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'''''Illinois''''' (styled '''''Sufjan Stevens Invites You To: Come On Feel the Illinoise''''' on the cover) is a 2005 [[concept album]] by American songwriter [[Sufjan Stevens]], with songs referencing places and persons related to the [[U.S. state]] of [[Illinois]]. It is Stevens' fifth studio album and his second based on a U.S. state—part of a [[Sufjan Stevens#The Fifty States Project|planned series of fifty]] that began with the 2003 album ''[[Michigan (album)|Michigan]]''.
'''''Illinois''''' (styled '''''Sufjan Stevens Invites You To: Come On Feel the Illinoise''''' on the cover) is a 2005 [[concept album]] by American songwriter [[Sufjan Stevens]], with songs referencing places and persons related to the [[U.S. state]] of [[Illinois]]. It is Stevens' fifth studio album and his second based on a U.S. state—part of a [[Sufjan Stevens#The Fifty States Project|planned series of fifty]] that began with the 2003 album ''[[Michigan (album)|Michigan]]''.


The album was recorded between late 2004 and early 2005 at multiple venues in New York City where Stevens produced the album and performed a variety of instruments using [[low fidelity]] recording methods. The artwork and lyrics were researched by Stevens to explore the history, culture, art, and geography of the state, by analyzing crime, literature, and historical records. ''Illinois'' was released on July 4, 2005, through [[Rough Trade Records]] in Europe and was distributed domestically by [[Asthmatic Kitty Records]] starting July 5, 2005. Stevens promoted the album with a world tour that lasted through November 2006.
The album was recorded between late 2004 and early 2005 at multiple venues in New York City where Stevens produced the album and performed a variety of instruments using [[low fidelity]] recording methods. The artwork and lyrics were researched by Stevens to explore the history, culture, art, and geography of the state, by analyzing crime, literature, and historical records. Following a July 4, 2005 release date, Stevens promoted the album with a world tour that lasted through November 2006.


The album was praised by critics for its well-written lyrics and complex orchestrations and reviewers noted Stevens' progress as a songwriter since the release of ''Michigan''. ''Illinois'' was named the best reviewed album of 2005 by review aggregator [[Metacritic]], and was also named on multiple reviewers' "best of the decade" lists—including those of ''[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]'', [[National Public Radio]], and ''[[Rolling Stone]]''. The album resulted in Stevens' greatest success among the public, being his first to place on the [[Billboard Magazine|''Billboard'' 200]], and topping the ''Billboard'' "Heatseeksers Albums" list. Musical influences for the album suggested by reviewers include [[Steve Reich]], [[Neil Young]], and [[The Cure]] due to the varied instrumentation and experimental [[indie folk]] songwriting. Besides numerous references to Illinois' history and locations, Stevens included multiple references to his [[Christian]] faith.
The album was praised by critics for its well-written lyrics and complex orchestrations and reviewers noted Stevens' progress as a songwriter since the release of ''Michigan''. ''Illinois'' was named the best reviewed album of 2005 by review aggregator [[Metacritic]], and was also named on multiple reviewers' "best of the decade" lists—including those of ''[[Paste (magazine)|Paste]]'', [[National Public Radio]], and ''[[Rolling Stone]]''. The album resulted in Stevens' greatest success among the public, being his first to place on the [[Billboard Magazine|''Billboard'' 200]], and topping the ''Billboard'' "Heatseeksers Albums" list. Musical influences for the album suggested by reviewers include [[Steve Reich]], [[Neil Young]], and [[The Cure]] due to the varied instrumentation and experimental [[indie folk]] songwriting. Besides numerous references to Illinois' history and locations, Stevens included multiple references to his [[Christian]] faith.


