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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 Going To Have To Leave Now, or, "I have fought the Big Knives and will continue to fight them till they are off our lands!" | |||
| 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 Step-Mother! | |||
| 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, and it involves an inner tube, bath mats, and 21 able-bodied men | |||
| 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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Product Description
Amazon.co.uk
You certainly can’t fault the man’s ambition. (Come On Feel the) Illinoise is Sufjan Stevens’ second offering in his attempt to record an album for all 50 American states (the first was Greetings from Michigan). And rather than make life any easier for himself, Illinoise is itself a 20-track concept album, tackling a range of relevant topics from serial killers ("John Wayne Gacy, Jr.") to poets ("Come On Feel the Illinoise, Part II: Cars Sandburg Visits Me in a Dream") to Superman ("The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts").
Taken as a whole, the album sounds like a stage musical history of Illinois, sung with enthusiasm, and full of flourish and energy and a cast of characters that include the Blackhawk tribe, Abraham Lincoln, Al Capone, steelworkers and small-town heroes. Perhaps most surprisingly, considering its depths of knowledge and research, most of the album was recorded by Stevens in Queens, New York. But to its credit, Illinoise is always accessible, and never academic--if he can tackle such diverse topics within the course of just one album, then Stevens is just the musician to attempt the remaining 48 states. --Robert Burrow
Product Description
CD
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 24 people found the following review helpful
By Eclectic / clueless
VINE™ VOICE
Format:Audio CD
Not many albums show the influence of Steve Reich, Love, The Beatles and Paul Simon. Even fewer have, in addition, crazily self-mocking album titles and a comic-book cover. Add to that mix the rehabilitation of the banjo, and you're down to one album. This is a melodic, joyous and eclectic piece of work. Verges on whimsy in a faintly Belle-and-Sebastien way at times, but doesn't quite fall over the edge into syrup. Even chord sequences and fingerpicking patterns you've heard 101 times before (Casimir Pulaski Day) are lifted by real emotion and heart-on-sleeve lyrics ; this one sounds hearfelt and oddly moving, recapturing childhood innocence in a way which could so easily go into pure mush. Risky, but wonderful.
One previous review which baffled me was the one which said there was a shortage of melodies... another, more positive one says it's 'worth the effort'. No effort required ; it's packed with melodies, and they hit the spot from the very first play. Another review quite rightly mentions the rhythmic drive and inventiveness of some tracks ; try 'The Tallest Man, the Broadest Shoulders' for a punchy rhythm which avoids rockist clichés. There's an engaging amateur-hour feel to some of the vocals and backing vocals, which is not to say they're out of tune, just that they sound and feel like real human voices, not massively treated and studio-enhanced ones.
One previous review which baffled me was the one which said there was a shortage of melodies... another, more positive one says it's 'worth the effort'. No effort required ; it's packed with melodies, and they hit the spot from the very first play. Another review quite rightly mentions the rhythmic drive and inventiveness of some tracks ; try 'The Tallest Man, the Broadest Shoulders' for a punchy rhythm which avoids rockist clichés. There's an engaging amateur-hour feel to some of the vocals and backing vocals, which is not to say they're out of tune, just that they sound and feel like real human voices, not massively treated and studio-enhanced ones.
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
By David Meek
Format:Audio CD
there is so much that can be said about sufjan's latest cd, come on feel the illinoise, but i'll cut to the chase - it is absolutely stunning. for anyone who likes any of his music this cd is a must. it follows the same strain as michigan, not seven swans(or a sun came for that matter), and is in my opinion his best work to date. every song has a vast variety of unorthadox instruments in a way that every song gains from every one of them. like michigan, each song has a long witty name, sometimes to the ridiculus stage. there are 22 tracks, a few of which are fillers (clapping, some string sections etc) but the actual songs are utterly amazing.
there are more than 90% stand out tracks (in my opinion anyway) but my personal favourites are *Come On! Feel The Illinoise!: Parts I & II ( this sounds very much like someting on michigan, but even better!), Jackson, Chicago, Casimir Pulaski Day (my personal favourite off this album), The Man Of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts (heavy electric start - gloriusly soft ballad), The Predatory Wasp Of The Palisades Is Out To Get Us, The Tallest Man, The Broadest Shoulders. There are several more but they have such long winded names.
This cd is currently all i can play in my cd player, it is unique and beautiful. I recommend it to everyone and anyone who likes good music.
there are more than 90% stand out tracks (in my opinion anyway) but my personal favourites are *Come On! Feel The Illinoise!: Parts I & II ( this sounds very much like someting on michigan, but even better!), Jackson, Chicago, Casimir Pulaski Day (my personal favourite off this album), The Man Of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts (heavy electric start - gloriusly soft ballad), The Predatory Wasp Of The Palisades Is Out To Get Us, The Tallest Man, The Broadest Shoulders. There are several more but they have such long winded names.
This cd is currently all i can play in my cd player, it is unique and beautiful. I recommend it to everyone and anyone who likes good music.
P.S I am going to see him in concert in 2 days! woo
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
By Oldnathan
Format:Audio CD
Quite simply Sufjan Stevens is a God like genius but it took me a while to realise it. I got hold of Illinoise in August 2005 after hearing `Chicago' on the Mark Radcliffe late night BBC Radio 2 show.
Got to be honest I found it hard going in places at the start. It reminded me a bit of Genesis' Lamb Lies Down and Camel's The Snow Goose. Not necessarily flattering comparisons if your view of `prog rock' diminished after the punk wars, as mine did. How wrong I was.
I don't know what it was but something kept dragging me back to it. And maybe after a full six months it slowly began to dawn on me that it was a masterpiece in every sense. After a year I rated it as my all time favourite album and three years after that it still is. And I've had quite a few favourite albums over the years.
