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Sky Blue Sky

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Untitled

Sky Blue Sky is the sixth studio album by Chicago-based rock band Wilco. Released on May 15, 2007 by Nonesuch Records, it became Wilco's highest debuting album on the Billboard 200 at number four. Originally announced on January 17, 2007 at a show in Nashville, Tennessee, it was the band's first studio album with guitarist Nels Cline and multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone. Prior to the release of the album, the band streamed the entire album on its official website and offered a free download of "What Light", the first single from the album.

The self-produced album received mostly favorable reviews by critics. Publications such as PopMatters and Rolling Stone praised its maturity, while PlayLouder and Pitchfork Media criticized its "dad-rock" sound. Critics noted the straightforwardness of the lyrics as compared to previous Wilco albums, which received both disdain and praise. The band licensed six songs from the Sky Blue Sky sessions to a Volkswagen advertisement campaign, a move that generated criticism from fans and the media.

Recording

In May 2006, Wilco drummer Glenn Kotche mentioned that the band was recording material for a new album.[1] During a January 17, 2007 solo concert, frontman Jeff Tweedy announced that the band would release their sixth studio album on May 15, 2007. Tweedy stated that it would be released on Nonesuch Records, which released their previous two albums, Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost Is Born.[2][3] The album was named Sky Blue Sky from a childhood memory that Tweedy had of a Memorial Day parade in Belleville, Illinois. He had come home from St. Louis with his family, but could not reach his house because the parade blocked the main street. This made Tweedy think of his future in the town, and he figured that he had to leave the town when he grew up because it was too small.[4]

While touring in support of A Ghost Is Born, the band began to play songs from the new LP during concerts, such as "Either Way" and "On and On and On".[1] The album was recorded by TJ Doherty at The Loft in Irving Park, Chicago, where Tweedy had recorded Born Again in the USA (with Loose Fur) and the majority of Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. In an interview with Billboard, the band revealed that the album would be less experimental than the two previous albums and more influenced by The Beatles, The Beach Boys, and The Rolling Stones. Also unlike the previous albums, Jim O'Rourke was only minimally involved with the album, which was produced with very few overdubs.[5] The band sought to be more direct with this record than the previous two, resulting in a mellower album. Tweedy attributes the lyrical directness to listening to material by The Byrds and Fairport Convention while recording the album.[6] He disliked the amount of studio effects on previous albums:[7]

I got nervous about the technology on Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. If you need a certain amp or pedal to make a song what it is, it isn't a song.

Many of the album's songs were recorded in only one day, with the band reaching a consensus on how each song should sound.[7] Eighteen songs were recorded for the album and twelve were actually chosen.[8] The outtake "Let's Not Get Carried Away" was included with iTunes digital downloads. Some albums that were shipped to independent record stores included an EP featuring the outtake "One True Vine" and a live version of "Theologians" recorded at The Vic theater in Chicago.[5]

Sky Blue Sky was the first studio record to feature the expanded lineup that premiered on Kicking Television: Live in Chicago. Guitarist Jeff Tweedy provided the lead vocals for the album and John Stirratt, the only other original member of the band, played bass guitar and added background vocals. Glenn Kotche played drums and Mikael Jorgensen performed on a variety of keyboards. New to the band since the last studio album was lead guitarist Nels Cline and multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone. Additional instrumentation was provided by violinist Karen Waltuch and multi-instrumentalist Jim O'Rourke. The album was mixed by Jim Scott at PLYRZ Studios in Santa Clara, California.[9]

Unlike previous Wilco albums, Sky Blue Sky features more songwriting collaboration between Tweedy and the other members of the band. As a result, a variety of lyrical themes appear on Sky Blue Sky.[10] The titular track references the worries Tweedy had as a child in a small town while "On and On and On" is an ode to Tweedy's father's experience after the death of Tweedy's mother.[4][10] Not everything on the album is so serious—"Hate It Here" somewhat humorously describes a man who tries to fill his free time with chores after breaking up with his lover.[11]

Marketing and promotion

On March 3, 2007, Wilco's official website hosted a Sky Blue Sky "listening party", where they streamed the new album in its entirety.[12][13] Two days later, the track "What Light" was made available for download on the band's website and was streamed on its MySpace page.[14] On March 11, 2007, the official website again streamed the album in its entirety. "The Thanks I Get", a song recorded in the Sky Blue Sky sessions but not included on the album, was made available as a free download to purchasers of the album.[15]

