Illinois

first Sufjan Stevens album and pretty difficult to get through for me chicago - OH so thats why this album is on the list. heard this one. was it in a movie? multiple? its giving indie movie breakthrough protaganist looking wistfully out the window of a bus ok am i done now? should i even listen to the rest of this after chicago.. ? "to the workers of the rock river valley region..." - finally interested in this album by this point "they are night zombies.." - also cool musicality here, like other tracks, sprinkled in

I gave this a second chance over the weekend, thinking that a different scene might help me enjoy it more; it didn't. Felt like I was being dragged through an uncomfortable montage of indie films. Some upbeat stuff but still felt dreary.

I really disliked this, it’s long, dull and found his tone irritating. A song also seemingly empathetic towards Gacy? Bed wetters music

2/5 just didn't care for it

Not my style. Weird early 2000's experimental stuff. Interesting arrangements and talented musicians but not my kind of music.

Not sure why this guy made it so huge? Maybe I'm just not in the right demographic for this, but I don't hear any strokes of genius here.

One good song, a couple decent ones, and the rest are kinda stinky balls. Can MAYBE see how someone else could like it but I'm not a fan.

I didn't even finish it?!! I liked the vibes

trotos

Saw the point of some of it but no real songs, lots of twiddling.

Great song names. Not great songs. Maybe one or two that I liked, but overall not great.

I like Sufjan Stevens. He did Call Me By Your Name. Well, I think I like the idea of him. The titles of these songs were creative but it was easy to forget to listen.

Music to listen to when NPR goes to break. The grilled salmon of indie rock. Music to listen to while cleaning the kitchen with your wife. there’s absolutely nothing wrong with this album. It feels healthy - like I’m making a mature, responsible decision by listening to it. I wish I was the kind of guy this appeals to. I think I’d be a better, more thoughtful person. I’d have gone to grad school. I would compost. Unfortunately, I liked the Korn album better.

Not my vibe but pleasant enough

I just realized this is a different artist than Cat Stevens (Yusuf). I think I prefer Yusuf. It was ok.

Ok

Didn't mind this.

Too slow for me.

Awful

Not great, bit too dreamy for me

Nothing special at all

Not to my taste, this album really overstayed its welcome. I thiught the songs dull.

This was a real mixed bag - as most concept albums tend to be. This reminded me of Polyphonic Spree. There's too much Happy Clappiness going off for my liking. The folk elements work best. I still couldn't follow the narrative.

Not what I was expecting. Pleasant background indie music, kinda same-y, lost interest about half-way through. 2.5.

I tried to listen to Sufjan Stevens when I was 17 but got bored and never tried again, so this was my first time really listening to him. I don't think I was missing out on much. This album is fine enough, as it's fairly standard indie rock, which I generally love. However, I think the album is a bit bloated, bland, and repetitive, and some of the songs felt like they went on for too long. Overall, I don't feel the need to revisit this album in the future and it hasn't convinced me to listen to more Sufjan Stevens.

Not bad but boring and too long

it's another album that is interesting.....but will I ever seek it out to listen to again? no. it opened with some interesting sounds (the horns with guitar/banjo), and I appreciated use of different sounds, but then it just rambled on. not a fan of his vocals-the weird whisper/talk is not my style, and I just didn't get the lyrics 2.5

I get why people love this. I briefly did. Grew up and can't stand this twee nonsense anymore. Can't deny the man's talent as wussy as his output is. I remember someone describing this as macaroni art, the album. STFU Stevens, Animal Collective, Arcade Fire and the ilk all so highly rated by my contemporaries when I was in my indie 20s. Never really got it. This has no relation to Animal Collective and its still got me thinking about how much I dislike them. Tweeness was a stain on music in the 00's.

Meeh, fastna inte direkt för någon men helt ok bakgrundsmusik - tycker dock om hur de strävar mot att vara innovativa, fast tyvärr faller detta försöket lite platt. Bästa låt: Come On! Feel the illnoise

Hmm vet inte tyckte det var ganska mediokert Bästa låt: Come On! Feel the Illinoise!

Not so much a concept album and more of a contrivance album, burdened by irritating vocals and complicated arrangements.

Interesting change from the other albums. Not bad although it is not my prefered style of music. Some nice pieces but not enought to keep my attention for over 70 minutes. "The World's Columbian Exposition Part II...", "Chicago", "The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts" and "They Are Night Zombies!!..." are remarkable for me. 2,5

4/10

Jesus Christ. It’s writerly, high concept, really self-indulgent, and so long I started to resent it and turned it off.

I quite often enjoy stuff that is off-putting, but not for 70+ minutes.

Meh. Not worth the hours of listening. Did nothing for me

I just can't with this. 2 stars.

2 the album sounded fine but I just couldn’t wait for it to end. It’s art for arts sake made to fool hipsters

It had a few interesting parts but the rest was bland and forgettable background music. I probably would have liked it more in my Wilco days but my tastes have evolved.

