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Farr saw the 1946 colour version as poorer than the black and white original ; he said it had lost its " vibrancy " and " atmosphere " , and that the new depiction of the Congolese landscape was unconvincing and more like a European zoo than the " parched , dusty expanses of reality " . Peeters took a more positive attitude towards the 1946 version , commenting that it contained " aesthetic improvements " and " clarity of composition " because of Hergé 's personal development in draughtsmanship , as well as an enhancement in the dialogue , which had become " more lively and fluid . "
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In his psychoanalytical study of the series , Jean @-@ Marie Apostolidès highlighted that in the Congolese adventure , Tintin represented progress and the Belgian state was a model for the natives to imitate . In doing so , he argued , they could become more European and thus civilised from the perspective of Belgian society , but that instead they ended up appearing as parodies . Opining that Tintin was imposing his own view of Africa onto the Congolese , Apostolidès remarked that Tintin appeared as a god @-@ figure , with evangelical overtones in the final scene . Literary critic Tom McCarthy concurred that Tintin represented the Belgian state , but also suggested that he acted as a Christian missionary , even being " a kind of god " akin to the character of Kurtz in Joseph Conrad 's Heart of Darkness ( 1899 ) . McCarthy compared the scene where Tintin exposes Muganga as a fraud to that in which the character of Prospero exposes the magician in William Shakespeare 's The Tempest .
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= = Criticism = =
| f13853354562f89fe5e26547628fff5b | 12,661 |
= = = Racism = = =
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In the late 20th and early 21st centuries , several campaigners and writers characterised Tintin in the Congo as racist due to its portrayal of the Congolese as infantile and stupid . According to Tom McCarthy , Hergé depicted the Congolese as " good at heart but backwards and lazy , in need of European mastery . " There had been no such controversy when originally published , because it was only following the Wind of Change and decolonisation , which occurred during the 1950s and 1960s , that Western attitudes towards indigenous Africans shifted . Harry Thompson argued that one must view Tintin in the Congo in the context of European society in the 1930s and 1940s , and that Hergé had not written the book to be " deliberately racist " . He argued that it reflected the average Belgian view of Congolese people at the time , one that was more " patronising " than malevolent . Jean @-@ Marie Apostolidès supported this idea , as did biographer Benoît Peeters , who asserted , " Hergé was no more racist than the next man . " After meeting Hergé in the 1980s , Farr commented , " You couldn 't have met someone who was more open and less racist . "
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Contrastingly , biographer Pierre Assouline stated that in 1930s Belgium , Hergé would have had access to literature by the likes of André Gide and Albert Londres that was critical of the colonial regime . Assouline claimed that Hergé instead chose not to read such reports because they conflicted with the views of his conservative milieu . Laurence Grove — President of the International Bande Dessinée Society and an academic at the University of Glasgow — concurred , remarking that Hergé adhered to prevailing societal trends in his work , and that " [ w ] hen it was fashionable to be a colonial racist , that 's what he was . " Comic book historian Mark McKinney noted that other Franco @-@ Belgian comic artists of the same period had chosen to depict the native Africans in a more favourable light , citing the examples of Jijé 's 1939 work Blondin et Cirage ( Blondy and Shoe @-@ Black ) , in which the protagonists are adopted brothers , one white , the other black , and Tif et Tondu , which was serialised in Spirou from 1939 to 1940 and in which the Congolese aid the Belgians against their American antagonists .
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Farr and McCarthy stated that Tintin in the Congo was the most popular Tintin adventure in Francophone Africa . According to Thompson , the book remained hugely popular in the Congo even after the country achieved independence in 1960 . Nevertheless , government figures in the Democratic Republic of the Congo ( DRC ) have criticised the book . In 2004 , after the Belgian Minister of Foreign Affairs Karel De Gucht described President Joseph Kabila 's provisional DRC government as incompetent , Congolese Information Minister Henri Mova Sakanyi accused him of " racism and nostalgia for colonialism " , remarking that it was like " Tintin in the Congo all over again . " De Gucht refused to retract his statement .
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In July 2007 , British human rights lawyer David Enright complained to the United Kingdom 's Commission for Racial Equality ( CRE ) that he came across the book in the children 's section of Borders bookshop while shopping with his wife and two sons . The CRE called on bookshops to remove the comic , stating that it contained " hideous racial prejudice " by depicting Congolese who " look like monkeys and talk like imbeciles . " Responding that it was committed to letting its " customers make the choice " , Borders moved the book to an area reserved for adult graphic novels . UK bookseller Waterstone 's followed suit . Another British retailer , WHSmith , said that the book was sold on its website , but with a label that recommended it for readers aged 16 and over . The CRE 's attempt to ban the book was criticised by Conservative Party politician Ann Widdecombe , who remarked that the organisation had more important things to do than regulate the availability of historical children 's books . The media controversy increased interest in the book , and Borders reported that its sales of Tintin in the Congo had been boosted 4 @,@ 000 % , while it also rose to eighth on the Amazon.com bestseller list . Publisher Egmont UK also responded to racism concerns by placing a protective band around the book with a warning about its content and writing an introduction describing its historical context .