==Background and recording==
==Background, recording, and tour==
[[File:St pauls.jpg|alt=A view from across the street of St. Paul's Church in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn—a brick building with a small stained glass windows and a grey roof.|thumb|Stevens recorded ''Illinois'' in various locations throughout New York City, including Brooklyn's St. Paul's Church.]]
[[File:St pauls.jpg|alt=A view from across the street of St. Paul's Church in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn—a brick building with a small stained glass windows and a grey roof.|thumb|Stevens recorded ''Illinois'' in various locations throughout New York City, including Brooklyn's St. Paul's Church.]]
Stevens had embarked on his 50-state project in 2003 with the album ''[[Michigan (album)|Michigan]]'' and chose to focus on [[Illinois]] with this recording because "it wasn't a great leap," and he liked the state because he considered it the "center of gravity" for the [[American Midwest]].<ref name="dusted"/> Before the creation of the album, Stevens read literature by Illinois authors [[Saul Bellow]] and [[Carl Sandburg]]<ref name=dusted/> and studied immigration records<ref name="nme"/> and history books for the state; he also took trips through several locations in Illinois.<ref name="oregon" /> Although he began work on [[Oregon]]-themed songs and briefly considered releasing a [[Rhode Island]] [[7"]],<ref name="oregon" /> Stevens has since not released another album focused on a state, saying in a November 2009 interview with [[Paste (magazine)|''Paste'']] that "the whole premise was such a joke,"<ref name="pastefind"/> and telling Andrew Purcell of the ''[[The Guardian]]'' in October 2009 "I have no qualms about admitting [the fifty states project] was a promotional gimmick."<ref name="guard"/>
Stevens had embarked on his 50-state project in 2003 with the album ''[[Michigan (album)|Michigan]]'' and chose to focus on [[Illinois]] with this recording because "it wasn't a great leap," and he liked the state because he considered it the "center of gravity" for the [[American Midwest]].<ref name="dusted"/> Before the creation of the album, Stevens read literature by Illinois authors [[Saul Bellow]] and [[Carl Sandburg]]<ref name=dusted/> and studied immigration records<ref name="nme"/> and history books for the state; he also took trips through several locations in Illinois.<ref name="oregon" /> Although he began work on [[Oregon]]-themed songs and briefly considered releasing a [[Rhode Island]] [[7"]],<ref name="oregon" /> Stevens has since not released another album focused on a state, saying in a November 2009 interview with [[Paste (magazine)|''Paste'']] that "the whole premise was such a joke,"<ref name="pastefind"/> and telling Andrew Purcell of the ''[[The Guardian]]'' in October 2009 "I have no qualms about admitting [the fifty states project] was a promotional gimmick."<ref name="guard"/>
Line 33: Line 33:
Stevens spoke with Michael Kaufmann and Lowell Brams of [[Asthmatic Kitty Records]] about the amount of material he had recorded and decided against a [[double album]], saying that that would be "arrogant."<ref name=pitchinterview/> In 2006, several tracks that were recorded during these sessions were sent to Seattle-based musician and producer James McAllister for additioanal instrumentation and production<ref name="pitchinterview" /> and were released in 2006 on the follow-up album ''[[The Avalanche: Outtakes and Extras from the Illinois Album]]''. Among these outtakes are three separate recordings of the song "Chicago"—including the "Multiple Personality Disorder Version", which was produced during a subsequent tour. The "Adult Contemporary Easy Listening Version" of the song was originally supposed to appear on the ''Illinois'' album, but was changed at the last minute.<ref name=pitchinterview/>
Stevens spoke with Michael Kaufmann and Lowell Brams of [[Asthmatic Kitty Records]] about the amount of material he had recorded and decided against a [[double album]], saying that that would be "arrogant."<ref name=pitchinterview/> In 2006, several tracks that were recorded during these sessions were sent to Seattle-based musician and producer James McAllister for additioanal instrumentation and production<ref name="pitchinterview" /> and were released in 2006 on the follow-up album ''[[The Avalanche: Outtakes and Extras from the Illinois Album]]''. Among these outtakes are three separate recordings of the song "Chicago"—including the "Multiple Personality Disorder Version", which was produced during a subsequent tour. The "Adult Contemporary Easy Listening Version" of the song was originally supposed to appear on the ''Illinois'' album, but was changed at the last minute.<ref name=pitchinterview/>


