Sufjan's music came to me the way the best music does - by word of mouth. A friend mentioned him to me, and about a year later, I finally got around to checking him out. My reaction, right from the first was, how could I have wasted almost an entire year not listening to this?!
Sufjan Stevens has an amazing gift for melody and orchestration. I don't think there's anyone out there making such gorgeous music. His arrangements are complex, but in a way that never interferes with the beauty of the song.
In 2003, Stevens released Greetings from Michigan - The Great Lake State, and announced that he was planning to do an album for every state. We'll see. So far, it's just Michigan and Illinois.
I wanted to focus on Illinoise for this post. It was the first one I heard, and it's still my favorite.
The first track opens with a beautiful, pulsing piano. It's called Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland, Illinois. Who could imagine a more beautiful song about such a strange subject?
Track two has perhaps my favorite title: 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...". How's that for a mouthful? I'll admit, the long titles get annoying when it comes to remembering which song is which. Come on, I'm forty years old! I can't remember stuff like that!
Come On! Feel the Illinoise!, Pt. I: The World's Columbian Exposition / Pt. II: Carl Sandburg Visits Me In a Dream is a brisk 5/8 romp with a great piano riff and just a crazy arrangement. Unlike a lot of "experimental" music, Sufjan has a way of keeping strange meters and complex orchestrations grounded in songs with strong, beautiful melodies. This song switched to 4 and really has some amazing sections in the middle. Definitely one of my all time favorite keyboard solos, gritty and gorgeous.
Finally a short name! John Wayne Gacy, Jr. isn't just about the notorious serial killer. It's also the most beautiful ballad on the CD. Really, I don't have words to describe this stuff. Just go listen to it, at least twice.
The biggest hit from this album is probably Chicago. For good reasons - it's a great song, AND it has a short name! It's also a great example of how Stevens uses very direct, personal lyrics. He doesn't sing in elliptical, hidden metaphors, he just sings plainly, even if it isn't. [how's that for mixed up...] An example from this song:
I drove to New York
in the van, with my friend
we slept in parking lots
I don't mind, I don't mind
I was in love with the place
in my mind, in my mind
I made a lot of mistakes
in my mind, in my mind
How simple is that? I always try and get too deep, to reveal some hidden layer in my lyrics. I could take a lesson here. One of the reasons Stevens affects me is the plainspoken lyrics that are intensely personal.
On that note, I want to post a longer section of lyrics, this time from Casimir Pulaski Day:
Golden rod and the 4-H stone
The things I brought you
When I found out you had cancer of the bone
Your father cried on the telephone
And he drove his car to the Navy yard
Just to prove that he was sorry
In the morning through the window shade
When the light pressed up against your shoulder blade
I could see what you were reading
Oh the glory that the lord has made
And the complications you could do without
When I kissed you on the mouth
Tuesday night at the bible study
We lift our hands and pray over your body
But nothing ever happens
I remember at Michael's house
In the living room when you kissed my neck
And I almost touched your blouse
In the morning at the top of the stairs
When your father found out what we did that night
And you told me you were scared
Oh the glory when you ran outside
With your shirt tucked in and your shoes untied
And you told me not to follow you
Isn't that just amazing? Wow. I'm blown away by lyrics like this. I swear, I think I could just listen to this song on an endless loop...
So why then, you ask, do I title this "Why I hate Sufjan Stevens?" Because he is one of those rare songwriters who just seems to have it all together. He's prolific, he writes amazing lyrics, incredible melodies, and top notch arrangement. What's not to hate? As a songwriter perpetually struggling to get above "good," I simultaneously want to worship and strangle a talent like Stevens.
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