Sufjan Stevens - Come On! Feel The Illinoise! (2006)
So I asked my friend Donald to write a review for Sufjan Stevens - Come On! Feel The Illinoise! Unfortunately, what I got was a three page essay about the album. Because I don't have the time or the patience to go through and edit such a triumphant and beautiful review, I've come up with a solution. In spirit of Yossarian, I will only give you the adjectives. The full review will soon be available on his own website here.
So, without further ado, here are the adjectives that Donald saw fit to describe Sufjan Stevens' (in my opinion) best cd:
Dazzling, awe-inspiring, smooth, mercurial, crowning, ambitious, critical, pseudo-Christian folk, legitimate, Salinger-esque, powerful, historical, cultural, small, fascinating, quirky, calm, effervescent, subdued, young, serene, quasi-chronological, beautiful, monument to grandeur and glory, lamentful (this one isn't a word, Donald), brooding, triumphant, faint, upbeat, syncopated, blossoming, poetic, personal, haunting, harrowing, graphic, serial killing, hidden, unsuspected, intimate, urban, local, thematic, fertile, magnificent, good, great, minimalistic, strumming, plucking, soft, passionate, haunted, soul-bearing, heartfelt, subdued, ethereal, prevailing, touching, Christian, religious, Christ-like, hard-edged, surreal, otherworldly, introspective, chilling, razor sharp, atmospheric, chilling, religious, haunting, jazzy, Brubeckian, dreamlike, storied, expressionistic, mystically repetitive, percussive, calamitous, HE PLAYS NEARLY EVERY INSTRUMENT USED ON THE ALBUM, seemingly oversaturated, brilliance.
I generally agree with each of those words. This album is absolutely beautiful and it is THE ALBUM that got me into indie rock; the way it melds history and modern culture is absolutely brilliant and the way the album sounds is perfect. This album was the crossover point for me between punk and whatever I am today, and it is definitely in my top 10 favorite albums of all time. If you'd like to read the full review, it is/will be up at http://www.wjgroundruledouble.weebly.com and I highly suggest reading the full thing. Thank you very much, Donald! I hope you don't mind my butchery. I thought it was funny...
Genres: Indie, Folk, Rock, Pop
Recommended Songs: Chicago, John Wayne Gacy Jr., They Are Night Zombies!! They Are Neighbors!! They Have Come Back From The Dead!! Ahhhh!
Link: http://www.mediafire.com(SLASH)download.php?jnunzzmmnvw
I highly approve, this is actually much better/less painful on the eyes than my full review, which you can find here:
ReplyDeletewww.wjgroundruledouble.weebly.com/albums-from-the-vault-come-on-feel-the-illinoise-by-sufjan-stevens/html
^copy and paste
Anyways, yeah, I agree with you Mike, this was easily one of my Five favorite albums ever, and not only is this album responsible for me getting into indie rock, but it is also responsible for me forsaking the radio once and for all.
Anyways, Mike also forgot to include "Casimir Pulaski Day" and "The Tallest Man, the Broadest Shoulders" on the Reccomended tracks list; the former is the single best song on this album full of masterpieces.
Also, I'm absolutely shocked and appalled that lamentful isn't a word. Someone at Merriam-Webster needs to be shanked, or at least firmly chastized.
In short, Mike's review is better than mine, but I still implore you to read mine after you download this album.
Also, I reccomend you guys take a look at the wikipedia entry on the Album, it takes a stab at trying to address all the various cultural, historical, and religious allusions in the songs, and even though it falls way way short, its still a nice attempt.
I highly approve, this is actually much better/less painful on the eyes than my full review, which you can find here:
ReplyDeletewww.wjgroundruledouble.weebly.com/albums-from-the-vault-come-on-feel-the-illinoise-by-sufjan-stevens.html
^copy and paste
Anyways, yeah, I agree with you Mike, this was easily one of my Five favorite albums ever, and not only is this album responsible for me getting into indie rock, but it is also responsible for me forsaking the radio once and for all.
Anyways, Mike also forgot to include "Casimir Pulaski Day" and "The Tallest Man, the Broadest Shoulders" on the Reccomended tracks list; the former is the single best song on this album full of masterpieces.
Also, I'm absolutely shocked and appalled that lamentful isn't a word. Someone at Merriam-Webster needs to be shanked, or at least firmly chastized.
In short, Mike's review is better than mine, but I still implore you to read mine after you download this album.
Also, I reccomend you guys take a look at the wikipedia entry on the Album, it takes a stab at trying to address all the various cultural, historical, and religious allusions in the songs, and even though it falls way way short, its still a nice attempt.