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An Amazon.com Best of 2005 selection.
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Track Listings
| 1. Concerning The UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois | |||
| 2. The Black Hawk War, Or, How To Demolish An Entire Civilization And Still Feel Good About Yourself In The Morning, Or, We Apologize For The Inconvenience But You're Gonna Have To Leave Now, Or, 'I Have Fought The Big Knives And Will Continue To Fight... | |||
| 3. Come On! Feel The Illinoise!: Part I: The World's Columbian Exposition/Part II: Carl Sandburg Visits Me In A Dream | |||
| 4. John Wayne Gacy, Jr. | |||
| 5. Jacksonville | |||
| 6. A Short Reprise For Mary Todd, Who Went Insane, But For Very Good Reasons | |||
| 7. Decatur, Or, Round Of Applause For Your Stepmother! | |||
| 8. One Last 'Whoo-Hoo!' For The Pullman | |||
| 9. Chicago | |||
| 10. Casimir Pulaski Day | |||
| 11. To The Workers Of The Rock River Valley Region, I Have An Idea Concerning Your Predicament | |||
| 12. The Man Of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts | |||
| 13. Prairie Fire That Wanders About | |||
| 14. A Conjunction Of Drones Simulating The Way In Which Sufjan Stevens Has An Existential Crisis In The Great Godfrey Maze | |||
| 15. The Predatory Wasp Of The Palisades Is Out To Get Us! | |||
| 16. They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From The Dead!! Ahhhh! | |||
| 17. Let's Hear That String Part Again, Because I Don't Think They Heard It All The Way Out In Bushnell | |||
| 18. In This Temple As In The Hearts Of Man For Whom He Saved The Earth | |||
| 19. The Seer's Tower | |||
| 20. The Tallest Man, The Broadest Shoulders: Part I: The Great Frontier/Part II: Come To Me Only With Playthings Now | |||
See all 22 tracks on this disc
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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Illinois sounds like The Sea and Cake collaborating with the high-school band from a Wes Anderson film on banjo-driven, pulsing meditations on Vince Guaraldi's music for Peanuts. Sufjan Stevens, the singer-songwriter behind the endeavor, is an earnest and whimsical young man who aims to record an album based on every state in the union, though this is just his second attempt since 2003's Michigan. Lavish praise has been heaped upon this precocious twenty-something, who weaves personal recollections, historical narratives, and strange facts together to create lush portraits of Midwestern life. It's not maudlin stuff, and the atypical instrumentation (strings, choirs, trumpets, vibes) is beyond gimmick. Halfway through "John Wayne Gacy, Jr.," when Stevens has you feeling true empathy for a serial killer, it's clear that he really is an artist of the highest order. These are weird and lovely middlebrow ditties; we eagerly await the Broadway adaptation. --Mike McGonigal
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
475 of 500 people found the following review helpful
By B. P. Price
Format:Audio CD
Sufjan Stevens is a puzzling character; sometimes naive, sometimes sophisticated, somewhat rustic and yet essentially urban in outlook. But there a few things he never seems to exhibit: crassness, boredom, or jaded irony. Instead he appears defenseless and in full flower on "Illinois", an album of remarkable breadth, depth and ambition.
It is precisely his lack of sneering superiority that makes "Illinois" such a treat. These lengthy, wordy poem/songs, these complex instrumental arrangements and daunting pop structures could all be so much ego run amok, like a bad progressive rock album. But that doesn't happen. Instead, we are treated to a song cycle so fresh and honest I hardly know where to start.
From the sweet quietness of the opening number (which turns an actual UFO sighting in 2000 into a revelatory experience) to the nearly presumptuous overture that follows, one gets a glimpse of what will follow. Imagery follows tone follows place follows events both personal and public in a seamless fabric. By the time we are through the title cut on track 3, he has already taken us through a small American symphony of ideas. We have wondered about God and aliens, considered the great icons of the state of Illinois, met with the ghost of Carl Sandburg and wondered if we are being honest with our art in the first place; surely one of the most breathtaking 11 minutes I can recall on CD.
