all over Bruce Springsteen. There are moments when… whatever, you get the picture. Here’s the thing though, Jeff Tweedy can still write music, like real, american music.
Now, I’m not going to get all stupid and say/type things like, “Tweedy is a national treasure” or “what a genius”, but what I will say is this, he may be one of the most honest songwriters of our generation. Hyperbolic? Maybe, but Wilco tends to lend itself to that sort of over-endorsement.
The best thing about Sky Blue Sky may be the fact that they didn’t let all their neo-hippy fans make them all retarded (take note, Flaming Lips). This is still the Wilco that can make you want to play their songs at your wedding, the same one that regularly fires its fat guitar players. Where Sky Blue Sky differs is that it doesn’t just borrow from earlier generations, it positively revels in it. Sure, Ryan Adams will lift a whole song from U2, but you never get the feeling that he can sustain it for a whole record. Wilco takes a genre that is so hard to do right, and then does it better.
There’s about a bazillion stand out tracks on the cd, but the best of the best are, “Either Way”, “You are my Face”, and “Walken” (sic). All of these are not only great songs, but pirouette on the edge of schmaltz, look down into the abyss, say “fuck you”, spit, and then leave. Yeah, that good. Maybe you should listen yourself. Jesus.
Comments 6
tweedy’s overendorsed? we must not be thinking the sme one.
god damn i love wilco. great record, right behind YHF in my eyes. but bring on summerteeth for this summer!
Posted 17 Apr 2007 at 8:58 am ¶Wilco = best song titles in the city, think: you are my face, summer teeth, muzzle of bees, impossible germany, hell is chrome, etc
Posted 17 Apr 2007 at 9:33 am ¶Graham: Completely agree.
Travis: People love Wilco too much. They are still awesome.
Posted 17 Apr 2007 at 6:11 pm ¶really guys? really? can you not hear the complete lack of heart and thought and goodness in ‘either way’? the rest of the album is solid, and ‘on and on and on’ is borderline brilliant, but those guys almost ruined it all w/ the first track. let me quote the lyrics for you:
“Maybe the sun will shine today
The clouds will blow away
Maybe I won’t feel so afraid
I will try to understand
Either way
Maybe you still love me
Maybe you don’t
Either you will or you won’t
Maybe you just need some time alone
I will try to understand
Everything has its plan
Either way
I’m gonna stay
Right for you”
i can’t imagine cramming more cliche imagery or lame rhymes into one song. tweedy’s better than that. this song would never have made it onto any of the other albums (save am), and i wish it hadn’t made it on this one.
Posted 04 May 2007 at 2:19 pm ¶just because it’s cliche doesn’t mean that it isn’t true. Also, see in the review where I mention the schmaltz factor k thks.
Posted 04 May 2007 at 3:27 pm ¶john, i think your point might be valid if this weren’t the intro track to the album. i think it sets the pace, tells the listener that this album isn’t going to be like any of the others. ’sky blue sky’ is obviously more light-hearted than the others, sort of airy, and ‘either way,’ is a great way to open up that feeling. if this were put in the middle of this cd though, i might be more weary.
Posted 04 May 2007 at 5:07 pm ¶Post a Comment