The album is the first in Stevens' fifty states project, a planned series of fifty albums to encompass all fifty U.S. states. Stevens only released two state albums before admitting the project was a "promotional gimmick".[5] The other album was Illinois (based on the U.S. state of Illinois), which was released in 2005.
Recording and production
The album was recorded and produced entirely by Stevens, using relatively cheap equipment for a market release. All of the tracks were recorded using 2 ShureSM57s and an AKG C1000, running through a Roland VS880EX,[6] at a sampling rate of 32 kHz (lower than the rates typically used in recording). Michigan was produced in Pro Tools,[6] which Stevens has also used for his following albums.[7]
Michigan received acclaim from critics. Brandon Stosuy of Pitchfork described the album as "a beautiful, sprawling homage" to the state, noting its "lush production", but criticizing the excessive length of some of the album's tracks.[15] In December 2003, American webzineSomewhere Cold voted Michigan Album of the Year on their 2003 Somewhere Cold Awards Hall of Fame list.[19] A year later, in December 2004, Somewhere Cold voted Michigan Vinyl of the Year on their 2004 Somewhere Cold Awards Hall of Fame list.[19]
Legacy
Upon the album's tenth anniversary, Stereogum's Chris DeVille stated: "[Stevens's] widescreen love letter to his home state was such a momentous leap forward... Sufjan has produced a wealth of fascinating, deeply affecting (and sometimes deeply affected) music over the years... Nowadays, aggressive guitar bands like Coliseum are considered punk or metal because indie rock is the kind of genre where neoclassical whiz kid Nico Muhly contributes string arrangements to seemingly every major record, where Régine Chassagne passionately rocks the accordion, where Bon Iver channels Richard Marx unironically. Michigan’s flurry of glockenspiels, oboes, trombones, and, yes, banjos had a lot to do with that."[20]
By 2005, it had sold 27,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.[21]
The song "Redford" was the inspiration for the name of the protagonist of The Roots' 2011 album Undun, who used the song as the opening to a four-part instrumental movement at the end of the album.[22]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Sufjan Stevens and published by New Jerusalem Music, ASCAP
No.
Title
Length
1.
"Flint (For the Unemployed and Underpaid)"
3:43
2.
"All Good Naysayers, Speak Up! Or Forever Hold Your Peace!"
4:33
3.
"For the Widows in Paradise, for the Fatherless in Ypsilanti"
3:57
4.
"Say Yes! to M!ch!gan!"
2:45
5.
"The Upper Peninsula"
3:23
6.
"Tahquamenon Falls"
2:18
7.
"Holland"
3:26
8.
"Detroit, Lift Up Your Weary Head! (Rebuild! Restore! Reconsider!)"
8:20
9.
"Romulus"
4:41
10.
"Alanson, Crooked River"
1:18
11.
"Sleeping Bear, Sault Saint Marie"
2:52
12.
"They Also Mourn Who Do Not Wear Black (For the Homeless in Muskegon)"
6:21
13.
"Oh God, Where Are You Now? (In Pickerel Lake? Pigeon? Marquette? Mackinaw?)"
9:23
14.
"Redford (For Yia-Yia & Pappou)"
2:02
15.
"Vito's Ordination Song"
7:06
Total length:
65:58
Bonus tracks included on the double-disc vinyl release
No.
Title
Length
16.
"Marching Band"
3:41
17.
"Pickerel Lake"
3:11
18.
"Niagara Falls"
2:22
19.
"Presidents and Magistrates"
4:16
20.
"Wolverine"
2:10
Total length:
81:38
The vinyl release also includes alternate arrangements of "Vito's Ordination Song" and "Romulus".
The European re-release of the album in 2004 also contains the bonus tracks "Marching Band" and "Pickerel Lake".
Monique Aiuto – vocals on "Detroit, Lift Up Your Weary Head! (Rebuild! Restore! Reconsider!)" and "Vito's Ordination Song"
Vito Aiuto – vocals on "Vito's Ordination Song"
Alan Douches – mastering at West Westside Studios in New Jersey
Tom Eaton – trumpet on "Flint (For the Unemployed and Underpaid)", "For the Widows in Paradise, For the Fatherless in Ypsilanti", "Detroit, Lift Up Your Weary Head! (Rebuild! Restore! Reconsider!)", and "Vito's Ordination Song"
Laura Normandin – artwork
John Ringhofer – trombone and vocals on "Oh God, Where Are You Now? (In Pickerel Lake? Pigeon? Marquette? Mackinaw?)"
Daniel Smith – vocals on "Vito's Ordination Song"
Elin Smith – vocals on "All Good Naysayers, Speak Up! Or Forever Hold Your Peace!", "For the Widows in Paradise, For the Fatherless in Ypsilanti", "Say Yes! to M!ch!gan!", "The Upper Peninsula", "Sleeping Bear, Sault Saint Marie", "They Also Mourn Who Do Not Wear Black (For the Homeless in Muskegon)", "Oh God, Where Are You Now? (In Pickerel Lake? Pigeon? Marquette? Mackinaw?)", and "Vito's Ordination Song"
Megan Smith – vocals on "All Good Naysayers, Speak Up! Or Forever Hold Your Peace!", "The Upper Peninsula", "Detroit, Lift Up Your Weary Head! (Rebuild! Restore! Reconsider!)", "Sleeping Bear, Sault Saint Marie", "They Also Mourn Who Do Not Wear Black (For the Homeless in Muskegon)", and "Oh God, Where Are You Now? (In Pickerel Lake? Pigeon? Marquette? Mackinaw?)"
^"Sufjan Stevens: Michigan". Mojo: 110. Michigan revels in a broader musical palette and more upbeat mood than its follow-up... A pocket masterpiece...
^Liss, Sarah (December 11, 2003). "Sufjan Stevens". Now. Retrieved August 11, 2019.
