Customer Reviews

Sky Blue Sky (CD/DVD)

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I am not always one who buys the cd/dvd package when it costs more than just the cd because some bands string together some things on the dvd's that are complete [...]. That is not the case of this DVD. I was actually surprised by how beautifully it was shot and then at the end of the DVD I saw why it was because of Brendan Canty formerly of Fugazi. Brendan also had a lot to do with Jeff's solo DVD Sunken Treasure. If you don't think these songs will sound great live then you should hear these songs played live on the DVD they are incredible. Impossible Germany I have heard live last year on tour and Walken as well. I prefer the live version of Walken because I think it becomes a great rock song played live. I have had a chance to listen to the album several more times now and it is amazing to me that Wilco has been able to do two consistent things over the years and that is make great albums each time out and also piss off a portion of their fanbase every time out. I have seen some reviews on here and in some magazines about this album and I agree with some and some not so much. Does this album sound like a Grateful Dead album? I only hear two songs that sound like the Dead to me and that is Side With The Seeds and Sky Blue Sky. Shake It Off to me sounds like a Pink Floyd song to a certain degree to me. The real gem on this album though is the song that closes the album On and On and On. For those who may not now Jeff lost his mother last year and this song was written for his dad. For those who say that the lyrics on this album are not that great then I suggest you listen to the lyrics in this song very closely they are probably some of the most heartfelt lyrics that Tweedy has ever written.

I've listened to Wilco's music forever. I've liked all the musical change ups but some albums took longer than others to become accustomed to. Same with this one. It took about a week. After the first day I would have given it 3.5 stars. One week later I believed it's their best album ever.
Great Songs, incredible lyrics (Just listen to them!). The DVD is terrific and helps give you a deeper understanding of songs.
Keep changing it up boys! How about a punk album next?

I already had 4 or 5 promotional mp3s from this album and wasn't really going to buy it. Those songs grew on me slowly and I thought they were a disappointing departure from Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Eventually I found myself listening to those songs several times a day. I'm glad I bought the full cd/dvd. The songs I hadn't heard hit me quickly. Yes, it is more stripped down than their last few but there is still that unmistakable Wilco blend of comfort and experimentation. People like to point out the similarities they hear to other artists and that's cool - but in the end this is all Wilco. Probably my favorite active band right now. With this album, I feel they have proven they can do what they want and rank with the greats. Their albums will be around 100 years from now.

I like Stephen B. Wright's observance in another review: they can realease great albums each time out and still piss off a portion of their fanbase with each one. For now, I'm a fan of all of it.

Regarding the DVD - I don't normally like interviews where the writers go on about everything they were thinking and blah blah blah. It usually sounds a little corny and self-important. Let the music speak for itself. The interviews here are pretty good - not embarrassing. The performances, though, are the reason to get it. Good stuff .

Wilco keeps on making great music. As with the last couple albums, it took me a couple listens to really get the full feel of the music. It is wonderful. I am very happy I got the CD/DVD set. The DVD is well produced and shot. It gives you some insight on the songs and the band dynamic. It is well worth the extra couple bucks. Highly recommended!!!

I made a mistake when I listened to this for the first time. I expected it to touch me and move me the way Wilco's previously records have, immediately. There is no way any album can meet that expectation. But its a mistake I, and others, make all the time. Some folks only want a fresh take on what they already know they like. This is not re-gurg rock. Its not YHF. Its not A Ghost is Born. Its Sky Blue Sky.

Here I am one month later and I really love this album. I found everything I want from a Wilco record in Sky Blue Sky. The roller coasters are there, its just not the same ride as before. Nor should it be. The hooks are there where you least expect them. The irritating moments of the first few listens (Shake it Off's tempo or Impossible Germany's verbiage) have long faded. Whats left is satisfying and heartfelt.

Let yourself get lost in it and you too can find exactly what you didn't know you were looking for.

This album is mellower and more pastoral than the last two albums. I suppose that could have something to do with Jeff Tweedy's improved emotional health. I must admit I do miss the angst a little. No single song stands out head and shoulders above the rest. That is largely due to the fact that they are all excellent. The other reason is the album is produced so well each song seems to run seamlessly into the next. The only problem I've had with this album is once I've started listening to the album I really can't bare to interupt it. Not even to go to the bathroom. It's very embarrassing as I'm sure you can imagine. Worth every Penny.

If you want see a great American band at its peak, this is a package worth picking up. The music is deceptive -- serene and simple at first, but, keep listening. "sky blue sky", "either way" and "please be patient with me" are each poignant. Influences are everywhere and weave in to make a wonderful tapestry. (Close your eyes when u hear "What Light" and tell me you don't hear Bob D...) More personal then any previous record, Jeff Tweedy seems to be seeking resolve with his loved ones and himself.

But, this package is greatly enhanced by the DVD. Rehearsals for a late winter tour, the band bring to life several of the songs from "sky blue sky". In the accompaning interviews, Tweedy seems to tremble with honesty. Worth the time and your hard earned dollar -- give it a chance.

While many will miss the experimentation and mania of Wilco's two previous LPs, Sky Blue Sky is an immediate and superb collection of songs. To release another album of obtuse and ingenious tracks might have been just a little too much, and if Kicking Television taught us anything, it's that at their heart, Wilco is a band not afraid of simply great melodies and making the utmost of standard instrumentation. Sky Blue Sky is the logical next step for a band that has been through many a mill and maybe, for a moment anyway, is ready to settle back and play.

Upon the first few listens I just wasn't feeling this album. Maybe I was expecting more of the angst that was on "A Ghost Is Born'. However, after taking a lady friend and this album for a long, sunny drive I was able to absorb it much better. The hooks come left and right and their are some pretty complex breakdowns. Wilco prove once again they aren't afraid to experiment and try new things. The DVD really brings out a lot of the energy and subtle nuances in the songs (can't wait to see these songs performed live), and the interviews with Tweedy and Co. make this package worth the extra chunk of change.

I really think the over-simplification that a lot of critics have been spewing forth about this album is just lazy. They just went along with the storyline of Tweedy's current vibe following his recovery as the humble and direct bandleader who 'really wants us to like this record', and how he just wanted to sing some songs for people. So, they write their little reviews about it being 'simple' and 'straightforward' 70s influenced...blah blah blah.

Anyone who has ever actually made a record within the last 10 years though knows how much less musicianship it takes to do 1,000 overdubs and then cut, paste, and edit like a madman in pro-tools to make it sound the way you want than to do it the way Wilco did on this record.

Most records today are of this cut and paste variety, with the producers and engineers often having as much or more to do with the record's final sound than the musicians themselves.

However, I still feel their is something magical about a band playing together in a room, and being able to pull it off 99% live and really capturing the moment, which to me is what rock 'n' roll is truly about. You can see and hear the amount of time and energy the band spent playing together and working out these arrangements...plus the fact that they all play together and don't try to play over each other...it's just a great band of talented, mature musicians. Something very hard to find these days.

To me this is like how the Beatles' "Let It Be" album would have turned out if they were all still working together as a cohesive unit - great rock songs with tons of feeling, played to perfection. Long Live Wilco!!!!