Illinois

dava pra cotar umas musicas e fazer um disco mais curto e coeso, mas mostra o Sufjan Stevens fazendo arranjos orquestrais muito bem ainda no início da carreira. Não é meu favorito, mas necessário pra entender a trajetória dele

A favorite of mine going back to my college days. Such a rich-sounding album with some really fascinating themes throughout. Also, mind-boggling when you look at the credits and realize Sufjan Stevens did basically everything on here (instruments, vocals, engineering, production) himself.

A sweeping, orchestral folk-pop album that serves as both a musical road trip and a historical love letter to the state of Illinois. The song titles are a bit absurd, not a huge fan of that choice. Blending intricate orchestration, folk influences, and Stevens' signature delicate vocals, the album paints a rich, sometimes surreal, portrait of the state.

Never heard of this cat. Kinda like it

Was not expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. First couple of tracks threw me off, but the more I listened, the more I liked it.

Soundtrack of a few of my high school/jr high years.

overall it was good but it went on a bit too long for my tastes.

There's really not a song here that doesn't still work, even 20 years later. I still think it should have ended with "The Tallest Man" though.

4.4 I was so close to giving this a 5*. Many listens over several weeks to fully explore it. It's a beautiful album. Some really lovely tracks, great lyrics. The thing that lets it down is the length. This might be modern day short attention spans, but I feel it just didn't need to be that long. A few tracks had some unnecessary codas when a perfect natural conclusion would have been a minute prior. A few tracks towards the end could also have been binned, after being so captivating for 30-40 mins it's easy to zone out which is a shame. A great album for sure, but so close to immortality

Some american ahh lyrics, boring music

Is there anything more obnoxious than ridiculously long song titles? Maybe not, but I still found a lot to enjoy in this admittedly longgg album. The orchestral arrangements mostly felt really solid and suitably atmospheric, though i have to admit the illnoise choir grated in the songs they were prominently featured on. All in all, didn’t blow me away on the whole but some really good songs, especially the more emotional ones. 3/5

Really well-constructed, a great listen

Peak 2000s indie. Stylistically diverse, fun, heart-rending.

It’s been a while since I didn’t listen to Illinois. Almost cried when it started. Sufjan is just REALLY, REALLY good.

This album is so fucking long but great

Talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, showstopper, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before, unafraid to reference or not reference, put it in a blender, shit on it, vomit on it, eat it, give birth to it.

reeks of millennial cringiness but it’s ight

A huge album in my life that came out just as I was moving to Illinois for college. Played the hell out of it then and have listened to my favorite tracks often in the years since. This is my first full album listen through in probably a decade and my god does it hold up.

I'm not feeling this one. The songs just blend one into another and all sound the same. Listening to any of these songs on their own is fine, but an hour and 15 minutes of this stuff is too much.

Not my cup of tea. This was boring and very repetitive. Too long. At 30 minutes in I wanted to simply stop but pushed through. Musicianship and production were pretty solid.

I had ever heard of Sufjan before but this is a good record, there was one song though which was straight off Disintegration The Cure, the rest was made for a really interesting listen. One to revisit, voice really 👍

Pretty interesting album. Maybe 20 mins too long, but good nonetheless. It's sort of a 3.5 for me, but marking it as 4 to give it at least a second listen. Maybe it will grow on me.

Casual music, but very nice

Pleasant

Very different, but I really enjoyed it. It gets a. 3.

Hadn’t heard this before. I feel like I could do with listening to it some more before rating it really, but what you going do? There is a lot going on. It’s beautifully produced / technically brilliant. It’s not really my cup of tea, but I can’t fault the ambition, or the skill of the songwriting.

An interesting album with enough good songs for 3 stars or C+.

Nothing exciting and at a loss as to why it would be 1 of the albums I must hear before I die.

Folk Man Signs About A Cool State

I admire the colourful palette of sounds. When each track ends I don't know whether to brace for horns, strings, Vince Guaraldi piano or (my personal fave) banjo. The individual parts are on par with his noughties contemps like A Silver Mt Zion, Danielson Famile, A Hawk and a Hacksaw. But, to the obvious point: someone should have come in with a pair of secateurs and cut this monster down to about half the length or less. The same suite of tracks could easily have been less... boring.

I don’t really know what to think about this…

weird but fine

Molto carino, rilassante e di gusto

Tried. I really tried. Just confirms the truth for me that I simply don’t like anything after about 1995. He wrote a song about a serial killer that killed over 30 boys from 14-21 years old. And it wasn’t even that good. The songs all sound the same. For me, the epitome of musicians after about 2000 that I can’t enjoy. At all. I’m sorry,. It’s not personal. I’m sure it’s me, not you. Just not an enjoyable listen at all to me…. Oh wait! I’m really glad I listened even though I hated it. That’s why I’m doing this list!!

Fantastic album. Despite its length, the album is engaging all the way through. Quite a number of stand out tracks

Whimsical in a wholesome midwestern way. Singer-songwriter without being cringe. A little slow for me at times but good for a weekend chill day, nice weather, etc. Figured out he’s from Detroit - spot on for midwestern wholesomeness. Songs are very Chicago centric! Towards the end of the album it gets verrrry sad slow.

I don't really get it.

I've been in that mood where I loved the artist and this album. Wasn't in that mood today. Neat complexity to the music, but the vocals are low, whiny and wispy - almost like he's not committed to singing. Definite talent here, but it's maybe too much a product of it's time?? It misses greatness, but it's no worse than middle of the road.

It’s the same mellow energy on the whole album. It’s pretty flat just like the state of Illinois.

Correcto

This is the blandest most boring album on the list so far. Most of the lyrics are like "I woke up. I brushed my teeth. I had a bagel for breakfast. Rode the bus to work. Saw a blue car. It was slightly raining." It might make good background music, which normally would land it squarely at a 2, but its just so long and pointless that I can't give it more than a 1. Jacksonville has some good guitar music, and Decatur trots along nicely, but that's about it. Best song: Jacksonville

Not a fan of this album

apparently yall in the reviews are dumb as fuck and dont know what a concept album is. its supposed to all sound similar, retard. 4/5 Fav: Concerning ufo sightings... Come on! feel the illinois!

While this is very creative, and there are some excellent tracks in here, it's bloated.

An album full of dreamy songs, full of good vibrations.

Chilled, easy listening, a nice journey of a combination of instruments and mellow singing to listen to at work.

Surprised

Amzng

The Come on feelt the Illinoise song is amazing, but not every other song is that good

Downgraded to a 2 after subsequent listens...just don't really like the musical storytelling that this fella does. Still would be worth more spins and reconsideration though.

Much pretentious, but eh, sometimes I like it. This is one of those times

kinda meh softboy music until Chicago and Casimir Pulaski Day, which were really nice, then it returns to being kinda meh

Beautiful and subtle. Maybe a bit too long, but I think this can grown on me

Je connaissais la douce voix de Sufjan Stevens mais pas cet album. Je dois confesser que je l'ai écouté de manière distraite, trop occupée pour me faire un avis très précis. Un bon album de rock indie il m'a semblé. Et d'une durée bien généreuse. Définitivement à réécouter pour poursuivre ma découverte de sa discographie.

Great album

Boring

This is a nice and relaxed album, you can leave it in the background and it's just chill, despite having "noise" in the name. It sounds alright, nothing specifically good but it does have quite a lot of listens on pretty much all songs, so people like jamming to it probably.

No

so musically dense and rich, beautiful melodies and harmonies here. story presented here is interesting and flows throughout the whole experience. what an amazing album.