I hadn't heard of this album before. By song two I thought “oh is this the music from some play?” Because that’s what our sounds like- a second-tier musical your kid’s high school is putting on, that you are struggling to sit through. Turns out it’s just an artsy pop concept album. A long one.

Cringe

It was ok, a couple of tracks were approaching good. I doubt I'd listen to it again willingly, but I wouldn't turn it off if it came on the radio. I think 2 or 3 stars is about right.

Odd stuff lately. This one is a gem… a poop nugget.

Ehhh this was pretty boring. I like the concept, maybe if it were 40 minutes instead of 80 I'd be more generous?

I can appreciate the concept but this type of music is just not for me.

Had never heard of this guy before. Interesting, but found it pretty average overall except for the album length (91 minutes!).

Never heard this album or really ever heard OF this album. Interesting concept album I suppose. Glad to be made aware of it, but I don't expect to ever listen to this again.

It's okay, just kinda boring. Chill background music though.

i did not care about this album. I did not like it. Pass

i feel like sighing to be honest

Pretty boring. Some melodious compositions but overall unremarkable.

Not for me - one or two tracks were okayish, but the rest was dull dull dull

2 stars. One for Chicago and one for trying something different.

Stand out track Chicago aside, this album is dull and derivative. Lyrics appear to have been written by a 5 tear old.

Fine. Nothing special.

Not saying this album is unlistenable, but holy hell was it hard to get through. I have a disliking for singers with a high, whiney voice and Sufjan Stevens fits the bill. The instrumental parts were good at points but largely overshadowed by his annoying voice.

Merke: Bei der sich dem nächsten Film-Noir-Fest anschließenden Diskussionsrunde wäre dieses Album eine passenden Hintergrundmusik: Experimentell - Abwechslungsreich - nervt nicht - lenkt nicht ab.

The music was pretty good, but nothing in the lyrics really got me going.

Far too precious and self-satisfied to be enjoyable.

Bizarre

So boring. At least didn't do all 50 states.

Maybe if I had been in the right mood this could have been better, but as it was this was mediocre at best

Da fuck. That song about the serial killer had the completely wrong vibe and should be stricken from the annals of music.

71/1001 🌕🌕🌑🌑🌑

I got the invite, shame I took it up. Skipped almost all of the tracks, other than the short ones, to the end. The algorthym threw up Massive Attacks after which was much more to my taste. Yet another I didn't really enjoy.

Waaayyy too long, couldn't even finish. Not into this over done pop music.

Too many songs. Some of it was fine, most of it was like the soundtrack to a movie I didn't like or understand

Sort of bland folk-pop, not my thing

I don’t really like this. His voice is too weak

Pretty bland and boring and so it’s just very average for me.

this is not very good.

snoozefest... goes on for far too long, especially considering the songs all have the same sound. some of them are good tbf.

Always loved Chicago but rest unmoving and a bit god bothery.

Great instrumentals, horrible singing... 2.5?

Not for me. I just can't get into Sufjan.

Not for me.

Too long. Didn't enjoy it, but on a positive note it could have been worse

Not my style but I appreciate the musicianship nonetheless.

Not my style,

Ok

Omituista lausuntamusiikkia, jonka kaikilla kappaleilla miljoonia kuunteluita Spotifyissa. En oikein ymmärrä. Loppulevystä tuntui kuitenkin jo ihan jammailtavalta.

it can be hard to know where to draw the line on dark subjects in art. I feel comfortable saying that using John Wayne Gacy's sexual assaults & murders for a sad boy folk song is completely tasteless. there's ways to show empathy for the grotesque and this ain't it. this album condenses down a lot of things I hated about being part of my generation at college age. in Ulysses there's a bit where the young Joyce stand-in viciously rips on his younger self for having an idea as dumb and pretentious as writing books with letters for titles. it's a perfect little summary of the youthful arrogance of imaging the praise you'll get for completed works for which you have no content, & one of the great things about art is that you can experience this vicariously without having to be such a twit. hearing that this stuff was 'genius' was right about when I stopped believing my generation was going to be any emotionally stunted than the boomers/Gen Xers we were supposedly learning from the mistakes of. it's the sound of ironic moustaches becoming an unironic(?) norm. it's feminism getting cool but relationship norms staying the same, men with ironic(?) moustaches expecting their girlfriends to take care of them, imagining praise for work that got halfway through coming up with titles. music: hated. (⌐■_■)

I didn’t get it at all. I kept waiting for some sort of awakening in the album. Something I could grab on to. But it was more of the same time and again. The songs are boring and lack any type of hook that would remotely qualify as exciting. I’m not giving it a one simply because I felt the artist at least made an attempt at laying down some decent lyrics at times.