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Tintin in the Congo also came under criticism in the United States ; in October 2007 , in response to a complaint by a patron , the Brooklyn Public Library in New York City placed the graphic novel in a locked back room , only permitting access by appointment . Tintin in the Congo became part of a drawn @-@ out media debate in Sweden after national newspaper Dagens Nyheter reported the removal of Tinin in the Congo from a children 's library in Kulturhuset in Stockholm in September 2011 . The incident , nicknamed " Tintin @-@ gate " , led to heated discussions in mainstream and social media concerning accusations of racism and censorship .
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In August 2007 , Congolese student Bienvenu Mbutu Mondondo filed a complaint in Brussels , claiming that the book was an insult to the Congolese people and required banning . Public prosecutors investigated and initiated a criminal case . The matter was eventually transferred to a civil court in April 2010 . Mondondo 's lawyers argued that Tintin in the Congo amounted to " a justification of colonisation and of white supremacy " , and Mondondo called it " racist and xenophobic " . Alain Berenboom , lawyer for both Moulinsart , the company which controls Hergé 's estate , and Casterman , the book 's publisher , argued that the cartoonist 's depiction of the Congolese " wasn 't racism but kind paternalism " . He said that banning it would set a dangerous precedent for the availability of works by other historical authors , such as Charles Dickens or Jules Verne , which contain similar stereotypes of non @-@ white ethnicities . The court ruled in February 2012 that the book would not be banned , deciding that it was " clear that neither the story , nor the fact that it has been put on sale , has a goal to ... create an intimidating , hostile , degrading , or humiliating environment " , and that it therefore did not break Belgian law . Belgium 's Centre for Equal Opportunities warned against " over @-@ reaction and hyper political correctness " . Shortly after , Swedish @-@ Belgian Jean @-@ Dadaou Monyas filed a similar complaint , which was supported by Afrosvenskarna , an interest group for Swedes of African descent . The complaint to the Chancellor of Justice was turned down as violations of hate speech restrictions in the Swedish Fundamental Law on Freedom of Expression must be filed within one year of publication , and the latest Swedish edition of Tintin in the Congo appeared in 2005 .
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The South African comics writer Anton Kannemeyer has parodied the perceived racist nature of the book to highlight what he sees as the continuing racist undertones of South African society . In his Pappa in Afrika ( 2010 ) , a satire of Tintin in the Congo , he portrays Tintin as an Afrikaner with racist views of indigenous Africans .
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= = = Hunting and animal cruelty = = =
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Tintin in the Congo shows Tintin taking part in what Michael Farr described as " the wholesale and gratuitous slaughter " of animals ; over the course of the Adventure , Tintin shoots several antelope , kills an ape to wear its skin , rams a rifle vertically into a crocodile 's open mouth , injures an elephant for ivory , stones a buffalo , and ( in earlier editions ) drills a hole into a rhinoceros before planting dynamite in its body , blowing it up from the inside . Such scenes reflect the popularity of big @-@ game hunting among whites and affluent visitors in Sub @-@ Saharan Africa during the 1930s . Hergé later felt guilty about his portrayal of animals in Tintin in the Congo and became an opponent of blood sports ; when he wrote Cigars of the Pharaoh ( 1934 ) , he had Tintin befriend a herd of elephants living in the Indian jungle .
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Philippe Goddin stated that the scene in which Tintin shoots a herd of antelope was " enough to upset even the least ecological reader " in the 21st century . When India Book House first published the book in India in 2006 , that nation 's branch of the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals issued a public criticism , and chief functionary Anuradha Sawhney stated that the book was " replete with instances that send a message to young minds that it is acceptable to be cruel to animals . "
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= Andrew Johnston ( singer ) =
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Andrew Johnston ( born 23 September 1994 ) is a British singer who rose to fame when he appeared as a boy soprano on the second series of the UK television talent show Britain 's Got Talent in 2008 . Although he did not win the competition , he received a contract to record with Syco Music , a label owned by the Britain 's Got Talent judge Simon Cowell . Johnston 's debut album , One Voice , was released in September of the same year , and reached number four on the UK Albums Chart . Although Johnston originally performed as a treble , his voice has since matured to baritone , and he is now a member of the National Youth Choir .
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Johnston was born in Dumfries , Scotland , and his parents separated when he was an infant . He and his mother moved to Carlisle , where they lived in " poverty " . He became head chorister at Carlisle Cathedral , and was bullied at school because of his love of classical music . While some journalists have argued Britain 's Got Talent producers took advantage of Johnston 's background , others have hailed his story as inspirational . In 2009 , he graduated from Trinity School . Johnston now studies full @-@ time at the Royal Northern College of Music .
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= = History = =
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= = = Early life and Carlisle Cathedral Choir = = =
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Johnston was born on 23 September 1994 in Dumfries , Scotland , the son of Andrew Johnston and Morag Brannock . He was given the extensive name Andrew Aaron Lewis Patrick Brannock John Grieve Michael Robert Oscar Schmidt Johnston . Johnston 's parents separated when he was eight months old , and from that time he lived with his mother and three older siblings in Carlisle , Cumbria , in the north of England , where he attended Trinity School . Johnston tried out for Carlisle Cathedral Choir at the age of six at the recommendation of Kim Harris , a teacher at his primary school . He was auditioned by the choirmaster Jeremy Suter and accepted into the choir at the age of seven . Johnston 's mother , who had no previous association with the cathedral , described her feelings of being overwhelmed by emotion at having her boy singing in such a " stunning building among those extraordinary voices " . His mother also described Johnston 's busy regimen of practice four times a week and all day Sundays , saying that it took up all of their spare time . However , she said that the cathedral staff became like a family to her son , and that " it was such a lovely , safe , close feeling for him " . Johnston , who attended Trinity School , was subject to abuse and threats from bullies which drove him to contemplate quitting the choir , but he was helped through the ordeal by his choirmaster and the dean and canons of the cathedral . By the time of his participation in Britain 's Got Talent , Johnston was head chorister .
