I got a chance to hear Wilco's new record, Sky Blue Sky, last night. I can't say much about how I feel about the album after one listen, but I will say this: the omission of "Thanks I Get" from the album is understandable.
Like the Yankee Hotel Foxtrot outtakes "Not for the Season" and "Cars Can't Escape," here's another case of a great song that's the odd man out. "Thanks I Get" is purely sublime, but it's just too poppy compared to the twelve songs that made the final cut. Its omission is a little surprising since the song has been played live quite a bit in the last year (here are videos of it performed with a full band and solo). Knowing Wilco, I have a good feeling we will get to download the song with the purchase of the CD.
For Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost is Born, the CD unlocked bonus MP3 content available online when placed in the CD-Rom drive. Still a very smart move to get people to buy their material, I'm a little surprised more labels haven't taken this approach. In the case of "Thanks I Get," this is a song that deserves a release of some type.
I will say this about Sky Blue Sky, don't be surprised to read "yacht rock" in reviews. I'm still in the dark about what that title exactly means, but it does have shades of early Steely Dan (an oft compared yacht rock band). As a pre-Aja Steely Dan fan, I have no problem with this. But the album is what it is and I'm not about to start some online petition to get "Thanks I Get" onto the album.
Like the Yankee Hotel Foxtrot outtakes "Not for the Season" and "Cars Can't Escape," here's another case of a great song that's the odd man out. "Thanks I Get" is purely sublime, but it's just too poppy compared to the twelve songs that made the final cut. Its omission is a little surprising since the song has been played live quite a bit in the last year (here are videos of it performed with a full band and solo). Knowing Wilco, I have a good feeling we will get to download the song with the purchase of the CD.
For Yankee Hotel Foxtrot and A Ghost is Born, the CD unlocked bonus MP3 content available online when placed in the CD-Rom drive. Still a very smart move to get people to buy their material, I'm a little surprised more labels haven't taken this approach. In the case of "Thanks I Get," this is a song that deserves a release of some type.
I will say this about Sky Blue Sky, don't be surprised to read "yacht rock" in reviews. I'm still in the dark about what that title exactly means, but it does have shades of early Steely Dan (an oft compared yacht rock band). As a pre-Aja Steely Dan fan, I have no problem with this. But the album is what it is and I'm not about to start some online petition to get "Thanks I Get" onto the album.
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