Sky Blue Sky

Infobox Album
Name = Sky Blue Sky
Type = studio
Artist = Wilco


Released = May 15, 2007
Recorded = November 2006 – January 2007 at The Wilco Loft, Irving Park, Chicago, Illinois
Genre = Alternative rock
Length = 50:56
Label = Nonesuch
Producer = Wilco
Reviews =
*Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:hzfexzq5ldke link]
*"Alternative Press" Rating|4|5
*"The Aquarian" (A) [http://www.theaquarian.com/reviews-cds.php?id=253 link]
*"The A.V. Club" (A-) [http://www.avclub.com/content/music/wilco link]
*"Blender" Rating|3.5|5 [http://www.blender.com/guide/reviews.aspx?id=4511 link]
*"NME" Rating|3.5|5 [http://www.nme.com/reviews/8567 link]
*Q Rating|3|5
*Robert Christgau (B+) [http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=wilco link]
*"Rolling Stone" Rating|4|5 [http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/14370910/sky_blue_sky link]
*Paste Magazine Rating|4|5 [http://www.pastemagazine.com/action/article/4185/wilco_sky_blue_sky link]
*Pitchfork Media (5.2/10) [http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/42878-sky-blue-sky link]
*PopMatters (9/10) [http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/33236/wilco-sky-blue-sky/ link]
*"Stylus Magazine" (B-) [http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/wilco/sky-blue-sky.htm link]
Last album = "A Ghost Is Born"
(2004)
This album = "Sky Blue Sky"
(2007)
Next album =

"Sky Blue Sky" is the sixth studio album by Chicago rock band Wilco, released on May 15, 2007 by Nonesuch Records. 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. Before its release, the band streamed the entire album on its official website and offered a free download of "What Light".

"Sky Blue Sky" was Wilco's highest debuting album on the "Billboard" 200 at number four. 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. While some critics praised the direct lyrical approach, others criticised it when compared to previous Wilco albums. 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.

Production

In April 2006, Wilco was still touring in support of their most recent studio album, "A Ghost Is Born" which was released in 2004. The band performed a few new songs during this leg of the tour, including "Walken", "Either Way", and "On and On and On". The following month, drummer Glenn Kotche mentioned to Pitchfork Media that those new songs were going to be recorded as demos for a new album release.cite web|last=Llewellyn|first=Kati|url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/news/2006/05/08|title=Glenn Kotche Talks New Wilco Record|publisher=Pitchfork Media|date=May 8, 2006 Last accessed June 9, 2007.] During a January 17, 2007 solo concert, frontman Jeff Tweedy announced that the band would release their sixth studio album on May 15, 2007 through Nonesuch Records. [cite web|last=Llewellyn|first=Kati|url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/page/news/2006/05/08|title=Tweedy Reveals Wilco LP Title, Release Date|publisher=Pitchfork Media|date=January 18, 2007 Last accessed June 9, 2007.] [cite news|last=Cohen|first=Jonathan|url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003534789|title=Wilco Soars into 'Blue Sky' in May|publisher="Billboard"|date=January 18, 2007 Last accessed June 9, 2007.] The album was named "Sky Blue Sky", a reference to a childhood memory of Tweedy's, 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 led Tweedy to reflect upon his future in the town: he knew that he would have to leave when he grew up because it was too small." [http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=10474704&ft=1&f=1039 A Parade of Inspiration on Wilco's Sky Blue Sky] ", NPR, Washington D.C., May 26, 2007. Last accessed June 10, 2007.]

The album was recorded by TJ Doherty at The Loft in Irving Park, Chicago, where Tweedy had recorded Loose Fur's "Born Again in the USA" and most of Wilco's "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.cite news|last=Cohen|first=Jonathan|url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/feature/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003571465|title=Wilco: In the Comfort Zone|publisher="Billboard"|date=April 13, 2007 Last accessed June 9, 2007.]