Chicago doesn’t deserve this

Holy fuck he must hate Illinois

I think I would’ve really liked this in 2014. However, current me can’t dig this certain brand of mellow as much

Sufjan Steven's, Come on Feel the Illinoise : Man, I am thrilled there are people who likely rate this a 5. It's beautiful and does not resonate with me at all. This music does not vibrate on a level that does anything for me viscerally. For that, I'm disappointed tbh. So a 3 from me.

Plausible e interesante. Jamás escuché algo parecido. Musicalmente es agradable y denota gran trabajo en composición. Pero mi exploración musical no es necesariamente utilitaria como es su búsqueda. Me gusta.

This was good, but ai’m not sure it’s quite my thing.

Xlina

Ookkkk fine metterò 5 (resta troppo lungo)

I was very surprised by how much I liked this unique album. Definitely not my usual genre, but there's a reason I'm using this website

Erstes Goated Album Meine Güte es ist nicht in Worte zu fassen wie gut das ist. Jeder Song ist ein Meilenstein es ist so ein rundes und cleanes Album. Unfassbar 10/10

One of my favourite albums of 2205, if not THE favourite. I am 100% the target audience for Sufjan's ex-youth group-kid, introspective, intricate yet twee songwriting. I bought the CD my first trip to Chicago from Canada, and listened to it on the train all the way home.

Amazing titles

one of my main gripes with 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die is that classical recordings were excised from the list of inclusions. excluding an album like Music for 18 Musicians from a list of the most essential albums of all time feels like the book is jigsaw puzzle missing a piece. 18 Musicians has had an influence which can be felt through so much modern rock and pop music, from Low all the way to Illinois and into the future. calling Sufjan Stevens a singer-songwriter feels like selling him short. he's truly a master of composition and orchestration (he plays so many instruments here!), and he can write a set of stanzas that will bring you to your knees. he manages to capture so many different moods and make them all cohere together: uplifting rhythmic propulsion, downtrodden acoustic numbers to soothe the soul, and multiple mesmerizing passages of chamber music which, again, feel very Steve Reich-esque. I got to see the musical version of this album on Broadway last year. don't worry, they didn't turn everything into crappy show tunes; it was really more of a ballet with a live band playing the album behind it. transcendent experience. in some ways, it feels like this album was made for the stage. 10/10.

This is bad, just unashamedly bad. It's boring, redundant, and self indulgent crap I could not finish this mess

3 out of 5. I enjoyed this one, and now wonder if Sufjan ever wrote music for Wes Anderson.

Very good art pop album really enjoyed it

An example of how an incredible amount of work by a large group of super talented people can add up to a solid “meh.”

This guy always super interesting but gets my head never my heart.

I’ve tried and tried but just can’t turn the corner on Sufjan Stevens. It’s too much for me though. I can never shake the feeling that I’m caught up in the soundtrack to a Wes Anderson fever dream.

I feel like I’m the type of person who should like this album more? I’ve listened to it before and had the same reaction as this time. It’s alright.

A bit long, but fairly enjoyable.

9/10

Nich so arg geil, ziemlich fad, überhaupt nicht mein Geschmack…

I don't really like my singer songwriter from this NY type school, too urban. This just sees to me like somekind of off Broadway show that goes on and on, and gets nowhere fast, but with the occasional spark that keeps you thinking/hoping it will kick on. 3 Star, it goes on forever, didn’t seemed longer than it's long run time.and too long to go back and find the bits I did actually enjoy again. Also this list kind of shown me I don't really like concept albums, which I had never considered before, unless they are loose concept only to frame the songs.

Haven’t listened yet, but I love how this guy was going to make an album for each state and got to 2 states and said fuck it and stopped. Per Wiki, he later said it was a joke and it probably was, but I like the idea that he was going to do it and realized it was too much. I enjoyed the concept here. I have never lived in Illinois and have only been once, but I have family roots in Chicago and the surrounding areas. Best song to me was John Wayne Gacy Jr.

Wife liked it, mum likes him. I'm bored

One of the good things that came from late 2020 was my personal discovery of Sufjan Stevens and this album specific. This is a masterwork, one of the three best concept albums of all time (The Wall / Hounds Of Love) and lyrically + musically a very strong and enriching album for me.

Geweldig album. Ideaal voor nen zondagochtend of voor bij het eten. Veel nieuwe nummers ontdekt 4.2

2005. 74 minuty. trochę dziwactwo

Helt ok ändå. 5/10

This album sucks.

Before listening to this album, the only songs by Sufjan Stevens I’d listened to were “Chicago” and “John Wayne Gacy, Jr.” both of which I thought were alright but not great. I’d heard a lot about this album from friends who loved it, so I had high expectations. I was so underwhelmed and disappointed listening to the first few tracks, but wow does it pick up as it goes on. This album really builds on itself, and the Illinois concept is fun but not overwhelming. I actually wish Sufjan Stevens had followed through on making albums about all 50 states because after finishing Illinois, I just wanted more of that. Such a fresh idea executed nearly flawlessly. And despite being over an hour, the album never felt long. I didn’t love that at times he was so soft spoken singing that I had to keep turning the volume up, but that’s a minor criticism. This album isn’t quite a 5 for me overall, but it’s pretty damn close. I’d give it a 4.5 if I could. Just a wonderful, solid album built on an interesting and unique concept.

Indie singer songwriter is a genre that does next to nothing for me. It is always just fine, nothing more nothing less. This is definitely one of the better ones out there, but still this album goes on for too long, and a lot of the songs kind of sound the same. I do like the horns though, that was a nice touch. High 3.

it's a nonstop larger-than-life spectacle and i do love being transported

I expected this mid-00s classic to hold up well, but I genuinely forgot how many *great* songs are on this one. I still think it's slightly too long, but wouldn't even know where to begin cutting, and you certainly have to be in the right mood, but still, what an achievement.

This album is so good. Suf at his best. Some real incredible songs in there and a nice cohesion to the album. I can't say much more other than I think it's wonderful.

I liked it, made me feel like i am on a hill next to a bustling city while stargazing with an imaginary friend. 4.5/5

In college, I feel like I listened to every new release. So my introduction to Sufjan Steven’s was his 2015 album, Carrie and Lowell. I enjoyed it quite a bit, and I knew he had acclaimed records before that, but I never got around to finally listening to them. The runtime was intimidating. After finally getting to listening, it instantly hit. Illinois is special for so many reasons, and despite being over an hour and 22 tracks long, there’s little to no misses on this record. I have yet to hear Michigan, but I think it’s time someone makes an ode to Indiana even if it’s the worst of the Great Lakes Midwest.

Long and same-y

Perfection.

This was definitely more of an experience, I feel it’s definitely intended to be listened to as a complete album. I don’t exactly love sufjan’s whole style but I do think it’s fun to hear some more experimental sounds juxtaposed against some fairly standard folk aspects. Favorite song: The Seer’s Tower Saved songs: Decatur, Chicago, Man of Metropolis, Night Zombies, Casimir Pulaski Day, The Seer’s Tower

Strange--not enjoying this concept

Ok, I'm more interested in the show now. Got VERY slow at the end and I had to knock down the score. 3.4.

Sufjan Stevens is a different person than Cat Stevens. Because I didn't know that, this album was very surprising (in a good way). Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 3/5

Again, I've been aware of this album for several years, and always meant to give it a listen. And now I have. It was nothing like I expected. Whimsical, playful and a wide variety of styles. An uncommon delight.

heard. musical-esque, a must-listen while travelling any bustling city.

