Album of the Year!

You're not wrong Sir England! And for the newbies, if you're not sure how to say Sufjan's name when you tell all your friends that you "discovered" this jem, it sounds like Soof-yawn Stevens! If you can't get enough banjo these days, check out Seven Swans too.

Jeff Hubbard

Dead on, Kyle. I don't think there'll be a better record released this year - certainly not one so ambitious; the fact that he realizes those ambitions puts this one in elite company. How can one guy be this musical and this smart?

Barry Bilson

Hey Soof-yawn guy - thanks for that little insight - only a pedantic pain in the ass like yourself could possibly prevent the rest of us unelightened rubes from making the unforgivable gaffe of pronouncing Mr. Stevens name "Suf-jun." Thanks man - you may have saved my marriage.

di e

why are there so many butt holes bitching on this fucker. just shut the fuck up and enjoy the music.

Preston T

An unqualified masterpiece, by the most fascinating songwriter to emerge in recent years, you can quibble all you want - but this is the best work of the year - and I can't imagine aything besting it - but you never know. That's how I felt about Bright Eyes way back in early Spring. The change to the album cover is so inconsequential that it amounts to nothing more than a joke and makes the owners of all things Superman look awfully petty. In any case in my opinion superman is still on the album, his name is Sufjan - and if you insist I'll pronounce that Sooper- Mawn.

Da Boneman

How could anyone purport to write an album based on the historical events of the great state of Illinois - without mentioning a certain middle linebacker by the name of Butkus, a certain Hoop Dream oftimes referred to as the greatest athlete that ever lived - Hello anyone wanna be like Mike? And of course the most assinine ommision - I speak of course of a gentleman whom those of us who understand the concept of hero worship know only as DITKA!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Better luck next time Sufjan Suckatash

Let me help you out Suf - here's a hidden track to make your treatise on Illinois complete:

Ditka, he's a God

Ditka - screw Mary Todd

In this state, Da Bears Rule

Suck on that ya unpronouncable tool

Love your work, but kiss my Butkus

Lotsa luck with Connecticut cuz

It's nothing but a lake and a forest

You'll never get a verse, much less a chorus

I'm really from Utah - you'll have fun with us

We're all just wild-eyed Polygamists

So happy trails on your American spree

I'm off to Louisianna with a banjo on my knee

di e

break it down nigger

Blanda

I've been hard on this site, it's tiny and lame

but that's my nature - I stick to my game

I call a spade a spade, no apologies for it

But I think I finally get this Boneman shit

Eminem you aint - which suits me fine

I about shit myself on that banjo line

Oh by the way the album's title is Illinois

whatsay you lose the E

Jimmy O

May I be the first to say that this album really isn't all that great. I only like about half of the first ten songs. After that the batting average goes up, but still I find myself skipping through it like Dorothy down the yellow brick road. Which I'm sure will be a hot topic once Sufjan gets around to doing Kansas. Sorry but I can't agree with all the halleluians here - I just don't consider it to be all that spectacular - what can I say

Steve Barclay

Here's one to get you heated up. Dan Fogelberg wrote a song called Illinois (his home state) on Souveniers that I'd put up against anything on this album. You might think this absurd but when you listen to the albums side by side you'd be surprised at how similar they sound.