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Track Listings
| 1. Either Way |
| 2. You Are My Face |
| 3. Impossible Germany |
| 4. Sky Blue Sky |
| 5. Side With the Seeds |
| 6. Shake It Off |
| 7. Please Be Patient With Me |
| 8. Hate It Here |
| 9. Leave Me (Like You Found Me) |
| 10. Walken |
| 11. What Light |
| 12. On And On And On |
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
After their wild experimental streak of the past decade, Wilco's sixth studio album might feel like a bit of a comedown. Sky Blue Sky is mellow, moody, and uncharacteristically monotone, opening with a pleasant jangle and Jeff Tweedy singing a simple song: "Maybe the sun will shine today, the clouds will blow away." He doesn't even follow it up with a barbed punchline. Could it be that the restless Chicago band has settled back into its gentle Americana roots--or does this sudden mid-career reappraisal represent Wilco's gutsiest move yet? Mostly written in the studio by the full band, it's certainly the group's most cohesive album in ages, presenting a dense song cycle padded with intricate guitar work, brushed rhythms, and '70s soft-rock accents. In places it sounds like Wings ("Hate It Here"), in others Harry Nilsson ("Walken"), and in the middle it goes a bit Grateful Dead ("Shake It Off"). At the same time, there's a distinct sense of hearing a band finally at ease in its own skin. Sky Blue Sky represents the sound of Wilco finally pulling through its petulant adolescence. --Aidin Vaziri
Product Description
"Sky Blue Sky" has hints of early-seventies Southern California folk-rock sweetness in the harmonies. The album is filled with brash guitar solos that take songs like "You Are My Face" and "Shake It Off" in unexpected directions.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
By MRSCRY
Format:Audio CD
Probably my favorite thing about Wilco is that each of their albums is completely different from one another... however, what makes their latest effort different from previous ones is that it's hard to categorize this record. It's not experimental like YHF, it's not alt-countryish like A.M., it's not raw like Ghost is Born... it's mostly just a bunch of simple, beautiful songs, half of them being ballad-like. I'll say right now that, outside of a couple blazing guitar solos from Nels Cline, I don't think that Jeff uses the instrumental talent of his bandmates (or himself) enough on this record. I thought "Ghost is Born" had some unbelievable percussion and guitar moments, and that is mostly lacking on "Sky Blue Sky". With that said, I've already found myself singing along to all 12 tracks on this record, and the best moment for me is the very opening acoustic guitar strumming on the first track, "Either Way", followed by a classic-sounding opening vocal from Jeff, which has already been hard to match in the live performances of the song.
You gotta respect a guy who plays before thousands of people at most shows and decides to make a quiet, little record to tour off of. Wilco is one of those bands that is not meant for the big arena, and this album, probably more than any of their others, will be unkind to the big venue. It'll be interesting to see how the band delivers these mostly quiet little songs to a large mass of fans.
You gotta respect a guy who plays before thousands of people at most shows and decides to make a quiet, little record to tour off of. Wilco is one of those bands that is not meant for the big arena, and this album, probably more than any of their others, will be unkind to the big venue. It'll be interesting to see how the band delivers these mostly quiet little songs to a large mass of fans.
30 of 36 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
In the first half of this decade, Wilco released 2 groundbreaking studio albums, 2002's "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" and 2004's "a ghost is born", which both sounded miles away from the early alt-country roots of Wilco. Jeff Tweedy put a finishing touch on that chapter of the band with the release of the excellent live album "Kicking Television" in late 2005, which neatly summarizes that era, indicating that a different chapter was about to unfold. Now finally comes the much anticipated new album of Wilco.
"Sky Blue Sky" (12 tracks, 51 min.) is a striking departure from the previous albums. You only have to listen to the opening notes of the lead-off track "Either Way" to realize this. Even the opening lines "Maybe the sun will shine today/The clouds will break away" provide a brighter and more optimistic perspective than we're generally used to from Jeff Tweedy. "Impossible Germany" is the best track on the album, with a long instrumental outro of 2 duelling guitars. The track somehow reminds me of the title track of Steve Miller's "Circle of Love" album. The title track "Sky Blue Sky" is as beautiful and pensive as Tweedy has ever been. Other highlights include the Dylanesque "What Light", with great lytics like "And if you're trying to paint a picture/But you're not sure which colors belong/Just paint what you see/Don't let anyone say you're wrong"; the harder charging "Shake It Off", and the closer "On and On and On", which perfectly sums up the overall feeling of this album.