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In September 2008 , after his appearance on Britain 's Got Talent but before the release of his first album , Johnston embarked on a tour of Norway with the choir , performing at Stavanger Cathedral and Utstein Abbey , among other places . The tour was conceived because the Diocese of Stavanger is connected with the Diocese of Carlisle through the Partnership for World Mission . This was Johnston 's last tour with the choir . Johnston features as head chorister on one of the choir 's albums , The Choral Music of F.W Wadely , released in November 2008 .
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= = = Britain 's Got Talent = = =
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Johnston was entered as a competitor in the second series of Britain 's Got Talent by his mother . He passed the first public audition , singing " Pie Jesu " from Andrew Lloyd Webber 's Requiem . Amanda Holden , one of the competition 's judges , was brought to tears , and the audience offered Johnston a standing ovation . Johnston was tipped as the favourite to win the competition . Later , Johnston described his initial audition as daunting , saying that " it was scary singing in front of 2 @,@ 500 people . I had never sang on stage before – then there was also Simon , Amanda and Piers " . He won his semi @-@ final heat on 27 May 2008 , receiving the most public votes on the night and thereby qualifying for the final . He sang " Tears in Heaven " by Eric Clapton ; judge Holden told him he had " a gift from God in [ his ] voice " . At the final on 30 May , he again sang " Pie Jesu " . He finished in third place , behind the winner , the street dancer George Sampson and runners @-@ up , the dance group Signature . Johnston left the stage in tears , later saying that he " was upset . But when you see the talent that was there , it was an honour just to be in the final " . The day after the final , Cowell 's publicist Max Clifford said that it was " quite possible " that Cowell would be offering record contracts to some of the finalists , including Johnston . Johnston and other contestants then embarked on a national arena tour .
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During his initial audition , Johnston claimed that he was bullied and victimised from the age of six because of his singing . When asked how he dealt with the issue , he stated " I carry on singing . " There were claims in the Daily Mail , a UK @-@ based tabloid newspaper , that the programme 's producers had deliberately overstated the extent of Johnston 's bullying as a " sob story " , suggesting that sympathy rather than his singing got him many of the votes . However , in The Times , Johnston 's success story was described as " the stuff of fairytales " , as he was successful despite having been raised in " poverty " . Johnston said he did not talk about being bullied because he was told to do so by producers , but " because I believed it would help people who were going through what I had gone through be stronger " . Johnston has subsequently visited schools and elsewhere to help other victims of bullying . He said " I want to use my experience of bullies to help other kids " .
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= = = One Voice = = =
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On 12 June 2008 , while Johnston was travelling with the Britain 's Got Talent Live Tour , it was announced that Johnston had signed a record deal with Syco Music , a division of Sony BMG , and that his first album would be produced after the tour . The deal was reportedly for £ 1 million . After signing with Syco , Johnston made public appearances , including performing at Andrew Lloyd Webber 's birthday celebrations on 14 September , and at Carlisle United 's Brunton Park .
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Johnston 's debut album , One Voice , was released on 29 September 2008 . It includes a cover of " Walking in the Air " , performed with Faryl Smith . The album was recorded over a six @-@ week period in London , and the track listing was chosen by Cowell . Johnston described the recording process as " brilliant " , and that it was " really good – just to be in a recording studio and meet the different people " . The album debuted in the British charts at number five , and finished the week at number four . The album was later certified gold , having sold 100 @,@ 000 copies , and Johnston was presented a gold disc by daytime television presenter Penny Smith . Critics responded positively to the album , with Kate Leaver , writing for the Korea JoongAng Daily , saying Johnston " has truer talent than hordes of his musical elders " and that " the vulnerability " of Johnston 's performance on the album " makes for a haunting musical experience " . In Music Week , the album was described as " highly @-@ anticipated " , and Johnston was called " exceptionally @-@ talented " .
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After the album 's release , Johnston became involved in the Sing Up campaign , appearing in schools around the country to encourage other young people to join choirs . In December 2008 , Johnston made a guest appearance at Whitehaven 's Christmas fair , and performed at a carol service in Bradford . Johnston was also invited to turn on the Carlisle Christmas lights and perform at the celebrations . Mike Mitchelson , of Carlisle City Council , described Johnston as " one of our local heroes " .
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= = = Hiatus and 2010s = = =
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In September 2009 , Johnston announced that he would be taking a year off from singing as his voice had broken , changing him to a tenor . He had previously performed as a treble . He said " the tutors at [ the Royal Northern College of Music ] said they 'll be able to train my voice up again . It 's the same as it ever was , just deeper " . Johnston 's voice then changed from a tenor to a baritone . After remaining out of the spotlight for two years , he joined the National Youth Choir , saying " I 'm just another lad in there – no one focuses on Britain 's Got Talent and I 'm happy about that " . In 2011 , he was awarded a Royal School of Church Music Gold medal ; public performances that year included a charitable concert , alongside organists John Bromley and Tony Green , at St Paul 's Church , Helsby in November .