Although he intially had no plans to perform this material live,<ref name="pitchinterview" /> less than two weeks after the July 4 release of ''Illinois'' (July 5 domestically), Stevens embarked on a North American tour to promote the album,<ref name="bvtour1" /> performing with a string section of eight to ten members<ref name="billboardtour" /> named the Illinoisemakers.<ref name="stereogumtour" /> He was supported on some dates by opening acts [[Liz Janes]] and [[Laura Veirs]]<ref name="bvtour2" /> as well as ''Illinois'' collaborator [[Shara Worden]]'s solo project [[My Brightest Diamond]].<ref name="pastetour" /> He resumed touring in mid-2006<ref name="nmetour" /> through November 2006 and went worldwide to promote this album.<ref name="nmetour2" /> During the 2006 dates, Stevens and his band transitioned from wearing [[University of Illinois]]-themed outfits to butterfly suits and bird wings.<ref name="independenttour" />
''Illinois'' was released on July 4, 2005, through [[Rough Trade Records]] in Europe and was distributed domestically by [[Asthmatic Kitty Records]] starting July 5, 2005. Although he intially had no plans to perform this material live,<ref name="pitchinterview" /> less than two weeks after the release of ''Illinois'', Stevens embarked on a North American tour to promote the album,<ref name="bvtour1" /> performing with a string section of eight to ten members<ref name="billboardtour" /> named the Illinoisemakers.<ref name="stereogumtour" /> He was supported on some dates by opening acts [[Liz Janes]] and [[Laura Veirs]]<ref name="bvtour2" /> as well as ''Illinois'' collaborator [[Shara Worden]]'s solo project [[My Brightest Diamond]].<ref name="pastetour" /> He resumed touring in mid-2006<ref name="nmetour" /> through November 2006 and went worldwide to promote this album.<ref name="nmetour2" /> During the 2006 dates, Stevens and his band transitioned from wearing [[University of Illinois]]-themed outfits to butterfly suits and bird wings.<ref name="independenttour" />


==Musical style and thematic elements==
==Musical style and thematic elements==

Revision as of 05:06, 27 October 2010

Untitled

Illinois (styled Sufjan Stevens Invites You To: Come On Feel the Illinoise on the cover) is a 2005 concept album by American songwriter Sufjan Stevens, with songs referencing places and persons related to the U.S. state of Illinois. It is Stevens' fifth studio album and his second based on a U.S. state—part of a planned series of fifty that began with the 2003 album Michigan.

The album was recorded between late 2004 and early 2005 at multiple venues in New York City where Stevens produced the album and performed a variety of instruments using low fidelity recording methods. The artwork and lyrics were researched by Stevens to explore the history, culture, art, and geography of the state, by analyzing crime, literature, and historical records. Following a July 4, 2005 release date, Stevens promoted the album with a world tour that lasted through November 2006.

The album was praised by critics for its well-written lyrics and complex orchestrations and reviewers noted Stevens' progress as a songwriter since the release of Michigan. Illinois was named the best reviewed album of 2005 by review aggregator Metacritic, and was also named on multiple reviewers' "best of the decade" lists—including those of Paste, National Public Radio, and Rolling Stone. The album resulted in Stevens' greatest success among the public, being his first to place on the Billboard 200, and topping the Billboard "Heatseeksers Albums" list. Musical influences for the album suggested by reviewers include Steve Reich, Neil Young, and The Cure due to the varied instrumentation and experimental indie folk songwriting. Besides numerous references to Illinois' history and locations, Stevens included multiple references to his Christian faith.

Background, recording, and tour

A view from across the street of St. Paul's Church in Carroll Gardens, Brooklyn—a brick building with a small stained glass windows and a grey roof.
Stevens recorded Illinois in various locations throughout New York City, including Brooklyn's St. Paul's Church.

Stevens had embarked on his 50-state project in 2003 with the album Michigan and chose to focus on Illinois with this recording because "it wasn't a great leap," and he liked the state because he considered it the "center of gravity" for the American Midwest.[1] Before the creation of the album, Stevens read literature by Illinois authors Saul Bellow and Carl Sandburg[1] and studied immigration records[2] and history books for the state; he also took trips through several locations in Illinois.[3] Although he began work on Oregon-themed songs and briefly considered releasing a Rhode Island 7",[3] Stevens has since not released another album focused on a state, saying in a November 2009 interview with Paste that "the whole premise was such a joke,"[4] and telling Andrew Purcell of the The Guardian in October 2009 "I have no qualms about admitting [the fifty states project] was a promotional gimmick."[5]