Jeff Tweedy continues to surprise us, and I couldn't be more thrilled about it. Very different from "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot", perhaps not as ground-breaking in its sound, yet just as satisfy to listen to. I can't wait to see how it all translation in concert, when I see Wilco live next month. Highly recommended!
"Sky Blue Sky" (12 tracks, 51 min.) is a striking departure from the previous albums. You only have to listen to the opening notes of the lead-off track "Either Way" to realize this. Even the opening lines "Maybe the sun will shine today/The clouds will break away" provide a brighter and more optimistic perspective than we're generally used to from Jeff Tweedy. "Impossible Germany" is the best track on the album, with a long instrumental outro of 2 duelling guitars. The track somehow reminds me of the title track of Steve Miller's "Circle of Love" album. The title track "Sky Blue Sky" is as beautiful and pensive as Tweedy has ever been. Other highlights include the Dylanesque "What Light", with great lytics like "And if you're trying to paint a picture/But you're not sure which colors belong/Just paint what you see/Don't let anyone say you're wrong"; the harder charging "Shake It Off", and the closer "On and On and On", which perfectly sums up the overall feeling of this album.
Jeff Tweedy continues to surprise us, and I couldn't be more thrilled about it. Very different from "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot", perhaps not as ground-breaking in its sound, yet just as satisfy to listen to. I can't wait to see how it all translation in concert, when I see Wilco live next month. Highly recommended!
23 of 27 people found the following review helpful
By Howlinw
Format:Audio CD
It's probably a truism by now that the one thing you can expect from each new Wilco release is the unexpected. When you think you've got 'em pinned down, Tweedy and company zig where you're thinking they're gonna zag. That is as true with "Sky Blue Sky" as anywhere.
Tweedy gave us fans a little preview of where his head was at in his now-famous bit of concert dialogue at the Abbey Pub, in Chicago, on 1/25/2006, where he stated: "I'm really really sick and tired of all this intellectual hoity-toity poetry bull****...I think if we could possibly pull off making this record we're trying to make, this super-dirty-soul record...I think if we can't make this record then the terrorists have truly won." Of course when I heard this clip on the internet accompanied by "That's the Thanks I Get" (which curiously did not make it onto this record) I started expecting a sharp left turn into raw soul music, sort of a loud, brash Solomon Burke-style jam session. In no way does this album sound like what I was picturing. But in its own way this is a soul record, in the sense that it possesses the quality that you find in only the deepest of soul records: honesty.
Let me back up for a minute. I received my advance copy today by sheer luck, more than a month before the record's official release date. Although I usually don't listen to music at work (at this point those two spheres of my life are pretty separate), I gave the entire thing a spin in one sitting. I was both intrigued and disappointed. The friend who gave it to me warned me that it was "mellow," which is a term I have seen floating around the internet to describe the album, and he was right! Far from Solomon Burke, I was hearing Steely Dan circa "Pretzel Logic." Not that this is a bad thing - Pretzel is one of my favorite records of all time in fact - it's just not what I thought I was going to hear. Only "Hate it Here" really grabbed me. For the first time in a decade or more I actually found myself let down by a Wilco record.
But sometimes it takes time for things to happen. Like any relationship worthy of sticking with, you give things a chance. The second half of the record got a second spin at the desk, and the first half in the car on the way home. I even took the long route just to let it sink in. By that point I was beginning to come around. The moment it hit me though was several hours later, when I was washing the dishes after dinner. I started with "Hate it Here" and played it to the end. By the time the final track rolled around I knew I had found a keeper.