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In September 2013 , Johnston began to study for a Bachelor of Music degree at the Royal Northern College of Music , under the tutelage of Jeff Lawton , who had previously tutored him at the Junior College . He immediately joined the college 's Chamber Choir and the Manchester Cathedral choir , but said that he intended to still sing with the Carlisle Cathedral choir where possible . While a student , Johnston 's singing was adversely affected by a broken nose , the result of an unprovoked attack in a Carlisle nightclub on New Year 's Day , 2014 .
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= = Personal life = =
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Johnston 's family home is in Stanwix , Carlisle . His mother , Morag Brannock , worked for the Office for National Statistics before giving up her job to support her son 's career . Prior to his Britain 's Got Talent appearances , he attended Trinity School , and later received tuition from a personal tutor . Johnston said that he " had a lot of support from local people when ... taking part in Britain 's Got Talent " , and was given a civic award for outstanding achievement by Carlisle City Council in March 2009 .
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Johnston 's interests include jujitsu , in which he has a black belt . The Carlisle newspaper News and Star reported in September 2012 that Johnston had become the youngest person in the world to be granted a licence to teach the sport .
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= = Discography = =
| 5815680322143e113f7c6b1491df1428 | 12,714 |
Studio albums
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= Illinois ( Sufjan Stevens album ) =
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Illinois ( styled Sufjan Stevens Invites You To : Come On Feel the Illinoise on the cover ; sometimes written as Illinoise ) is a 2005 concept album by American indie folk songwriter Sufjan Stevens . It is his fifth studio album , and features songs referencing places , events , and persons related to the U.S. state of Illinois . Illinois is Stevens ' second based on a U.S. state — part of a planned series of fifty that began with the 2003 album Michigan that Stevens has since acknowledged was a gag .
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Stevens recorded and produced the album at multiple venues in New York City using low @-@ fidelity studio equipment and a variety of instruments between late 2004 and early 2005 . The artwork and lyrics explore the history , culture , art , and geography of the state — Stevens developed them after analyzing criminal , literary , and historical documents . Following a July 4 , 2005 release date , Stevens promoted Illinois with a world tour .
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Critics praised the album for its well @-@ written lyrics and complex orchestrations ; in particular , reviewers noted Stevens ' progress as a songwriter since the release of Michigan . Illinois was named the best @-@ reviewed album of 2005 by review aggregator Metacritic , and was included on several reviewers ' " best of the decade " lists — including those of Paste , NPR , and Rolling Stone . The album amounted to Stevens ' greatest public success to date : it was his first to place on the Billboard 200 , and it topped the Billboard list of " Heatseekers Albums " . The varied instrumentation and experimental songwriting on the album invoked comparisons to work by Steve Reich , Neil Young , and The Cure . Besides numerous references to Illinois history , geography , and attractions , Stevens continued a theme of his songwriting career by including multiple references to his Christian faith .
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= = Background , recording , and tour = =
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Stevens launched his 50 @-@ state project in 2003 with the album Michigan and chose to focus on Illinois with this recording because " it wasn 't a great leap " , and he liked the state because he considered it the " center of gravity " for the American Midwest . Before creating the album , Stevens read literature by Illinois authors Saul Bellow and Carl Sandburg , and studied immigration records and history books for the state — he made the deliberate decision to avoid current events and focused on historical themes . He also took trips through several locations in Illinois and asked friends and members of Internet chat rooms for anecdotes about their experiences in the state . Although he began work in 2004 on Oregon @-@ themed songs and briefly considered releasing a Rhode Island 7 " , Stevens has since not released another album focused on a state , saying in a November 2009 interview with Paste that " the whole premise was such a joke , " and telling Andrew Purcell of The Guardian in October 2009 " I have no qualms about admitting [ the fifty states project ] was a promotional gimmick . " An Arkansas @-@ related song was released through NPR as " The Lord God Bird " and material intended for New Jersey and New York became The BQE .
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All of the songs on Illinois were written , recorded , engineered , and produced by Stevens , with most of the material being recorded at The Buddy Project studio in Astoria , Queens , and in Stevens ' Brooklyn apartment . As with his previous albums , Stevens recorded in various locations , with additional piano recorded in St. Paul 's Church in Brooklyn ; strings and vocals performed in collaborators ' apartments ; electronic organ recorded in the New Jerusalem Recreational Room in Clarksboro , New Jersey ; and vibraphone played at Carroll Music Studios in New York City . Stevens mostly created the album without collaboration , focusing on the writing , performance , and technical creation of the album by himself : " I was pretty nearsighted in the construction of Illinois . I spent a lot of time alone , a few months in isolation working on my own and in the studio . I let things germinate and cultivate independently , without thinking about an audience or a live show at all . "
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Stevens employed low @-@ fidelity recording equipment , which allowed him to retain creative control and keep costs low on recording Illinois . Typically , his process involved recording to 32 kHz 8 @-@ track tape using inexpensive microphones such as the Shure SM57 and AKG C1000 . He then employed Pro Tools for mixing and other production tasks .
