Sufjan Stevens

Chula Vista · 01-04-2018, 12:51 PM

Carrie and Lowell.

definetheline · 02-22-2018, 07:14 AM

I've been a Sufjan Stevens fan for a long time, and looove "Mystery of Love" and "Voices of Gideon"-- so cool that he's venturing into working with movie directors now

bob_32_116 · 11-03-2021, 04:20 PM

I ignored Sufjan Stevens for a long time, for the simple reason that I never heard any of his songs played, had no idea what the music was like and so it was just another name. Unfortunately that meant I missed the opportunity to see and hear him in concert on his one visit to Perth. Who knows when I'll have the chance again.

I was introduced to him via the song "Chicago", and very quickly discovered there was a lot more to like on the Illinois album. I also discovered that I was not particularly fond of the direction he took on The Age of Adz, which means he is one of those artists where I do not just buy his albums blind, I need to get a taste of each album first. So far I have Michigan, Illinois, Carrie & Lowell and the Planetarium collaboration. The last of these is a real odd one, which I picked up on a whim in a record store when I was unsuccessfully trying to get Illinois.

The Convocations set, which I have actually heard in full, is very good for what it is. Whether I particularly wish to shell out for a 5-disc set of ambient music is another matter.

I'd be interested if anyone can offer an opinion of his latest, A Beginner's Mind, a collaboration with Angelo de Augustine, someone I have never heard of.

rubber soul · 11-03-2021, 05:10 PM

I have no idea who Angelo de Augustine is, but I'm listening to it on Youtube right now. So far, it's fantastic. It's a bit experimental in some ways, kind of like Age of Adz without losing the essence that is Sufjan Stevens. Synthesizers are used somewhat on this album as well as bells, cymbals, etc.

I tend to prefer the simpler folk material like Illinois and Carrie and Lowell, like I'm guessing you do, but having said that, this album sounds very smooth, kind of like psychedelic folk. Only halfway through the album at this writing but favorites tracks so far are Reach Our, Lady MacBeth in Chains, and Pillar of Souls. So far, if I'm rating this, I'd give it about an 8 out of 10.

Listening to track Murder and Crime. This track reminds me of Elliot Smith vocally speaking.

adidasss · 11-03-2021, 08:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bob_32_116

I ignored Sufjan Stevens for a long time, for the simple reason that I never heard any of his songs played, had no idea what the music was like and so it was just another name. Unfortunately that meant I missed the opportunity to see and hear him in concert on his one visit to Perth. Who knows when I'll have the chance again.

I was introduced to him via the song "Chicago", and very quickly discovered there was a lot more to like on the Illinois album. I also discovered that I was not particularly fond of the direction he took on The Age of Adz, which means he is one of those artists where I do not just buy his albums blind, I need to get a taste of each album first. So far I have Michigan, Illinois, Carrie & Lowell and the Planetarium collaboration. The last of these is a real odd one, which I picked up on a whim in a record store when I was unsuccessfully trying to get Illinois.

The Convocations set, which I have actually heard in full, is very good for what it is. Whether I particularly wish to shell out for a 5-disc set of ambient music is another matter.

I'd be interested if anyone can offer an opinion of his latest, A Beginner's Mind, a collaboration with Angelo de Augustine, someone I have never heard of.

Oh I didn't catch that you're Australian and from Perth, I went there a few times for work a few years back, nice city. I had one of the best hamburgers of my life in Grill'd in CBD. And Tame Impala is from there!

Anyway, Sufjan is a mixed bag for me, I love some songs from Illinois, Age of Adz and most of Carrie and Lowel. The rest not so much.

rubber soul · 11-04-2021, 07:49 AM

I'd also highly recommend Seven Swans, one of Sufjan's earlier efforts. That one is for the folk purists though, obviously.

adidasss · 11-04-2021, 08:17 AM

I tried it but nothing caught my ear. :/

TheBig3 · 11-04-2021, 08:37 AM

I always like to try a cover of an artist's song to see if it holds up. I think Jamie Cullum crushed this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OztQlvHJSvk

bob_32_116 · 11-04-2021, 08:44 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheBig3

I always like to try a cover of an artist's song to see if it holds up. I think Jamie Cullum crushed this one:

Video won't play, but I know the song anyway. (To save other people's time, it's "The Seer's Tower" from Illinois.)

The Illionoisalbum is quite long, and takes a little while to get going. The first three tracks seem to be little more than a pleasant bit of preparatory playing around, until things really kick off with "John Wayne Gacy J". However I think my favourite track is the one with the long title about zombies - a perfect Halloween song, come to think of it.

rubber soul · 11-04-2021, 08:53 AM

John Wayne Gacy, Jr., morbid as it is, is my favorite Sufjan Stevens song. Illionis is definitely his best, though, again, I also like Seven Swans and Carrie and Lowell in particular, also Michigan.

Bob, did you get a chance to listen to A Beginner's Mind? I thought it was good overall, even if they do consider it a continuation of Age of Adz.

01-04-2018, 12:51 PM	#91 (permalink)
Chula Vista Toasted Poster Join Date: Oct 2014 Location: SoCal by way of Boston Posts: 11,332	Carrie and Lowell. __________________ “The fact that we live at the bottom of a deep gravity well, on the surface of a gas covered planet going around a nuclear fireball 90 million miles away and think this to be normal is obviously some indication of how skewed our perspective tends to be.”

11-04-2021, 08:17 AM	#97 (permalink)
adidasss Slavic gay sauce Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Abu Dhabi Posts: 7,993	I tried it but nothing caught my ear. :/ __________________ “Think of what a paradise this world would be if men were kind and wise.” - Kurt Vonnegut, Cat's Cradle. Last.fm

11-04-2021, 08:37 AM	#98 (permalink)
TheBig3 killedmyraindog Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Boston, Massachusetts Posts: 11,172	I always like to try a cover of an artist's song to see if it holds up. I think Jamie Cullum crushed this one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OztQlvHJSvk __________________ I've moved to a new address

02-22-2018, 07:14 AM	#92 (permalink)
definetheline Groupie Join Date: Feb 2018 Posts: 19	I've been a Sufjan Stevens fan for a long time, and looove "Mystery of Love" and "Voices of Gideon"-- so cool that he's venturing into working with movie directors now

11-03-2021, 04:20 PM	#93 (permalink)
bob_32_116 Music Addict Join Date: Mar 2016 Location: 32S 116E Posts: 324	I ignored Sufjan Stevens for a long time, for the simple reason that I never heard any of his songs played, had no idea what the music was like and so it was just another name. Unfortunately that meant I missed the opportunity to see and hear him in concert on his one visit to Perth. Who knows when I'll have the chance again. I was introduced to him via the song "Chicago", and very quickly discovered there was a lot more to like on the Illinois album. I also discovered that I was not particularly fond of the direction he took on The Age of Adz, which means he is one of those artists where I do not just buy his albums blind, I need to get a taste of each album first. So far I have Michigan, Illinois, Carrie & Lowell and the Planetarium collaboration. The last of these is a real odd one, which I picked up on a whim in a record store when I was unsuccessfully trying to get Illinois. The Convocations set, which I have actually heard in full, is very good for what it is. Whether I particularly wish to shell out for a 5-disc set of ambient music is another matter. I'd be interested if anyone can offer an opinion of his latest, A Beginner's Mind, a collaboration with Angelo de Augustine, someone I have never heard of.