Customer Reviews

Michigan

5 star:		(66)
4 star:		(18)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

Independent music is a hit and miss thing with most musical
enthusiasts. With the bulk of information primarly exchanged by word of mouth or read in 'off the beaten path' music mags most stumble upon wonderful works of art that scream for wider attention from the musical community at large.

I've discovered some amazingly artistically creative souls struggling in the abis, crying out to be heard.

I must say that Sufjan Stevens offering "Greetings From Michigan"
leaves me dumbfounded in the brillance behind this 2003offering.
Sufjan reflects so many influences it's blindingly stunning in its execution and brilliance. From the Band, Beach Boys, Neil Young, to contemporary currents of Bright Eyes, Elliott Smith, Belle and Sebastion, this guy is a master in the studio. Not only in reflecting musical ingenuity but in the lyrical scope of the entire project.

What I can't seem to understand is why no one in the musical world at large has picked up on this guy, beside pitchfork media. has me baffled.

His themes on this masterpiece run into the territory of Springsteen's to quote pitchfork "The record is stacked with impressive space for Stevens' shimmering geography, and it manages a melancholy beauty; Michigan is a frost-bound tone poem in which average people live out their victories and defeats with a shadowy, dignified grace." From the opening track of "Flint (For The Unemployed And Underpaid)" to the final cut " Vito's Ordination Song " this is a major work by an artist who should be selling millions of records, (if there truly was
any justice in this world).

From a year that saw strong releases from Mark Kolesk and Sun Kil
Moon's "Ghosts of the Great Highway" to Jason Molena's "Magnolia
Electric Co", "Greetings From Michigan" is one for the record books and one that folks will be looking back at for a long time to come. Stevens, meanwhile, releases his new opus "Seven Swans" on March 16th and I'm betting that this will continue his journey into masterhood and beyond. Amazing, amazing stuff that sprinkles stardust over the listener with each encounter, things that move like a spirit in night the .........Greetings indeed!!

This is a stunning album which, in different ways on this page, has already been pretty well documented. It is wonderful, promising, and somewhat ironic that a number of the best recordings of recent date have been made by young musicians and composers, both women and men -in addition to Stevens, Laura Veirs, Vetiver, Devendra Barnhart ... the list could go on!- mostly in their own bedrooms, on a shoe-string budget and not having to count, in most cases, on big name producers nor virtuoso session players.
What can you expect from this album? Some of the most beautiful, open-hearted and downright honest music being made today.
You, like me no doubt, will soon acknowledge favorites among these songs, yet because it is meant to be a suite about the, at times beleaguered, state of Michigan, it ought to be appreciated as a whole as it was intended by Sufjan Stevens; and, because I would not want to taint your listening experience with my preferences.
If you can afford it, buy it -and buy it new- so this guy gets some money for this gift of an album. If you must borrow music, try Sting or Madonna ... I'm sure they can manage on their savings.

The extremely intelligent, multi-talented, incredibly hot Sufjan Stevens never ceases to amaze. His first album, A Sun Came, was a fun, emotional, and experimental (in the best sense of the word) album, while Enjoy Your Rabbit proved he had more under his sleeves than folky guitar songs and could groove out like the best of them (which isn't much these days).

Now here comes Greetings From Michigan, where Stevens returns to his roots a bit. Scratch that. His roots are planted in creativity, and he has always stayed in that soil. What I mean is that Michigan is a lot closer to A Sun Came, yet is an album of its own style and complexity. This is almost like a perfected A Sun Came, for those who found the noiser moments in his debut too unlistenable (for those, like me, who found them part of the album's personality, be thankful that Stevens is open-minded enough to satisfy both sides).

How do I describe Michigan? To merely say "folk" would be an injustice; to say "hardcore" would be right in spirit, but probably not soul; and you're not going to catch me saying "pop" or "light rock." Simply put, Sufjan Stevens has a mind of his own. He is pure, honest, and sincere. Untouched by the egoistic pollution of the indie world that usually poisons artists of his status, all Stevens wants to do is create timeless music.

Now, about the album. We open with "Flint," a quiet piano ballad which leads into the brighter, happier "All Good Naysayers," a jubilant track that sets the tone for most of the album. Not to say Stevens writes all happy songs, but even in his most melancholy numbers I can't help but smile. Maybe it's the realization of his genius in crafting melodies, no matter what the tone may be. Anyway, back to the album: "Say Yes! To Michigan" is another magical, sweeping track, with a vast array of instruments (most played by Stevens himself) that transports the listener to wherever it is in our brains that remembers those peaceful moments in our lives.

