Rolling Stone : Sky Blue Sky : Review

Have Wilco ever come up with a better song than "Impossible Germany"? For the first three minutes, it's a mysterious soft-rock ballad with jazzy chords filtered through stoner-country guitar licks, like some lost outtake from Steely Dan's Katy Lied. Jeff Tweedy mumbles about isolation in his most beaten-up-by-life voice. Then, in the final three minutes, it builds into a twin-guitar epic, with Tweedy in the left speaker reinventing Fleetwood Mac circa Bare Trees, and Nels Cline in the right speaker reinventing Television circa Adventure. There's no noise, none of the spazzed-out distortion of the last few Wilco records: It's peaceful on the surface, demented underneath. After a hundred listens or so, you start to notice that even the lyrics, not always a Wilco specialty, are pretty excellent. Even if mellowed-out guitar jammery isn't your cup of tea, respect is due -- this is the kind of song nobody ever gets right.

If everything on Sky Blue Sky were as amazing as "Impossible Germany," there would be nothing to complain about -- but what fun would that be? Wilco are the kind of band that really likes to make people complain. So the Chicago boys have done another scandalous about-face, retreating to the light, sweetly zonked country rock we all thought they got out of their system years ago. The soft sound of the album will befuddle some of the fans they picked up with Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost Is Born. With guitar whiz Cline on board, they seemed to be heading in a more rocking direction -- for many of us, the 2005 live album Kicking Television was their finest hour. Cline's presence is more low-key here, but so is everything else about the album. Sky Blue Sky (great title -- Allman Brothers via Laurie Anderson) is understated, erratic, often beautiful, disarmingly simple music; it really sounds like six guys playing in a room, and no doubt that's how they wanted it.

"Either Way" sets the tone straight off -- it's a slight ditty with the acoustic-guitar intro from "Blowin' in the Wind." There's a string section, plus a really, really terrible guitar solo that sounds like a Pat Metheny clone grooving to the Weather Channel, which makes sense, since Tweedy is singing about the sun, clouds, etc. The vocal is so straightforward you wonder if Tweedy's putting you on, but he's not -- he's reveling in clarity and simplicity, from the vaudeville piano roll "Walken" to the hippie-gospel hymn "What Light." He's obviously been listening to a lot of Grateful Dead lately ("You Are My Face") as well as Stephen Malkmus ("Shake It Off"). The influence of Jim O'Rourke, who helped Wilco discover noise on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot, is noticeably absent, down to a couple of orchestral arrangements. Some of the 1970s soft-rock tropes work (dig that Basement Tapes organ), others don't (Lord, stomp that wood block). The guitar freakouts are great, especially the two-minute Crazy Horse eruption in the middle of "You Are My Face" and the woozy coda to "Side With the Seeds," which sounds like Robert Fripp doodling over Pavement's "Stop Breathing."

As you'd expect, there are some mighty sleepy moments, mostly pushed to the middle of the album ("Please Be Patient With Me"). But the band's light touch adds the right emotional timbre to the music. If Tweedy's trying hard to sound clear and simple, he has good reason -- a few stray lyrics refer to his harrowing rehab experience, and he ends with "On and On and On," a touching tune for his widowed father. Indeed, the smooth style of Sky Blue Sky, especially the emphasis on mellow crowd-pleasers, could be a twelve-stepper's apology to his fans, band and muse for past dramatics. But more likely Tweedy's too smart and too sincere to fake a turmoil he isn't feeling these days -- he holds these songs together with steady nerves and a satisfied mind.

ROB SHEFFIELD

(Posted: May 14, 2007)

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Give us your review of Sky Blue Sky

Review 1 of 28

5of 5 Stars

Since I put this "album" on, I keep saying, "If I could write an album (music and lyrics) this would be the album I would write at this point in my life." Every song has layers. The guitars, the lyrics, the arrangements. I listen and listen and continue to be pushed to listen more. I will spend many afternoons, evenings, wee hours on my patio with my partner and/or my dog and listen carefully. Thank you.