Frustrated by the lack of radio airplay that previous Wilco albums had received, the band decided to branch out into television advertising. Wilco had previously licensed songs for Telefónica Moviles, and Jeff Tweedy appeared in a series of advertisements for Apple Computers.[16] In May 2007, Volkswagen began running a pair of commercials with "You Are My Face" and bonus track "The Thanks I Get" playing in the background. The band commented on their website that "we feel okay about VWs. Several of us even drive them."[17] The band licensed six songs for the campaign, which was created by advertising agency Crispin Porter and Bogusky.[18] The move was met with criticism from both fans and popular media.[19][20]

A promotional tour followed the release of the album. The band performed "Sky Blue Sky" and "You Are My Face" on Later... with Jools Holland on May 25, 2007 and was interviewd on The Dermot O'Leary Show the next day.[17][21] Beginning on June 13, 2007, Wilco played fourteen shows in North America with Low as its opening act. Following this, the band made plans to tour Norway, Denmark, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Belgium, Italy, and Spain before playing a few more North American shows, including a performance on The Tonight Show.[22]

Release and reception

Nonesuch released the album on May 15, 2007, and the following week it became the best sales week ever for the band. Following its release, the album debuted at number four on the U.S. Billboard 200, selling 87,000 copies domestically in its first week.[23] Sky Blue Sky was also an international success, peaking at number 7 in Norway, number 21 in Belgium, number 23 in Australia and Ireland, number twenty-six in Sweden, number 32 in New Zealand, number thirty-six in Germany, and number thirty-nine in the United Kingdom.[24]

The album received varied critical reception upon its release, with the majority of outlets giving a positive review.[25] Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone pondered in his review whether Wilco had ever made a song as good as "Impossible Germany", lauding how the song builds into a "twin guitar epic" in the mold of Television and Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac.[7] Michael Metivier of PopMatters commented that while the album took a while to understand, it was full of "exquisitely beautiful melodies and performances".[26] All Music Guide writer Mark Deming called the album "Wilco's strongest album as an ensemble to date", and found the return to roots rock music as a fresh new method for the band.[27]

Not all publications praised the new style of Sky Blue Sky. Stylus Magazine editor Ian Cohen disliked how the album did not break the fourth wall, and referred to the album as a "worrying development" because of its dissimilarities to Kicking Television: Live in Chicago.[28] Ted Grant of PlayLouder called the album the "blandest and most creatively uninspired record of their career", finding that the album was leading to tame "dad-rock".[29] Pitchfork writer Rob Mitchum also used the "dad-rock" colloquialism, dismissing its straightforwardness and arguing "Tweedy merely ended up with the wrong personnel to articulate his mood here."[30]

The lyrical content is considered by critics to be somewhat experimental, but more straightforward than previous Wilco albums.[26][31] Michael Metevier of PopMatters finds the lyrics to be "some of the most affecting and least clumsy" of the band's career, though he worries that they may strike some Wilco fans as dull.[26] Rob Sheffield claims that while he was unimpressed with the lyrics of other Wilco albums, he does like the songwriting on Sky Blue Sky.[7] However, Brandon Kreitler of Dusted Magazine feels that the lyrics seem like an insular Tweedy confessional, while Doug Freeman of The Austin Chronicle describes the collaborative songwriting as yielding "fatalistic ambivalence".[32][33]

Track listing

All songs written by Jeff Tweedy except as indicated.

  1. "Either Way" – 3:05
  2. "You Are My Face" (Tweedy/Cline) – 4:38
  3. "Impossible Germany" (Tweedy/Wilco) – 5:57
  4. "Sky Blue Sky" – 3:23
  5. "Side with the Seeds" (Tweedy/Jorgensen) – 4:15
  6. "Shake It Off" – 5:40
  7. "Please Be Patient with Me" – 3:17
  8. "Hate It Here" (Tweedy/Wilco) – 4:31
  9. "Leave Me (Like You Found Me)" – 4:09
  10. "Walken" (Tweedy/Wilco) – 4:26
  11. "What Light" – 3:35
  12. "On and On and On" (Tweedy/Wilco) – 4:00
  • iTunes bonus track:
13. "Let's Not Get Carried Away"
  • Independent record store bonus tracks:
13. "One True Vine"
14. "Theologians" (live)