Indie rock style, being from Illinois/Chicago makes me resonate more with this album especially the city references - Experimental and unique instrumentals, brass, drums, strings are standouts - Lots of genres and styles, vocals are quite soft and mellow - Melodies get repetitive at times or slightly dull

Reading this list, if you knew nothing about popular music, I’m pretty sure you’d think that nothing after 2000 was good. Or let’s be fair, little after 2000. I’ll be fair, the album as a concept is less popular with streaming. As is the concept album. So it’s a struggle getting must hear albums. Must hear songs? Definitely. So maybe I’m too harsh on this. But Where are the great acts with great albums? Vulfpeck? Punch Brothers? Guthrie Govan? Pharrell? Ok maybe not snoop or Diddy or Kanye. Pink. Taylor Swift. Dua Lipa. Billie eilish. Daft Punk. This album is white nerd boy trash. Some interesting stuff. But completely inessential. 2 stars.

This is so f*cking precious I can't even. No more, please.

I get why people think Sufjan is too much but I love this and the Michigan album and Seven Swans all the way. "John Wayne Gacy" and "Casimir Pulaski Day" both can make me cry when I'm in a human mood.

What a beautiful record. May of the topics are tragic and sad, but Stevens has a way of engaging the listener even when it's a real bummer. It's incredibly compelling.

It was fine. Dull, but fine.

Not my thing

Golly, just so many great tracks on this one. Was given this as a gift on CD so many years ago and I’ve been following Sufjan’s work ever since. Probably one of the most creative musical acts I’ve listened to in a very long time. This album is such a journey, and one of my favorite headphone albums. 5 stars to you Sir.

This album made me cry. It’s so good. Probably my favorite all year.

This album was the musical equivalent of eating a scone. I don't really like scones.

It’s impossible to rate this album objectively due to my sentimental connection to it. It was a foundational album for me, and it still holds up.

When I first heard “Casimir Pulaski Day” on SiriusXMU when I was 15. Jesus.

👎🏻

Songs like 'John Wayne Gacy, Jr', 'Chicago', and 'Jacksonville' sound like essential tracks to mid-aughts indie rock burned CD mixtapes, especially twenty years later, as the sound of that era continues to calcify the further away we get from it.

The fusion of the orchestral music and the backing vocals created a beautiful, mystical atmosphere.

One of the first vinyl albums I bought. Beautiful album.

Bit of a 21st century classic. Really worth listening to

Per Stereogum, this album recently turned 20 — which makes me feel old, and also reminded me that I missed this one when we started this exercise. Anyway, it’s fantastic, a triumph of composition, arrangement and songwriting. And it makes me remember why I felt a sense of disappointment when I learned that Sufjan would not, in fact, be completing his overly ambitious 50-state album project. (How far along do you think he’d be now, if he had kept at it? What states would he have covered so far?) Illinoise is eccentric and indulgent and obsessive and overly ambitious in the best possible ways, a mix of folklore, history and the deeply personal. “Prairie Fire” is lovely, as is the deeply spiritual “Seer’s Tower.” And I still get the chills when he sings, in “John Wayne Gacy, Jr.,” “They were boys / with their cars, summer jobs / Oh my God.”

Experimental indie pop before he truly came into his sad boi sound. Liked about half of these songs

Absolutely gorgeous, finding albums like this is why I started this journey. Can't wait to relisten

At times nice but overall I found this too vastly boring to take any serious interest in and revisit. Bits of reminded me of times I've been making music and thought I was king of the world, only to return to it with fresh ears and realise the music wasn't very interesting, just the making it was.

It's nice, I really like it. Maybe a little long and monotonous

terrible, as if beck got soft and joined a singalong cult

Beautifully written and performed indie rock/chamber folk album, it is a unique and different piece of work. The album is long, but it is compact and consistent throughout. It was my first listen, so it might be a grower, but as of now it is a strong 4, I might round it up to 5 later.

Singular and special. Nobody does it like Sufjan. I hadn't heard this in full in a long, long time and was kind of skeptical, but it really moved me.

I found the album to be okay and not at all what I would've expected. It's challenging to categorize by genre with the extensive orchestration. I never heard of this fellow so I searched the interweb and found his website. Apparently, he turned this album into a musical. I guess it makes sense that way.

I initially didn't realise the bombast and the hustle and bustle of this album when I bought it. At the time, I was only familiar with the songs "John Wayne Gacy Jr." and "Chicago." As a result, I was quite disappointed when I first listened to Illinois. The music felt difficult to grasp, with too many instruments and a restless quality. I set the album aside several times but eventually returned to it, and gradually, the music began to resonate with me. I'm not sure if there was a specific turning point or if my appreciation just developed over time. Now, after a few years, I believe this album by Sufjan is his best work. The album just feels like a whole. I can feel such joy and lightness in all the songs, as well as pure emotion. There is a sense of completeness in every note played by the instruments, and his voice is full of vitality here.

This definitely grows in you the more you listen but the whole album suffers from being too long, I feel like you could actually edit it down to a 45min 4 star album. (Minus all the tracks that seem to only have been included because he came up with an interesting title.) Chicago is a level above but I would also pick out quite a few tracks in the first half.

Not my bag

Love Sufjan

Some cool songs, too orchestrated

Nice!

I've listened to this sporadically over the past 20 years. I've always liked bits of it but it's so sprawling that my attention would wane, especially during the second half (though playing The Seer’s Tower at the foot of the Sears Tower in Chicago was memorably eerie). Listening to it more critically now, I can better appreciate what an impressive piece of work it is. The instrumentation is a world away from what you’d expect from an indie album and evokes old-fashioned small/medium-sized American towns very well, and with a kind of ‘simpler times’ charm. It also doubles up as a bit of a history lesson, so that’s nice. Despite the aforementioned dip in the second half there are some great tunes on here, of both the rousing and calming varieties, but it’s as a concept album that it really succeeds - the whole greater than the sum and all that.

I've listened to approximately one Sufjan Stevens song in my lifetime and only because I heard it on a TV show and liked it, so I felt fairly intrigued to how a whole album would sound. Maybe it's because I had already been predisposed to his sound, but I actually enjoyed this a lot. Some of it was a bit weird, but generally I like the sound and mix of acoustics and strings. I almost want to go back and listen again which is always a good sign. I even might listen to some other albums

Recorded in New York, this tribute to Illinois achieves the dubious feat of being naand boring at the same time While all the elements (and there are a lot) are beautifully arranged, they are thoroughly predictable and the songs all blur into one. Its hard to really pick out anything as special. Whether its a happy song or a sad song it still kind of all feels the same. I suppose you could argue that this is the intention of a good album, that it takes you 'on a journey', but in this case the journey is very long (its only a day's drive to Chicago!) The Blues inflected Jacksonville is the highlight with cascading banjo and countered by string. Do I need a song to learn about the town of Jacksonville, Illinois (pop. 17,616)? No. Poppier moments like Chicago feel trite and over-done nowadays, and I don't think would have actually been that exciting back in 2005 either. My last album was Incredible String Band which I think suffered from the same problem in terms of baroque virtuosity and self-indulgence. I singled it out for having nonsense lyrics but now I realise that the alternative is even worse, the didactic stories about Chicago make it clear just how far away from the ground Stevens is here. In 20 years Stevens has managed two states from his 50 States series. I'm not going to reward failure.

Some of this was fairly enjoyable, would have given 3 stars but disliked the constant references to Christianity. 2/5.

Cool concept, but not my fave of his work

Kind of too long. Most of the songs are fairly mediocre. Got better towards the end, but just wasn’t very interesting overall. 2.5/5 Won’t listen again

Very twee. Reminds me of Of Montreal.

Exceptional 🥹

Fine for working.

a little too mellow for me, but still a nice and unique sound

Ordblind tilgang: kig på cover, kig på spillelængden. Første indtryk: fandeme et langt Frank Sinatra album... Total indtryk: Underlig ting. Det er nærmest hverdags agtig musik, på en udstyret måde. Jeg ville sagtens kunne sætte pris på det, men jeg ville aldrig sætte det på for mig selv.