"Detroit, Life Up Your Weary Head!" is probably the closest in sound to Enjoy Your Rabbit, with its louder, more chaotic beats and chord changes. Most of the other tracks are very acoustic, though, relying on banjo for support. Two songs that use the instrument brialliantly: "The Upper Peninsula" and "Romulus." Both are soft and soothing, the kind of music I can safely call "folk" and still love affectionately. Another acoustic track of note is the simple, haunting "Holland," a song that sends chills down my side (a perfect song for downpours as the rain trickles down your window outside).

Some of the tracks, namely the water body tunes ("Tahquamenon Falls," "Alanson," etc.) are instrumentals, similar to the one-minute tracks in the Asthmatic Kitty compilation Stevens helped produce last year. One particularly amazing one, "Redford"; like the opener, Stevens is again alone on the piano. With only four chords and the haunting background wind-like sounds, it literally brought tears to my eyes. Sometimes I forget music can have such an emotional impact on me like that, and it takes artists like Sufjan Stevens to remind me.

So, what else is there to say? Should I mention how each track flows perfectly into each other? Should I mention the incredibly diverse number of instruments used, most played by Stevens himself? Should I mention this is probably one of the greatest concept albums ever made, which will be followed by even more states? (Yes, Stevens plans to make an album for every state in the USA; he is pretentious, yet I believe he's going to do it.) You know, too much talk can ruin what could be a wonderful experience to the casual listener. So, Casual Listener, take a trip over to Stevens' Michigan and visit him for awhile. Rest in his arms, sleep in his bed. You won't ever want to return home.

Considering this is the best (and maybe only) CD dedicated exclusively to Michigan, it was very difficult to actually find here, so thank you Amazon.

Michigan born and bred, Brooklyn based, Sufjan Stevens has already demonstrated a range and talent that ranks him in the "genius" category. As a native Michigander, I cannot overstate how well he has captured the both joys and sorrows of life throughout our dear state, but with candor and grace, not melodrama and hyperbole.

His excoriation of Motown's largely self-inflicted slide in recent decades is nonetheless accompanied by an invocation of hope for the future ("Detroit, Lift Up Your Weary Head!..."). And "Flint" would make Michael Moore both proud and melancholy indeed (I hope Moore has purchased this CD!). But they are genuinely American stories that could easily be applied to most any state (except maybe Hawaii!).

To me, this release has shades of Nick Drake ("Holland", "Romulus"), Vince Guaraldi Trio ("All Good Naysayerrs..."), Sea & Cake, and even a little Mogwai. The repetition of certain patterns and layers in tracks like "Detroit..." throws off a nice Philip Glass (circa Koyaanisqatsi) vibe.

This release ranks alongside Sun Kil Moon's "Ghosts of the Great Highway" and Pernice Brothers' 'Yours, Mine and Ours' as the best of 2003.

Download all the Creed you want, but support these artists! :)

"Michigan" by Sufjan Stevens is a heartbreaking look back at the state of Michigan from a man who grew up there. At times there is joy, but for the most part, it seems as if Sufjan either looks back on his childhood with regret or sees the state as a shadow of its former self (Detroit). As always in a Sufjan Stevens album, a driving theme of love is present. Perhaps it is personified best in the song "Romulus" where he counters the neglectful and unloving actions of his mother with the unwavering love of his grandfather who bought he and his siblings a new VCR when his mother moved away. In the end, however, Michigan is about love. It is about the love that Sufjan has for his former home and his memories that he had there, both good and bad.

For the listener, it is hard not to find something to love about this album. If you're already a Sufjan Stevens fan, then this should not be a huge departure for you. Be prepared for an emotional journey, however, as you will be taken from tear-jerkers to joyful reaffirmations all in about an hour. This album is hard to dismiss, even if you're not a fan of the state of Michigan.

This CD was my introduction to Sufjan Stevens. After listening to a few clips on Amazon, I was not impressed enough to purchase the CD. However, after spending some time checking out other CDs, I still had "For the Widows in Paradise..." going through my head. Without another thought, I bought Greetings from Michigan and have rejoiced in the decision ever since.

This is the type of CD that you have to listen to and then listen again and again. Each time it grows simply because there is so much to it. There are so many layers and colors to each song that the album becomes an aural voyage of endlessly creative and breathtaking beauty.

I've gone on to buy Sufjan's A Sun Came! and Seven Swans, (also very good but in different ways) but I don't think any of his other releases will affect me quite the same as Greetings from Michigan.

A more loving and lovely tribute to Michigan couldn't have been commissioned by the tourism board -- so intent to gloss over economic deserts like Flint or downtown Detroit and whisk people to Traverse City or Mackinac Island.

