Sufjan Stevens’ 48 Other State Albums, Part 1

Sufjan Stevens released state-specific albums for Michigan and Illinois. But did you know he’s sitting on albums for all the other states? Here’s a guide.

Alabama: Sufan does a 56-minute version of “Free Bird” where the double guitar solo transitions into a double theremin solo which transitions to two actual birds soloing. The irony is, the birds are caged.

Alaska: Highlighted by “O Todd Pailn! Your Snowmobile Races O’Er The Bering Strait, Bearing Straight, Rushin’ To Freedom.”

Arkansas: Sufjan teams up with R. Kelly for a song-by-song cover of “Two For The Road,” by Kansas, billing themselves as R. Kansas. Controversially, Robert Kelly changes one song to “Carry On My Wayward Daughter,” and Steve Walsh disowns the release.

Arizona: Sufjan records the entire thing, a 14-song meditation on the London Bridge’s move to Lake Havasu, at the bottom of the Grand Canyon with the Polyphonic Spree. Sixteen Spree members die tragically when their robes get tangled under their donkeys’ feet on the descent to the canyon floor, and seven other are hospitalized due to rattlesnake bites. The remaining 42 Spree members dedicate the record to their fallen comrades.

California: The standout tracks are “Cesar Chavez Day (Goodbye To My Army Street Love),” “Bakers In Fields Of Meth, Or A Reluctant Fist Bump To Your Stepfather” and “Thine Most Pleasant Hills, Thine Sun-Valleyed Malls.”

Colorado: The song cycle parallels the plight of indigenous residents of Colorado with the football career of Denver Broncos quarterback John Elway. Highlights include “Wounded Knees — The Displaced Lakota And Terrell Davis,” “The Drive Of Tears,” and “The Massacre of ‘49(ers)”. There’s a hidden track where guest vocalist Peyton Manning duets with Sufjan on a gorgeous, fully-orchestrated rendition of “Chicken Parm You Taste So Good.”