Et lidt underligt album. Det er meget hypet. Men det er primært når det lyder som The National eller Arcade Fire det fanger mig bare lidt. Det kan sagtens fungere som baggrundsmusik

Didn’t care for it

Storytelling music at its finest.

Concerning the UFO Sighting near Highland, Illinois 3.4 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! 3.2 Come On! Feel the Illinoise!" (Part I: "The World's Columbian Exposition" / Part II: "Carl Sandburg Visits Me in a Dream" 3.8 John Wayne Gacy, Jr. 4.3 Jacksonville 4.2 A Short Reprise for Mary Todd, Who Went Insane, but for Very Good Reasons n/a Decatur, or, Round of Applause for Your Stepmother! 4 One Last 'Whoo-Hoo!' for the Pullman!! n/a Go! Chicago! Go! Yeah! 4.2 Casimir Pulaski Day 4 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 3 The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts 3.8 Prairie Fire That Wanders About 3.4 A Conjunction of Drones Simulating the Way in Which Sufjan Stevens Has an Existential Crisis in the Great Godfrey Maze n/a The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us! 3.6 They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back from the Dead!! Ahhhh! 3.9 Let's Hear That String Part Again, Because I Don't Think They Heard It All the Way Out in Bushnell 3.6 In This Temple as in the Hearts of Man for Whom He Saved the Earth n/a The Seer's Tower 3.7 The Tallest Man, the Broadest Shoulders" (Part I: "The Great Frontier"  / Part II: "Come to Me Only with Playthings Now" 3.4 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 n/a Out of Egypt, into the Great Laugh of Mankind, and I Shake the Dirt from My Sandals as I Run 2.8 Score: 3.664705882

the coldplay covers were good, would be better without the banjos lol

Good album but soooo long... Feels like a movie! Overall enjoyed it

I'm not sure why it got so many accolades.

Art is meant to challenge. Not just societal structures, but also your own boundaries and even your concept of self. If there was ever an album that challenged the listener on such a personal level, this would certainly be it. To call the songs anything but as grand and lush as their song titles would be a horrific mistake, but the the music never feels over-the-top, it feels right at home. While it certainly didn't all click on the first, second, or even third listen, I look forward to coming back to this behemoth often, if not to discover new things about the album, then to discover new things about myself. Nothing short of brilliance.

Love the piano

I can't say anything people haven't said before because this album is just so beloved, but I have trouble giving it a 5 because there's definitely tracks in between that feel eh to me. I think I actually like Michigan more, both musically and in terms of subject matter.

Concerning the UFO - I don't know why but when I listened to this, I felt like I was back in kindergarten and was in Nap Time, Which I miss The Black Hawk War - what a beautiful ass sounding war Come On! - Damn is this song long like holy shit, but I like how whimsical I feel listening to it John Wayne Gacy, Jr. - This was NOT whimsical, it made me sad :( Jacksonville - Damn this is another long song, although I like it, it's still pretty long A short reprise for Mary Todd - like the name it's short and it's as soft as it's short Decatur - I like this one, it's catchy and I like the lyrics One last "woohoo" - it's 6 seconds Chicago - I like the lyrics of this one and I didn't mind that this one was as long Casimir Pulaski Day - it gets repetitive holy fuck there's so many songs summary - I get that the album is influential and I think that the orchestration is really well done, but It goes longer than it should in my opinion and it gets pretty repetitive due to the length, there are some songs I liked tho 5.5/10 + .5 points for a bit of nostalgia

Not my thing. I liked some songs, but didn't really care for Sufjan's vocals. I don't see myself coming back to this album

Happy 20th birthday to the state of Illinois

This album is very, very good. This is my first time listening, but it didn't have as strong of an emotional impact on me as I thought it would. It's not that I was emotionless throughout the listen, but the emotions were moreso something I understood rather than felt. Like how your skin feels when there's a callus over it. I feel like this album would have elicited an emotional response from me had I listened to it when i was younger. I will definitely come back to this album.

Great orchestration, it was a soothing experience, but I think I need more time to get it 8/10

I want to put words on this, but they're hard to place. Illinois (iLLi-noise)' by Sufjan Stevens, is a sonic journey - music the way it's supposed to be: puttting physical substance on metaphysical emotions that no arrangement of statements alone can express. I don't give perfect 5's, but this is as close as it gets. 4.9 out of 5

OK, look, it's a really good album. But for me this lives in the uncanny valley where it's too old to be novel but too new to evoke nostalgia. I can't separate it from the twee hipster bullshit of the late 2000s, and I've personally heard enough Sufjan for a lifetime already. If you're hearing it for the first time I'm happy for you. Maybe listen to it 1000 times this year and then come back in 20 years and see if you're still giving it 5 stars or whatever.

Illinois is a sprawling, intricate masterpiece that feels like stepping into a grand, cinematic world painted with sound. It's an album that’s both deeply personal and expansively ambitious, and while it doesn't hit every single note for me, it comes very close. The instrumentation is undoubtedly the star of the show here. Stevens weaves together a lush tapestry of sound, from the gentle pluck of banjos to sweeping orchestral arrangements. The strings feel warm and alive, while the woodwinds, especially the flutes and clarinets bring a whimsical, almost magical quality to tracks like "The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades." The use of piano and bells in "Chicago" creates an uplifting and anthemic energy that’s hard to resist. The production is immaculate. Every sound is crisp and clear, with each instrument given room to breathe. The way the album balances such a massive range of sounds without feeling cluttered is nothing short of masterful. It feels like a lot of care was taken to make every element shine without overshadowing the others. Lyrically, the album is poetic and thought-provoking, blending personal reflections with historical and cultural nods. Stevens’ storytelling is deeply evocative, painting vivid pictures that linger long after the music stops. At 74 minutes, it’s a bit of a marathon. Some tracks feel like they meander or stretch too far, testing patience rather than enhancing the experience. A few of the instrumental interludes, while interesting, could have been trimmed without losing the album’s overall impact. Additionally, while I love a good brass section, some of the horn arrangements occasionally veer into feeling a bit too theatrical for my taste. They can overshadow the more organic elements, which I personally find more compelling. Illinois is an extraordinary piece of work that showcases Sufjan Stevens' immense talent as a composer and storyteller. The album’s instrumental diversity and rich production make it a joy to dissect and revisit, though its length and occasional overindulgence might deter some. For me, the moments of brilliance far outweigh its flaws. If you’re in the mood for something intricate and heartfelt, Illinois is well worth the journey For anyone who loves music that’s rich in detail and layered with emotion, Illinois is a must-listen. Just be prepared to give it your full attention. it’s not background music, but rather an experience to savoir.

I went into this having only really been familiar with two tracks from it: Feel the Illinoise! and Casimir Pulaski Day. Needless to say, Casimir had won me over from the start - a hauntingly beautiful track about losing a loved one to cancer and the turmoil that comes with that. For a time, that was the only Sufjan Stevens I needed, but I knew eventually I would finally hear the entire thing. I am immensely pleased that it did not disappoint in the slightest. Every track felt meaningful and expertly arranged, with Sufjan's songwriting, performances, and recording capabilities completely winning me over. Not a single bad track, rarely anything that underwhelmed. Truly an album to be appreciated for the ages, unlike Orange Juice. 9/10 closer to a 10 than anything else.