Slow and long some good parts

I have heard many songs on this and owned this album in the past. I remember liking a previous album of his and listened to it repeatedly (Seven Swans), but this one never stuck. Musically, it’s well done and yes the lyrics are “smart” but listening to it this time i just found it disturbing (the Gacy song) and…I just could not get through the whole album. Another one I can appreciate but don’t really like.

me he quitao los auriculares y no me he enterao pero pianito chill, no me enamora pero dins de lo que es no ta mal

Tranquilo pero muy aburrido

Technically stellar and endearingly folksy. Require a particular mood though, because it's slow, soft, and wants your full attention. Not for me, but I respect it a lot.

Dude shut up

Discount Bon Iver...

Who sings about John Wayne Gacy? That's so weird.

Meh.

Oddly discordant notes mixed with good ones.

Pretty tough to just enjoy. I know that it’s like an amazing poetic experience but I don’t think Stevens really fleshes out his think points very well. Even for spoken word, it’s a little too artistic to be listenable. I kind of just wish he’d orchestrate some songs with no lyrics and just write orchestral stuff cuz I found that to be very interesting

Märkligt album. Förstår inte vad den gör på listan.

Boring

Not my vibe

My daughter loves Stevens and gave me a CD of his for my birthday. But I have never been able to get into his rather formless and inartful pieces.

I can't really explain why but this album came off as ultra pretentious to me. I've never heard anything else by Sufjan Stevens and likely never will after this album. With that being said it wasn't the worst thing I've heard from this list so it gets 2 stars.

Naaaa

Light and fluffy with some horns

Ok for background listening.

Gave it a couple of listens but it really didn’t grab me. Nice orchestration and variety of songs but all in the pleasant easy listening style that just passes me by. 2 rated as not inoffensive!

I get what he was trying to do...but not my bag!

I've never been a fan of Sufjan Stevens, it's too "soft" and the songs know no climax. There's so much you can do with a mandoline. Yet, for Sufjan, it only makes his songs more mellow.

No me ha llegado el disco. Tiene sonidos muy agradables, pero otras partes me parecen estridentes. No estaría entre mis favoritos, sin duda

I gather he was trying to make a great point, but never seemed to quite get to it. As for the music, he seemed to think adding quirky noise would make it interesting and it just didn't.

2.0 per track. Yawn.

Interesting music. Lyrics were a little off.

Doesn't get much more pretentious, but I like some of the Steve Reich/Philip Glass influenced pieces

It was okay. Not my cup of tea.

My first exposer to this music. While I appreciate the art, and believe it to be Phillip Glass influenced, I don't care for the thin voice work or the lyric. I would listen a second time to possible undo a first impression, but I can barely mark this as a 2. I'd rather just listen to Phillip Glass.

i can see why this album is rated so well, sufjan manages to deliver a wide variety of instruments beautifully brings his alternative folk style to life telling deep stories about the state of illinois. however, i can't rate it highly from a perspective of enjoyment as its simply not for me

#69 (nice). This album sucks. I have never heard nor even heard of this guy beforehand. The album cover is pretty cool, I thought, but it misled me. There's nothing good inside. Just uninteresting hipster-folk trash start to finish. The song titles are more stupid than Fall Out Boy Songs. Nothing about any of this did I enjoy in the slightest bit. I seriously considered giving this one star, but then I went back and skimmed through some Tom Waits songs [the true bar of what is a one star album] and thought OK, maybe it's not that bad. But it's borderline almost one star though. Trash 2/5: not good Song added to playlist: Jacksonville I've created a playlist on Spotify that consists of the best and/or my favorite song from each of the albums in this book. This list can be found here if you are interested: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7MAXDGLWlwLkFLb8veGfkA?si=FqkQQPgZTFWG0jAUJXLFZA&utm_source=copy-link

It was ok. I don’t know why he thought he could make 50 albums like this…but I’d be excited to hear a Nebraska one

Interesting album/artist. Knew the name from the OC soundtrack. Won’t be listening again

His schtick ain’t for me

haha er macht funny langi liedtitel. ich ha das album vor 10 johr oder so mol glost und mega guet gfunde. aber mol luege. oeff s dritt lied en 5/4. ok s isch sehr introspective musig, möstmer worschinli im ligge am stuck lose. Wayne Gracy Jr. meega schön. a chicago magi mi erinnere findi super schön. Casimir Pulaski day (?) chli jesus time. banjo nice, aber s tönt mit de ziit alles chli ähnlich. mir sind ide peak indie langi titel ära. Ich find sini melodie ide strophe sind immer sehr ähnlich vorallem hends immer die glich kadenz. de gitarrepart bi the man of meteopolis isch aber no cool. das album isch leider sehr gueti hintergrund musig und songs gönd inenand übere. bin immer wieder abglenkt und vergiss dasi am lose bin. predatory wasp de trompeterdogg schono nice. they are night zombies ouuu cleani e-gitarre mit bass wo dopplet? count me in. ok byebye gitarre. mer muesem aber geh dass d instrumentierig extrem divers isch.