Composition

The band sought to be more direct with this record than the previous two, resulting in a more mellow album. Tweedy attributes the lyrical directness to his listening to material by The Byrds and Fairport Convention while recording the album. [cite news|last=Kandell|first=Steve|url=http://www.spin.com/features/magazine/2007/05/0705_jeff/|title=The Main Attractions: Jeff Tweedy|publisher="Spin"|date=May 2, 2007 Last accessed June 10, 2007.] He disliked the reliance on studio effects on previous albums:cite news|last=Fricke|first=David|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/14048512/spring_music_preview_fifty_musthear_albums/2|title=Spring Music Preview: Fifty Must-Hear Albums|publisher="Rolling Stone"|date=April 5, 2007]

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 a single day, with the band reaching a consensus on how each song should sound. Eighteen songs were recorded for the album and twelve were selected for the album's tracklisting. [cite news|last=Mills|first=Fred|url=http://www.harpmagazine.com/news/detail.cfm?article=10831|title=New Wilco Album "Sky Blue Sky" Drops May 15|publisher="Harp"|date=January 20, 2007 Last accessed June 10, 2007.] The outtake "Let's Not Get Carried Away" was included with iTunes digital downloads, and a full-band version of "The Thanks I Get" was released on the band's Myspace page. 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. A deluxe edition of "Sky Blue Sky" was also released, which included a DVD with eight live performances from the Wilco Loft.

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" (Tweedy was the only designer of the songs on "A Ghost Is Born", using Pro Tools, before presenting them to the band).cite news|last=Kot|first=Greg|title=Wilco Pares Down for Simpler, More Intimate Work|publisher="Chicago Tribune"|date=May 13, 2007] [Kot 2004. p. 240–1] 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. Not every song on the album is as serious—"Hate It Here" somewhat humorously describes a man who tries to fill his free time with chores after breaking up with his lover. [cite news|last=Collis|first=Clark|url=http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20038840_20038841_20033215,00.html|title=The Trouble With Tweedy|publisher="Entertainment Weekly" Last accessed June 16, 2007.]

"Sky Blue Sky" was the band's first studio record to feature the expanded lineup that premiered on "". 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 previous studio album were lead guitarist Nels Cline and multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone. Additional instrumentation was provided by violist Karen Waltuch and multi-instrumentalist Jim O'Rourke. The album was mixed by Jim Scott at PLYRZ Studios in Santa Clara, California."Sky Blue Sky" album notes, May 15, 2007. Nonesuch Records, 131388.]

Artwork

The cover artwork of "Sky Blue Sky" is a photograph by Manuel Presti titled "Sky Chase." The photograph was taken in Rome, Italy, and helped Presti win the 2005 BBC Wildlife Photographer of Year Competition. [cite web|last=Presti|first=Manuel|url=http://www.wildlifephoto-presti.com/Photo_of_the_month/2005/11_2005.htm|title=Sky Chase – B156|publisher=wildlifephoto-presti.com Last accessed July 5, 2007.] The same photograph is featured in the July, 2007 issue of "National Geographic". Nathaniel Murphy provided several illustrations for the liner booklet, which include a tree on a hill, a hand, and a flock of birds. The booklet also contains photographs of the band members by Frank Ockenfels. Graphic design was provided by Jeff Tweedy and Lawrence Azerrad.

Marketing and promotion

On March 3, 2007, Wilco's official website hosted a "Sky Blue Sky" "listening party", which streamed the new album in its entirety. [cite web|url=http://smartley3.wilcoworld.net/sbs/|title=Wilco Official Website|publisher=wilcoworld.net Last accessed March 3, 2007.] [cite web|last=Crock|first=Jason|url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/feature/42415-interview-wilco|title=Interview: Wilco|publisher=Pitchfork Media|date=May 7, 2007 Last accessed June 10, 2007.] Two days later, the track "What Light" was made available for download on the band's website and was streamed on its MySpace page. [cite news|last=Suarez|first=Jessica|url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/download/41529-wilco-what-light-mp3|title=New Music: Wilco: "What Light" (MP3)|publisher=Pitchfork Media|date=March 5, 2007 Last accessed June 10, 2007.] On March 11, 2007, the official website streamed the album in its entirety again. "The Thanks I Get", a song recorded during the "Sky Blue Sky" sessions but not included on the album, was made available as a free download to purchasers of the album. [cite web|url=http://smartley3.wilcoworld.net/sbs/|title=Wilco Official Website|publisher=wilcoworld.net Last accessed June 10, 2007.] During the European segment of the promotional tour, Wilco included a five-song extended play with purchase of the album. The EP contained the songs "The Thanks I Get", "One True Vine", "Let's Not Get Carried Away", and live versions of "Impossible Germany" and "Hate It Here". Wilco made the EP available online for free to previous purchasers of "Sky Blue Sky". [cite web|url=http://wilcoworld.net/sbs/index.php|title=Wilco: Sky Blue Sky|publisher=wilcoworld.net Last accessed November 14, 2007.] Frustrated by the lack of radio airplay received by previous Wilco albums, 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 Computer. [Volkswagen erroneously stated in its press release that it was the first licensing deal for the band.] 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."cite web|url=http://wilcoworld.net/news/index.php|title=Wilco – News|publisher=wilcoworld.net Last accessed June 10, 2007.] The band licensed six songs for the campaign, which was created by advertising agency Crispin Porter and Bogusky. [cite web|last=Welte|first=Jim|url=http://www.mp3.com/news/stories/9649.html|title=VW Taps Wilco's "Sky Blue Sky" for Ads|date=June 4, 2007 Last accessed June 10, 2007.] The move was met with criticism from both fans and popular media. [cite news|last=Cohen|first=Jonathan|url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003594075|title=Wilco Takes a Spin with Volkswagen for TV Ads|publisher=MP3.com|date=June 5, 2007 Last accessed June 10, 2007.] [cite news|last=Caro|first=Mark|url=http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/tv/mmx-0610_pop1jun10,0,2442800.story?coll=mmx-television_heds|title=Does VW Deal Make Wilco a Sellout?|publisher="Chicago Tribune" Last accessed June 10, 2007.]

