Wilco sells out to Corporate America

Who is Mat Kearney?

 

I guess nobody here is picking up on my argument.

The biggest beef I have is that Wilco made a financial sacrifice (or, at least, took a huge risk) for the sake of art and put out a GREAT album in 2002.

Five years later, they release a very mediocre album -- if anyone here thinks "Sky Blue Sky" is better than any of their previous albums, I'd like to hear from you -- and yet pimp themselves out under the guise of having their music heard in any way possible.

 

You're right.

I'm not picking up on your argument.

 

another in an endless line of lightweight no-talent balladeers along the lines of John Mayer, Jack Johnson, Jason Mraz and Josh Groban whose empty, cliche-riddled, sludge-filled songs are worshipped by text-messaging college girls and flabby SUV-driving housewives who are too lazy to realize there's actually good music out there if you bother to look somewhere else

like a VW commercial

 

Sky Blue Sky isn't medicore, it is just different. Just like how every Wilco album has been different. SBS actually sounds a lot like Tweedy side project, Loose Fur.

 

This "selling out" mantra is complete bullshit. As is the "for the sake of art" mantra. Any artist with half a brain wants his/her work exposed to as many people as possible. The creative process can be therapeuitc, cathartic and even life-saving, so it has significant self-contained value. But, ultimately, you create to try and make a difference. You don't do that by standing on "priniciple," screwing yourself over and refusing to disseminate your work.

Also, Tweedy has a family that I'm sure he wants to secure a future for. You think this ideal of "artistic integrity" trumps that? God, I hope not.

 

That financial sacrifice turned out to be their best-selling record ever. And Warners paid for it twice, basically giving it to them to shop around before buying it again.

And artists don't make money off selling records, at least not anymore. Wilco tours like crazy and even lets people record the shows. I have several I've downloaded.

Again, good for them. Screw the record companies with no vaseline and a cactus!

 

Of all people, Jay, you shouldn't be giving Tweedy such a free pass. You have gotten back to your roots and put out two phenomenal albums in a row. Tweedy just seems to drift further and further away from relevancy.

I find Sky to be flat, boring, uninventive. It's a watered down version of everything they've already done. I don't think it's different at all.

 

If VW did spots where Tweedy was behind the wheel singing, or if a Sky Blue Sky song was on in the background and he said, "Hi, I'm Jeff Tweedy. You know, I used to be a really depressed mother fucker. I had issues with drugs and alcohol, but ever since I got behind the wheel of my new GTI, my music's a little more weak optimistic and I'm a new man...thanks, Volkswagen!"

Cut to Jeff singing one of his songs, passing a car on an open city street.

LOGO

And for the record, I loves me some Wilco, but I'm underwhelmed with Sky Blue Sky. Not stopping me from being in the orchestra pit at The Greek on Aug 29!

 

Greg Kot (he of the Wilco biography) did a great interview with Bono a few years ago after he had call U2 a sellout for the iPod deal. Bono made a very good case for himself, saying that they really didn't make any money from Apple for doing it, but did it more to get their music out there. He attacked the music press for attacking bands after they get successful, saying it's a no-win situation. You work to make great music, then get a chance to make great music and get labeled a sellout no matter what you do.

And, for the record, SBS has grown on me. It's not my favorite Wilco album, but I like it. I think people attack SBS more for what it isn't than for what it is. I've seen them several times in the past few years, and never make it through a show without at least one "how freakin' great is this" moment where I get all tingly. I'm looking forward to seeing some of the new stuff again live, now that I'm more familiar with it.

 

sky blue sky has grown on me a lot

it's pretty good

on the other hand, I find Search fairly dull

and I'm totally a Son Volt > Wilco guy, but I just think Jay has lost his edge a little

come on, he wrote Chickamauga, Windfall, Cemetary Saviour

 

I second the previous post pretty much word for word. Until recently, I always preferred Farrar over Tweedy. But I respect Tweedy for not being afraid to try new things, even if the new things is stepping back and stripping down. To me, Farrar will never surpass what he did on Anodyne and Trace, arguably my two favorite CDs of all time.