Hey also ähm abgseh vo John Wayne Gacy, Jr. und The Seers tower wo mega schön gsi isch und One Last 'Whoo-Hoo!' for the Pullman!! wege funny han ich nüt chönne mit dem ahfange. Nöd dass ich d musig schlecht fänd, im gegeteil, es git parts wo mich au überrascht hend und ich cool gfunde han, aber für mich isches eifach echt langwilig gsi sorry. iwie schwebts für mich zwüsche film- und werbigmusig. titelnäme sind funny und bass bi night zombies hani gern. s outro hetmer iwie au gfalle, het zum album passt. wiso heter nöd midwest emo gmacht wenner scho illinois als albumtitel nimmt? 2/5 sorry suuf-jan

The music had its moments, the half whispered lyrics just got a bit too tiresome.

Definitely didn’t hold up to the hype it has when it came out.

Only made it halfway through, I feel like if Iistened to it a few times maybe I’d get it but I didn’t have the patience. Default 2

The hipster in me wanted to like this more, but I just can’t do a whole 75 minutes of Sufjan. If I’m in the mood I’ll stick to Carrie and Lowell which is a far superior album and about half the length

2.4 there was some interesting sections but overall not my cup of tea

Fín plata. Róleg bakgrunnstónlist en stundum missir hann sig í einhverju of framúrstefnulegu. Að listamanna yfir sig smá.

honesty, i just don’t get this guy…

Musically there are some interesting bits, but it is far too much riffing, self indulgent nonsense.

Sounds like coffee shop music in a hallmark movie

Did not like it. Not my cup of tea.

Decent, but more odd than good.

Not my cup of tea

Didn’t like this one. Too random and quirky for my liking.

Un hommage à l'état de l'Illinois. Un concept album. Du bon soffty pas dérangeant, mais ça vient peu me chercher. Va falloir j'aille à Chicago.

Hint av kult, men først og fremst irriterande

Great to nap to.

Far too long and far too twee. He's never been for me.

good but not my vibes

Mellow and slightly boring album

2/5 Best: Chicago Worst: Prairie Fire That Wanders About

What the fuck is this? This is one of the weirdest albums I've ever heard... and yet it's not bad.

Idk why this listening experience irked me so much when Andrew Bird and others in this space don't provoke the same reaction. I haven't listened to much Sufjan Stevens in general, so I didn't have much of a bias one way or the other going into this, but today for some reason he really got under my skin. The honeyed vocals, cutesy arrangements and swelling strings added up to a cloying atmosphere that, in his hands, never struck me as entirely earnest, and I'll say it, his voice annoyed me. Listening to this felt like chewing one of those old timey fudge candies that tires out your jaw. I recognized individual noteworthy elements but it never came together in a way that made me feel anything besides impatient. This felt like style over substance in a 2020's era Wes Anderson kind of way. If anyone else feels similarly, Gabriel Kahane (who often collaborates with Sufjan) put out an album called the Ambassador in 2014 that does this sort of thing but for LA, and IMO he used that decade to blow the former record out of the water. There's a poignancy to his work, imbued with more variety in mood, texture, and tone within a single song than you get on all of Illinoise. Listening to it again after today's pick made me also realize how much more easily I could pay attention to the lyrics in the hands of another artist. The Ambassador feels authentic and substantive where Illinoise feels contrived and packaged. Maybe if I hadn't ever heard The Ambassador I would rate this album more generously, but it's hard to go back to store brand when you've had the real thing. Confession - I could not make myself finish the entire hour and 16 minutes.

This is just meh, piled upon more meh, with a side helping of meh.

Not really enjoyable. Boring music with some annoying repetitive noise. Also quite long

Underwhelming and overstays its welcome.

I never could get into Sufjan. Much of this is whimsical but humorless, and it is off-putting for me. I do like when he goes stripped down, but there isn’t much of that here outside of “John Wayne Gacy Jr.” Definitely not one of my favorites, but a lot of people seem to like it.

Makes Illinois sound like the whimsicallest place in the world. Somehow, I doubt it is.

Совсем не в мем вкусе, да и голос не нравится

- 1 kinda calming. it would be good background - 2 noisy off putting sounds, no lyrics - 3 long, also off putting - 4 eh - 5 meh - 6 short instrumental 20 secs - 7 I'm not enjoying this album very much I think it's pretty political but I want to try new things :) - 8 5 seconds of applause - 9 i dont know any more I guess from now on I'll only write the ones I really like or really don't like I listened to it. Not life changing. probably won't ever listen to it again

te langdradig

I was really expecting more from this album, but I kept getting distracted and it was really hard to finish. I made it eventually, but it really didn’t feel worth it. It’s still not a 1 star album because there were some moments I liked, but from an artist that I hear about a lot, I was pretty disappointed.

értem mitől népszerű, háttérben elmegy, de odafigyelve hallgatva meguntam a felénél

Average, if you wanted to make a play list for "Music To Play In Elevators" Illinois would have to be on it!