Jul 5, 2007 18:42:57

Review 2 of 28

4of 5 Stars

This is one of the greatest albums of the past couple years, and it is most definitely intended to be heard and played live. Go see them this summer, and you'll understand. These songs are designed for "moments," particular sections where the mild country-rock melts away into fury, and then recesses. "You Are My Face," "Side With the Seeds," "Walken," "Impossible Germany" and "Shake It Off" all drip with swagger...Yet are paced well-enough that you notice it every time you listen. Wilco is not running away from the Yankee Hotel Foxtrot era...Instead they are just shifting into a modern Crazy Horse for an album. That is nothing to be ashamed of. And who is the guy who thinks "I'm a Wheel" is Wilco's worst song? What? It's easily the best from Ghost.

Jul 1, 2007 14:59:56

Review 3 of 28

4of 5 Stars

RS has really written an accurate review - thanks. I'll keep this short - if you buy even one song from any place this year, please make it "Impossible Germay". This is music.

Jun 29, 2007 11:18:13

Review 4 of 28

3of 5 Stars

"Have Wilco ever written a better song than 'Impossible Germany?'" Hey Rob, you ever hear "I Am Trying To Break Your Heart"? "Via Chicago"? "Handshake Drugs"? Wilco have made an album that is "good enough", but not nearly as consistently brilliant as Yankee Hotel Foxtrot or Summerteeth. The lyrics aren't so much simple as they are simplistic, and the music is far too relaxed for a band that could craft an eleven-minute jam with more druggy tension than anything Big Star did. It has its moments as a pop album, like "Either Way", "You Are My Face", "Side With The Seeds" and "What Light". Hell, even "Shake It Off" is a decent change of pace...you know, before you realize that it beats out "I'm A Wheel" as Wilco's worst song ever. Here's hoping Wilco try their hands at something more unconventional next time around.

Jun 28, 2007 08:40:21

Review 5 of 28

5of 5 Stars

Ok , So Wilco came up with maybe the best album of the summer , so far. Not far from being able called PERFECT AND GREAT.. Blonde on Blonde with some Rubber Soul , Ray Davies in there also. I know the chords from "YOU ARE IN MY FACE " from those basement tapes, Bob and the Band did . I can hear Al Kooper . i advise anyone with a turntable to buy the 180 gram version , it comes with the cd and wow it sounds great. Some Phish , some Dead sounds come in... "Impossible Germany" is almost a Velvet Underground song , thing would have fit into "LOADED" album.. So can White Stripes with their new cd come up with some thing that,some one would play in a year, in 5 years , or compair it to music from 40 years ago when music was HOT ... AND ALIVE AND A BREATH OF FRESH AIR.. OH YEA THAT IS SKY BLUE SKY WITH THAT BAND MARCHING THROUGH.... WE NEED A SOUL SINGER TO DO "SIDE WITH THE SEEDS" The guitar in that song is from Old times Frisco or Philly .. WHAT MORE CAN I SAY... ITS GREAT .. LUKE

Jun 18, 2007 10:39:30

Review 6 of 28

5of 5 Stars

Brilliant. Absolutely brilliant. Easy lyrics, breezy guitar. Every instrument gets a chance to shine. Nobody is in a hurry hear, yet nobody is tentative. The vocal harmonies are just right. The guitar solos bite deeply. The spacing is gorgeous, enough time to relax but not quite enough to doze off. A great album from a band that was headed down one artistic path, but deviated a bit bak towards its roots. Great work Wilco.

May 31, 2007 20:19:26

Review 7 of 28

3of 5 Stars

Wilco getting inspiration from Phish? Please say it isn't so. I don't know how any Wilco fan could be excited with the way this new sound is headed. I have been skipping through this album every time that new guitar player chimes in. They should have just hired Jimmy Herring. Am I going to have to get my patchouli and birkenstocks out for their next show?

May 31, 2007 14:31:49

Review 8 of 28

4of 5 Stars

OK, Rob. You are a wonderful rock writer. Probably the funniest pop culture observer mixed with the ulimate rock geek in all of us. But lyrics not always a Wilco specialty? Really, Rob? Really? Now I know you hedged your bets a little by writing "not always" but come on. Jeff Tweedy is easily in the top ten of lyricists of his generation. That said, SkyBlueSky is breathtaking. I was ready to hate it. Wrong idea.

May 29, 2007 17:03:47

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