All of the songs on Illinois were written, recorded, engineered, and produced by Stevens with most of the material recorded at The Buddy Project studio in Astoria, Queens, and in Stevens' Brooklyn apartment. As with his previous albums, Stevens recorded in various locations,[1] with additional piano recorded in St. Paul's Church in Brooklyn; strings and vocals performed in collaborators' apartments; electronic organ recorded in the New Jerusalem Recreational Room in Clarksboro, New Jersey; and vibraphone played at Carroll Music Studios in New York City.[6] Stevens mostly created the album without collaboration, focusing on the writing, performance, and technical creation of the album by himself "I was pretty nearsighted in the construction of Illinois. I spent a lot of time alone, a few months in isolation working on my own and in the studio. I let things germinate and cultivate independently, without thinking about an audience or a live show at all."[7]

Stevens employed low fidelity recording equipment that allowed him to retain creative control and keep costs low on recording Illinois. Typically, inexpensive microphones such as Shure SM57s or AKG C1000s were used to record on a 32 kHz 8-track tape and the audio was then transferred two tracks at a time to a computer and mixed with headphones in Pro Tools.[8]

Stevens spoke with Michael Kaufmann and Lowell Brams of Asthmatic Kitty Records about the amount of material he had recorded and decided against a double album, saying that that would be "arrogant."[7] In 2006, several tracks that were recorded during these sessions were sent to Seattle-based musician and producer James McAllister for additioanal instrumentation and production[7] and were released in 2006 on the follow-up album The Avalanche: Outtakes and Extras from the Illinois Album. Among these outtakes are three separate recordings of the song "Chicago"—including the "Multiple Personality Disorder Version", which was produced during a subsequent tour. The "Adult Contemporary Easy Listening Version" of the song was originally supposed to appear on the Illinois album, but was changed at the last minute.[7]

Illinois was released on July 4, 2005, through Rough Trade Records in Europe and was distributed domestically by Asthmatic Kitty Records starting July 5, 2005. Although he intially had no plans to perform this material live,[7] less than two weeks after the release of Illinois, Stevens embarked on a North American tour to promote the album,[9] performing with a string section of eight to ten members[10] named the Illinoisemakers.[11] He was supported on some dates by opening acts Liz Janes and Laura Veirs[12] as well as Illinois collaborator Shara Worden's solo project My Brightest Diamond.[13] He resumed touring in mid-2006[14] through November 2006 and went worldwide to promote this album.[15] During the 2006 dates, Stevens and his band transitioned from wearing University of Illinois-themed outfits to butterfly suits and bird wings.[16]

Musical style and thematic elements

"They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back from the Dead!! Ahhhh!"
"They Are Night Zombies!!" refers to various localities of Illinois with the lyrics:

"B-U-D-A! Caledonia!
S-E-C-O-R! Magnolia!
B-I-R-D-S! and Kankakee!

Evansville and Parker City"
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Reviewers have found similarities between this album and musicians and composers in several musical genres—from pop music to contemporary classical. In addition, the lyrics and their rich thematic elements have been noted for their literary quality, with comparisons to Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, William Carlos Williams, and Walt Whitman.[3]

Musical style

Reviewers of Illinois have compared Stevens' style to Steve Reich,[17] Vince Guaraldi, the Danielson Famile, Neil Young,[18] Nick Drake, and Death Cab for Cutie.[19] Stevens' use of large orchestral arrangements in his music—much of it played by himself through the use of multi-track recording[20]—has been noted by several reviewers. Rolling Stone summarized the musical influences of Illinois, saying "the music draws from high school marching bands, show tunes and ambient electronics; we can suspect Steve Reich's Music for 18 Musicians is an oft-played record in the Stevens household, since he loves to echo it in his long instrumental passages."[17] A review in The A.V. Club referred to some of the vocal work as "regressively twee communalism," but found Stevens' music overall to be "highly developed".[19] The song "Come On! Feel the Illinoise!" utilizes a saxophone part from "Close to Me" by The Cure.[2] Stevens found that the way in which he listened to music had changed after producing Illinois:

I think now I listen more as a technician and a researcher. I'm always hearing music in terms of what I can take out of it, and I think I've always listened like that. I have a hard time just listening for pleasure. I'm much less about instinct, and more of a utilitarian listener. Like, what is the use of this song? What is the usefulness of this melody for this theme or statement? What are they doing that's unusual sounding, and how can I learn from that?