The key to understanding this disc is in the lyrics to "What Light," where Tweedy seems to be addressing the attention which his songwriting has garnered. "Just sing what you feel," he croons in his best husky Dylan-esque, "don't let anyone say it's wrong." Later in the song he makes reference to what is "yours" being "everyone's from now on," a fact that is neither "right or wrong." It's this kind of honesty and soul that defines this record, and meshes beautifully with the new, more grounded sound. Tweedy here and throughout the record seems to be doing what soul artists from days past (Otis Redding, for example, or Solomon Burke) have done: that is to sit down, look around, and try to make sense of life. Throughout there is a feeling of recovery, of healing from past wounds and sorting out relationships gone awry. Tweedy asks the hard questions on "Side With the Seeds" and shows a quiet sense of humor and resignation on "Hate it Here." If "A Ghost is Born" was the bad trip, filled with devils, migraines and ten-minute drone-sessions, this is the quiet morning after when you wake up and try to put your life back together.
As for the record's sound, there are all kinds of comparisons you could make. I already pointed out similarities with Steely Dan, but there is also a Josh Rouse-ish feel, and a kind of prog-rockish guitar thing in some songs courtesy of Nels Cline that is often unexpected and sometimes unbelievably spectacular. Tweedy seems to be in full singer-songwriter mode, and suitably the acoustic guitar makes a frequent appearance. If the record has one flaw, it seems to be the fear of making too much noise. At times Tweedy and company seem to be afraid they just might wake the neighbors.
However, this is a small price to pay for a record that contains so much wisdom, that feels so grounded and sane. Tweedy has shed what he considers to be his "hoity-toity poetry" (which actually did lead, in all fairness, to several of the best records in the history of popular music) and has gone back to basics with this set of spare, minimalistic tunes. If there is any controversy swirling around this one, it can only be that he has turned his back on the critics the way he supposedly turned his back on alt-country fans after "Being There." I do expect a possible critical backlash and I'm sure Tweedy will be laughing it up as he readies himself for a tour. Hey crits, there's always Loose Fur to drool over!
In summation of this long, rambly, largely stream-of-consciousness review, this is a record to be ENJOYED. Listen but don't overanalyze. It's that kind of a record.
Tweedy gave us fans a little preview of where his head was at in his now-famous bit of concert dialogue at the Abbey Pub, in Chicago, on 1/25/2006, where he stated: "I'm really really sick and tired of all this intellectual hoity-toity poetry bull****...I think if we could possibly pull off making this record we're trying to make, this super-dirty-soul record...I think if we can't make this record then the terrorists have truly won." Of course when I heard this clip on the internet accompanied by "That's the Thanks I Get" (which curiously did not make it onto this record) I started expecting a sharp left turn into raw soul music, sort of a loud, brash Solomon Burke-style jam session. In no way does this album sound like what I was picturing. But in its own way this is a soul record, in the sense that it possesses the quality that you find in only the deepest of soul records: honesty.
Let me back up for a minute. I received my advance copy today by sheer luck, more than a month before the record's official release date. Although I usually don't listen to music at work (at this point those two spheres of my life are pretty separate), I gave the entire thing a spin in one sitting. I was both intrigued and disappointed. The friend who gave it to me warned me that it was "mellow," which is a term I have seen floating around the internet to describe the album, and he was right! Far from Solomon Burke, I was hearing Steely Dan circa "Pretzel Logic." Not that this is a bad thing - Pretzel is one of my favorite records of all time in fact - it's just not what I thought I was going to hear. Only "Hate it Here" really grabbed me. For the first time in a decade or more I actually found myself let down by a Wilco record.
But sometimes it takes time for things to happen. Like any relationship worthy of sticking with, you give things a chance. The second half of the record got a second spin at the desk, and the first half in the car on the way home. I even took the long route just to let it sink in. By that point I was beginning to come around. The moment it hit me though was several hours later, when I was washing the dishes after dinner. I started with "Hate it Here" and played it to the end. By the time the final track rolled around I knew I had found a keeper.
The key to understanding this disc is in the lyrics to "What Light," where Tweedy seems to be addressing the attention which his songwriting has garnered. "Just sing what you feel," he croons in his best husky Dylan-esque, "don't let anyone say it's wrong." Later in the song he makes reference to what is "yours" being "everyone's from now on," a fact that is neither "right or wrong." It's this kind of honesty and soul that defines this record, and meshes beautifully with the new, more grounded sound. Tweedy here and throughout the record seems to be doing what soul artists from days past (Otis Redding, for example, or Solomon Burke) have done: that is to sit down, look around, and try to make sense of life. Throughout there is a feeling of recovery, of healing from past wounds and sorting out relationships gone awry. Tweedy asks the hard questions on "Side With the Seeds" and shows a quiet sense of humor and resignation on "Hate it Here." If "A Ghost is Born" was the bad trip, filled with devils, migraines and ten-minute drone-sessions, this is the quiet morning after when you wake up and try to put your life back together.
