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Illinoise
 
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Illinoise

~ Sufjan Stevens
4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
Price: £11.69 & this item Delivered FREE in the UK with Super Saver Delivery. See details and conditions
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Frequently Bought Together

Illinoise + Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lake State + Seven Swans
Price For All Three: £32.86

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Product details

  • Audio CD (4 Jul 2005)
  • Number of Discs: 1
  • Label: Rough Trade
  • ASIN: B0009MWAPW
  • Other Editions: Audio CD  |  Vinyl
  • Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 1,680 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

    Popular in these categories:

    #28 in  Music > Country > Alt. Country
    #38 in  Music > World & Folk > American Folk

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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

Product Description

Amazon.co.uk Review
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
Like the self-proclaimed "Spiderman" who climbed Chicago’s Sears Tower with no harness, Sufjan Stevens scales dusty prairies, steel factories, and two hundred years of history to produce his newest album Illinois on Rough Trade. Invoking the muse of poet Carl Sandburg (and the musical flourishes of Rodgers and Hammerstein), Illinois ushers in trumpets on parade, string quartets, female choruses and ambient piano scales arranged around Stevens’ emerging falsetto. Whereas 2003’s Michigan (the inaugural album of "The 50 States" project) was rooted in memory, and 2004’s Seven Swans was rooted in the spirit, Illinois is rooted in "the world, in society, invention, civilization, in disease, in death, in education, in business," says Stevens. And unlike Seven Swans, Stevens surmounted the heights of Illinois solo, employing guest musicians but recording, engineering, and producing the album entirely on his own (mostly at the Buddy Project in Queens, New York).

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Customer Reviews

46 Reviews
5 star:
 (35)
4 star:
 (9)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:
 (1)
1 star:
 (1)
 
 
 
 
 
Average Customer Review
4.7 out of 5 stars (46 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Tuneful, inventive, fun and oddly moving, 7 Jul 2006
By D. A. Campbell (Scotland) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
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.
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8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars gloriusly rich, intelligent, beautiful music, 12 Sep 2005
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.

P.S I am going to see him in concert in 2 days! woo

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16 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Delightful trek around Illinois, 7 Aug 2005
By Mike Mantin (Bristol, UK) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   
This is the second album in Sufjan Stevens' trek around the USA, which should see him make an album about all 50 states, after 2003's ode to his home state, Michigan. It's incredibly diverse, both in its exploration of Illinois and in its exploration of music. Subjects range from a UFO sighting near Highland, Illinois in the opening track, to writer Carl Sandburg visiting Stevens in a dream in the pun-tastic 'Come On! Feel The Illinoise!' (don't let that put you off, this is about as far away from Slade as you could possibly get). But this is far more than a history lesson set to music. After telling the story of serial killer John Wayne Gacy set to haunting acoustic guitar, Stevens suggests that "in my best behaviour, I am really just like him". As well as being lyrically astounding in its ability to craft such an exciting picture of a relatively dull state, 'Illinois' is full of grand, beautiful arrangements. Though Stevens strums little more than an acoustic guitar on the gorgeous 'Casimir Pulaski Day', the likes of 'The Man Of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts' and the aforementioned title track are immense, miles away from the banjo-plucking minimalism on previous album 'Seven Swans'. Like fellow album of the year 'Funeral' by the Arcade Fire, this is truly incredible music to immerse yourself in. An absolute essential.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Saint Sufan is a God like Genius
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... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Oldnathan

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 2 months ago 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 13 months ago 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 15 months ago 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 17 months ago by Pieter

5.0 out of 5 stars Incomparable masterpiece
This inspired concept album is incredibly rich and varied in its themes, musical styles and presentation. Read more
Published 17 months ago by Pieter

2.0 out of 5 stars f6ukf7ciu
I love the way so much stuff has been crammed into this record; tracks like "One Last "Whoo-Hoo!" for the Pullman" are not 6-second throwaways, they're vital in making Illinois... Read more
Published 17 months ago by 77

5.0 out of 5 stars out of this world !
this artisits and paticulally this cd just out lines the briliance of this man !
i canot strees enouth how brilliant this cd is and how much you are missing out if u dont... Read more
Published 22 months ago by J. Banks

5.0 out of 5 stars Sheer Brilliance
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... Read more
Published on 6 Jun 2007 by Juliet Fry

4.0 out of 5 stars The Man of METROPOLIS Steals Our Hearts

According to the sleevenotes, "Sufjan Stevens plays the following instruments: accoustic guitar, piano, wurlitzer, electric bass, drum kit, electric guitar, oboe, Miriam's... Read more
Published on 24 May 2007 by GJ

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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Illinoise
82% buy the item featured on this page:
Illinoise 4.7 out of 5 stars (46)
£11.69
Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lake State
6% buy
Greetings from Michigan: The Great Lake State 4.9 out of 5 stars (14)
£11.69
Seven Swans
4% buy
Seven Swans 4.6 out of 5 stars (15)
£9.48
Dark Was The Night: Red Hot Compilation
4% buy
Dark Was The Night: Red Hot Compilation 4.5 out of 5 stars (11)
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