— Sufjan Stevens, 2006[7]

Stevens is a classically-trained oboist[1] and his knowledge of classical and baroque music influenced many of his arrangements. Stevens himself has noted the influence of composers Igor Stravinsky, Sergei Rachmaninoff, and Edvard Grieg; along with contemporary composers Terry Riley, Steve Reich, and Philip Glass.[1] The music on this album was deliberately written to be grandiose, to match the history of the territory.[3] Stevens utilized time signature changes in the composition of Illinois for dynamic effect—for instance, "Come On! Feel the Illinoise!" begins with a 4/4 time signature and then changes to 5/4,[21] only to revert back to a standard 4/4 later in the song.[22]

Illinois themes

A painting of Casimir Pulaski leading a cavalry and brandishing a sword.
Casimir Pulaski is memorialized in Illinois by the name of Pulaski County as well as the state holiday Casimir Pulaski Day.

Many of the lyrics in Illinois make references to persons, places, and events related to the and events related to the state of the same name. The song "Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois" is about a UFO sighting near Highland, Illinois, where several persons reported seeing a large triangular object with three lights flying at night. "Come on! Feel the Illinoise!" makes references to the World's Columbian Exhibition, which took place in Chicago in 1893.[23]

"John Wayne Gacy, Jr." documents the story of the 1970s Chicago-based serial killer of the same name. Several lyrics make explicit references to events in his life: "[w]hen the swingset hit his head" refers to event in Gacy's childhood, when a swing hit his head and caused a blood clot in his brain;[6][20] "He dressed up like a clown for them / with his face paint white and red" alludes to the nickname given to Gacy—the "Killer Clown";[2] and "He put a cloth on their lips / Quiet hands, quiet kiss on the mouth" references Gacy's use of chloroform to subdue and molest his victims.[6][20] The song ends with the narrator turning inward with the lyrics: "And in my best behavior, I am really just like him / Look beneath the floorboards for the secrets I have hid." Stevens stated in a 2009 interview with Paste that "we're all capable of what [Gacy] did."[4]

"Casimir Pulaski Day" interweaves a personal story with the state holiday Casimir Pulaski Day.[23] "The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts" makes references to Superman, whose fictional hometown of Metropolis was partially modeled after Chicago (the town of Metropolis, Illinois has also capitalized on this association). Jessica Hooper of the Chicago Reader noted that Ray Middleton—who was the first actor to play the comic book superhero—was also born in Chicago.[23] "They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back from the Dead!! Ahhhh!" makes references to ghost towns of Illinois.[1] Stevens relates experiences from a summer camp he went to as a child in Michigan for "The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us!", but moved the locale to Illinois for the sake of the album.[24]

Other allusions to the state's people, places, and events include the Black Hawk War, author Carl Sandburg, Stephen A. Douglas, Abraham Lincoln, the Sangamon River, the American Civil War, the Chicago Cubs, the Sears Tower dubbed "Seer's Tower" (now called Willis Tower), and the localities of Jacksonville, Decatur, Peoria, Metropolis, Savanna Caledonia, Secor, Magnolia, Kankakee, Evansville, and the several locations named Centerville, Illinois.[6] During the tour following the release of Illinois, Stevens' band wore cheerleader outfits based on those of the University of Illinois.[25]

Christianity

"Casimir Pulaski Day"
The lyrics to "Casimir Pulaski Day" include the narrator questioning God's judgement:
"All the glory when He took our place
But He took my shoulders and He shook my face
And He takes and He takes and He takes" (cf. Job 1:21.)
Problems playing this file? See media help.