The mood is quietly shattered with "John Wayne Gacy Jr.", probably the most haunted song in recent memory. If this one doesn't make you choke a little, check your pulse. By portraying a serial killer as human after all, he draws our attention to the flaws in every heart. He understands that demons have no souls, but people - even mass murderers - do. Watch out.
Several reviews have commented on Sufjan Steven's Christianity. While is it true that there are references to his faith throughout, it is presented so tenderly and with such openness that it is frankly above criticism and simply a part of the undeniable human experience. Whatever truths and doubts he mentions by way of faith are shared by us all, from atheists to the most devout. So while I do not share his faith I do share the common condition and so understand what he means perfectly.
I could continue, but really I just want people to hear this album all the way through, carefully. Good headphones are revelatory for this one. To shuffle the songs or pick out a few is almost a crime - "Illinois" is a complete work of astonishing freshness, and I find it difficult to imagine how it will be topped in the next 6 months.
It is precisely his lack of sneering superiority that makes "Illinois" such a treat. These lengthy, wordy poem/songs, these complex instrumental arrangements and daunting pop structures could all be so much ego run amok, like a bad progressive rock album. But that doesn't happen. Instead, we are treated to a song cycle so fresh and honest I hardly know where to start.
From the sweet quietness of the opening number (which turns an actual UFO sighting in 2000 into a revelatory experience) to the nearly presumptuous overture that follows, one gets a glimpse of what will follow. Imagery follows tone follows place follows events both personal and public in a seamless fabric. By the time we are through the title cut on track 3, he has already taken us through a small American symphony of ideas. We have wondered about God and aliens, considered the great icons of the state of Illinois, met with the ghost of Carl Sandburg and wondered if we are being honest with our art in the first place; surely one of the most breathtaking 11 minutes I can recall on CD.
The mood is quietly shattered with "John Wayne Gacy Jr.", probably the most haunted song in recent memory. If this one doesn't make you choke a little, check your pulse. By portraying a serial killer as human after all, he draws our attention to the flaws in every heart. He understands that demons have no souls, but people - even mass murderers - do. Watch out.
Several reviews have commented on Sufjan Steven's Christianity. While is it true that there are references to his faith throughout, it is presented so tenderly and with such openness that it is frankly above criticism and simply a part of the undeniable human experience. Whatever truths and doubts he mentions by way of faith are shared by us all, from atheists to the most devout. So while I do not share his faith I do share the common condition and so understand what he means perfectly.
I could continue, but really I just want people to hear this album all the way through, carefully. Good headphones are revelatory for this one. To shuffle the songs or pick out a few is almost a crime - "Illinois" is a complete work of astonishing freshness, and I find it difficult to imagine how it will be topped in the next 6 months.
192 of 205 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Is Sufjan Stevens insane?
"Illinois" is only the second stop on a planned collection of 50 state-themed albums. It's the type of project whose sheer scale and mad ambition boggle the mind, calling forth a number of rhetorical questions: Is he really going to spend the bulk of his career on such a huge project? Given the fact that "Michigan" came out two years ago, shouldn't he pick up the pace a bit? Will he really make a separate album for, say, North and South Dakota?
I hope so.
Illinois is a great album, almost certainly the best of the year so far. It opens with a delicate and beautiful piano track entitled "Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois." From there, Stevens criss-crosses the state, heading to Jacksonville, Decatur and Chicago, creating a musical travelogue as thorough as any Rand McNally guidebook.
Importantly, Stevens doesn't spend all his time going from point A to point B; he also stops to get to know people, writing about everyone from John Wayne Gacy to Superman to Abraham Lincoln to Carl Sandburg. Some of the references amount to little more than name-dropping, but the beautiful Superman song and the haunting Gacy track show that, most of the time, Stevens is really trying to understand how a place could be embodied by such disparate characters.
