Wilco, "Sky Blue Sky"

Mitch defends a generation of dads who rock

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Jan 20, 2021

Mitch’s Pitch:

When Wilco’s Sky Blue Sky first hit the spinner rack at Starbucks back in 2007 (we liked overpaying for coffee and CDs before the Great Recession) it arrived in a cloud of controversy. Our beloved indie-alt-country rockers, who just a few years earlier had bravely bought Yankee Hotel Foxtrot back from the evil record company and successfully released it themselves - had SOLD OUT. It was the greatest Gen X betrayal since Tom & Jerry stopped fighting and started drinking lemonade together.

This betrayal was even given a name: Dad rock.

Those two words were more than just an indictment of Jeff Tweedy and Wilco. It was a generational attack, with the millennials at Pitchfork leading the charge to tell us Gen Xers to pack up and move along. Our brief time as cultural influencers was already over. We were being “OK, Boomer”-ed right off the stage.

Stuck between the entitlement of the millennials and the selfishness of the boomers, the slacker generation has always been overlooked. Combining the disillusionment of the post-Watergate years with the DIY spirit of punk, and the pervasive threat of nuclear annihilation, we became a generation that believed in nothing but honest self-reflection, doing the work, and taking care of each other. Living in the space between pragmatism and cynicism, we subsisted on low expectations, ironic detachment and artificially-clear beverages.

Gen X music reflected our collective mindset, and grunge rock became a commentary on our parent’s rock and roll. We combined the anthemic power of classic rock (but demystified the rock star) with the authenticity of punk rock (but acknowledged the desire for success) and tore down the fourth wall in the process.

The search for personal truth and authenticity has always been at the heart of Gen X, which brings us back to Wilco, Sky Blue Sky and dad rock.

Sky Blue Sky shows a band embracing their present and the truth of the moment. Musically and lyrically, it shows a band that cares not for the expectations that have been put on them, but cares more about an honest expression of their thoughts, feelings, and ideas.

Tweedy’s vulnerabilities are on full display and his lyrics are painfully raw. He talks about his mental state, his emotional state, the state of his relationship, the state of politics and even a few failed states. Even rock stars get the blues sometimes.

Musically is where Sky Blue Sky really soars, bolstered by the addition of guitarist Nels Cline and multi-instrumentalist Pat Sansone. The beautiful, languid, inter-weaving, jammy guitar lines that dominate this album are its defining feature, with the “Impossible Germany” solo being the emotional centerpiece.

I adore the sound of this album, how melodic it is, and just how spacious it is. Nothing feels cluttered or rushed, everything takes its own sweet time until we finally get to the fireworks factory. The whole album is fantastic, but standouts include “You Are My Face”, “Sky Blue Sky”, “Hate it Here”, “Walken” and...I guess every other song except for “Shake It Off”.

Wilco grew up but they never sold out. They just didn’t care whether you thought they were cool or hip or indie anymore. They were too busy being authentic and transforming the pain of existence into art. They weren’t chasing trends or donning a mask. They were just doing the authentic Gen X thing: honest self-reflection, doing the work, and taking care of each other.

Or maybe I just like the album because it sounds like The Byrds combined with The Dead.

Either way.

Don’s Response:

I think I speak for the *scores* of avid EONS subscribers when I express how relieved I was to learn Mitch’s latest pitch would be more accessible than his two most recent offerings: pre-pop, prog-rock Genesis and something called Father John Misty. Admit it, we were all bracing for another entry that would have been more hard work.

Thankfully, Mitch didn’t disappoint this time, with one of the most accessible albums of the 21st century, Wilco’s Sky Blue Sky. Talk about easy listening.

Things start looking up from the jump, with the breezy “Either Way” establishing the record’s predominantly delicate feel, followed by “You Are My Face,” in which front man Jeff Tweedy channels John Lennon’s phrasing, and the rest of Wilco evoke The Beatles’ guitar lines and harmonies. The rest of Side A glides along, floating with similar effortlessness.

