Sufjan Stevens - Seven Swans ( VINYL )

LP (w/bonus 7’’ single)

When thinking about re-issuing the vinyl version of “Seven Swans,” Sufjan and I decided to look back at some of the unmixed tracks that didn’t make the cut for the record.

I went back to the 1/4” 8 track tapes and made rough mixes of these recordings to play for Sufjan.  “Seven Swans” was actually recorded before “Michigan”, so we had an early version of “Romulus” that Sufjan had decided didn’t work with the album.  Also we had a song “Borderline” which ended up on a Rough Trade 7”.  The two remaining songs, “I Went Dancing With My Sister” and “Waste Of What Your Kids Won’t Have,” were great fun to hear again.  I put bass lines down on them and mixed them up for Sufjan to hear.  We liked what we heard, but felt that they still belong separate from the album.

So here we are with the vinyl re-issue of “Seven Swans.” It’s an album that I so proud to have been part of and still enjoy listening to.  The vinyl mastering is better, the vinyl is thicker, the cover is matte instead of shiny, and it’s got a bonus 7” of two Sufjan songs from the “Seven Swans” sessions that are not available in any other format.  Get a new needle for your  turntable and enjoy.
Daniel Smith, Clarksboro 2007

When I met Sufjan some time back, he was co-organizing an arts event that we were performing at in New York called “Christ A Go Go.” The picture I have in my mind from that time is of Sufjan always being somewhere else in the room.  “There’s Sufjan over there, you have to meet him and hear his music—he’s great,” his proud friend Melissa boasted.  When I finally met Sufjan, he seemed reserved and he didn’t really want to talk about his music.

I don’t remember what happened after that, but now Sufjan is a very good friend to me and my family. For about a year my two year old daughter wanted to marry “uncle Suf.” Some people leave New York City for the weekend and go to the Hamptons; Sufjan takes a bus down to Clarksboro, NJ and we love to have him every time.

Sufjan and I have been playing shows together. I have asked him to dress up in silly outfits and fill various roles in Danielson Famile shows, and he has been so gracious and helpful. But even more importantly, many times Sufjan has opened up the evening sharing his own songs on borrowed banjos and guitars. I love to watch people hear and see Sufjan perform his songs.  At times Sufjan stands alone on the stage singing and playing quietly with a banjo, and what you hear and see and feel is pure power. Minds and hearts are changed.

Sufjan Stevens writes songs.  He also writes fiction, is a record producer, plays every instrument known to modern man, is a graphic designer, and has knitted for Martha Stewart. But “Seven Swans” is a testament to Sufjan’s songwriting, first and foremost.  The 
songs are the foundation, and Sufjan’s voice, the instruments, and his friends all dance around the songs to celebrate where they come from. Where do they come from?

I am honored to know Sufjan and to be presenting his new album “Seven Swans.” Enjoy.
Daniel Smith, Clarksboro 2004

A1        All The Trees Of The Field Will Clap Their Hands
A2        The Dress Looks Nice On You
A3        In The Devils Territory
A4        To Be Alone With You
A5        Abraham
A6        Sister
B1        Size Too Small
B2        We Won't Need Legs To Stand
B3        A Good Man Is Hard To Find
B4        He Woke Me Up Again
B5        Seven Swans
B6        The Transfiguration