Spanish Moustache it’s a reference to a Sufjan song called Futile Devices. But if you want further discussion of it, look up a man called Ludwig Wittgenstein. He talked a lot about the power words have, or don’t have.
@@cdorresteijn In fact they are super necessary, they are literally the tools we have evolved to communicate in a more abstract fashion, allowing us to distinguish physical objects from the concept itself, and so multiple encounters with wolves, for example, would create a notion of wolf-ness which is the synthesis of individual examples, experienced collectively as the definition of "what is a wolf" and then contrasted with "what is a lion" for example, and the more we did this the more we saw the beauty and logic and harmony manifested by the Universe, and grasped the sheer miracle that must inevitably be at the source of both ourselves and the world; However this caused the irreversible process of domination through ideologies & religious systems which is still ongoing, as mistakes are made and lessons learned, as empires rise and fall, the inequality between the elites and the lower class has caused a non-stop arms race between the ruling classes of the world until complete domination is achieved by engineering a system satisfying all parties, allowing the most necessary evils to be done with the best intentions, through the best strategy for maximizing effectiveness calculated through the most advanced tech, with the biggest budget and the most noble of aims, such as preventing any threats to the success of our expansion to other planets. Words are like nuclear energy. It's what you do with them
Great video! Small nitpick, but Sufjan's friend recovered from her illness and did not pass away, the song is mostly fictional. However, in elementary school Sufjan DID have a friend pass away; he recounts this in "Opie's Funeral song"
Hahahha nah man Illinois is one of the highest rated albums by many Indie music lovers. I am more likely to say it is even a a bit overrated. On the other hand Age of Adz is definitely underrated and should be brought up more often when talking about this genius.
What an incredible album. First listened to it when I was 14, and it changed my life. Still one of my favorite albums to play on a long night drive. Sufjan Stevens is a top-notch musician. I’ll never forget the first time I heard Casimir Pulaski Day. Still one of my go-to examples of great songwriting and layering of instruments. Still makes me emotional when i listen to it. Thank you for bringing more attention to this album, and for all the time you put into your fantastic videos. . Hopefully people want to listen to this album and have their musical world blown apart.
Finally! I’ve been requesting this forever! Personally, Casimir Pulaski Day will always hold the most meaning to me. I lost my uncle to stage four metastatic kidney cancer on Rosh Hashanah and his death made me reconnect with G-d. I got into Sufjan Stevens’ music before his death and I remember listening to that song for three hours straight just crying.
I listened to the album for the first time today and loved it. Not only am I from Illinois, but on the song Casimir Pulaski Day, he says March 1st. I didn't even realize I was listening to it on Casmir Pulaski Day March 1st (the day doesn't land on the 1st every year). And as someone of Polish decent, that was a really cool experience.
I love the video, especially as a native to Illinois myself. It's a running joke with me that Chicago is the not-Illinois part of Illinois (kind of like the Vatican to Italy), mainly because I'm from the southern region of the state :) I absolutely love how in depth you go into these videos and how they all seem like true passion projects.
This video is just brilliant. Your analysis of music is so incredibly insightful even when I think I have nothing left to think or feel about a record. I love your channel. In the future I hope you can do videos about Tom Waits and Nick Cave.
The cool thing about the album is that he has subjects about areas of Illinois that aren't Chicago. As a person from Western Illinois, it's easy to know of being forgotten in comparison to Chicago (because, seriously, the awesome city of Chicago compared to the mass farm lands of the rest if the state😂). So it was cool to see Stevens write about the rest of the state as well.
Great video! Having grown up in Eugene, OR, I feel like Carrie and Lowell does a beautiful job connecting to my home through music. Michigan is also a great album. Sufjan is incredible!
Whenever I am drunk by myself, I end up watching this video. Whenever I am driving beyond Chicagoland, I listen to this album. The greatest album of this century!
Love that you took this dive in Sufan's work. I would really love to see you unravel Sufan's album Carrie & Lowell about his mother who abandoned him in his childhood.
I am always super careful to take an interpretation especially as it relates to Sufjan. The comment made here is that Chicago is about being "young and being part of something....Chicago is a distillation of youth and hope". I am not seeing this at all--this is no doubt an anthem and I think like Sufjan layered with considerable complexity. It is not about hope solely or even partly but regret, some sad notes coupled with bright brass tones: again a mix of emotion cascading at once.
Great video, thank you so much, man. I always wanted to listen to this album but I always felt like I just didn't know what it was about and how I should listen to it, this video helped. Thanks so much for your dedication to making amazing videos that show your passion for music. Love your stuff, Polyphonic, keep it up.
Chicago needs to be the official City anthem. I'm not even from Chicago but it represents that MIDWEST optimist spirit. It doesn't fit any other city. If New York has New York by Sinatra, Georgia has Georgia state of mind by Ray Charles, Chicago has Chicago by Sufjan Stevens.
Syntine I approve of this, and second it, and furthermore, I shall raise it 5 full belligerence units in asking: why won't you take a closer look at Andrew Bird?! what are you so afraid of???
Absolutely love your videos, keep up the good work. Can you do a video on jamming/improv by the Grateful Dead? I love their music, but not being a musician I don't get how they did it, like how a member would "step out" and the others would follow into a jam.