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After consulting with Michael Kaufmann and Lowell Brams of Asthmatic Kitty about the amount of material he had recorded , Stevens decided against a double album , saying that would be " arrogant " . In 2006 , several tracks recorded during these sessions were sent to Seattle @-@ based musician and producer James McAllister for additional instrumentation and production , and were released in 2006 on the follow @-@ up album The Avalanche : Outtakes and Extras from the Illinois Album . Among these outtakes are three separate recordings of the song " Chicago " — including the " Multiple Personality Disorder Version " , which was produced during a subsequent tour . The " Adult Contemporary Easy Listening Version " of the song was supposed to appear on the Illinois album , but was changed at the last minute .
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Illinois was released on July 4 , 2005 , through Rough Trade Records in Europe and was distributed domestically by Asthmatic Kitty Records starting July 5 , 2005 . Although he initially had no plans to perform this material live , less than two weeks after the release of Illinois , Stevens embarked on a North American tour to promote the album , performing with a string section of eight to ten members named the Illinoisemakers . He deliberately chose to avoid television as a promotional tool and focused on the tour performances themselves . He was supported on some dates by opening acts Liz Janes ( who is also signed to Asthmatic Kitty ) and Laura Veirs as well as Illinois collaborator Shara Nova 's solo project My Brightest Diamond . He toured in support of the album again from September through November 2006 , this time including dates in several European cities . During the 2006 dates , Stevens and his band transitioned from wearing University of Illinois @-@ themed outfits to butterfly suits and bird wings .
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= = Musical style and thematic elements = =
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Reviewers have noted similarities between this album and those of musicians and composers in several musical genres — from pop to contemporary classical , even show tunes and jazz @-@ based time signatures . The lyrics and their rich thematic elements have been noted for their literary quality , earning comparisons to Ralph Waldo Emerson , Henry David Thoreau , William Carlos Williams , and Walt Whitman .
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= = = Musical style = = =
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Reviewers of Illinois have compared Stevens ' style to Steve Reich , Vince Guaraldi , the Danielson Famile , Neil Young , Nick Drake , and Death Cab for Cutie . Stevens ' use of large orchestral arrangements in his music — much of it played by himself through the use of multi @-@ track recording — has been noted by several reviewers . Rolling Stone summarized the musical influences of Illinois , saying " the music draws from high school marching bands , show tunes and ambient electronics ; we can suspect Steve Reich 's Music for 18 Musicians is an oft @-@ played record in the Stevens household , since he loves to echo it in his long instrumental passages . " A review in The A.V. Club referred to some of the vocal work as " regressively twee communalism " , but found Stevens ' music overall to be " highly developed " . The song " Come On ! Feel the Illinoise ! " uses a saxophone part from " Close to Me " by The Cure .
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The creation of Illinois marked a shift in Stevens ' emphasis on songwriting and studio work toward live performance and more abstract concepts of motion and sound — subsequent tours and albums emphasized electronic music and modern dance over the indie folk material on Michigan and Illinois . He has ceased writing songs about individual characters with straightforward narratives or concept albums and briefly considered quitting the music business entirely after creating and promoting this album . He also found that the way in which he listened to music had changed after producing Illinois :
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I think now I listen more as a technician and a researcher . I 'm always hearing music in terms of what I can take out of it , and I think I 've always listened like that . I have a hard time just listening for pleasure . I 'm much less about instinct , and more of a utilitarian listener . Like , what is the use of this song ? What is the usefulness of this melody for this theme or statement ? What are they doing that 's unusual sounding , and how can I learn from that ?
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Stevens is a classically trained oboist and his knowledge of classical and baroque music influenced many of his arrangements . Stevens himself has noted the influence of composers Igor Stravinsky , Sergei Rachmaninoff , and Edvard Grieg ; along with contemporary composers Terry Riley , Steve Reich , and Philip Glass . The music on this album was written to be grandiose , to match the history of the territory . Stevens used time signature changes in the composition of Illinois for dynamic effect — for instance , " Come On ! Feel the Illinoise ! " begins with a 5 / 4 time signature and then changes to a standard 4 / 4 later in the song .
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= = = Illinois themes = = =
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Many of the lyrics in Illinois make references to persons , places , and events related to the state of the same name . " Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland , Illinois " is about a UFO sighting by police officers near Highland , Illinois , where several persons reported seeing a large triangular object with three lights flying at night . " Come on ! Feel the Illinoise ! " makes reference to the World 's Columbian Exposition , which took place in Chicago in 1893 .