Although Illinois is a concept album about the U.S. state, Stevens also explored themes related to Christianity and the Bible. As a Christian musician, he has written and recorded music about spiritual themes throughout his career, particularly on the 2004 album Seven Swans. The song "Decatur, or, Round of Applause for Your Stepmother!" includes the line "It's the great I Am"—[6] taken from the response God gave when Moses asked for his name in the Book of Exodus (Exodus 3:14).[26] "Casimir Pulaski Day" describes the death of a girlfriend due to leukemia, with the narrator questioning God in the process.[26] More abstract allusions appear in "The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts", which utilizes Superman as a Christ figure and "The Seer's Tower", which references the Book of Revelation and the Second Coming of Christ.[26] Songs which were not written with an explicit theological focus—such as "John Wayne Gacy, Jr."—also feature religious themes such as sin and redemption.[16]

Artwork

A montage of close-ups from the various covers to Illinois: in the top left corner, Superman is displayed flying over Chicago; to the right, that image is covered by balloons pasted onto the album cover; in the bottom left corner, there is simply a grey sky above the city; and in the final quadrant, balloons are painted onto the image itself.
Comparison of the four different versions of the album art. From top, left to right: original artwork, balloon sticker covering Superman, Superman image removed, balloon image added to the artwork itself.

The album artwork was created by Divya Srinivasan,[6] depicting a variety of Illinois-related themes, including Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln, the Sears Tower, and Black Hawk. The album cover reads, "Sufjan Stevens Invites You To: Come On Feel the Illinoise!" as a wordplay on the common mispronunciation of the state's name as "ill-i-NOYZ" and a reference to the song "Cum On Feel the Noize" by British band Slade. The text on the cover caused some confusion over the actual title of the album—it is officially titled Illinois, as opposed to Come on Feel the Illinoise or Illinoise. Paste listed Illinois as having the seventh best album art of the decade 2000–2009.[27] The album also won the PLUG Independent Music Awards' Album Art/Packaging of the Year in 2006.[28]

Shortly after the release of the album, reports arose that DC Comics issued a cease and desist letter to Asthmatic Kitty because of the depiction of Superman on the cover of the album.[29][30] However, on October 4, 2005, Asthmatic Kitty announced that there had been no cease and desist letter; the record company's own lawyers warned about the copyright infringement. On June 30, 2005, Asthmatic Kitty's distributor Secretly Canadian asked its retailers not to sell the album; however, it was not recalled. On July 5, the distributor told its retailers to go ahead and sell their copies,[31] as DC Comics agreed to allow Asthmatic Kitty to sell the copies of the album that were already manufactured, but the image was removed from subsequent pressings.[32] Soon after it was made public that the cover would be changed, copies of the album featuring Superman were sold for as high as $75 on eBay.[31] On the vinyl edition released on November 22, 2005, Superman's image is covered by a balloon sticker.[33] The image of the balloon sticker was also used on the cover to the Compact Disc and later printings of the double vinyl release.[34]

Reception

Illinois resulted in Sufjan Stevens' greatest commercial and critical success to date, including his first time charting on the Billboard 200 and several awards from critics.

Sales figures and chart performance

In its first week of sales, Illinois sold 9,000 copies, with 20% coming from online sales.[35] Overall, the album sold more than 300,000 copies.[4] The album was the first Sufjan Stevens album to place on the Billboard 200, reaching 121 with eight weeks on the chart.[36] It also placed number one on Billboard's "Heatseekers Albums" list and number four on the "Independent Albums" list, remaining on them for 32 and 39 weeks respectively.[36]

Region Sales charts (2005) Peak position
Netherlands Ultratop 80[37]
Norway VG-lista 34[37]
United States US Billboard 200 121[36]
Top Heatseekers 1[36]
Independent Albums 4[36]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic90[38]
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[18]
The A.V. ClubFavorable[19]
Blender[39]
Entertainment WeeklyPositive[40]
NME[2]
Pitchfork Media9.2/10[20]
PopMatters[21]
Q[41]
Rolling Stone[17]
Slant[22]
SpinA−[42]
Uncut[43]