Thematically, too, he covers a lot of ground. "Oh, God of progress, have you degraded or forgot us? Where have your walls gone? I think about it now," he asks in what is probably the only song that will ever be written about the Columbian Exposition of 1893. For good measure, he throws in a little religious imagery later in the album; though his observations here feel a little self-centered and angry, you have to give him credit for honesty and candor.
Musically, Stevens borrows from a range of styles, from Iron and Wine's hushed folkiness to Philip Glass's bright string and flute and vibraphone arrangements. Somehow he pulls it all together, though; the album's tone ranges from the playful optimism of "Come On! Feel the Illinoise!" to the breathy atmospherics of "The Seer's Tower" but still feels like the creation of a single creative genius. "Are you writing from the heart? Are you writing from the heart?" the ghost of Carl Sandburg asks him on the third track; the next song, the chilling "John Wayne Gacy, Jr." answers with a resounding yes.
I'd never heard of Stevens before hearing the glowing reviews for this album; now that I've heard it, I'm looking forward to catching up with a musical trip down I-94 to "Michigan." Hopefully by the time I'm done exploring his back catalog, he'll have the next state done, and hopefully it'll be as good as "Illinois"; even though I wonder how he can possibly finish this cross-country odyssey, I'm looking forward to riding shotgun.
"Illinois" is only the second stop on a planned collection of 50 state-themed albums. It's the type of project whose sheer scale and mad ambition boggle the mind, calling forth a number of rhetorical questions: Is he really going to spend the bulk of his career on such a huge project? Given the fact that "Michigan" came out two years ago, shouldn't he pick up the pace a bit? Will he really make a separate album for, say, North and South Dakota?
I hope so.
Illinois is a great album, almost certainly the best of the year so far. It opens with a delicate and beautiful piano track entitled "Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois." From there, Stevens criss-crosses the state, heading to Jacksonville, Decatur and Chicago, creating a musical travelogue as thorough as any Rand McNally guidebook.
Importantly, Stevens doesn't spend all his time going from point A to point B; he also stops to get to know people, writing about everyone from John Wayne Gacy to Superman to Abraham Lincoln to Carl Sandburg. Some of the references amount to little more than name-dropping, but the beautiful Superman song and the haunting Gacy track show that, most of the time, Stevens is really trying to understand how a place could be embodied by such disparate characters.
Thematically, too, he covers a lot of ground. "Oh, God of progress, have you degraded or forgot us? Where have your walls gone? I think about it now," he asks in what is probably the only song that will ever be written about the Columbian Exposition of 1893. For good measure, he throws in a little religious imagery later in the album; though his observations here feel a little self-centered and angry, you have to give him credit for honesty and candor.
Musically, Stevens borrows from a range of styles, from Iron and Wine's hushed folkiness to Philip Glass's bright string and flute and vibraphone arrangements. Somehow he pulls it all together, though; the album's tone ranges from the playful optimism of "Come On! Feel the Illinoise!" to the breathy atmospherics of "The Seer's Tower" but still feels like the creation of a single creative genius. "Are you writing from the heart? Are you writing from the heart?" the ghost of Carl Sandburg asks him on the third track; the next song, the chilling "John Wayne Gacy, Jr." answers with a resounding yes.
I'd never heard of Stevens before hearing the glowing reviews for this album; now that I've heard it, I'm looking forward to catching up with a musical trip down I-94 to "Michigan." Hopefully by the time I'm done exploring his back catalog, he'll have the next state done, and hopefully it'll be as good as "Illinois"; even though I wonder how he can possibly finish this cross-country odyssey, I'm looking forward to riding shotgun.
32 of 33 people found the following review helpful
By M. Nelson
Format:Audio CD
I'll admit it, I'm a corporate tool. I bought this album for the sole reason that Amazon named it the top album of 2005. I've been aching to find something new and interesting (my Flogging Molly and Phillip Glass albums were getting worn out). Since I hadn't seen anyone named Sufjan on American Idol, and the album wasn't getting shoved down the throats of us consumers I thought that Amazon may be trying to make a statement for the betterment of music.