| ea7d12714c6fa578045581fd414acc7b | 12,746 |
" John Wayne Gacy , Jr . " documents the story of the 1970s Chicago @-@ based serial killer of the same name . Several lyrics make explicit references to events in his life : " [ w ] hen the swingset hit his head " refers to an event in Gacy 's childhood , when a swing hit his head and caused a blood clot in his brain ; " He dressed up like a clown for them / with his face paint white and red " alludes to the nickname given to Gacy — the " Killer Clown " ; and " He put a cloth on their lips / Quiet hands , quiet kiss on the mouth " references Gacy 's use of chloroform to subdue and molest his victims . The song ends with the narrator turning inward with the lyrics : " And in my best behavior , I am really just like him / Look beneath the floorboards for the secrets I have hid . " Stevens stated in a 2009 interview with Paste that " we 're all capable of what [ Gacy ] did . "
| 53f4aca223c9398f556e2ca0bf93e95d | 12,747 |
" Casimir Pulaski Day " interweaves a personal story with the state holiday Casimir Pulaski Day . " The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts " makes references to Superman , whose fictional hometown of Metropolis was partially modeled after Chicago ( the town of Metropolis , Illinois has also capitalized on this association ) . Jessica Hopper of the Chicago Reader noted that Ray Middleton — who was the first actor to play the comic book superhero — was also born in Chicago . " They Are Night Zombies ! ! They Are Neighbors ! ! They Have Come Back from the Dead ! ! Ahhhh ! " makes references to ghost towns of Illinois . Stevens relates experiences from a summer camp he went to as a child in Michigan for " The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us ! " , but moved the locale to Illinois for the sake of the album . The track " Decatur , or , Round of Applause for Your Stepmother ! " includes references to Decatur , Illinois , but Stevens stated the track also acted as " an exercise in rhyme schemes " . Some references to Decatur included in the song were alligator sightings in the area , the equipment manufacturer Caterpillar , and a flood that exhumed a graveyard of soldiers from the Civil War .
| 3f49d0e8ab35e1d19b557dbcb1c10927 | 12,748 |
Other allusions to the state 's people , places , and events include the Black Hawk War , author Carl Sandburg , Stephen A. Douglas , Abraham Lincoln , the Sangamon River , the Chicago Cubs , the Sears Tower dubbed " Seer 's Tower " ( now called Willis Tower ) , and the localities of Jacksonville , Peoria , Metropolis , Savanna Caledonia , Secor , Magnolia , Kankakee , Evansville , and the several locations named Centerville , Illinois . During the tour following the release of Illinois , Stevens ' band wore cheerleader outfits based on those of the University of Illinois .
| cdab031cb310c76bba8ec696b93580a7 | 12,749 |
= = = Christianity = = =
| d17b9d2224a1415edfe444634504b6fc | 12,751 |
Although Illinois is a concept album about the U.S. state , Stevens also explored themes related to Christianity and the Bible . As a Christian , he has written and recorded music about spiritual themes throughout his career — particularly on the 2004 album Seven Swans — and prefers to talk about religious topics through song rather than directly in interviews or public statements . The song " Decatur , or , Round of Applause for Your Stepmother ! " includes the line " It 's the great I Am " — taken from the response God gave when Moses asked for his name in the Book of Exodus ( Exodus 3 : 14 ) . " Casimir Pulaski Day " describes the death of a girlfriend due to bone cancer , and the narrator questions God in the process . More abstract allusions appear in " The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts " , which utilizes Superman as a Christ figure and " The Seer 's Tower " , which references the Book of Revelation and the Second Coming of Christ . Songs which were not written with an explicit theological focus — such as " John Wayne Gacy , Jr . " — also feature religious themes such as sin and redemption .
| bb9f4a1c2409b9d50c12c9563cb5fe4b | 12,753 |
= = Artwork = =
| f022fc0509561d0d8145215d21d4e037 | 12,755 |
Divya Srinivasan created the album artwork , depicting a variety of Illinois @-@ related themes , including Abraham and Mary Todd Lincoln , the Sears Tower , and Black Hawk . The album cover reads , " Sufjan Stevens Invites You To : Come On Feel the Illinoise ! " as a wordplay on the common mispronunciation of the state 's name as " ill @-@ i @-@ NOYZ " and a reference to the Slade song " Cum On Feel the Noize " made famous in the United States by the metal band Quiet Riot . The text on the cover caused some confusion over the actual title of the album — it is officially titled Illinois , as opposed to Come on Feel the Illinoise or Illinoise . Paste listed Illinois as having the seventh best album art of the decade 2000 – 2009 . The album also won the PLUG Independent Music Award for Album Art / Packaging of the Year in 2006 .
| d0942cd0e6bea7d1c4d0fb7da598a073 | 12,757 |
Shortly after the release of the album , reports arose that DC Comics had issued a cease and desist letter to Asthmatic Kitty because of the depiction of Superman on the cover . However , on October 4 , 2005 , Asthmatic Kitty announced that there had been no cease and desist letter ; the record company 's own lawyers had warned about the copyright infringement . On June 30 , 2005 , Asthmatic Kitty 's distributor Secretly Canadian asked its retailers not to sell the album ; however , it was not recalled . On July 5 , the distributor told its retailers to go ahead and sell their copies , as DC Comics agreed to allow Asthmatic Kitty to sell the copies of the album that were already manufactured , but the image was removed from subsequent pressings . Soon after it was made public that the cover would be changed , copies of the album featuring Superman were sold for as high as $ 75 on eBay . On the vinyl edition released on November 22 , 2005 , Superman 's image is covered by a balloon sticker . The image of the balloon sticker was also used on the cover of the Compact Disc and later printings of the double vinyl release . Stevens himself was surprised by the development and also had to pay a fee for referencing lyrics from Woody Guthrie 's folk anthem " This Land Is Your Land " in the track " No Man 's Land " , which was later released on The Avalanche .
| 309c99eb8581f43a16947058c2d11cb5 | 12,758 |
The 10th anniversary vinyl reissue of Illinois features the Marvel character Blue Marvel , who hails from Chicago , in place of Superman . Asthmatic Kitty obtained permission from Marvel to use the character 's likeness .