Critical reception of Illinois was overwhelmingly positive. Andy Battaglia of The A.V. Club said that Stevens "has grown into one of the best song-makers in indie rock" with the album.[19] Tim Jonze of NME called Illinois "a brainy little fucker" and described Stevens as "prolific, intelligent and—most importantly—brimming with heart-wrenching melodies."[2] Rolling Stone's Rob Sheffield criticized elements of the album as symbolizing "nothing about American life except the existence of creative-writing workshops," but ultimately praised Stevens' style of "going too far and trying too hard."[17] Michael Metivier of PopMatters described "John Wayne Gacy, Jr." as "horrifying, tragic, and deeply sad without proselytizing."[21] Amanda Petrusich of Pitchfork Media described Illinois as "strange and lush, as excessive and challenging as its giant, gushing song titles."[20]

Jesse Jarnow of Paste praised the playful nature of Illinois, commenting that it had "sing-song" melodies and "jaunty" orchestrations. Jarnow also noted ironic lyrics, citing a line from "The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades is Out To Get Us!": "I can't explain the state I'm in..." after a section of the song that references many Illinois landmarks.[44] Q called Illinois a "sizeable step forward" from Michigan, and said Stevens' love for the state of Illinois is infectious.[41] Catherine Lewis of the Washington Post responded favorably to the album, stating that it has well-written lyrics, comparing Stevens' rhyming to that of Stephin Merritt. Lewis cited "Casimir Pulaski Day" as one of the most memorable songs of the album.[45] Review aggregator Metacritic compiled 40 critic reviews of Illinois, and gave the album a 90/100 ("Universal Acclaim"),[38] making it the best-reviewed album of 2005.[46]

Awards

Illinois achieved lasting fame with inclusion on numerous reviewers' "best of the year" and "best of the decade" lists. In particular, the November 2009 issue of Paste named the album the very best of the decade[47] and National Public Radio named Illinois on their list of "The Decade's 50 Most Important Recordings".[48] Pitchfork Media called Illinois the sixteenth best album of the decade,[49] with Stevens' previous album—Michigan—placing 70 on that same list.[50] The album also won the 2005 New Pantheon Award—a type of Shortlist Music Prize.[51] Finally, Paste listed Stevens as one of their "100 Best Living Songwriters" in 2006, primarily due to the writing on Michigan and Illinois.[52]

Best of the year (2005) lists
Publisher Accolade Rank Ref
Amazon.com Best of 2005: Top 100 Editors' Picks #1 [53]
Amazon.com Best of 2005: Editors' Picks in Alternative Rock #2 [54]
National Public Radio's All Songs Considered The Best Music of 2005 #1 [55]
NME 50 best albums of 2005 #7 [56]
No Ripcord Top 50 Albums of 2005 #1 [57]
PopMatters Best 50 Albums of 2005 #2 [58]
Spin The 40 Best Albums of 2005 #8 [59]
Stylus Magazine Top 50 Albums of 2005 #10 [60]
Best of the decade (2000–2009) lists
Publisher Accolade Rank Ref
National Public Radio's All Songs Considered The Decade's 50 Most Important Recordings Unranked, out of 50 recordings [48]
NME The Top 100 Greatest Albums of the Decade #17 [61]
No Ripcord The No Ripcord Years (1999–2009) Unranked, one of six reviewed for 2005 [62]
Paste The 50 Best Albums of the Decade #1 [47]
Pitchfork Media The Top 200 Albums of the 2000s #16 [49]
Rolling Stone 100 Best Albums Of The '00s #78 [63]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Sufjan Stevens