Well no me gusto musho la verda, lo tendía de fondo pero no amé la ambientación, más bien me puso nerviosa haha Calificare con 2 estrellas por su titulo y su arte y los títulos de canciones.

I listened to this album several times in the past, but it never really resonated with me. This time was no different. It is not terrible, but mostly quite boring, apart from one or two tracks.

I don't know why, but I really want to like Sufjan's music - I'm guessing it's something I heard (or read) once that I really liked. This has moments, but never emerges. I would rather listen to something like The Polyphonic Spree or The Shins or The Weakerthans than this.

Soft and whimsical listening. Not really my style.

I’m not sure how sincere these songs are about Illinois. Sufjan wrote the prior ‘Michigan’ as a joke, so it’s hard for me to take the music writing seriously. It seems performed and recorded well, but seems this musician is sarcastically insincere in its outward seriousness. In one 2023 word: Sus. 2.7/5.

One and done for me.

2,5

Oh, God of Progress Have you degraded or forgot us?

Boring. To stjerner.

This quickly became background noise and the album went on way too long.

Very odd. Il give it a 2 for creativity but a strange listen this

It was ok. I couldn't make it through the whole record, but the first half or so is decent 2/5

Never got in to this cat, always seemed like a little much. I'm not sure if I ever gave one of his song more than 40 seconds of my time before dismissing it and switching it off. This record was fine, overwrought and way too long surely. I get why people like it so much, but not for me.

Slightly too far out there without enough substance. They Are Night Zombies is a particular favourite and stands out

My favourit song/album that tell a story is Rush's 2112 because it feels like i'm watching a 2h sci fi film in 20 min. This feelt like a 3+ hour slow art drama film and im doing the equivalent of falling asleep halfway through.

Meh... it was fine. Background music, nothing jumped out at me at all.

It’s ok but too long.

Esta experiência de escutar os discos indicados no livro é também uma tentativa ouvir diferentes perspectivas e aprender com novas experiências. Porém, ainda não consegui superar a ideia que a maioria dos discos indies funcionam no máximo como música para não incomodar o ambiente. Até mesmo que quase todos têm algum conceito envolvido. Mas para perceber alguma coisa deste só se tivesse interesse em estudar ou viajar para Illinois.

Not someone I'd heard before, and the first 15 minutes had me thinking I might want to listen to more. After Jacksonville I was constantly looking to see how much more I had to endure before it was over.

pajero

I tried listening to this several times in the past few days, each time I just can't be arsed with it. Rest of our group seems to like it, I must be missing that hook in. 2.5

too noisy for me, meh I prefer simpler music

sufjan stevens' illinois is very dense. i get that's kind of the standard for his indie folk music, but i can't really say i enjoyed much of it. i did find it varied. "jacksonville" started off with the most beautiful violins, but then we have a banjo quickly thrown into the mix. quite a lot of instruments were included. it's lyric heavy in the sense that it's so hard to focus when stevens is coming at you with so much. while i enjoy concept albums, it's just *too much* at the end of the day.

First time hearing this one. Never heard of Sufjan Stevens before. The album is fine. I think it will take time to get to know it better. For now, it's a 2.5

Didn't hold my attention enough to want to finish it, but I did. Started with some fairy promising tracks but it kind of devolved into stomp stomp clap banjo Mumford and sons early 2010s "indie" sounding shlock.

This a very generic and bland album. Some songs can stand alone for a while, but as an album, everything just drips to the ground at the speed of molasses.

A bit slow and meandering for my tastes, but Chicago remains an extremely powerful song

Jacksonville er en klar fav hitill. Banjoklimpring er jo noe. Vel... det er nok en grunn til at dette har vært så mye eksponert for meg, men aldri ble lyttet på. Det er helt allright etter min mening.. men ikke noe jeg kommer til å kjøpe eller lytte mer på. Tror jeg. Hvem vet med slike album.

I wish I could find the proper words to express why this album rubbed me the wrong way, but I can't—potentially because Stevens used all the words for song titles like "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!'" and "To the Workers of the Rock River Valley Region, I Have an Idea Concerning Your Predicament, and It Involves Tube Socks, a Paper Airplane, and Twenty-Two Able-Bodied Men." If those titles elicit an eye roll from you, then there's a decent chance you'll find his music similarly tiresome. It's not all bad; there are some great musical arrangements, with strings and woodwinds and some brass peppered in. But the lyrics (and eye roll-inducing song titles) that accompany the music often feel like they're coming from a newly-minted college student home for the holidays and eager to show off their expanded consciousness—a bit pompous and somehow simultaneously self-aware and oblivious at the same time. I guess I can see why some people might be into that, but it's all just a bit much for my taste.

Indy rock that reminds me of a cheesy version of Vampire Weekend. I'm not a fan of polished overly produced soft rock. A miss for me.

pussy album

Meh not my vibe

Much like the composer Philip Glass, you either have the patience to bear the music out and be rewarded, or you don't and move on to other stuff. I'm moving on.