| 7a1cec902a7d488654b8eecf6f898ba6 | 12,759 |
= = Reception = =
| f8d79e3fcb54590ed5efe8209a7826d9 | 12,761 |
Illinois was Sufjan Stevens ' greatest commercial and critical success to date . For the first time , his work charted on the Billboard 200 and received several awards from critics .
| be1387cb1c648a55bfa81fa109272881 | 12,763 |
= = = Sales figures and chart performance = = =
| a0f6c98e131b4c3bf8d4dfea6f32adbe | 12,765 |
In its first week of sales , Illinois sold 9 @,@ 000 copies , 20 % coming from online sales . Overall , the album sold more than 100 @,@ 000 copies by November 2005 and over 300 @,@ 000 by the end of 2009 . It was the first Sufjan Stevens release to place on the Billboard 200 , reaching No. 121 within eight weeks on the chart . It also placed number one on Billboard 's " Heatseekers Albums " list and number four on the " Independent Albums " list , remaining on them for 32 and 39 weeks respectively .
| 55e1cbdcedd5fef6a87a6fb2a2d7c95c | 12,767 |
= = = Critical reception = = =
| f2076f1106e1cddfe8fc8034bcd2d8a4 | 12,769 |
Critical reception of Illinois was overwhelmingly positive . Review aggregator Metacritic compiled 40 critic reviews of Illinois and gave the album a 90 out of 100 , indicating " universal acclaim " , designating it the best @-@ reviewed album of 2005 . Andy Battaglia of The A.V. Club said that Stevens " has grown into one of the best song @-@ makers in indie rock " with the album . Tim Jonze of NME called Illinois " a brainy little fucker " and described Stevens as " prolific , intelligent and — most importantly — brimming with heart @-@ wrenching melodies . " Rob Sheffield of Rolling Stone responded favorably to the album , praising the " over @-@ the @-@ top arrangements " and Stevens ' " breathy , gentle voice " . Sheffield criticized " John Wayne Gacy , Jr . " , stating that it " symbolizes nothing about American life except the existence of creative @-@ writing workshops " , but elsewhere praised the personal nature of songs such as " Chicago " and " Casimir Pulaski Day " . Michael Metivier of PopMatters described " John Wayne Gacy , Jr . " as " horrifying , tragic , and deeply sad without proselytizing . " Amanda Petrusich of Pitchfork Media described Illinois as " strange and lush , as excessive and challenging as its giant , gushing song titles . " Dave Simpson of The Guardian echoed this sentiment by saying that the music sounds like " The Polyphonic Spree produced by Brian Eno . " The diversity in instrumentation also received a positive review from Entertainment Weekly 's Kristina Feliciano .
| 46624fc104ae6308cb991376714f5d7e | 12,771 |
Jesse Jarnow of Paste praised the playful nature of Illinois , commenting that it had " sing @-@ song " melodies and " jaunty " orchestrations . Jarnow also noted ironic lyrics , citing a line from " The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades is Out to Get Us ! " : " I can 't explain the state I 'm in ... " after a section of the song that references many Illinois landmarks . Q called Illinois a " sizeable step forward " from Michigan , and said Stevens ' love for the state of Illinois is infectious . Uncut 's Andy Gill dubbed the album " an extraordinary achievement " . Catherine Lewis of The Washington Post responded favorably to the album , stating that it has well @-@ written lyrics , comparing Stevens ' rhyming to that of Stephin Merritt . Lewis cited " Casimir Pulaski Day " as one of the most memorable songs of the album .
| a98771efb93dc7ca31584f4847606c50 | 12,772 |
= = = Accolades = = =
| 54f2694b1a631145d9fb557cc88fce96 | 12,774 |
Illinois achieved lasting fame with inclusion on numerous reviewers ' " best of the year " and " best of the decade " lists . In particular , the album topped the best of the decade list appearing in the November 2009 issue of Paste and NPR named Illinois on their list of " The Decade 's 50 Most Important Recordings " . Pitchfork Media called Illinois the sixteenth best album of the decade , with Stevens ' previous album — Michigan — placing 70 on that same list . The album also won the 2005 New Pantheon Award — a type of Shortlist Music Prize . The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die . Finally , Paste listed Stevens as one of their " 100 Best Living Songwriters " in 2006 , primarily due to the writing on Michigan and Illinois .
| d3a92209c8864d50f7f5f68480ba3978 | 12,776 |
= = Track listing = =
| 72495df880382348360bb3e5f3082d84 | 12,778 |
Note that the titles of the songs vary slightly from the Compact Disc , digital , and vinyl releases . Full titles come directly from the vinyl album and have been adapted to the English capitalization standards .
| e7ff4d81525ae189e3207af52fcd5835 | 12,780 |
All songs written and composed by Sufjan Stevens and published by New Jerusalem Music , ASCAP .