Great video! I’ve always loved Sufjan and his music. He’s such a fascinating guy with so much talent. I feel like you could make a great video discussing the band La Dispute. Their albums are a mix of spoken word, hardcore, and jazz and the lead singer is probably one of the best storytellers in modern music. Right up there with Sufjan.
In "John Wayne Gacy, Jr." he dresses up like a clown "with his face paint white and red" and on "The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts" America is depicted as "red and white, red and wise" so the reversal of colors can be interpreted as the character being the antithesis of the American Dream. The narrator in "Metropolis" only dreams that the lake takes his boy while aspiring for a better life. The boys in "John Wayne Gacy, Jr." are stripped of such aspirations when literally taken too soon. It can be seen as a small coincidence as Sufjan's lyrics will often depict death and its consequences but there's interconnected thematic links in every song on the album.
First off, than you for tackling this gorgeous and unique album. So thankful this came into my life. At a time when I was all about my 80's synth (2008-2009), here comes this beautiful indie opus--which, if I stumble upon at any given moment, will make my eyes immediately well up with tears. It has a certain unique quality to it that I've yet to give anywhere else. Sufjan has to be one of the most incredible lyricists I've ever heard, but if it weren't for his fragile ethereal voice, some might mistake his songs as pretentious or even satirical. Also, the way truly genuine way he tackles the subject of Christian faith--forever having to wrestle with its disquieting perplexities--the only time I felt like someone had successfully described what faith is like. Anyway, I feel very lucky to know this album. It feels like it's something that should be above my pay grade---that and Russian Lit 😜
Thank god someone is talking about Tallest Man, Broadest Shoulders. It’s my favorite song in an album of favorite songs that make up an entire musical especially while adding Avalanche
Love Sufjan! We recently did a deep dive exploration of Sufjan's past tour mates Deerhunter and Animal Collective. Animal Collective: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-3bQtFfiaiok.html Deerhunter: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-FoJD2PvzcTA.html
This video was way ahead of its time. Broadway just saw one of the best musicals of the year - "Illinoise," a dance-musical featuring the music from this album. A wonderful experience
I’m not at all claiming this was Sufjan’s intention when writing the song, but when he says “and in my best behavior, I am really just like him. Look beneath the floorboards for the secrets I have hid.” I always kinda interpreted that as something a man struggling to come to terms with same sex attraction, especially one who comes from a religious background, might think about themselves. Gay men are often seen as inherently predatory or perverse, particularly in regards to religious beliefs. Growing up with this, it’s inevitable to internalize those bigoted views. A thing many lgbt people from religious homes struggle with early on, and even later in life, is thinking of yourself as a bad or evil person, a sinner. Comparing yourself to an infamous gay serial killer because of your sexuality is definitely something someone dealing with internalized homophobia would do. Again, not claiming this is true for Sufjan specifically. This was my own take away from those lyrics, as an LGBT person with Catholic and Christian upbringings.
Discovered this mans music some 10 years ago and I'm still trying to figure out him out. He's confounding in the best way. He's also go an album about Michigan, the BQE and multi album Christmas album among others. He is an amazing artist.
I don't know how I've never heard thia album, since I'm from the hometown of Carl Sandburg, and grew up with The Mountain Goats' album Full Force Galesburg, which even names my hometown in Weekend in Western Illinois. I'll have to listen, thanks for the video my guy :)
Fantastic exploration. The songs you plucked out happen to be my favourite on the album. Hopefully this video serves as an entry point for a lot of people who have never listened to Sufjan before. Great video!
Brilliant, man. Places really do have meaning because of how we experience them and I appreciate the effort you put into explaining an abstract concept like that. Thank you.
You really ruined it with your promo. While the truth of what you allude to is very deep you really muck it up by turning it into an advertisement. Way to go....
Kinda weird how you release this video not even a week after I discover Stevens, and Illinoise was the first album I picked out to start on. Great vid as always.
Wow, my favorite album-analysis channel made a video about Illinois and I didn't see it until two years later? Damn. This along with SMiLE and Pet Sounds is in a tie for my all-time favorite album. "The Tallest Man, The Broadest Shoulders" was one influence in my musical name/alias, The Broadest Blue. ru-vid.com/show-UCSz5_13Kn93oniiC2TIj20g
Dude I juat wanted to see an interesting video on our dear Suf and you curve-ball me and put Casimir pulaski day - now my dinner is wet from tears. thanks. Great video!
Never heard of Sufjan until I met his sister Djohariah (Jo), she lived down the street from a girl I was dating,, at that time they were good friends. Been hooked on his music since.
The state of Illinois history is a great microcosm of what America is in totality. It has one of the largest, most diverse yet segregated cities in the country. It's long history of the European migration across all of North America is a good representation of that same migration and genocide of the indigenous people. Home of the one American president that changed all of America with his fight against a slave system that was on the verge of sinking the country economically on a world level that took the lives of over 700 thousand soldiers from the North and South. One could go on and on.
One of my all time favourites, but honestly I think I'd like it nearly just as much if the lyrics were bloobleeblahbleeblooblahbleeblah. The man can compose music. Not saying the lyrics aren't great; they are.
Tor did a "remixtape" years ago called Illinoize. It's not as deep but still makes you feel things. It's a wonderful listen and it's free, or you can just look it up here.
Great video! I've never been a big fan of Sufjan's work, but I think I'll check it out some more to see what I find for myself. Also, I love that you and Chris Fleming put out a Sufjan video on the same day. Something about that feels right to me.