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 interviewed on "The Dermot O'Leary Show" the next day. [cite web|url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/later/show/index_20070525.shtml|title=Show 4: 11.35pm, BBC2, Friday 25th May 2007|publisher=BBC Last accessed June 16, 2007.] Beginning 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". [cite web|url=http://wilcoworld.net/tours/index.php|title="Sky Blue Sky" Tour 2007|publisher=wilcoworld.net Last accessed June 10, 2007.]

Release and reception

Nonesuch released the album on May 15, 2007; the following week became Wilco's best-ever sales week. The album debuted at number four on the U.S. "Billboard" 200, selling 87,000 copies domestically in its first week. [cite news|last=Hasty|first=Katie|url=http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/news/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003589114|title=Linkin Park Scores Year's Best Debut with 'Midnight'|publisher="Billboard"|date=May 23, 2007 Last accessed June 9, 2007.] "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 26 in Sweden, number 32 in New Zealand, number 36 in Germany, and number 39 in the United Kingdom. [cite web|url=http://acharts.us/album/26043|title=Wilco – "Sky Blue Sky" – Music Charts|publisher=acharts.com Last accessed June 9, 2007.]

The album received varied critical reception upon its release. [cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/artists/wilco/skybluesky?q=Wilco|title=Wilco: "Sky Blue Sky" (2007)|publisher=Metacritic Last accessed June 10, 2007.] Rob Sheffield of "Rolling Stone" pondered in his review whether Wilco had ever made a song as good as "Impossible Germany," praising how the song builds into a "twin guitar epic" in the mold of Television and Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac.cite news|last=Sheffield|first=Rob|authorlink=Rob Sheffield|url=http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/14370910/sky_blue_sky|title="Sky Blue Sky": Review|publisher="Rolling Stone"|date=May 14, 2007 Last accessed June 9, 2007.] Michael Metivier of PopMatters commented that while the album took a while to understand, it was full of "exquisitely beautiful melodies and performances".cite web|last=Metivier|first=Michael|url=http://www.popmatters.com/pm/music/reviews/33236/wilco-sky-blue-sky/|title=Sky Blue-Eyed Soul|publisher=PopMatters|date=May 14, 2007 Last accessed June 9, 2007.] Allmusic writer Mark Deming called the album "Wilco's strongest album as an ensemble to date," and found the return to roots rock music a fresh new method for the band. [cite web|last=Deming|first=Mark|url=http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:hzfexzq5ldke|title="Sky Blue Sky" > Review|publisher=Allmusic Last accessed June 9, 2007.] The album received a nomination at the 50th Annual Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album. [cite web|url=http://www.grammy.com/GRAMMY_Awards/50th_Show/list.aspx|title=50th Annual Grammy Awards Nomination List|publisher=Grammy.com Last accessed {December 6, 2007.] It placed 12th in the 2008 Pazz and Jop Poll. [ [http://www.villagevoice.com/pazzandjop07/winners.php?type=album village voice > pazzandjop07 ] ] This album was #42 on "Rolling Stone"'s list of the Top 50 Albums of 2007, and the song "Impossible Germany" was #71 on "Rolling Stone"'s list of the 100 Best Songs of 2007. [Robert Christgau, David Fricke, Christian Hoard, Rob Sheffield (December 17, 2007). [http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/17601851/the_top_50_albums_of_2007/42 "The Top 50 Albums of 2007"] "Rolling Stone". Retrieved 2007-12-20] [No byline (December 11, 2007). [http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/17601363/the_100_best_songs_of_2007/18 "The 100 Best Songs of 2007"] "Rolling Stone". Retrieved 2007-12-21] WXPN named "Impossible Germany" as the #1 song of 2007 and named the album as a whole the #1 album of 2007.Fact|date=January 2008 "Sky Blue Sky" was named one of the ten best albums of the year by "Billboard", "Paste Magazine", "Uncut Magazine", Delusions of Adequacy, and "The Onion A.V. Club". [cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/bests/2007.shtml|title=Metacritic: Best Albums of 2007|publisher=Metacritic Last accessed December 29, 2007.]