| de29dde9a414a2ea128c1de1795de577 | 12,781 |
= = Personnel = =
| 7a6d26083ea635088dddefc202021790 | 12,783 |
Sufjan Stevens – acoustic guitar ; piano ; Wurlitzer ; bass guitar ; drums ; electric guitar ; oboe ; alto saxophone ; flute ; banjo ; glockenspiel ; accordion ; vibraphone ; alto , sopranino , soprano , and tenor recorders ; Casiotone MT @-@ 70 ; sleigh bells ; shaker ; tambourine ; triangle ; electronic organ ; vocals ; arrangement ; engineering ; recording ; production
| 31c6f233738930a20bfe9b85611119ec | 12,785 |
Julianne Carney – violin
| ada5f97bac9cb30b9453704100fba337 | 12,786 |
Alan Douches – mastering at West West Side Music , Tenafly , New Jersey
| 74a04d1e702bcf31b93cd7d87e0ba88c | 12,787 |
Jon Galloway – remixing on " Chicago " ( To String Remix )
| 066db6f9fe81a8da5d54b8f8248cca32 | 12,788 |
Marla Hansen – viola
| ff906bf78af037ce3b187a7cf7dbddf2 | 12,789 |
The Illinoisemaker Choir – backing vocals and clapping on " 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 and Will Continue to Fight Them Until They Are Off Our Lands ! ' " , " Chicago " , " The Man of Metropolis Steals Our Hearts " , " They Are Night Zombies ! ! They Are Neighbors ! ! They Have Come Back from the Dead ! ! Ahhhh ! " , and " The Tallest Man , the Broadest Shoulders "
| c4496337b9842474983a8ec0fb40ac75 | 12,790 |
Tom Eaton
| b9e53fa64563d213b66d0c320fd7f86c | 12,791 |
Jennifer Hoover
| 1985f0e435fa01e85d49c7defadddf97 | 12,792 |
Katrina Kerns
| c61cf7365fd08cb88a91ba6545671be5 | 12,793 |
Beccy Lock
| 137e64b56b73952910041b978737fd55 | 12,794 |
Tara McDonnell
| 00beceff914bc6a8fcfa2b1cdda314aa | 12,795 |
Maria Bella Jeffers – cello
| 5ff7785029e0cfa1e50e4994e80e3ee5 | 12,796 |
Katrina Kerns – backing vocals on " Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland , Illinois " , " Come On ! Feel the Illinoise ! " , " Jacksonville " , " Prairie Fire That Wanders About " , " The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us ! " , " The Seer 's Tower " , " The Tallest Man , the Broadest Shoulders " , and " The Avalanche "
| a15ca00c1124027b83ab9ecef558d2ce | 12,797 |
James McAlister – drums , drum engineering
| 90aebb13dffea1e6aa7c96c2f6c55906 | 12,798 |
Craig Montoro – trumpet , backing vocals on " They Are Night Zombies ! ! They Are Neighbors ! ! They Have Come Back from the Dead ! ! Ahhhh ! "
| 79ea61fc67f67c34b105d2f19ec5b5d6 | 12,799 |
Rob Moose – violin
| 88411e0b3ec12b0fd12e44eae7176497 | 12,800 |
Matt Morgan – backing vocals on " Decatur , or , Round of Applause for Your Stepmother ! "
| 939d2f472d40a88487bb51a5fc25edf2 | 12,801 |
Daniel and Elin Smith – backing vocals and clapping on " Decatur , or , Round of Applause for Your Stepmother ! "
| cf559df5f8cd49d5ebc2c2dcceefdd58 | 12,802 |
Divya Srinivasan – artwork
| ee8322eb1ab84ab2aced4a55fc08a04f | 12,803 |
Shara Worden – backing vocals on " Concerning the UFO Sighting Near Highland , Illinois " , " Come On ! Feel the Illinoise ! " , " John Wayne Gacy , Jr . " , " Casimir Pulaski Day " , " Prairie Fire That Wanders About " , " The Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is Out to Get Us ! " , " The Seer 's Tower " , " The Tallest Man , the Broadest Shoulders " , and " The Avalanche "
| eba031054b509742e6ae34d00758047f | 12,804 |
= Mycena galericulata =
| b07df9993e1a40209d1d45f9d4270c2c | 12,807 |
Mycena galericulata is a mushroom species commonly known as the common bonnet , the toque mycena , or the rosy @-@ gill fairy helmet . The type species of the genus Mycena was first described scientifically in 1772 , but was not considered a Mycena until 1821 . It is quite variable in color , size , and shape , which makes it somewhat difficult to reliably identify in the field . The mushrooms have caps with distinct radial grooves , particularly at the margin . The cap 's color varies from grayish @-@ brown to dark brown and the shape ranges from bell @-@ like to bluntly conical to flattened with an umbo . The stem is hollow , white , tough and thin , without a ring and often roots deeply into the wood on which it grows . The gills are white to grayish or even pinkish when mature and are connected by distinct cross @-@ veins . The caps can reach 4 cm ( 1 @.@ 6 in ) in diameter , and have a mealy odor and taste . The spore print is white and the gills are pink at maturity , which can lead to possible confusion with species of the Pluteus genus . M. galericulata mushrooms grow mostly in clusters on the well @-@ decayed stumps of deciduous and coniferous trees from spring to autumn . The species can generally be considered inedible . It is common and widespread in the entire temperate zone of the Northern Hemisphere , but it has also been reported from Africa .
| 096a0e9a2ba2b3329913d8b18498086e | 12,809 |
= = Taxonomy , classification , and naming = =
| 7a4ed35af42c59cbabebd873a624605c | 12,811 |
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