Illinois (album)

Illinois
Studio album by Sufjan Stevens
Publication (s)	July 5, 2005
Label (s)	Asthmatic Kitty Records
Format (s)	CD , LP
Genre (s)	Indie-Folk , Baroque Pop , Indie-Pop , Americana , Indie-Rock
Title (number)	22nd
running time	73:59
occupation	see cast
production	Sufjan Stevens
Studio (s)	Carroll Music Studios, New York City Marla's Apartment, Brooklyn New Jerusalem Recreational Room, Clarksboro Redhook, Brooklyn St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Brooklyn Sufjan's Apartment, Brooklyn The Buddy Project, Astoria The New Jerusalem Recreational Room, Clarksboro
chronology Seven Swans (2004) Illinois The Avalanche: Outtakes and Extras from the Illinois Album (2006)

Chart positions Explanation of the data

Albums

Illinois   US 121 07/23/2005 (8 weeks)

Illinois , alternative title: Sufjan Stevens Invites You To: Come On Feel the Illinois and Illinois , is the fifth studio album by the American songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Sufjan Stevens . It was released in July 2005 on the indie label Asthmatic Kitty Records and in Europe on Rough Trade Records .

background

The album was recorded between late 2004 and January 2005 in the New York area , including in Stevens' home studio in Brooklyn .

After Greetings from Michigan in 2003, Illinois was Stevens' second concept album named after a US state . Stevens himself fueled rumors that a cycle was planned for all 50 states, but stated in a 2009 interview that it was more of a marketing gag.

There were legal problems because of the album cover . The original version featured a picture of Superman in front of the Chicago skyline. Due to the copyright problem, this was first covered with a sticker with balloons, later the balloons were firmly integrated into the artwork. The artwork is by Divya Srinivasan.

occupation

• Sufjan Stevens  - vocals , acoustic guitar , electric guitar , piano , organ , Wurlitzer electric piano , bass , drums , oboe , alto saxophone , flute , banjo , glockenspiel , accordion , vibraphone , Recorder , Casiotone MT-70 , bell staff , shaker , tambourine , Triangle , electric organ
• Julianne Carney - violin
• Marla Hansen - viola
• The Illinoisemaker Choir
  • Tom Eaton - backing vocals
  • Jennifer Hoover - backing vocals
  • Katrina Kerns - backing vocals
  • Beccy Lock - backing vocals
  • Tara McDonnell - backing vocals
• Maria Bella Jeffers - cello
• James McAlister - drums
• Craig Montoro - trumpet
• Rob Moose - violin
• Matt Morgan - backing vocals
• Daniel Smith - backing vocals
• Elin Smith - backing vocals
• Shara Worden - backing song

Track list

All songs are written by Sufjan Stevens .

page 1

1. Concerning The UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois - 2:08 am

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 Illinois! - 6:45

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

Page 2

7. Decatur, or, Round of Applause for Your Step Mother! - 3:03

8. One Last 'Woo-hoo' for the Pullman - 0:06

9. Chicago - 6:04

10. Casimir Pulaski Day - 5:53

11. To the Workers of the Rockford River Valley Region, I Have an Idea Concerning Your Predicament - 1:40

Page 3

12. The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts - 6:17

13. Prarie 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 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

page 4

19. The Seer's Tower - 3:53

20. The Tallest Man, the Broadest Shoulders - 7:02 am

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

reception

source	rating
Allmusic
Rolling Stone
The Guardian
Pitchfork Media
Uncut
New Musical Express
Music Express
Laut.de

The concept album was well received and years later it was featured in leaderboards. The music magazine Rolling Stone chose Illinois at number 78 of the 100 best albums of the 2000s. The New Musical Express ranks it at number 17 of the 100 best albums of the decade and also at number 138 of the 500 best albums of all time. In the selection of the 200 best albums of the 2000s by Pitchfork Media, it ranks 16th. The album was included in the 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die .

The album won the New Pantheon Award.

The album's metascore is 90 out of a possible 100 points, making it the highest rated album of 2005 on the Metacritic website .

The song Chicago was used in the 2006 award-winning film Little Miss Sunshine .

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Charts US
2. ^ Sufjan Stevens's symphony for New York . The Guardian
3. ↑ Cover with Superman. laut.de
4. ↑ pasted album cover. Discogs
5. ↑ Cover with balloons. Asthmatic kitty
6. ↑ Review by James Christopher Monger on allmusic.com (accessed August 24, 2018)
7. ↑ Review by Rob Sheffield on rollingstone.com (archived) (accessed August 24, 2018)
8. ↑ Review by Dave Simpson on theguardian.com (accessed August 24, 2018)
9. ↑ Review by Amanda Petrusich on pitchfork.com (accessed August 24, 2018)
10. ↑ Review by Andy Gill on uncut.co.uk (accessed August 24, 2018)
11. ↑ Review by Tim Jonze on nme.com (accessed August 24, 2018)
12. ↑ Review by Frank Sawatzki, in: Musikexpress 08/2005, issue 595, p. 71.
13. ↑ Review by Dani Fromm on laut.de (accessed on August 24, 2018)
14. ↑ 100 Best Albums of the 2000s on rollingstone.com (accessed August 24, 2018)
15. ↑ The Top 100 Greatest Albums Of The Decade on nme.com (accessed August 24, 2018)
16. ↑ The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time on nme.com (accessed August 24, 2018)
17. ↑ The 200 Best Albums of the 2000s on pitchfork.com (accessed August 24, 2018)
18. ↑ message. MTV.com
19. ↑ Metascore: Illinois on metacritic.com (accessed August 24, 2018)
20. ↑ Soundtrack on Amazon