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| | The Avalanche: Outtakes & Extras from the Illinois Album | | | Music Artist : | | Sufjan Stevens | | Music Style : | | General | | Record Label : | | Asthmatic Kitty | | Release Date : | | 2006-07-11 | | Store Price : | | $14.98 | | Artistopia's Price: $13.99 | |
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CD Tracks/Songs
Disc 11. The Avalanche
2. Dear Mr. Supercomputer
3. Adlai Stevenson
4. The Vivian Girls Are Visited In the Night by Saint Dararius and his Squadron of Benevolent Butterflies
5. Chicago (Acoustic Version)
6. The Henney Buggy Band
7. Soul Bellow
8. Carlyle Lake
9. Springfield, or Bobby Got a Shadfly Caught in his Hair
10. The Mistress Witch from McClure (or, The Mind That Knows Itself)
11. Kaskadia River
12. Chicago (adult contemporary easy listening version)
13. Inaugural Pop Music for Jane Margaret Byrne
14. No Man's Land
15. The Palm Sunday Tornado Hits Crystal Lake
16. The Pick-up
17. The Perpetual Self, or "What Would Saul Alinsky Do?"
18. For Clyde Tombaugh
19. Chicago (Multiple Personality Disorder version)
20. Pittsfield
21. The Undivided Self (for Eppie and Popo)
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Other Artist Albums
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Customer Reviews of This Album/CD |
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 More great music from Sufjan
Submitted on: 2009-01-17 |
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| If you dig Illinois, then this is a definite follow-up to that album. While we're all waiting for new music from Sufjan, this helps fill the air. And it's nice to have some Sufjan to listen to when it's time to put away his Christmas album for the season. |
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 Take Me to Chicago
Submitted on: 2008-10-15 |
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| Sufjan's lyrics are rich, specific, emotive, honest and poetic. Tracks that particularly transport me so the music takes over whatever I was doing at the time include the acoustic version of "Chicago," "Saul Bellow," and "Pittsfield." |
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 Stevens a new American Master
Submitted on: 2007-12-07 |
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I do think that this young man will be considered one of the best song writers of the 21st Century.
His songs are in the same league as Woody Guthre.
This CD has some songs that "miss", but most of them are right on the mark.
Too bad the Illinoiose CD was not the double set as intended. |
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An avalanche of good sounds
Submitted on: 2007-10-02 |
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My friend introduced me to Sufjan Stevens a while ago when we exchanged mix CDs. On it was a lot of good Indie music from artists I never heard of, including three songs from these guys. Never heard of them, but after a few listens, these three songs started growing on me. I think they were from the Chicago album, including the title track. Eventually I decided to delve a little further into this dynamic group, and came across this item first. After just a quick listen on the sample page, I knew it was for me. I sort of bought it on impulse, which usually works out well for me. Just so you know, this review is coming from a person who has not heard any of Sufjan Stevens' other albums, but I am highly impressed with this one. It's big, clean cut, and very diversified. If this is and example of their "leftovers" from another album, then I can't imagine what the album's like! If you complain about the overwhelming factor of the work, you're simply complaining about too much of a good thing.
We're loaded with 21 tracks here and all are good. Some are of the shorter variety, but mostly this CD is made up of regular length songs beginning with "The Avalanche". To give you an idea, the average length of a song here is probably about 2.50. The next two songs are great, however there are a few that are just sort of...well, noise. Take "The Vivian Girls Are Visited in the Night by Saint Dargarius and His Squadron of Benevolent Butterflies", otherwise known as track #4. I suppose it's not bad if you like that sort of thing. It just adds a little extra texture and makes this CD what it is. There are three different versions of "Chicago" which is fun. My favorite is the "adult contemporary easy listening version" (otherwise known as track #12) but they are all excellent. "The Henney Buggey Band" is one of my favorites, very lively. Some are instrumental, such as the next two, tracks 7 and 8 so this CD maintains a nice balance in variety. "Springfield or Bobby Got a Shadfly Caught in His Hair" sounds a little Crosby, Stills and Nash to me, mostly because of the drums and vocal harmony. An interesting track. "The Mistress Witch From McClure" is a soft, gentle track set with nice brass. The vocals are also excellent. My next favorite is the combo of "Inaugural Pop Music" that flows smoothly into "No Man's Land", one of the best songs here. You wouldn't know you were listening to a CD of "excrement" if you heard this song blindfolded. It is album worthy, and 4.45 long. The last group of songs ends the CD quietly, like a whisper. You're sort of surprised when it's over, but I guarantee you'll be wanting more.
This is a fine album of supposedly bits and pieces, its real strength being in its completeness as a whole. Some of it you can throw away, some of it is gold. But if you like the group, then you will love this. |
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When's the last time "outtake" and "extra" led to "wow"
Submitted on: 2007-06-19 |
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| Being a huge fan of Sufjan's Illinoise release, I expected to find a gem or 2 on this out-take cd. I am completely surprised, as it is not just a collection of material that "didn't" make it - Hearing this cd explains exactly why the first version had 22 tracks. There is just not enough space on one cd for the creativity inside this musician. This is not a lone cd for the obsessed fan, but truly another example of his amazing work. |
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