Not for me

Big meh

Too many instruments, too many songs, not enough interesting ideas to back it up.

Calming

Kind of sad, didn't really know what was going on

I can appreciate the talent it takes to do this. But my wheelhouse doesn’t go this deep. It’s to shallow to have room for this. I made it half way through. Most highly acclaimed album of 2005. I don’t get it personally.

Meh

Very different from what I’m used to listening to but it still has some cool moments. The “John Wayne Gacy” song is interesting.

Rating: 4.3 Best Track: They are Night Zombies!! They are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back from the Dead!! Ahhhh!

I not really like this stuff

Pff heel filmisch maar een beetje hitchcock-vibes, maar dan vrolijk. Wel duidelijk oud, rijk maar poeh wel chaotisch en ik kan de stem niet zo goed waarderen, zo beatles-zangerig. Net iets te hoog wat mij betreft. Je moet het een keer ervaren hebben, maar een beetje herkenning ervan in de toekomst is goed, ik ga hem niet uit mezelf nog eens luisteren.

I'm so confused. 2/5

Way too long, boring hipster garbage

Nothing good to say, parts of the album sounded like a children's musical.

Samey. Unpleasant to listen to, the up tempo version of a discordant noise. It drones whilst smiling at you

At first it really wasn't my thing, but after I listened to a few songs I started to enjoy it more. Very "American" music and lyrics which I suppose is the point, although I don't really see why it was so well acclaimed other than just being an ode to the USA/illinois

This one hurts: I respect-but-don't-love Sufjan and Illinois is clearly a grower album, one ill-suited for the way I go through this list. It's the string arrangements that I repeatedly bounce off. Classical inclusions of this kind rarely work, and this music is far too twee to go for quiet-loud contrast.

Groovy tunes, however I didn't find it very grabbing. Nice music to have playing in the background.

Not really a fan. Songs we're surreal but far too long of an album regardless

nothing special

Just completely forgettable with really an annoying singing voice. Almost like whispering or uninspired singing as if it was was a secret album. Not a fan of folk music and boy was this ever. 4/10.

Too much going on here. Songs are all over the place. Not a fan.

Some nice elements but overall a bit too long and weird

Very one note for the length of it. Vocals we're ok to start quickly became grating

I didn’t enjoy this album. I’m sure there are good lyrics and prose in the tracks, but I didn’t enjoy the music or singing behind it to appreciate it.

Totaal niet mijn ding, erg zoetsappig en bleh

A bit twee

It's like everyone decided to will this album into being great. Maybe some folks thought the Quiet Riot pun was clever.

Sounds like a wet combination of Vampire Weekend and Badly Drawn Boy. Not sure if that's the best thing in the world if I'm honest.

Tja, dit was wel erg onsamenhangend en artyfarty. Niet voor mij.

Not gonna lie, the music was OK. Wouldn't listen to it again - but that might be because the names were throwing me off. I had this feeling of wanting to throw the names of the songs at a wall 👻

Yawn. I'm not getting this at all. I can appreciate the artistry and the lyricism but it's not grabbing me at all to be honest.

alltof meinlaust fyrir mig

Well that’s was weird

Interesting concept. Too trancy for me.

Also paar Lieder waren schon ganz nice aber so im Allgemein schon nicht ganz meins.

I've heard of both him and this album before but I never listened to either. Not for me.

nothing new about music ...

OK not my type of music

I dont know about this one.

pfpf es de 2.5

kinda boring

all of them sound the same i did not like

Pleasantly folky but really folky and twee.

Didn’t finish it. Not my style blahhh

sujan stevens is living his best life as he creates these experimental tunes for our listening pleasure. It just seems as if my pleasure from listening to him was not achieved. I shall try other SS albums to gauge his style but this particular alblum did not do it for me. I give it two Marty Schottenheimer's - SS tried but didnt get to the big dance

I'm sure this album deserves more than the two stars I've given but I'll have to listen to it more than once. This is a complex album and it is clear the guy has put a lot of thought on it. The song names are totally crazy by the way

It’s ok. Don’t love it don’t hate it.

1.5 i guess

I did not care for this

Ooh interesting, an artist I've not heard of before. Looking forward to listening to this one. Not so fussed on this one. Very light and quirky, and it reminds me so much of someone I can't put my finger on it. Alright background listening, not one I'd sit and listen to. Got bored after 30 minutes at the sameness of it. Didn't listen anymore (long album as well!)

bits were ok but I could say I would listen again

I'm so bored

I appreciate the intricate and lush orchestration within and around the music of this album, but I can’t really stand his sappy sad ass syrupy voice and the content of his lyrics - ugh sooo not for me. If you’re a big fan, I gotta tell you there’s way better substance elsewhere. Like try Joni Mitchell? This album is gonna be a no from me, dawg.

Хз что это, я не стал слушать.

ts was buns when i listened to it in mr slattery's class in 8th grade (say slat slat 💀). still is. gets better in 2nd half, still not great.