References

  1. ^ a b Llewellyn, Kati (May 8, 2006). "Glenn Kotche Talks New Wilco Record". Pitchfork Media. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) Last accessed June 9, 2007.
  2. ^ Llewellyn, Kati (January 18, 2007). "Tweedy Reveals Wilco LP Title, Release Date". Pitchfork Media. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) Last accessed June 9, 2007.
  3. ^ Cohen, Jonathan (January 18, 2007). "Wilco Soars into 'Blue Sky' in May". Billboard. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help) Last accessed June 9, 2007.
  4. ^ a b A Parade of Inspiration on Wilco's Sky Blue Sky, NPR, Washington D.C., May 26, 2007. Last accessed June 10, 2007.
  5. ^ a b Cohen, Jonathan (April 13, 2007). "Wilco: In the Comfort Zone". Billboard. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help) Last accessed June 9, 2007.
  6. ^ Kandell, Steve (May 2, 2007). "The Main Attractions: Jeff Tweedy". Spin. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help) Last accessed June 10, 2007.
  7. ^ a b c d Fricke, David (April 5, 2007). "Spring Music Preview: Fifty Must-Hear Albums". Rolling Stone. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help) Cite error: The named reference "RS" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  8. ^ Mills, Fred (January 20, 2007). "New Wilco Album Sky Blue Sky Drops May 15". Harp. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help) Last accessed June 10, 2007.
  9. ^ Sky Blue Sky album notes, May 15, 2007. Nonesuch Records, 131388.
  10. ^ a b Kot, Greg (May 13, 2007). "Wilco Pares Down for Simpler, More Intimate Work". Chicago Tribune. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  11. ^ Collis, Clark. "The Trouble With Tweedy". Entertainment Weekly. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help) Last accessed June 16, 2007.
  12. ^ "Wilco Official Website". wilcoworld.net. Last accessed March 3, 2007.
  13. ^ Crock, Jason (May 7, 2007). "Interview: Wilco". Pitchfork Media. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) Last accessed June 10, 2007.
  14. ^ Suarez, Jessica (March 5, 2007). "New Music: Wilco: "What Light" (MP3)". Pitchfork Media. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) Last accessed June 10, 2007.
  15. ^ "Wilco Official Website". wilcoworld.net. Last accessed June 10, 2007.
  16. ^ Volkswagen erroneously stated in its press release that it was the first licensing deal for the band.
  17. ^ a b "Wilco - News". wilcoworld.net. Last accessed June 10, 2007.
  18. ^ Welte, Jim (June 4, 2007). "VW taps Wilco's Sky Blue Sky for Ads". {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) Last accessed June 10, 2007.
  19. ^ Cohen, Jonathan (June 05, 2007). "Wilco Takes a Spin with Volkswagen for TV Ads". MP3.com. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) Last accessed June 10, 2007.
  20. ^ Caro, Mark. "Does VW Deal Make Wilco a Sellout?". Chicago Tribune. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help) Last accessed June 10, 2007.
  21. ^ "Show 4: 11.35pm, BBC2, Friday 25th May 2007". BBC. Last accessed June 16, 2007.
  22. ^ "Sky Blue Sky Tour 2007". wilcoworld.net. Last accessed June 10, 2007.
  23. ^ Hasty, Katie (May 23, 2007). "Linkin Park Scores Year's Best Debut with 'Midnight'". Billboard. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help) Last accessed June 9, 2007.
  24. ^ "Wilco - Sky Blue Sky - Music Charts". acharts.com. Last accessed June 9, 2007.
  25. ^ "Wilco: Sky Blue Sky (2007)". Metacritic. Last accessed June 10, 2007.
  26. ^ a b c Metivier, Michael (May 14, 2007). "Sky Blue-Eyed Soul". PopMatters. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) Last accessed June 9, 2007.
  27. ^ Deming, Mark. "Sky Blue Sky > Review". All Music Guide. Last accessed June 9, 2007.
  28. ^ Cohen, Ian (May 14, 2007). "Wilco - Sky Blue Sky - Review". Stylus Magazine. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help) Last accessed June 9, 2007.
  29. ^ Grant, Ted (June 6, 2007). "Sky Blue Sky (2007) Review". PlayLouder. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) Last accessed June 9, 2007.
  30. ^ Mitchum, Rob (May 14, 2007). "Wilco: Sky Blue Sky (review)". {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) Last accessed June 9, 2007.
  31. ^ Murray, Noel (May 17, 2007). "Wilco - Sky Blue Sky (Review)". The A.V. Club. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) Last accessed June 16, 2007.
  32. ^ Kreitler, Brandon (June 14, 2007). "Dusted Reviews - Wilco - Sky Blue Sky". Dusted Magazine. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help) Last accessed June 16, 2007.
  33. ^ Freeman, Doug (May 18, 2007). "Phases & Stages". The Austin Chronicle. {{cite news}}: Check date values in: |date= (help); Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help) Last accesesd June 16, 2007.
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