Sky Blue Sky takes off on Side B, starting with the lovely “Please Be Patient With Me.” Great musicianship follows with “Hate It Here,” which obviously – and endearingly – also nods to the Fab Four, but only as if Van Morrison was their lead singer. It works. Dad rock, indeed.

The highlight is the stupendous “What Light,” which sounds familiar, yet is the most original tune on the album. It’s one of my all-time favorite songs.

Before the sessions, Tweedy reportedly asked the band, comprised of several new members, to go to school and study the great 1960s artists. It was a stroke of genius, inspiring a post “classic rock” classic. But most importantly, it helped Mitch finally stick the landing.

Pitch Successful

CJ’s Response

When I was in college, it seemed like Rusted Root was the heir apparent to the Grateful Dead. Shortly thereafter, Phish took up the mantle and ran with it for the next twenty years or so. During that run, Wilco reluctantly held the torch from time to time. All of which is my way of asking, “Did we really need another Grateful Dead?”

Now, before Deadheads jump on me for screwing up the etymology above or appearing to slight Uncle Jerry’s band, let me just say this: I’m always wrong when I talk about jam bands because I just don’t get this type of music.

To me, listening to the Dead and Phish and Wilco is like a journey without a destination. For some people, that endless road trip is exactly why they signed on. Me, I need to know where we’re going.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with the music on Sky Blue Sky. It’s pleasant and well-written and adroitly played. “Either Way” and “Please Be Patient With Me” sound like Beatles songs, which will no doubt please Ken (and Mitch’s grandmother). “Sky Blue Sky” and “Hate It Here” feel like they should come with dancing bear stickers. And “Impossible Germany” is what would happen if Jeff Tweedy invited the guys from Guster over for some herbal tea and peyote buttons.

Quick story: I happened to be in London when the Grateful Dead swung through on Halloween Night 1990. So, I went to see them at Wembley Stadium more for the experience than the music. The highlight of the show was the encore—Warren Zevon’s “Werewolves of London.” Right song. Right place. Right day. It occurred to me then that the Dead are one of those bands that I like better when they’re playing other people’s songs.

Maybe Wilco will do a covers album.

Pitch Successful

Ken’s Response:

I’m not proud of it, but it happens to all of us. There’s no need to beat me up over it, and as they say, isn’t it better late than never? We’ve touched on musical “blind spots” here before, and this one feels egregious. But like everything life throws at you, you can either wallow in the misery of your misdeeds, or you can pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and tell yourself that not appreciating Wilco’s Sky Blue Sky until 2021 doesn’t make you a horrible person. I mean, it’s not like I donned a red baseball cap and participated in a violent coup or anything!

Admittedly, I don’t know anything about Wilco or their body of work. All I knew before last week was that they were a band that had a fanbase that crossed over into my Deadhead world. You’d see Wilco tee shirts at Ratdog, Furthur, and Dead & Co shows, and friends of mine would ask if I had bought tickets to their show, assuming (as Deadheads tend to do) that anytime a band we like (or are supposed to like) came within 500 miles of our hometown that we’d jump at the chance to drop everything and road trip it. Truth be told, that hasn’t really been my thing since the mid-’90s.

Reminiscent of a John Lennon solo album, there are songs like “Either Way” and “Hate It Here”, and touching on the jamminess of the aforementioned Grateful Dead, “Impossible Germany” and “Side with the Seeds” take you on a nice journey with some beautifully intertwined dual-guitar soloing; it may not be the outer space of a “Dark Star” or “Morning Dew”, but it’s certainly a pleasant little trip.

I now know that Wilco’s Sky Blue Sky is a fantastic album and I plan to road trip to their shows frequently, even if it’s only on my AirPods as I take my daily walk through my quaint, suburban neighborhood.

Pitch Successful

Mitch’s pitch was nothing but blue skies, and Wilco’s Sky Blue Sky has been added to the Newbury St. Collection.

Thanks for reading! It looks like Sky Blue Sky was no sunken treasure so leave us a comment and let us know if you think Wilco is outtasite or outta mind.

Exile on Newbury St.

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