Thank Goodness!!
I played it first when leaving town for a 20 hour Thankgiving round trip, I didn't know that it would be the only thing played on the radio the whole trip. While previous review rant about the first couple of tracks, I think they bouced over the truely great tracks. I found "The Predatory Wasp Of The Palisades Is Out To Get Us!" as a beautifully contradiction on itself. I told a friend about htis track, and he was shocked I used terms like innocent & lovely on something named after a bug. I love the way "The Man Of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts" transitions between tempos. But my favorite track is by far "Cashmir Pulaski Day". When I fully understood what Cashmir Pulasky Day was about, I was bought to tears.
Most of the time, music shoved at us doesn't deserve our well earned money. This album is worth a listen. This artist deserves our support. This 50 state concept is a pipedream, but I am glad there are still dreamers in the music industry and if this is the result of dreams then I will keep buying.
Thank Goodness!!
I played it first when leaving town for a 20 hour Thankgiving round trip, I didn't know that it would be the only thing played on the radio the whole trip. While previous review rant about the first couple of tracks, I think they bouced over the truely great tracks. I found "The Predatory Wasp Of The Palisades Is Out To Get Us!" as a beautifully contradiction on itself. I told a friend about htis track, and he was shocked I used terms like innocent & lovely on something named after a bug. I love the way "The Man Of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts" transitions between tempos. But my favorite track is by far "Cashmir Pulaski Day". When I fully understood what Cashmir Pulasky Day was about, I was bought to tears.
Most of the time, music shoved at us doesn't deserve our well earned money. This album is worth a listen. This artist deserves our support. This 50 state concept is a pipedream, but I am glad there are still dreamers in the music industry and if this is the result of dreams then I will keep buying.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Timeless but innovative sounds
This album is an absolute work of art. The flow of the track list is phenomenal, and each song tells a story unlike the rest. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Miguel Ley
5.0 out of 5 stars
LOVELOVELOVE
This was packaged so well and arrived to my house so quickly. The cover is a LOT of fun, too. I haven't opened it because it's for my boyfriend for his birthday, but I'm really... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Naomi Steva
5.0 out of 5 stars
Diverse ...
I read a lot of the reviews about this recording and ..... I have had this recording for a long time and ..... there are few artists that can dream up stuff like this and.... Read more
Published 4 months ago by musiclover
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sufjaneurysm!!!
Fun with words ... I can do it too! So I totally almost had one when I listened to it!!! I'm not sure if it was "A Conjunction Of Drones Simulating The Way In Which Sufjan Stevens... Read more
Published 5 months ago by J. C. Fox
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beauty
Sufjan Stevens has created a diverse, thoughtful, creative album that you will want to listen to again and again. Well done, Sufjan, well done.
Published 5 months ago by Chloe
5.0 out of 5 stars
Indie Folk Epic
Great album, with a interesting theme: A thinking man's look at the pop culture of Illinois. Reminds me of the Decemberists with a touch of Steve Reich. Read more
Published 8 months ago by Plantagenet Son
5.0 out of 5 stars
yes, it's a masterpiece
Come on Feel the Illinoise lives up to the incredible amount of hype and THEN some! As someone who normally prefers the music of the 60's and 70's, I went in hoping this album was... Read more
Published 15 months ago by B. E Jackson
5.0 out of 5 stars
This was made to be heard on Vinyl
This is easily one of the best records I have ever had the pleasure of listening to, and having it on vinyl enhances everything! Best $20 I've spent in a while
Published 16 months ago by SRAL
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic..
The cover art looks like high quality print, it comes with 2 vinyls and all the lyrics are printed on a cool looking handout. Read more
Published 16 months ago by KSbored
2.0 out of 5 stars
See all the other 2 star reviews...
Pretty much agree with the others who gave it two stars. Overrated, forced and bit too dull. And I'm from "Illinoise", so I oughtta know what dull is...
Published 18 months ago by puma
Listmania!
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