I’ve literally no idea what’s going on in any song in this album. Abit too far one way for me. I don’t think it’s a strong enough sound. I can only compare it to what you’d hear in matalan buying a cardigan you’re only going to wear once. Probably for a funeral.

this did not hold my attention at all…..

pretentiously named songs, pretentious lyrics, pretentious album. I loved ascension so I’m not sure what went wrong here - his voice which I usually like sounded extra simpering - was just not for me at all.

I’m running out of ways to say “I hate this album”

The Song Names Say More Than The Music Ever Could, Or Why I Think This Album Proves Too Full Of Itself For Its Own Good, Or Just Go Read The Track Listings Instead Of Listening To This Diarrhea-tribe

Truly awful. Is it 22 individual, unique tracks or just the same godawful track repeated 22 times?

Ugh, this is just annoying. Didn’t finish.

See album annab sellist vaibi, et ta hakkab kohe nutma, kui ma midagi halvasti ütlen nii et ma armastasin seda.

Um. Really? Who thought it a good idea to put this on the list? I gotta listen to this before I die?

1.3/5 Chicago is a great song but other than that, It's a slow boring overhyped album. I was excited to listen to this as I heard that Sufjan was highly touted, but I don't get the appeal of this album.

I don’t think this could get any more pretentious.

I would be pissed if I lived in Illinois and this is the album we got as the homage to our state.

I don't have the words to properly express the irrational hatred I have for this.

Like a demented musical. Not bad, per se, just WTF. 2005 wasn't bad, but I feel bad that this was one of the most highly acclaimed albums of the year. The fact that the first song to make my ears perk up musically was called John Wayne Gacy, Jr., named after an infamous rapist, and serial killer slash torturer. So screw this album and screw Sufjan Stevens for putting his name on the title of the song and throwing the spotlight on his bloody deeds.

What the hell. I didn’t like this. The murderer stuff is too much for me

I really hated this, one of those albums from this list that I’m wondering why my mood is actually getting worse and then I realise it’s the record. Just the most grating voice and pathetically simple pop structures with baroque window dressing that become so annoying. Went on forever as well.

So far? Not really a fan. Nothing about it is capturing. There is a lot going on at a lot of points without great resolve. The vibe I'm getting? As Peter Griffin would say, it "insists upon itself" & I feel like the fan would be insufferable. I don't deny the talent of musicianship or composition, I just don't think this for me. I have a lot of tracks left, so we will see. Yeah, I don't know. Even the lyrics? Garbage. Maybe the hipsters would be correct that, I don't get it. I'm sorry I can't finish it.

I've listened to this once before and I absolutely trashed it. Against my better judgment, I gave it a second listen to see if I was being too harsh the first time around. Unfortunately, my original review holds up perfectly. The production is still excellent and there are still moments where the instrumentation catches my attention, but they're buried beneath an exhausting runtime and a collection of songs that feel more interested in being quirky than enjoyable. I can appreciate that this album clearly resonates with a lot of people, but I remain completely baffled as to why.

The albums music isnt even bad but i cant get over the john wayne gracy song.

Très mou !

Disco muy lejano a mí y lo mío. Narra la historia del estado. Me gustó: Come On! Feel the Illinoise!

I would rather listen to an 1 hour and 13 min duck fart

Not for me

emm, escuche 2 canciones y me quise tirar de un puente, así q x mi propia salud no lo escuche

There's mellow and then there's whatever wishy-washy bullshit this is

Best Song: Casmir Pulaski Day The author(s) did it. I think I can go ahead and mark this project a success. Any song can get a party started but it takes a special album to get your buddy who had too much to drink and breaking your things, your significant other to get off your back about how late it is and that, "we have neighbors," and get some serious rest - that is what this album is for. Boring, repetitive, and party emptying would be the best metatags I would add to this album. Let's see if I can get this down, we start with a bit of an orchestra type sound, we add some lyrics that are not very good but no one will notice because the listener is too busy trying to stay awake to notice, we have a hook, and we have a group of parroting background singer repeat the hook to end the song. Rinse and repeat to make a terrible album. But, like Little Caesars, being terrible isn't just enough, there has to be a lot of it. This cacophony of feces is nearly 80 minutes long. As someone who has lived in Illinois my whole life, it isn't enough to save this. 1/5.

All this time I thought Sufjan Stevens was a big beardy deep voiced country/folk singer and then I realised I was probably thinking of Cat Stevens. I've heard a lot about this album and ooh boy I hate it. I wasn't expecting "concept album about the state of Illinois" to be someone going down the wikipedia page for "famous places/events/people in Illinois" and writing some acoustic indie folk/pop that just describes what happened. You're taking the idea of a concept album too literally. It does not mean "list a bunch of concepts and then sing them". It feels like he's trying to be Bob Dylan "songs and stories are the same thing" but not realising what a story is. It's a solid 1.5 because it's at least...listenable, but in that really bland and dull way so I'm rounding down. It annoys me.