I had a friend in Ohio who I used to talk to on around a daily basis. I don't really remember much about him other then he would frequently ask me and my friends to play league and then say brb going to get something at the store then spending an hour while we all waited for the queue not knowing what was happening. I don't know if we ever watched movies together but I remembered one day we watched little miss sunshine. The day before we watched it his grandpa passed. I never seen it before and didn't know that exact thing happened in the movie and i felt like such an asshole but he was chill about it. He thought it was a funny coincidence that his grandpa would have enjoyed as well. I watched that film when i was first getting into music and stuff in general. It introduced me to the band Devotchka and Sufjan Stevens. The song off this album that's in that movies soundtrack is Chicago which got me to listen to this album initially. It was a song I would constantly listen to. --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- I used to fake nosebleeds in highschool to get out of running the mile. It was easy to do because I have a blood vessel or something that breaks very easily, even to this day I randomly get them. I was self conscious of how I ran and no one really cared to show me what to do with my hands so I was stiff. I asked one time and someone made fun of me, so I tried my best to get out of running. I very much enjoyed running but the shame won. I would download albums from [redacted] and put them on my HTCone and listen to them while sitting in the shade of the buildings surrounding the track. I never really talked to anyone so it was a solitary hour listening to this. I would think of things i'd want to draw when I get home and how life would look like if I was more active and talkative. I never actually drew those things or made those things. They were all fleeting thoughts that I never acted on because I felt too ashamed to make anything. Thought it would be fruitless and a waste of time even though I wanted to do it. I felt like I was made to view other peoples experiences and that I'd never experience things myself. I used to think about what if I was able to actually engage in a life instead of viewing others from a far. The song most frequently played in these moments was Chicago. --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- One of my friends later on mentioned being a huge Sufjan fan in a discord call. They are from Illinois and they would talk about their life there. For whatever reason that made me realize that I live somewhere and I also have experiences. It's embarrassing to admit but I was 19 when I figured this out. Everything I said and lived meant something to others and myself. I wasn't divorced from the world but a part of it. He doesn't know about this. No one has ever known about this until now. I guess I never had the words for it until now. I found these words while listening to Chicago.

There's nothing I can add that you yourself did not feel.

10/10 Illinois is one of the extremely rare pieces of art that capture the human condition. This universal work stands shoulder to shoulder with albums like Songs in the Key of Life, To Pimp a Butterfly, Dark Side of the Moon, What’s Going On?, perfectly piecing together a portrait of humanity, history, spirituality, sexuality, life and death. Haha sike! This story is actually Sufjan inviting you to learn about the great state of Illinois! What about Illinois? EVERYTHING! This album uses its setting to brilliantly portray these themes through different eyes, cities, historical figures, and events. Everything from the great city of Chicago, the Chicago Cubs, Illinois ghost towns, the Sangamon River, Abraham Lincoln, to Superman. It’s a beautiful synecdoche of things that I have a tough time putting into words, but we’re shown an inherent beauty to this state that feels representative of a beautiful human experience. On the other hand we also have some pretty horrific tragedy that comes with this state, from the colonization and genocide of Native Americans to John Wayne Gacy. Despite us seeing this state through different eyes we also see some deeply personal and emotional stories from Sufjan himself like his struggles with his faith and sexuality and dealing with the loss of a partner to bone cancer. This is an extremely dense record with that crams as much as possible within 74 minutes, and the only way to match up with these vast subject matters is to present them beautifully with a grand sound across the whole spectrum of emotions. Sufjan’s pristine guitar playing spans across Indie Folk, Indie Pop, and Indie Rock, and very cinematic proggy fusions of Classical music, Big Band, and Jazz, and all fronted by his God given vocals. It feels strange to see this album as being anything more than what the title suggests if you don’t “get it” but it really is a masterful artwork that captures more than you can imagine. Only 48 more states to go Suf!

Sufjan Stevens was always one of those artists I didn't bother seeking out because I assumed for various reasons he wouldn't be for me: too indie sadboy, too NPR, etc. Plus, literary music in general doesn't really hit for me because I rarely pay attention to the lyrics. So this is the first time I've actually sat down to listen to one of his albums in full. Pleasantly surprised by this one, though I still think I'm not getting as much out of it as others. But for a 74-minute album the time passed by pretty quickly.

I last lived in Chicago on Jan. 3 2004, when I drove a truck with a motorcycle, an old Ford Contour and the rest of my belongings down Western Ave. to Augusta and to the highway headed south. This album landed a year later, and my collected years in Illinois drew my interest close enough to download the mp3s on soulseek. According to my last.fm, I listened to this album three times in 2006, but hearing "Chicago" just now for the first time in nearly a decade gave me the chills. So about the music: It's not my type and I'd like it less if I didn't give a shit about Chicago, but there's a tenderness to the curiosity and imagination that's rife here and it sits well. Unrelated, I try to avoid taking delight at the misfortune of others, but the fact that Sufjan's Broadway adaptation of Illinoise! is still going strong while the Avett Brothers fizzled within weeks gives me hope for audiences and the artform.

Ugh, my appreciation for this record is offered grudgingly. I was living in Urbana Illinois when this came out, so it was pretty unavoidable. That whole mid-aughts indie oeuvre wasn't my jam at the time (that was around when I was just coming to accept that I really, actually, quite like house and techno), but this is the best record to come out of that. And it's a fuckin masterpiece. I can't play Illinoise without experiencing intense feelings; those mid-aughts happened to be a period of intense loss and growth for me personally, and this record seems to be, like, shaped at my emotional resonant frequency.

Already own and love this one. "Casimir Pulaski day" always makes me cry.

This album was unescapable for a period of time and yet, somehow, I never sat down and listened to the whole thing. It's definitely it's own thing and deserves a spot on the list because of that. For me, though, it sits on the fence between "overly precious" and "catchy". It's good. Really good. But maybe a bit too much. It feels like the audio equivalent of eating a 3rd piece of birthday cake...when you know you really should have stopped at one.

Classic favorite. Excited to listen to this one again even though it’s long. It’s been too long since I’ve dusted this one off. Might bring up a lot of nostalgia for me. Man I forgot how good this album is. So dense lyrically and musically. The first 10 tracks or so are basically a perfect album. Admittedly it gets kinda exhausting for me before it’s all said and done… there’s just so much going on for so long, it’s a tough album to digest in a single serving. Still a 4.5 for me at least, and I’m rounding up.

Not a fan. D+

I forgot how lovely this album is. Thanks, machine!

That is a lot of long song names.

I like this album, but a lot of the songs kind of fail to grab me. Back Half is better than the front.

Interesting but not my fav

Fun and quirky

I really tried to get into this album in the late 2000s or early 2010s. My friends all thought it was an album that I would love. I listened and listened and for some reason I couldn’t stand it. Maybe it was his whispery voice? Maybe the album was too long? Maybe it was the gimmicky Illinois schtick? Maybe it was all the choral bits that go on forever? Maybe it was all the hype? Whatever it was, it made me really annoyed anytime it was mentioned or listed on “best of” lists. I think I wanted to like it but it just never clicked. I was ready to give it the 1/5 I so long felt alone in knowing it deserved. I’m glad this project made me revisit it. It’s better than I remember. I still don’t think I’m going to end up a big fan, but it was a pleasant surprise this morning. His voice still annoys me. Chicago still slaps tho

very nice

Not even going to attempt to rank Suf albums, but he's still one of my top 2 artists of all time. Easy 5!

I listened to this shit in high school but I think it was just because I got put onto him and had nothing else to listen to. At the time, I thought a few of the songs were good and to some extent still do but this did not age well for me. I don't know if it's the horns but a lot of sections are just so annoying.