After a beautiful opening with (I'll have to abbreviate some of these titles!) the simple piano refrain and vocals of Concerning the UFO Sighting... it goes epic with The Black Hawk War. The two tracks together remind me of how many great novels and films start. You get a taster of the main event. Then it's back to the beginning where it all began. Bit pretentious I know but I can't put it any other way than that.
Then we're off. I won't mention all the tracks but John Wayne Gacy Jr is the best examination of the life of a serial killer and the parallels it may have with your own story, ever put to music. A niche market I suspect. Chicago is majestic and epic and clearly something Saint Sufjan must have considered his best work to date at the time (hence the variations available on sister album Avalanche). You can hear a smidgen of it on Little Miss Sunshine as they scramble to get on the VW at one point.... Read more ›
Got to be honest I found it hard going in places at the start. It reminded me a bit of Genesis' Lamb Lies Down and Camel's The Snow Goose. Not necessarily flattering comparisons if your view of `prog rock' diminished after the punk wars, as mine did. How wrong I was.
I don't know what it was but something kept dragging me back to it. And maybe after a full six months it slowly began to dawn on me that it was a masterpiece in every sense. After a year I rated it as my all time favourite album and three years after that it still is. And I've had quite a few favourite albums over the years.
After a beautiful opening with (I'll have to abbreviate some of these titles!) the simple piano refrain and vocals of Concerning the UFO Sighting... it goes epic with The Black Hawk War. The two tracks together remind me of how many great novels and films start. You get a taster of the main event. Then it's back to the beginning where it all began. Bit pretentious I know but I can't put it any other way than that.
Then we're off. I won't mention all the tracks but John Wayne Gacy Jr is the best examination of the life of a serial killer and the parallels it may have with your own story, ever put to music. A niche market I suspect. Chicago is majestic and epic and clearly something Saint Sufjan must have considered his best work to date at the time (hence the variations available on sister album Avalanche). You can hear a smidgen of it on Little Miss Sunshine as they scramble to get on the VW at one point.... Read more ›
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
By M. Adam
Format:Audio CD
A grounding in classical music leaves me with an automatic habit of listening out for the way someone uses their instruments and creates harmony and paints pictures with music. The result being simple music sounds boring, and complex music sounds like they chucked in a whole load of stuff to sound clever.
Sufjan Stevens has given me the unusual treat of simplicity and complexity into one truly beautiful collection of tracks. He uses more instruments than I'd be able to name, in more combinations than I'd be able to work out just from listening and melds it with lyrics more real than anything I've ever heard before. The variety is something to be noted, from Chicago that drives you forward, to The Seers Tower, a bare and haunting piece of music.
This CD is something to be absolutely treasured, anyone can lose themselves in it, and take something away from it, it can be listened to over and over without losing its effect. It shows life at its best and its worst, but at its most real.
Sufjan Stevens has given me the unusual treat of simplicity and complexity into one truly beautiful collection of tracks. He uses more instruments than I'd be able to name, in more combinations than I'd be able to work out just from listening and melds it with lyrics more real than anything I've ever heard before. The variety is something to be noted, from Chicago that drives you forward, to The Seers Tower, a bare and haunting piece of music.
This CD is something to be absolutely treasured, anyone can lose themselves in it, and take something away from it, it can be listened to over and over without losing its effect. It shows life at its best and its worst, but at its most real.
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4.4 out of 5 stars
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Probably my favourite album (out of thousands) of all time!
When I first listened to this album I hated it. Then the more I listened to it, the more I realised what a fantastic album it was, a wonderful collage of sounds and lyrics on an... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Duncan Evans
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great, definitely something not so usual
This was very big and positive surprise for me, when I heard a song from Sufjan for the first time in radio. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Robert Krajca
1.0 out of 5 stars
illinoise
hello,
I ordered the original cover of Illinoise, with Superman visible on the cover and didn't get it, i received a cd with no superman. Read more
I ordered the original cover of Illinoise, with Superman visible on the cover and didn't get it, i received a cd with no superman. Read more
Published on 10 Jan 2011 by lota
5.0 out of 5 stars
briliant
This is one of the most original albums I know. The songs are all unique and although some of them may take a while to get to know and appreciate, once you do you'll never listen... Read more
Published on 29 Aug 2010 by HFG
5.0 out of 5 stars
A real grower!
I'd had this album for about two or three years without really listening to it. The odd song started creeping onto my itunes 'Genius' mixes (which, if you're anything like me, is a... Read more
Published on 25 Jun 2010 by Super Drumkit Dominator
5.0 out of 5 stars
5 stars means "wooow!"
I've purchased this a couple of weeks ago. a friend of mine said "you ought to listen to Sufjan Stevens, he'll blow your mind!", or something like that. Read more
Published on 1 Oct 2009 by Tognato MARCO
5.0 out of 5 stars
Sheer joy
I got this album based on an excellent song by Sufjan Stevens on the Dark was the Night album. Initially I was a bit put off by a lot of the mid-tempo and major key songs which... Read more
Published on 1 May 2009 by Mr. Alexander Mauchlen
5.0 out of 5 stars
Loves it
Its hard to say things about this album that haven't been said before, or that won't be immediately noticed upon listening to it. Read more
Published on 26 May 2008 by a nice guy
4.0 out of 5 stars
love it
Illinois is the second instalment of singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens' ambitious '50 States' project, in which he aims to make a concept album about each of the American states. Read more
Published on 5 April 2008 by kkhuse
5.0 out of 5 stars
Poetic masterpiece
Illinois contains a wealth of catchy melodies and gripping imagery, plus plenty of variety in theme, musical style and presentation. Read more
Published on 16 Feb 2008 by Pieter Uys
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