sky blue sky

A new incarnation of Wilco went back to basics for this subtle and seductive musical feast.  Founding members Jeff Tweedy and John Stirratt and newer members Glenn Kotche and Mikael Jorgensen took Nels Cline and Pat Sansone with them into the studio for the first time.  'Sky Blue Sky' was produced by Wilco and recorded at band's Loft studio at Irving Park in Chicago.  Front man Jeff Tweedy had undergone rehab for his addiction to prescription painkillers, which had resurfaced after a sinus operation that gave him some relief from his headaches:  "I've been dealing with depression and panic disorder for a long time.  That probably goes as far back as my childhood. . . I come from a family with an alcoholic background, so I've struggled with addiction, or at least alcoholism, for a long time as well.  I knew there was a family history of it, and it was something that scared me; but I didn't stop self-medicating."

As a result, the music feels light and liberated, with the musical interplay of Cline and Sansone adding new depth to the sound.  Violist Karen Waltuch and multi-instrumentalist Jim O'Rourke also contributed to the sessions.  Tweedy says:  "We value very much the spirit of spontaneity, but we also work really hard to get it like that.  I don't know how to explain it, you know? It's one of those 'you know it when you hear it' things. But it takes more work than people would probably believe...I'm not going to worry about putting anything in code or using semaphore or symbolizing lyrics or anything.  Just come straight out and say, 'Hey I think I wanna tell you something.' That's kind of scary, you know? But I think it was a worthwhile thing to do...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."   'Sky Blue Sky' made its debut at number four on the Billboard album chart and sold over three hundred and eighty-nine copies.  






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Tweedy says of "Either Way":   "I don't know, we all just felt like it sounded like a nice way to ease into the record. Lyrically, maybe it's a bit of a mission statement. In general, most of these songs are dealing with some idea of acceptance, and trying to relate to the world. Relating to reality in a way that comprehends that it's never exactly what you want it to be."

"You Are My Face" 

"Impossible Germany"

"Sky Blue Sky"  

"Side with the Seeds" 

"Please Be Patient with Me"  

"Walken" 

"On and On and On" 

'Sky Blue Sky' 
full album:




All songs written and composed by Jeff Tweedy, except where noted.


1. "Either Way"   3:05
2. "You Are My Face"  Jeff Tweedy Nels Cline  4:38
3. "Impossible Germany"  Tweedy Wilco  5:57
4. "Sky Blue Sky"   3:23
5. "Side with the Seeds"  Tweedy Mikael 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