Illinois is a concept album by the singer-songwriter Sufjan Stevens. He wrote songs about different places, events, and people connected to Illinois. He did extensive research to learn about the state's history, culture, art, and geography.
Illinois is a masterpiece of songwriting and storytelling. Sufjan's ability to blend folk, classical, and electronic elements creates a rich and diverse soundscape that perfectly complements the album's themes. The lyrics are both poetic and informative, painting vivid pictures of the state's past and present.
Illinois was a critical and commercial success, being included in the Rolling Stone, NPR and Paste. The album was also a commercial hit, reaching number one on the Billboard "Heatseekers Albums" chart. This made Illinois a landmark album in Sufjan Stevens' career, solidifying his reputation as one of the most innovative and talented songwriters of his generation.
Sufjan Stevens - Illinois
1 Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois
2 The Black Hawk War, Or, How to Demolish an Entire Civilization and Still Feel Good About Yourself in the Morning, Or, We Apologize...
3 Come On! Feel the Illinoise!" (Part I: The World's Columbian Exposition - Part II: Carl Sandburg Visits Me in a Dream)
4 John Wayne Gacy Jr.
5 Jacksonville
6 A Short Reprise for Mary Todd, Who Went Insane, But for Very Good Reasons
7 Decatur, Or, a Round of Applause for Your Step-mother
8 One Last 'Whoo-hoo!' for the Pullman
9 Chicago
10 Casimir Pulaski Day
11 To the Workers of the Rock River Valley Region, I Have an Idea Concerning Your Predicament
12 The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts
13 Prairie Fire That Wanders About
14 A Conjunction of Drones Simulating the Way in Which Sufjan Stevens Has an Existential Crisis in the Great Godfrey Maze
15 The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us!
16 They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back from the Dead!! Ahhhh!
17 Let's Hear That String Part Again, Because I Don't Think They Heard It All the Way Out in Bushnell
18 In This Temple As in the Hearts of Man for Whom He Saved the Earth
19 Seers Tower
20 The Tallest Man, the Broadest Shoulders (Part I: The Great Frontier - Part II: Come to Me Only With Playthings Now)
21 Riffs and Variations On a Single Note for Jelly Roll, Earl Hines, Louis Armstrong, Baby Dodds, and the King of Swing, to Name a Few
22 Out of Egypt, Into the Great Laugh of Mankind, and I Shake the Dirt from My Sandals As I Run
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