No.Title{{{extra_column}}}Length
1."Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois" 2:08
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 Until They Are Off Our Lands!'" 2:14
3."Come On! Feel the Illinoise!" (Part I: The World's Columbian Exposition – Part II: Carl Sandburg Visits Me in a Dream)The World's Columbian Exposition6:45
4."John Wayne Gacy, Jr" 3:19
5."Jacksonville" 5:24
6."A Short Reprise for Mary Todd, Who Went Insane, but for Very Good Reasons" 0:47
7."Decatur, or, Round of Applause for Your Stepmother!" 3:03
8."One Last 'Whoo-Hoo!' for the Pullman" 0:06
9."Chicago" 6:04
10."Casimir Pulaski Day" 5:53
11."To the Workers of the Rock River Valley Region, I Have an Idea Concerning Your Predicament" 1:40
12."The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts" 6:17
13."Prairie Fire That Wanders About" 2:11
14."A Conjunction of Drones Simulating the Way in Which Sufjan Stevens Has an Existential Crisis in the Great Godfrey Maze" 0:19
15."The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us!" 5:23
16."They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back from the Dead!! Ahhhh!" 5:09
17."Let's Hear That String Part Again, Because I Don't Think They Heard It All the Way Out in Bushnell" 0:40
18."In This Temple as in the Hearts of Man for Whom He Saved the Earth" 0:35
19."The Seer's Tower" 3:53
20."The Tallest Man, the Broadest Shoulders" (Part I: The Great Frontier – Part II: Come to Me Only with Playthings Now) 7:02
21."Riffs and Variations on a Single Note for Jelly Roll, Earl Hines, Louis Armstrong, Baby Dodds, and the King of Swing, to Name a Few" 0:46
22."Out of Egypt, into the Great Laugh of Mankind, and I Shake the Dirt from My Sandals as I Run" 4:21
Bonus tracks
No.TitleVersionLength
23."Chicago" (To String Remix by JonGalloway)iTunes release5:32
24."The Avalanche"iTunes release and LP version of Illinois (as track 23)3:14

Personnel

A worm's eye view shot of Sufjan Stevens playing an orange and black electric guitar while singing into a microphone. He is wearing a blue t-shirt with an orange letter "I" on it and orange pants.
Sufjan Stevens performing on stage during a tour for Illinois. Stevens and his band the Illinoisemakers wore outfits modeled after those of the cheerleaders of the University of Illinois.
  • Tom Eaton
  • Jennifer Hoover
  • Katrina Kerns
  • Beccy Lock
  • Tara McDonnell
  • Maria Bella Jeffers – cello
  • Katrina Kerns – backing vocals on "Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois", "Come On! Feel the Illinoise!", "Jacksonville", "Prairie Fire That Wanders About", "The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us!", "The Seer's Tower", and "The Tallest Man, the Broadest Shoulders"
  • James McAlister – drums, drum engineering
  • Craig Montoro – trumpet, backing vocals on "They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back from the Dead!! Ahhhh!"
  • Rob Moose – violin
  • Matt Morgan – backing vocals on "Decatur, or, Round of Applause for Your Stepmother!"
  • Daniel and Elin Smith – backing vocals and clapping on "Decatur, or, Round of Applause for Your Stepmother!"
  • Divya Srinivasan – artwork
  • Shara Worden – backing vocals on "Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois", "Come On! Feel the Illinoise!", "John Wayne Gacy, Jr.", "Casimir Pulaski Day", "Prairie Fire That Wanders About", "The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us!", "The Seer's Tower", and "The Tallest Man, the Broadest Shoulders"

References

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  2. ^ a b c d e Jonze, Tim. "Sufjan Stevens: Illinoise". NME. Retrieved March 6, 2010. {{cite web}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  3. ^ a b c d Barton, Lara (October 25, 2005). "American idyll". The Guardian. Retrieved October 26, 2010.
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  5. ^ Purcell, Andrew (October, 27 2009). "Sufjan Stevens's symphony for New York". The Guardian. Retrieved October 4, 2010. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  6. ^ a b c d e f Stevens, Sufjan (2005). Illinois. Liner notes. Asthmatic Kitty #14.
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  17. ^ a b c d Sheffield, Rob (July 28, 2005), "Sufjan Stevens: Illinois", Rolling Stone, no. 977, New York City, New York, United States: Straight Arrow Publishers Company, LP, ISSN 0035-791X
  18. ^ a b Monger, James Christopher. "Review". Allmusic. Retrieved March 6, 2010.
  19. ^ a b c d Battaglia, Andy. "Illinois". The A.V. Club. Retrieved March 6, 2010.
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  23. ^ a b c Hooper, Jessica (July 22, 2005). "Ode to Us". Chicago Reader. 34 (43): 28.
  24. ^ Bertsch, Charlie (2005). "Between Hipsters and God, There's Sufjan Stevens". Tikkun. 20 (6): 78–79. {{cite journal}}: Unknown parameter |month= ignored (help)
  25. ^ Murray, Noel (July 13, 2005). "Interview – Sufjan Stevens". The A.V. Club. Retrieved April 13, 2010.
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