Search - Sufjan Stevens :: Greetings From Michigan: The Great Lake State

Greetings From Michigan: The Great Lake State
Sufjan Stevens
Greetings From Michigan: The Great Lake State
Genres: Alternative Rock, Folk, Special Interest, Pop, Rock
 
  •  Track Listings (15) - Disc #1


     
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CD Details

All Artists: Sufjan Stevens
Title: Greetings From Michigan: The Great Lake State
Members Wishing: 13
Total Copies: 0
Label: Asthmatic Kitty
Original Release Date: 1/1/2003
Re-Release Date: 7/1/2003
Genres: Alternative Rock, Folk, Special Interest, Pop, Rock
Styles: Indie & Lo-Fi, Experimental Music, Singer-Songwriters
Number of Discs: 1
SwapaCD Credits: 1
UPCs: 656605551029, 009463825342, 094638253457, 0094638253426

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CD Reviews

Gorgeous Suite
Juan Mobili | Valley Cottage, NY USA | 05/30/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)

"This is a stunning album which, in different ways on this page, has already been pretty well documented. It is wonderful, promising, and somewhat ironic that a number of the best recordings of recent date have been made by young musicians and composers, both women and men -in addition to Stevens, Laura Veirs, Vetiver, Devendra Barnhart ... the list could go on!- mostly in their own bedrooms, on a shoe-string budget and not having to count, in most cases, on big name producers nor virtuoso session players.

What can you expect from this album? Some of the most beautiful, open-hearted and downright honest music being made today.

You, like me no doubt, will soon acknowledge favorites among these songs, yet because it is meant to be a suite about the, at times beleaguered, state of Michigan, it ought to be appreciated as a whole as it was intended by Sufjan Stevens; and, because I would not want to taint your listening experience with my preferences.

If you can afford it, buy it -and buy it new- so this guy gets some money for this gift of an album. If you must borrow music, try Sting or Madonna ... I'm sure they can manage on their savings."
Masterful and Ingenious.......
M. Gaines | Alabama, United States | 03/05/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Independent music is a hit and miss thing with most musical
enthusiasts. With the bulk of information primarly exchanged by word of mouth or read in 'off the beaten path' music mags most stumble upon wonderful works of art that scream for wider attention from the musical community at large.I've discovered some amazingly artistically creative souls struggling in the abis, crying out to be heard.

I must say that Sufjan Stevens offering "Greetings From Michigan"
leaves me dumbfounded in the brillance behind this 2003offering.
Sufjan reflects so many influences it's blindingly stunning in its execution and brilliance. From the Band, Beach Boys, Neil Young, to contemporary currents of Bright Eyes, Elliott Smith, Belle and Sebastion, this guy is a master in the studio. Not only in reflecting musical ingenuity but in the lyrical scope of the entire project.What I can't seem to understand is why no one in the musical world at large has picked up on this guy, beside pitchfork media. has me baffled. His themes on this masterpiece run into the territory of Springsteen's to quote pitchfork "The record is stacked with impressive space for Stevens' shimmering geography, and it manages a melancholy beauty; Michigan is a frost-bound tone poem in which average people live out their victories and defeats with a shadowy, dignified grace." From the opening track of "Flint (For The Unemployed And Underpaid)" to the final cut " Vito's Ordination Song " this is a major work by an artist who should be selling millions of records, (if there truly was
any justice in this world). From a year that saw strong releases from Mark Kolesk and Sun Kil
Moon's "Ghosts of the Great Highway" to Jason Molena's "Magnolia
Electric Co", "Greetings From Michigan" is one for the record books and one that folks will be looking back at for a long time to come. Stevens, meanwhile, releases his new opus "Seven Swans" on March 16th and I'm betting that this will continue his journey into masterhood and beyond. Amazing, amazing stuff that sprinkles stardust over the listener with each encounter, things that move like a spirit in night the .........Greetings indeed!!"
Among the Best of 2003
A. Patel | Motown, MI, USA | 01/10/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)

"Considering this is the best (and maybe only) CD dedicated exclusively to Michigan, it was very difficult to actually find here, so thank you Amazon.Michigan born and bred, Brooklyn based, Sufjan Stevens has already demonstrated a range and talent that ranks him in the "genius" category. As a native Michigander, I cannot overstate how well he has captured the both joys and sorrows of life throughout our dear state, but with candor and grace, not melodrama and hyperbole.His excoriation of Motown's largely self-inflicted slide in recent decades is nonetheless accompanied by an invocation of hope for the future ("Detroit, Lift Up Your Weary Head!..."). And "Flint" would make Michael Moore both proud and melancholy indeed (I hope Moore has purchased this CD!). But they are genuinely American stories that could easily be applied to most any state (except maybe Hawaii!).To me, this release has shades of Nick Drake ("Holland", "Romulus"), Vince Guaraldi Trio ("All Good Naysayerrs..."), Sea & Cake, and even a little Mogwai. The repetition of certain patterns and layers in tracks like "Detroit..." throws off a nice Philip Glass (circa Koyaanisqatsi) vibe.This release ranks alongside Sun Kil Moon's "Ghosts of the Great Highway" and Pernice Brothers' 'Yours, Mine and Ours' as the best of 2003.Download all the Creed you want, but support these artists! :)"