Sufjan Stevens' Chicago

In the current issue of Under The Radar I got in the mail yesterday, I quickly turned to a wonderful photo (per usual) and article on Sufjan Stevens inside. I feel as though I could read his words, or even better, hear him speak for quite some time without tiring. And as I read through the article, I found Mr. Stevens talking about the song "Chicago", which was a best song of 2005. Here is the quote:

“I really struggled with (Chicago). I think those versions (in The Avalanche) reveal something about my obsessive-compulsive disorder and my desire to really master that song. It was very frustrating every time. It’s such a primitive song, but there’s something really appealing about it, so I kept trying new ideas. I think every version is in a different key and a different format. We’ve performed it live so many different ways. I don’t think we’ve ever gotten it right. There’s a perfect form for that song, and unfortunately I think it’s like any Coldplay hit. They’ve mastered that song already. I think what I was really trying to do was write a Coldplay song.”

Take those last three sentences however you will (I choose dry humor), but he is right about a few things. There is something very appealing about "Chicago". The other “fact” is how he has performed it live so many different ways. There also happen to be four different “album versions” of the song. Fortunately, Sufjan’s self-proclaimed obsessive-compulsive tendencies worked out for the best of everyone. There are nine different versions here, and they are all different.

Before I put forth nine different versions of "Chicago", as well as the bonus “Chicago Cheer”, I should thank Michael Huff for most of these versions, as well as for telling me of Sufjan (who was Suff-jenn at the time). Click on his name to go to his music page on MySpace.

This is not meant to be a complete listing of each version of "Chicago". I am sure there are more out there, probably a countless number. These were just the ones I had as of when I read the article. Certainly the upcoming version from his soon-coming tour will be just as good as all the others. I am excited to hear it. And they are (in no order, no less):

Sufjan Stevens :

Chicago (Live at WNYC)

Chicago

Chicago (Live at KCRW)

Chicago (Live at The Bluebird Theatre)

Chicago (Live at The Majestic)

Chicago (Live at Paradiso)

Chicago (acoustic version)

Chicago (adult contemporary easy listening version)

Chicago (Multiple Personality Disorder version)



If you ask me, Sufjan Stevens got it right every time.

And, as promised, the

Chicago Cheer.



Buy Illinois or The Avalanche.