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Know-It-All
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(To bring this topic back to what it's supposed to be about)Does anybody else besides me find "John Wayne Gacy Jr." disturbingly beautiful and is there anything wrong with that?
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Know-It-All
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I think "Casimir Pulaski Day" is the best on the album. It connects personal experience with the universal experience, showcasing a day that is meant as a holiday as a tragic day due to the death of his lover and forever blighting it and haunting it with her memory
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Slacker
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"Casimir" is my favorite followed by "Predatory Wasp." That song gives me chills every time. "Jacksonville" holds a steady 3rd and from this point on I can't distinguish.
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Know-It-All
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I think that though it's not a "serious" song, (as unserious as Sufjan can be which isn't much) "Decatur..." is also a great song. The lyric "Though Stephen Douglas was the great debater, Abraham Lincoln" was the great imancipater" is just great.
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Enthusiast
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quote: Originally posted by cpa13:
"John Wayne Gacy Jr." is a great song that is very tragic and sad, yet amazingly constructed. Stevens song craft is beautiful. But being from Chicago, where Gacy did his killings, we grew up with all the horror stories and plus my old boss was a clown in his spare time. So he'd come to the office all dressed up and it'd freak me out. Its a great song but sometimes its the one track I skip when listening to the album.
I agree completely about that song. While it is beautiful, it is also somewhat creepy/disturbing considering the subject matter. I almost always skip it when listening to the album. |
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| Posts: 138 | Location: San Francisco | Registered: 01 November 2004 | |
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Participant
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i like but too pretentious and God-like at points for my liking and the album has some filler i would say.
favorites are predatory wasp and chicago
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Know-It-All
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quote: Originally posted by MattMan3000:
i like but too pretentious and God-like at points for my liking and the album has some filler i would say.
favorites are predatory wasp and chicago
If by pretentious you mean heart-breakingly sincere and by God-like you mean filled with humanity and understanding and by filler you mean song after song of musical and lyrical genius than yes I would agree with you |
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Participant
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quote: Originally posted by brighteyes215: quote: Originally posted by MattMan3000:
i like but too pretentious and God-like at points for my liking and the album has some filler i would say.
favorites are predatory wasp and chicago
If by pretentious you mean heart-breakingly sincere and by God-like you mean filled with humanity and understanding and by filler you mean song after song of musical and lyrical genius than yes I would agree with you
yeah, well, no.... |
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"Forum Moderator"
Jedi
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quote: Originally posted by brighteyes215: quote: Originally posted by MattMan3000:
i like but too pretentious and God-like at points for my liking and the album has some filler i would say.
favorites are predatory wasp and chicago
If by pretentious you mean heart-breakingly sincere and by God-like you mean filled with humanity and understanding and by filler you mean song after song of musical and lyrical genius than yes I would agree with you
Wow. I REALLY must be listening to the wrong record...that's some pretty strong stuff. I'm with you, MattMan, about the filler. I don't catch the God stuff, but I think too much of the album sounds alike for my tastes. After really liking Seven Swans, I just think there's too much going on in Illinois to keep my interest. Maybe if it was 20 minutes shorter I might get more into it, but mainly I just play the 4 songs I like a lot and skip the rest... |
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| Posts: 3875 | Location: ATL, GA | Registered: 25 May 2004 | |
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"Forum Moderator"
Super Bad-Ass Jedi
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quote: Originally posted by philosopherEric:
Wow.
I REALLY must be listening to the wrong record...that's some pretty strong stuff.
I'm with you, MattMan, about the filler. I don't catch the God stuff, but I think too much of the album sounds alike for my tastes. After really liking Seven Swans, I just think there's too much going on in Illinois to keep my interest. Maybe if it was 20 minutes shorter I might get more into it, but mainly I just play the 4 songs I like a lot and skip the rest...
I'm with both of you too. Although I admire Stevens' ambition, I just didn't find much interesting about the songs on Illinois. And yes, it is way too long. Devendra Banhart made the same mistake with Cripple Crow (although I like that album a lot better). Just because you can fit 20+ songs on a CD doesn't mean you should.
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Use all your well-learned politesse or I'll lay your soul to waste.
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| Posts: 5924 | Location: Michigan | Registered: 19 June 2005 | |
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Participant
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Mabye Im alone in this, but strictly from a instrumental point of view, im thinking that They are Night Zombies!!! May be my favorite song. I love the strings and I-L-L-I-N-O-I-S was stuck in my head for weaks.
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Know-It-All
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Sufjan Stevens is completely a musical genius. The man can play every instrument on his albums, and compose pieces for them just as effectively. His albums are vast, sprawling works of art that somehow not only hold together, but actually build up to crescendos. Let's not even mention his lyrical ability, as that would involve me writing several more paragraphs. Certainly one of the most preeminent (if not THE preeminent) musicians in our midst. 'Illinois' is in my top five of all-time, easily.
Not all those who wander are lost.
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| Posts: 232 | Location: Portland, OR | Registered: 20 February 2006 | |
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Know-It-All
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quote: Originally posted by in limbo:
Sufjan Stevens is completely a musical genius. The man can play every instrument on his albums, and compose pieces for them just as effectively. His albums are vast, sprawling works of art that somehow not only hold together, but actually build up to crescendos. Let's not even mention his lyrical ability, as that would involve me writing several more paragraphs.
Certainly one of the most preeminent (if not THE preeminent) musicians in our midst. 'Illinois' is in my top five of all-time, easily.
I don't think Sufjan conveys enough emotion in his songs. He always whispers like a guy too afraid to betray his inner self. That is compelling for a spell, yes, but then you wish the guy would just loosen up a little. The best song he has ever written "Seven Swans" succeeds because he actually lets his voice go for that big "He is the Lord" chorus. I find that all the unnecessary melodic fluff of Illinois actually detracts from its emotional impact. |
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Jedi
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quote: I don't think Sufjan conveys enough emotion in his songs. He always whispers like a guy too afraid to betray his inner self. That is compelling for a spell, yes, but then you wish the guy would just loosen up a little. The best song he has ever written "Seven Swans" succeeds because he actually lets his voice go for that big "He is the Lord" chorus. I find that all the unnecessary melodic fluff of Illinois actually detracts from its emotional impact.
I also find myself wishing he would loosen up a bit. I like his records (I really like most of Illinois), but I definitely feel like his vocals are not strong enough to lock him on my radar. Sometimes it works well - on "Casimir Pulaski Day" for example. |
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| Posts: 1376 | Location: Valparaiso, IN | Registered: 01 July 2006 | |
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Enthusiast
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Those who love the 'John Wayne Gacy Jr.' track, absolutely must check out the accompanying film clip on youtube. It suits it perfectly and I would like to know what you think of it.
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Jedi
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Sufjan's Christmas album, which I finally acquired, is actually really good! "Sister Winter" might actually be the best song he's ever recorded...
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| Posts: 1173 | Location: Charlottesville, VA | Registered: 19 May 2006 | |
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Jedi
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I quite liked that song as well. I wish he'd come out with something NEW, though. *grouses*
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Aren't there any girls out their who like good music? I need to and want to meet them. My favorite bands are Overkill River, The Nife, Songs:Ohio, and Nuetral Milk Hotel. Please let me know if your into indy music and like to go to show's and drink beer's and makeout.
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| Posts: 2709 | Location: ATL-abouts. | Registered: 24 October 2006 | |
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