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Illinois — Sufjan Stevens

Sufjan Stevens

Illinois

First released

# Summary: Illinois by Sufjan Stevens Sufjan Stevens recorded "Illinois" primarily at Calibration Audio Labs in Chicago and other studios during 2004-2005, following the commercial success of his previous album "Michigan." The album was produced by Stevens himself along with producer/engineer Brian Dewan, who played a significant role in shaping the record's complex orchestral arrangements and layered instrumentation. Stevens employed extensive multi-tracking and incorporated diverse instrumentation including strings, horns, pianos, and various percussion instruments to create the album's dense, maximalist sound. The production process involved meticulous layering and sequencing, with Stevens drawing inspiration from both the state of Illinois and broader American themes during a period of post-9/11 political reflection. The album marked Stevens' shift toward more ambitious, larger-scale production compared to his earlier folk-oriented work, establishing a new artistic direction that emphasized orchestral pop arrangements.

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Tracklist · 22 tracks
  1. 1Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois2:09
  2. 2The Black Hawk War, or, How to Demolish an Entire Civilization and Still Feel Good About Yourself in the Morning, or, We Apologize for the Inconvenience but You’re Going to Have to Leave Now, or, “I Have Fought the Big Knives and Will Continue to Fight Them Until They Are Off Our Lands!”2:15
  3. 3Come On! Feel the Illinoise! Part I: The World’s Columbian Exposition, Part II: Carl Sandburg Visits Me in a Dream6:46
  4. 4John Wayne Gacy, Jr.3:20
  5. 5Jacksonville5:25
  6. 6A Short Reprise for Mary Todd, Who Went Insane, but for Very Good Reasons0:48
  7. 7Decatur, or, Round of Applause for Your Stepmother!3:04
  8. 8One Last “Whoo‐Hoo!” for the Pullman0:06
  9. 9Chicago6:05
  10. 10Casimir Pulaski Day5:54
  11. 11To the Workers of the Rockford River Valley Region, I Have an Idea Concerning Your Predicament1:41
  12. 12The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts6:17
  13. 13Prairie Fire That Wanders About2:11
  14. 14A Conjunction of Drones Simulating the Way in Which Sufjan Stevens Has an Existential Crisis in the Great Godfrey Maze0:20
  15. 15The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us!5:23
  16. 16They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From the Dead!! Ahhhh!5:10
  17. 17Let’s Hear That String Part Again, Because I Don’t Think They Heard It All the Way Out in Bushnell0:40
  18. 18In This Temple as in the Hearts of Man for Whom He Saved the Earth0:35
  19. 19The Seer’s Tower3:54
  20. 20The Tallest Man, the Broadest Shoulders, Part I: The Great Frontier, Part II: Come to Me Only With Playthings Now7:03
  21. 21Riffs and Variations on a Single Note for Jelly Roll, Earl Hines, Louis Armstrong, Baby Dodds, and the King of Swing, to Name a Few0:47
  22. 22Out of Egypt, Into the Great Laugh of Mankind, and I Shake the Dirt From My Sandals as I Run4:22

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