I really hated this when it came out, but figured so many people seem to like it and it gets so much critical praise, I must've been missing something. Then the flute comes in, and I remember why I hated it. And then his voice comes in and I remember why I hated it. Then he starts with some of the most irritating lyrics imaginable and I remember why I hated it. Then there's more goddamn flute. Then I look at the cover again. I see the sentence-long song titles. Then I remember this was part of the an absurd conceit that delighted the most NPR-brained homework lovers on earth but that thankfully it only ever got 4% completed. Then I see that he filled up the entire damn 74-minute CD. The flutes haven't stopped. The circus music starts. Then it's the forced intimacy of hushed whisper singing over fingerpicking acoustic. Plinky plonky plink piano tenderness. The dreaded millenial banjos and ukeleles come in for some fake pastoral aura. The french horn for faux-grandeur. I'm at serious risk of doing harm to myself and those around me if I'm subjected to more than 10 minutes of this, yet bravely I persist. The flute persists. The red mist thickens. Favorite: Night Zombies

Might be the best pop album of the 21st century

Great album! Almost always, if a song has a horn, backup singers, or a surprise, I'm in. And there are a lot of horns in this album. The track "Chicago" is my favorite (I knew this song before listening to the album). I listened to the album 2x, and am on my third revolution right now. I'll be exploring more Sufjan Stevens.

Refreshing change of pace, grew on me the more I listened

3.5

Not my thing. I enjoyed some of the musical compositions but the lyrics felt...juvenile? A second album in a row that I'm having a hard time connecting with. While I try not to get.too critical about others' opinions on something as subjective as music, reading some of the critiques (both professional and not) the first thing that came to mind was pretentious hipster music. I think I'm actually more frustrated with reviews of the album than the album itself.

Big in college. I respect it. Sime very beautiful music here. Mostly made me sleepy though.

I enjoyed listening to this, I had never even heard of this music before! I was familiar with the song 'chicago' but I can't recall where I heard it before. For me this album was very much a 'listen while i work vibe' but I don't think I would return to it that much. Glad to have discovered it, though!

Not bad, mix of songs with words and songs without words, as well as some super long ones and some super short ones. I can't say I'd listen to it again all the way through but maybe as background music for homework or something

An excellent album, but the song titles are so long that by the time the song is finished, the full title still won't have scrolled all the way across the screen, Or, the song is 16 seconds long so even if the title is shorter you can't see the whole thing, Or, the song is so long that the 35-word title can scroll all the way through the screen 10 times before the song ends, Or...

Really loved this. Not at all what I expected but a solid mix on Ra Ra Riot and other really phenomenal somber/bittersweet indie rock

Sufjan Stevens' songs and style can be inexpressibly sad, but this talented and emotional man knows how to be super-duper silly. The highs and lows, the humor and the heart-ache, weave through this wacky soundtrack, a ridiculous tribute to Illinois; and the ultimate effect is overwhelming. The album is good, but the artist's best record is elsewhere.

Just okay. Reminded me of death cab

This album is a grower for sure. I know that because I listened to it when it came out in 2005 and didn’t “get” it. Now 20 years later, I like it a lot.

I feel it.

for me this was all about the lyrics. the music is beautiful but in a way that feels distinctly secondary to the lyrically content -- almost like it's poetry with accompaniment. the lyrics are great though so

long but interesting

Ill = sick nois = noise aka garbage

Incredible album. So creative. So much depth and breadth. Has some of every emotion and every instrument. Harmonies. Great lyrical storytelling. Great listening on my new headphones. Many memories of Prairie Bible College, and lonely, cold, late nights. Before I was out to myself or my family I was in love with this album. I played it for my mom once, and all I can remember her saying is, “this sounds very gay,” hahahaha

I remember listening to this the first time, with a bona-fide Chicagoan; Nate, my great friend from university, who spent a year in Sheffield and many a great night was spent swapping recommendations and rocking out. I even spent a week with him in Chicago and I do miss him. This is almost certainly my favourite of his recommendations and I love that it'll always remind me of him. It was supposedly the start of a project to create an album for every US state. He also made '(Greetings From) Michigan', but then stopped, presumably because 50 albums is pretty ridiculous and more than most artists would muster in 5 lifetimes. This in itself is a gorgeous project though, the songs are deeply affecting and cover both rich and stripped-back production. While its 74 minutes can feel like a lot, it takes you on an emotional journey and is well worth every minute. An indie masterpiece.

I remember critics losing their minds over this album back when it came out, but for reasons I can't recall I ignored that. I know I've heard a handful of Sufjan Stevens's other songs and they did nothing much for me, but I'm not sure whether that was before or after this one. I held off on listening to this today until my daughter was with me, and she mentioned the fact this was turned into a musical, which I'm pretty confident helped unlock it for me. I'm genuinely impressed by the music throughout. I let it all wash over me and enjoyed it more than I'd anticipated. I'll have to spend more time with it to determine how much I like it, but for now I'm just glad this project pushed me into it.

So boring. Chicago was ok.

I've loved this album since it came out. Sufjan's songwriting really went to another level between Michigan and Illinois: this is a richly layered and beautiful beast. Although some of the songs have quite big, orchestral arrangements, the different sections never feel like they're simply present to create a pointlessly "big sound" - they're all meticulously designed, bringing something each time. Vocals and lyrics are great too - there's a skilful variety of songwriting here covering deeply personal and tender subject matter as well as stories linking to the state concept. Love it. An album to just sit with headphones and take in on a peaceful moment

Artiste inconnu. L'instrumentation est un peu originale, mais l'album est beaucoup trop long et finit par perdre ses auditeurs. Aucune envie d'y revenir. =>2/5

Levyn a-puoli on lähes viiden tähden kamaa, liikutuin jotenkin todella paljon ja pidin melodioista ja jopa taustakuorosta (melkein antiikinomaisesta!). Kyllähän Chicago on klassikko (joskin siitä loppukuoron voisi poistaa). Mutta miks tätä on jatkettu yli tunnin mittaiseksi?? Levy ei kaipais oopperamaisuutta, loputonta paisuttelua. Kyllästyin heti puolivälissä ja tosi paljon… pudottaa arvosanaa roimasti, melkein 3:seen.

Hylkimisreaktio hänen treenattuun hempeyteensä on välitön. Tunnistan hänen melodisen, no, osaamisensa, mutta kuunnellakseni tätä levyä minun pitäisi olla eri ihminen. Miinusta pituudesta ja hipsterimäisestä hupsuttelusta biisien nimissä. 1,5

Good album, good songs, not my fav

I like it!

Have heard about this album so many times but never got around to listening to it. Turns out I've been missing out on a wonderful collections or songs/music

very interesting, will listen again. loved chicago & the tallest man, broadest shoulders

super creative, i love all the instruments & i adore the album art

Stylistically and melodically varied, ethereal, plays with tempo and time signatures to add interest… this is a very good album! I have heard some of his songs before, but nothing from this album. At first I thought there were parts that were a bit too avant garde for me but through a second listen I enjoyed each song more. 4.5/5

I remember when people were telling me about how Carrie and Lowell was one of the most beautiful albums of all time. And on this album about his mom he talks about jerking off. And that’s when I decided that the soft ass album was not for me. Sufjan Stevens is the absolute worse voice to tell me an in depth history of Illinois because I love the ideas here! I love that the song about genociding the natives is this ironic triumphant symphony. I love a song about the white city at the world’s fair, John Wayne Gacy, all sorts of great subject matter here. BUT! BUT!!! We gotta make it so twee and ironic. Teehee, all the titles are like 30 words long! Isn’t that cute? Listen to these woodwinds! My voice is breathy and annoying. It’s one of THE most frustrating albums I’ve ever listened to because there are parts I really like! All let down by ol’ captain asthmatic’s gasps for air. FUCK. Only a weird fucking Christian artist could be like teehee I’m just like John Wayne Gacy! I’ve done some bad things! Secrets under my floor boards! Like my man, nah, you’re good. Just because you stole a Twix bar once doesn’t mean you’re a serial killer. If I wanted sad vaguely Christian folky indie I have the Mountain Goats for that tyvm. And fuck, they also have an album about Illinois.