Sufjan Stevens musically captures the beauty of the bright peninsula, but still acknowledges the devalued people that build our cars, clean up our hotel rooms, and staff our waterparks.

There is a sense of longing to this disc that integrates well with this listener who has stood at the top of Sleeping Bear Dunes watching tankers on the horizon, and stood at the base of gutted, shutterless churches, office buildings, and apartments in the cities the rich elites have left behind for coastal resort cottages.

I found Greetings From Michigan to be eccentrically delightful. It is very much in the camp of contemplative Dylan, Neil Young, Polyphonic Spree and even Vince Guaraldi (the composer for the television specials based on cartoonist Charles M. Schultz's Peanuts characters). And even if you find this innovative folk music not to be your cup of tea, you cannot deny his talent (he plays every instrument, for a start).

The follow-up, Illinois, feels more twee and less soulful in comparison (at least based on the bits I heard on KCRW and [...]) but that's not to say it's a bad album. But, for me, Greetings From Michigan is the better album and the best I have heard this year.

Somber piano notes, so sad they break your heart, and so pretty you don't mind, begin this journey through Michigan.

Whether or not you've already gone with Sufjan Stevens on his musical tour of "Illinois," you'll find this a trip well worth taking. As on the later album, Sufjan ably mixes lighter pieces with brooding tunes. But while that album sometimes felt like a Social Studies textbook set to music, this is generally a more introspective and perhaps more personal work; I don't think I'm the first person to say this, but it is as close in tone to Bruce Springsteen's "Nebraska" as it is to "Illinois."

Absent for the most part are the famous people that occasionally populated "Illinois." Geographically, Stevens covers the length and breadth of the state, with songs set in Flint, Romulus, Holland, Detroit, Sault Saint Marie, Ypsilanti, and points beyond. But except for a quick mention of Henry Ford, the people he finds there are nameless everymen and everywomen.

What unites them? Shared loss and unbearable sadness, somehow borne and hopefully made lighter by the telling of it. "The Upper Peninsula" contains a haunting lament from a divorced father. "In strange ideas, in stranger times, I've no idea what's right sometimes. I lost my mind, I lost my life. I lost my job, I lost my wife," he says, after sketching out just enough details of that life to make you feel the loss, too. As a list of woe, it sounds like it could be the backbone of a bad country song, but Stevens makes the familiar sound fresh and new and real, though it could have been trite or formulaic. On "Romulus," for instance, a child laments an absent and wayward mother. "We saw her once last fall. Our grandpa died in a hospital gown. She didn't seem to care. She smoked in her room and colored her hair. And I was ashamed of her."

Interestingly, this album contains as many religious references as "Illinois," but the characters who cite them sound more pious. "Oh God hold me now. Oh Lord hold me now. There's no other man who could raise the dead. So do what you can to annoint my head," he sings in hushed tones on an achingly beautiful song near the end of the album, and if you'd heard the lyrics in a hymn instead of on a CD, they would have felt equally apropos.

Philosophically, his characters pose great questions. "What is there to answer if I'm the only one?" someone (a husband? a father? God?) asks on the third track. It's a great line, one that could have been written by Dostoevsky; it's a line full of insight and wisdom and truth, a line you somehow understand even without knowing who is speaking.

All in all, this is a fantastic work, slightly more coherent and somber but slightly less ambitious than "Illinois," setting a standard of excellence that will hopefully be equalled by the rest of his proposed musical tour of the 50 states. "There's a design to what I did and said," a narrator (perhaps speaking for God, again) sings to close out the album, and after hearing the whole of this excellent work, you know that Stevens, too, has done and said great things.

I try to save the word "gorgeous" for only the things that please me the most. The girl I love, a few paintings, and even fewer songs or musicians. Sufjan Stevens has earned the title of "gorgeous" from me.
This album was worked very hard on, and he called upon many people to help him with it. It is more diverse than his other work, which is already great, so here is where you can see him being more creative and experimental, with not only the instruments you'll hear, but also with his writing. I love the writing on this record. Its simple, but as you'll find every so often, the simple things are what make you understand, what tug at your heart, and what you find yourself fighting for.
His voice sounds great, and he plays about a dozen different instruments. If you like independent music at its most heartfelt and zealous, I recommend this CD to you.

But here is a tip: If you enjoy LP's buy the LP. The one I have has 5 bonus tracks, which are sweet! Plus, for me at least, records aren't something you use as much as CD's, so its more of a treat when you stick this in, and just relax and find yourself on the bank of some river in Michigan.