As for the record's sound, there are all kinds of comparisons you could make. I already pointed out similarities with Steely Dan, but there is also a Josh Rouse-ish feel, and a kind of prog-rockish guitar thing in some songs courtesy of Nels Cline that is often unexpected and sometimes unbelievably spectacular. Tweedy seems to be in full singer-songwriter mode, and suitably the acoustic guitar makes a frequent appearance. If the record has one flaw, it seems to be the fear of making too much noise. At times Tweedy and company seem to be afraid they just might wake the neighbors.
However, this is a small price to pay for a record that contains so much wisdom, that feels so grounded and sane. Tweedy has shed what he considers to be his "hoity-toity poetry" (which actually did lead, in all fairness, to several of the best records in the history of popular music) and has gone back to basics with this set of spare, minimalistic tunes. If there is any controversy swirling around this one, it can only be that he has turned his back on the critics the way he supposedly turned his back on alt-country fans after "Being There." I do expect a possible critical backlash and I'm sure Tweedy will be laughing it up as he readies himself for a tour. Hey crits, there's always Loose Fur to drool over!
In summation of this long, rambly, largely stream-of-consciousness review, this is a record to be ENJOYED. Listen but don't overanalyze. It's that kind of a record.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
It's OK. I bot this because a co-worker recommended it (bad idea)
Bot this on the recommendation of someone I work with and THOUGHT I shared similar music taste with. Don't get me wrong, it's not HORRIBLE... Read more
Published 3 months ago by KU Alumnus
3.0 out of 5 stars
Weakest
Having always felt that a certain amount of warmth was missing from this band (since Being There, anyway), I was looking forward to hearing this when I heard that the relentless... Read more
Published 20 months ago by Daniel W. Bleier
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best Album
After listening to this off and on and off and on for the past few years, I really think this is Wilco's best effort. Read more
Published 22 months ago by JayStizzle
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wilco's Mellow Masterpiece
At a certain point in Wilco's career, didn't the insanity have to stop?
Known for creating messed-up, art-rock masterpieces like Hotel Yankee Fox Trot and a Ghost Is... Read more
Known for creating messed-up, art-rock masterpieces like Hotel Yankee Fox Trot and a Ghost Is... Read more
Published on January 17, 2011 by Wade Tomlin
5.0 out of 5 stars
The best album of the decade
Sky Blue Sky is the ghost of John Lennon. This album has the catchy tunes of a Beatles record with the honesty/sometimes sadness of a John Lennon solo album all with excellent... Read more
Published on December 12, 2010 by Colin Hatch
1.0 out of 5 stars
BORRRING! Formerly my Favorite Current Band
From a band that I used to consider my favorite current artists, this is about as dull as they get! "Being There", "Summerteeth"(especially), and "Yankee Hotel Foxtrot" are 3 of... Read more
Published on July 5, 2010 by Mr Musical Snob
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sky Blue Sky
Sky Blue Sky being Wilco's 6th studio album and 2007 release is a mix of alternative rock and folk rock. It is not as experimental as "a ghost is born". Read more
Published on March 2, 2010 by Bjorn Viberg
5.0 out of 5 stars
One of Decade's best
I consider this one of the best albums of the 00s. Never much of a Wilco fan before, these songs really speak to me and the melodies are beautiful. Read more
Published on January 14, 2010 by S. Berlin
5.0 out of 5 stars
The elegance of simplicity - great songwriting, great recording
Wilco's 6th studio release, Sky Blue Sky, is their most easily accessible album yet - song structures are complex and edgy, but recording is pure, warm and soulful. Read more
Published on October 2, 2009 by A. Boyd
3.0 out of 5 stars
"Either you will or you won't" (meet Wilco, the commitmentphobes)
The making of "Sky Blue Sky" had some secrecy attached as well as confusing bits of information the band offered to their audience. Read more
Published on September 8, 2009 by J. GARRATT
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