I didn’t realize there was a song about John Wayne Gacy. Great album. Has like the saddest song of all time on it but I love it. Ahead of its time and a little weird

!!!! Elsker !!!! ‘Casimir Pulaski day’= lowkey min yndlings sang i hele verden<3

I forgot how good this is. Im sorry for the times I doubted you sufjan stevens

Very chill americana, reminds me of chill alt rock from the late 2000s

I've never listened to much of Sufjan Stevens stuff before. I didn't really rate any of the songs on this list, because I imagined it needed to be heard as a whole album, not select tracks. It's an interesting album, and has some good music on it. I get that this is a concept album of some sorts, but I dunno, it just didn't feel like it was all that cohesive around a theme, except for stuff in Illinois. I've never been to Chicago or anywhere in Illinois other than airports, so maybe I'm just missing out the appeal of this album. Music-wise, it's fine. Lyrics, *shrug* I guess they're OK? 2.5/5, so I have to give it a 3, since we still don't have half ratings in the year of our lord 2024.

5/5 for sure

I can just tell if I listen to this album more it will grow to be one of my all time favorites

no words. just one of my favs for years now

Nice album, listened to it casually before. Some nice stuff but a lot of the same.

Really enjoyed this. Quite strange but happy nice music 8/10

Holy shit, what an album, pardon my french. There’s just so much to unpack here. Its amazingly well done arrangements and songwriting evoke so much emotions. The brass, piano, and string arrangements are just so well done especially, the production on this album as a whole is just so clean and concise. This album is just so emotional and beautiful. Its lyrics are so meaningful and have so much context, and can be very emotional and heartfelt when they want to be. This album is about the state of Illinois, and it delves into its history while acting as a way of self reflection for Sufjan. Sufjan’s vocal performance is absolutely breathtaking, they’re so gentle and heartfelt. This album is an experience to say the least. It’s just beautiful. I was truly was at a loss of words for a moment after finishing this. It’s so emotionally resonant. I had to keep this review short to keep room for the things below, but I truly highly recommend this album. It is truly amazing and one of a kind. Sufjan really did hit it out of the ballpark here.

Pretty good

Oh my god. This is probably the best album I’ve ever loved on a first listen. Not going to lie to you it’s a 5/5. 5/5, 10/10, 100/100 - it’s amazing and each one had me in awe

This has just passed over me, not finding it particularly engaging

Eksepsjonelt bra album, et av de beste jeg har hørt. Sufjan Stevens har en engels sangstemme, pianoen er nydelig og strykerne er fantastiske. Alle instrumentalene er egentlig sykt forfriskende og livlige. Tekstene er såre og fine. Må sjekke ut mer av Sufjan fordi dette var en banger. Har bare hørt på enkeltsanger fra han her og der. Alltid visst at han var god, men aldri startet på diskografien hans. Må dra til Illinois en gang.

Lekker rustige muziek in de ochtend. Klinkt eigenlijk best goed. Melodie is een beetje simpel, maar luistert wel lekker weg. ****

Bellos sonidos, algunas canciones bastante destacables y emotivas.

So nice!

9/10 Well this was a massive pleasant surprise. For some reason I expected sad boy singer-songwriter. It kind of is that, but with amazing, expansive, beautiful production. Blows me away that most of this was recorded just by Stevens on lo-fi kit. This sounds a million dollars. The vocals: spot on; music: spot on; arrangements: spot on. The choir might be my favourite part. When I saw it was 70+ minutes before listening I was worried, when it finished I wished it was longer. Wonderful. Best: Come On! Feel the Illinoise!

Top tier music for sad bois and girls

Very cool album. Enjoyed it all. Standout songs: John Wayne Gacy Jr Chicago Casimir Pulaski Day The Seer's Tower

Nice

Solides Indie Album mit Folk und Country Elementen. Sicherlich sollte man sich mal die Zeit nehmen, um zu versuchen das Konzept des Albums zu verstehen. Solang das nicht gelingt, verweilen wir beim Durchschnitt.

честно не смогла даже дослушать целиком, как-то мне все это очень медленно, однообразно и скучно. в общем все это очень миленько, вроде даже и музыка хорошая, но меня вообще не зацепило.

A golden aura Softly glowing through music Serene, spellbinding

Indie

I think it’s been very interesting and odd, this album. Not necessarily my taste by I like it.

Not what I thought it would be. It's generally okay, just quiet rock with lots of guitar. Nothing memorable for me.

This has everything going for it but still it manages to disappoint. I am a huge fan of both Steve Reich, who Stevens is frequently compared to, and progresive music. A pop album with lush production taking inspiration from modern classical music and pushing boundaries on instrumentation sounds like a perfect match for me. And while it is far from terrible and I will give it a high rating, it does not reach the heights it could. The comparisons to Reich is a stretch, and while the album explores possibilities, it lacks the energy and vitality that would make it interesting. It also lacks variety and musical courage which makes the longer tunes feel repetitive. I will revisit it as I feel the lyrics might have something to listen out for, and I might come to love it. But on first listen I am disappointed.

I liked this, it was different, quirky, and kind of nice. :) Rating: 4

Has glost währendem unetrotinettle, fette vibe gsi. Mag sini vulnerablin stimm

mir gefallen die Harmonien der ersten beiden Songs, sie klingen fast ein bisschen überdramatisch, finde ich geil. und ui der fünfer-Takt in come on geht ab. die Lyrics von John Wayne finde ich auf eine gute Art schockierend. Das Album gefällt mir, hat einen chilligen Vibe:) aber stopp, es hört wirklich so auf, wie es aufhört??

Stable, I’d say. Really good moments, but it sure is long.

Interesting, but too kitsch for me.

Oh how I wish I knew about this album in high school. The hours I would have spent alone in my room staring up at the ceiling endlessly applying the perfectly ambiguous lyrics to the drab and benign events of my mellow drama youth. There is a strange quality about this album that can get me to go back to that place- if only for a couple of lines or an interlude at a time. Really makes me want to read a John Green book and drive the county highway alone at night.

Not a huge fan have to be honest

I had heard of this album before, but had never heard the music. This was great, but got a little whiny after a bit. Four stars.

Ma siši ga, Stjepane. Niti mi ovo ima smisla, niti dobro zvuči. Ovo mi je kao da nisu znali više šta bi stavili na listu da dođu do 1001. Neću trošiti ni riječi. 1/5,1/10.

Baš volim ovakve albume. Pogotovo kad slušam zajedno s Miom, pa se bondamo u hejtanju. Pa fino poseremo uzduž i poprijeko rad u koji je netko stavio dušu i tijelo Prije nego je album krenuo, par minusa 1. Album od preko sat vremena 2. Konceptualni album 3. Kršćanska konotacija u opisu albuma Kad je album krenuo, na prve dvije minute sam znao da ovaj album nije za mene Singer songwriter spike stvarno nisu za mene. Zadnja misao, ljudima koji nemaju problema s autodestruktivnim ponašanjem ili povijesti istoga nije mjesto u glazbi. Možda da se okrenu bankama, politici ili nekim drugim poslovima gdje ne treba imati dušu.

4.5/10 Mislim da bi ovaj album imao vise sanse kod mene prije 15ak godina kad sam dosta tog indie folka slusao. S obzirom na receno, ovo me sve skupa dosta podsjeca na miks Belle And Sebastian, The Shinsa i Beiruta. Ali mi ovo ne zvuci toliko dobro kao oni. Vecina stvari mi je malo premekana i vokal mi vecinom ne pase. Jedina koja mi je odmah sjela je Decatur, volio bi da je cijeli album u tom điru. Ovo mi je dosta Soki muzika isto tako, a cak bi mi sve bilo prihvatljivije i zanimljivije da album ne traje toliko. Nije mi skroz grozno, ali ovaj album mi nikako nije highlight žanra.

fun, doesn't take itself too seriously, many (many) songs, so if you don't like one, another is coming along soon.