Listened to the first 3. Scanned the next few. Read lyrics of a few more. Ugh. Couldn’t stomach more. Vocal tune followed the beat but not the music. Reminded me of a poorly written HS musical with no logical plot. Jazz by people who have no talent

Nooe

This sucked. Also too long.

Обычная "эдширановщина". Сопливая и скучная.

This certainly was an album. I couldn’t really get the story all these songs kind of bored me I mean, they sounded good. Don’t get it twisted but it was just boring. I’ve been waiting to find one song to save so I can give it a two star rating, but that song never came so time to give it a one star

The kind of hipster rubbish you will hear in an overpriced, hipster coffee shop. Pompous, meretricious and repetitive. I’m not usually a person who overreacts and I consider myself to be fairly calm, but having had 22 hours to consider my feelings on “Illinois”, I can genuinely say that I hated the music, the style, the delivery and the pretentiousness of this entire project.

Nope, not the vibe for me.

Crappy album!

Musical music is the worst Stopped listening after the 3rd song I realised what kind of shit I was listening to Sufjan was raping my ears… DISGUSTANG!

Music for hipsters. I totally dont get it, this is not for me.

I hate to do this because I’ve got a lot of respect for what Sufjan does and I enjoy a handful of his music. Also, he’s a Midwest person from an area nearby…but I was not feeling this. Just really comes off as a pretentious and long album. Love the concept of this album and some of the ideas explored on these songs, but they just came across as boring.

😧 Yo... what the fuck just happened? I don’t ever want to do that again.

song i went back to first after first full listen: NONE - i wanted to be done i'm sorry

Boring

I love the song titles. Ohhhh, it’s the dude that made some of the Call Me By Your Name songs. Is that why he has so many streams? I can’t explain it otherwise. I didn’t like Mystery of Love in the first place, but this album is worse than that song. God, that song. It still haunts me from COVID times. Why did I have to be reminded of Timothée Chalamet fucking a peach? This music is so eh. His voice annoys me, and the instrumentals are just there. A lot is happening but kinda nothing at the same time. The only song that didn’t make me want to waterboard myself was Prairie Fire That Wanders About. It’s still far from decent, though. How the fuck do almost all songs sound the exact same? It’s the same goddamn melody. I hate this so much. God, why did you bestow this trash upon us? Haven’t we suffered enough already? It’s also over an hour. Was that necessary? HELL NO. Even thirty minutes would’ve been too much. If you like this, good for you. Just don’t talk to me. Enjoy it by yourself. Am I too European for an album on here again? Why was this so acclaimed? Why is this folk/indie folk, you get the picture, so fucking idolized in America? It’s some of the worst things to come out of music since rocks and sticks. Every day I wake up and thank all the gods I’m not American. Fucking Pulaski. Bad day to speak Romanian. I’m cackling like a 13-year-old boy.

I didn't like it. I don't know why. Maybe I just wasn't in the mood for something like this. But I didn't like it.

That was a long hour and fifteen minutes that will be forgotten in five minutes.

God bothered.

Honestly I was pretty shocked to see so many positive reviews of this record. I thought the vocals were unbearable to listen to. The record is so long and all sounds the same. There’s an occasional good lyric or well written song, but I just could not stand the music or the vocals. Sounds too much like mediocre Sunday morning Church music.

Obviously the theme of the album is a spoof, so it was never going to be that meaningful. However the sound is bland and there's very low energy for a spoof album to warrant being here. The performance is just so lackluster indie, it's just easy listening, and is far too long.

Another boring album, I thought this was a soundtrack for something (something terrible) at first but apparently not. It was so incredibly long winded and dull, it should be playing in a hipster coffee shop somewhere and not in my ears.

I just don't know about this one. Is it really worthy of space on here. fuck is that goat doing on the cover.

?????????????

Wasn't a fan ngl, couldn't get through 3 songs

Well I read some mixed reviews before listening, and it may be well produced have fantastic musicality and deep soul searching lyrics. But 20 minutes in I thought I was still on track one, it’s just bland and tedious. I gave up at minute 21 and that was more than enough for me

This can’t be in the top 1001 albums list!!

odd album.

Langeweile pur!

Fun album musically, but does not give the listener nearly enough to chew on to justify such a long tracklist. Album is bloated beyond belief, and holds bland instrumentation throughout

i didn’t listen yesterday but idk how to feel about this album so far😭it’s def not my style though. no I don’t think I can finish this bc the john wayne gacy song…it made me uncomfortable because it felt like he was trying to make me feel bad for him? I don’t really know how to describe it but talking about all the normal things he did and how his neighbors loved him is just strange to me.

This is not My type of music it’s good but not something I would play often.

Maybe you have to be from Illinois? Rubbish. Pretentious poetic drivel. Bad start, less worse middle, then back to that annoying guy who brings a guitar to a party.