However, 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 expressed concern about its dissimilarities to "Kicking Television: Live in Chicago". [cite news|last=Cohen|first=Ian|url=http://www.stylusmagazine.com/reviews/wilco/sky-blue-sky.htm|title=Wilco – "Sky Blue Sky" – Review|publisher="Stylus Magazine"|date=May 14, 2007 Last accessed June 9, 2007.] 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." [cite web|last=Grant|first=Ted|url=http://www.playlouder.com/review/~sky-blue-sky/|title="Sky Blue Sky" (2007) Review|publisher=PlayLouder|date=June 6, 2007 Last accessed June 9, 2007.] 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." [cite web|last=Mitchum|first=Rob|url=http://www.pitchforkmedia.com/article/record_review/42878-sky-blue-sky|title=Wilco: "Sky Blue Sky" (review)|date=May 14, 2007 Last accessed June 9, 2007.]

The lyrical content was considered by critics to be somewhat experimental, but more straightforward than previous Wilco albums. [cite news|last=Murray|first=Noel|url=http://www.avclub.com/content/music/wilco|title=Wilco – "Sky Blue Sky" (Review)|publisher=The A.V. Club|date=May 17, 2007 Last accessed June 16, 2007.] Michael Metevier of PopMatters found the lyrics to be "some of the most affecting and least clumsy" of the band's career, though he worried that they might strike some Wilco fans as dull. Rob Sheffield said that while he was unimpressed with the lyrics of other Wilco albums, he liked the songwriting on "Sky Blue Sky". However, Brandon Kreitler of Dusted Magazine felt that the lyrics seem like an insular Tweedy confessional, and Doug Freeman of "The Austin Chronicle" described the collaborative songwriting as yielding "fatalistic ambivalence". [cite web|last=Kreitler|first=Brandon|url=http://www.dustedmagazine.com/reviews/3644|title=Dusted Reviews – Wilco – "Sky Blue Sky"|publisher=Dusted Magazine|date=June 14, 2007 Last accessed June 16, 2007.] [cite news|last=Freeman|first=Doug|url=http://www.austinchronicle.com/gyrobase/Issue/review?oid=oid%3A475821|title=Phases & Stages|publisher="The Austin Chronicle"|date=May 18, 2007 Last accesesd June 16, 2007.]

Track listing

All songs written by Jeff Tweedy except as indicated.

# "Either Way" – 3:05
# "You Are My Face" (Tweedy, Cline) – 4:38
# "Impossible Germany" (Tweedy, Wilco) – 5:57
# "Sky Blue Sky" – 3:23
# "Side with the Seeds" (Tweedy, Jorgensen) – 4:15
# "Shake It Off" – 5:40
# "Please Be Patient with Me" – 3:17
# "Hate It Here" (Tweedy, Wilco) – 4:31
# "Leave Me (Like You Found Me)" – 4:09
# "Walken" (Tweedy, Wilco) – 4:26
# "What Light" – 3:35
# "On and On and On" (Tweedy, Wilco) – 4:00

Personnel

*Jeff Tweedy – vocals, guitar, graphic design
*John Stirratt – bass guitar, backing vocals
*Glenn Kotche – drums, percussion, glockenspiel
*Mikael Jorgensen – piano, organs
*Nels Cline – electric guitar, lap steel guitar
*Pat Sansone – organs, guitar, harpsichord, backing vocals
*Jim O'Rourke – feedback, percussion, acoustic guitar, string arrangements
*Karen Waltuch – viola, violin
*TJ Doherty – recording
*Jim Scott – mixing
*Jason Tobias, Tom Gloady, Kevin Dean – assistant engineers
*Robert C Ludwig – mastering
*Lawrence Azerrad – graphic design
*Manuel Presti – cover photograph
*Frack Ockenfels – photography
*Nathaniel Murphy – illustrations

Notes

References

*Citation|last=Kot|first=Greg|author-link=Greg Kot|year=2004|title=|edition=1st|place=New York City, NY|publisher=Broadway Books|isbn=0-7679-1558-5