#83 Beautiful.

Man, what an unfair place this world is. Take this album for example. Not only does Sufjan show prove himself to be an incredibly skilled songwriter of delicate melodies; not only is he a masterful and creative arranger; not only does he have the voice of an angel; not only can he pull off a grand-to-the-point-of-seeming-absurd concept seamlessly; but he also infuses every last track with such a wide range of emotion that each song here could make you cry for an entirely different reason. Leave some for the rest of us, Big Soof.

Had it in as background noise while cleaning, really cohesive album with lots of cool and evocative sounds. Last song is just music for 18 musicians. Really enjoyed it.

I just love this so much.

It's so long and boring that you just start to give up half way through.

Chicago is a masterpiece

Couldn’t quite get into it , will have it down for re- listens down the road … like the moody calm jazzy vibes for sure , see it as something I could def work too or pop into a vinyl on a winter afternoon

Eclectic mix of instruments and lyrics make this an enjoyable experience. Strange subject matter though. A balled about a serial killer is not what I expected in an upbeat album.

So. boring.

Boring stuff

6/22 27/100 but idc. its masterul and i know it.

All-time favorite.

I was skeptical at first seeing the album cover and hearing that it was a concept album. But I warmed quickly to the ethereal vocals, the fact that the album is like a guided tour through Illinois' history, and the wonderful mix of instruments.

This sounds like it should have been the sountrack to a movie. It is beautiful and descriptive, but also a bit drawn out. Ok but not for my everyday commute.

I should like it. But I dont. Background (Illi) Noise

sprawling, ambitious, gorgeous - so excited to see some sufjan stevens on here. aside from being basically the only christian i respect, he's an immensely talented musician, and while parts of this album feel a little dated to me (unclear if that's due to my own obsessive listening/relistening in high school, or a general early aughts indie sound), it's still an incredible work that eclipses anything else that was happening in the genre at the time. my personal pick of his for this list would be Carrie & Lowell, but i can also see why this would be chosen for how important it was to the time. maybe we can have both in later editions???

disclaimer: i have a few friends that would likely crucify me if they found out i didn’t give this five stars, so no one say anything!! this is a great album overall and definitely deserves its spot on the list. sufjan excels at crafting a cohesive setting through his aural vignettes. there are some really beautiful and moving tracks here, in both lyrics and music. this album is captivating and attention-grabbing... or at least, the first half of it is. the back half is more of the same, but the colors are a bit muted. it’s like you’re listening to the album again but the novelty has worn off a bit. it’s lost that new album smell and doesn’t quite look as shiny as it was when you first picked it up. i can’t tell if this metaphor is working or not. as you start to look at it more closely, you see through some of the cracks in the veneer. the lengthy song titles that were once fun and quirky now reek of desperate pretension. the 7-minute long tracks of happy carnival music start to feel like a haunted fairground. and wait, have all these lyrics actually just been about christianity the whole time? this 22-track album is 74 minutes long, the same length as the 1988 disney classic oliver & company (starring joey lawrence and billy joel). and i think i’d rather watch that instead. the front half of this is 5 stars and the back half is 3, so i’ll split the difference and give it four. favorites (lmao i am NOT typing out these entire song titles): ufo, illinoise, JWG Jr, decatur, chicago, casimir

I had heard the John Wayne Gacy Jr song before but not the rest of this album. All around good, probably would like it more if I understood all the Illinois references and history.

I had heard some of the hits from this album throughout the years, and I uave quite a few people in my life whp consider this a favorite. After giving it a listen (and some songs a re-listen), I can definitely understand the appeal. This album was a magnitudous undertaking- almost 90 mins in length and exploring a wide variety of sounds, styles, and instrumentation. And I think overall- it was successful. I am very impressed with Stevens achievement- the songs he wrote have complex time signatures, use of a variety of instruments and vocal harmonies. The music is rich and complex, and when it hits, it hits right. Still- there are some times when it feels a little unfocused. I think the album could have undergone another round or two of edits and it would have made it more effective. Overall- enjoyed it a lot. I wpuld probably put it in the 4 - 4.5 out of 5 range, but not quite a 5 star album.

6 Illanoises out of 10 This album is a huge feat, there's 22 tracks ranging from 19 seconds to 7 minutes. Its a very whimsical album which sounds like it takes inspiration from a lot of American culture, people and events. I really enjoyed the album until about the 6th track in and then most of the tracks afterwards sounded very similar. The album is praised for its complex orchestral arrangements but I'd argue that the orchestra is arranged well or layered well rather than being complex. Its pleasant and atmospheric. The lyrics are wonderful, I'd imagine what makes this album critically acclaimed is the figurative language each song is laced with. Its an a sound of optimism which 2007 media would have been saturated with so I can totally see how this album did well. Its not my sorta thing but I'd be lying if I said it didn't fill me with warmth and cozy hues - It sounds like the theme music for a fantastical, colourful whimsical, manic pixie drama/romcom from the late 2000s.

I was so surprised by how much I liked this album. The music was really good, it sounded new, different and refreshing. This album is such a good surprise and why I have loved this challenge. Favourite song: Come on feel the lilinoise is a great tune. Least favourite: Prairie fire that wonders about was a bit too whimsical for me. Album artwork: Superb artwork

Well that was fun and quirky

Listened to this beforehand on a 'music night'. Masterpiece of an album, amazing use of the orchestra to create a majestic feel to the album. I feel like I'm floating and on a journey when I listen to this. Fun to find out the meaning of the tracks in relation to Illinois, not so fun to listen to some of the lyrics.

Did not use a private session for Spotify, also was familiar enough with this album that I knew to listen to it in the morning as that seemed like the time it would click with me. I think it was still the correct time, but wasn't a lot of clicking. It's fine, I did like the absurdly long song titles.

2.5/5

Like many elder Millennials, this is a seminal album for me. Bursting with creativity and ingenuity. Beautiful, timeless, endlessly rewarding.

so good

Oh, Gott ist das schön. Allein schon die Hymne über Chicago. Traumhaft wunderschöne Melodien und Arrangemnts. Hier fühlt man Illinoise, hier fühlt man die Schönheit der Stimmungen.

This album has a warm yet melancholic feel, taking you through personal experiences, places, and past events. The lyrics often carry a sense of sadness, but they’re balanced by feelings of hope and wonder. The guitar work is subtle, providing a foundation for the more intricate orchestral arrangements, while the piano stands out as another key element. The orchestral parts help create a broader soundscape that adds depth to the album.

Sufjan created delicate little worlds to crawl into. Their is love, despair, excitement, and joy. It's all nestled in a cocoon of melancholy. This one takes time. You need to be in a room with headphones, or in a car at night. You have to come to it, it will not come to you.

Pretty nice, really

PERFECT

What a lovely gem of an album. Enjoyed this one. Never judge a cd by it cover as I did this morning

3.5☆/5 11.14.2024

This was a relaxing album, really enjoyed it

Fucking sucked!!!

This is on par with the Decemberists for that boring mid 2000s indie hipster sound that usually features a unnecessary horned instruments, dull stringed instrumental flourishes and a banjo. Total snoozefest but at least the singer doesn't have an annoying voice like the Decemberists guy . I don't think this should be on the list

Good in places, nicely arranged, melodic. But a bit strange in others. 3.5*

Overly long, not very distinct song to song.

This was extremely enjoyable, with a sense of familiarity, even though this was the first time I've heard the album, or even anything by this artist. Touches of Neil Young in places, with some parts reminding me of early Genesis for some reason. It wasn't quite enough for 5 stars, particularly the last quarter, which sort of peters out and keeps going much longer than needed. But it's a fine 4 star album.