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Track Listings
| 1. All The Trees Of The Fields Will Clap Their Hands |
| 2. The Dress Looks Nice On You |
| 3. In The Devil's Territory |
| 4. To Be Alone With You |
| 5. Abraham |
| 6. Sister |
| 7. Size Too Small |
| 8. We Won't Need Legs To Stand |
| 9. A Good man Is Hard To Find |
| 10. He Woke Me Up Again |
| 11. Seven Swans |
| 12. The Transfiguration |
Editorial Reviews
Stripped-back 2004 album! Hushed folk-pop 'n' laconic hymns from the US songsmith, for fans of Bert Jansch and Iron & Wine.
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
34 of 34 people found the following review helpful
By NotATameLion
Format:Audio CD
I caught Sufjan and the noisemakers on Austin City Limits the other night (morning really). I was pleasantly surprised that one of the four songs feautured was "The Dress Looks Nice On You." it is one of the songs that I truly treasure from this disc.
Seven Swans is not Illinoise. Where Illinoise is all about grandeur, beauty and story-telling, Seven Swans is about reflection, mystery and transformation. I find this to be some of Mr. Stevens's most compelling music.
"All The Trees Of The Fields Will Clap Their Hands" is my favorite song here by far. And that is saying something. There is not a weak song on this disc.
This is wonderful music that means something. You can't put a price on that.
I recommend this CD.
Seven Swans is not Illinoise. Where Illinoise is all about grandeur, beauty and story-telling, Seven Swans is about reflection, mystery and transformation. I find this to be some of Mr. Stevens's most compelling music.
"All The Trees Of The Fields Will Clap Their Hands" is my favorite song here by far. And that is saying something. There is not a weak song on this disc.
This is wonderful music that means something. You can't put a price on that.
I recommend this CD.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Wow - I was really happy upon listening to this album - I of course had high expectations after "Michigan" - and though I would not say this album surpasses that one, it is certainly quite good - very good indeed. The instrumentation is lovely - acoustic almost exclusively with banjo and guitar - the songs are great and Sufjan's singing is very hushed and sweet - like he's whispering us secrets - reminding sometimes of Iron and Wine...highlights include "the dress looks nice on you", "to be alone with you" - which a had hoped would be a Dylan cover, but it wasn't - but it was a very well, maybe superior song with the same title...also, "he woke me up again" is excellent. Highly recomended - as well as "Michigan". "A sun came" is good too, but Sufjan has certainly honed his skills and become more consistently good since that debut...sorry for rambling, enjoy!
60 of 74 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
And therefore, I love Sufjan Stevens' music. More specifically, I love this album. It has a plethora of banjo. Sufjan was the first artist I've heard who wasn't inclined to keep his banjo playing on a modest level. On "Seven Swans" you could even consider the banjo his primary instrument-almost.
So, I guess you could consider it ironic that my favorite track is "A Good Man Is Hard To Find", because it is completely absent of any banjos. But nevertheless, it has my favorite melody, albeit on an acoustic guitar. Half way through the song, it really picks up, adding organs, a chorus of female vocals and a sporadic beat. It's almost my favorite Sufjan song, but that still remains with "For The Widows In Paradise..." from his "Michigan" album. My next favorite track is "All The Trees Of The Field Will Clap Their Hands." Now this song features no guitar, only Sufjan's banjo. And like most of my favorite songs on this album, this song progresses. Starting with just a banjo and Sufjan's vocals, a little further in a piano melody and female vocals are added, eventually adding a beat. The song just becomes more and more melodic (and hypnotic!) as it progresses. Next I will come to "In The Devil's Territory". This is the most harmonically layered track on the album. Sufjan implements just about every instrument he has ever used in his music, sans his really early work with wood flutes and I guess any wind instruments in general. But it has banjos, guitars, pianos, bass, an instrument I really can't identify acting as a kind of beat, and (unfortunately).... a saw. I cringe every time I hear the saw; I feel it was an unnessesary addition. Some how though, I can usually ignore it. Finally, I will end, like the album does, with "The Transfiguration". This is another song sporting mainly a banjo, but again progressing. As it progresses, horns, drums, xylophones, and another instrument I am having trouble identifying (clarinet?) are implemented. This song leads me to a discussion always addressed when reviewing Sufjan's work: his religious content.
Now, while I am agnostic, and more importantly: anti-organized religion, I can still find the sense to appreciate this music. It is very good, and can be respectable no matter your affiliations and/or beliefs. Sometimes Sufjan can lay his beliefs on pretty heavily, but in no way a preachy manner. It's mostly done through thick story telling, which I can openly dismiss as him and I simply not relating and just enjoying the melody. Other times, he is expressing his love, which he actually presents in a broad manner that you could relate to other things such as a love one. Hell, maybe that's even what he is doing; I'm not too good at analyzing artists' messages.
Overall, this is an amazing, beautiful album, a very worthy purchase. Apart from the aforementioned tracks, other stand outs include: "To Be Alone With You", "Size Too Small", "The Dress Looks Nice On You".
So, I guess you could consider it ironic that my favorite track is "A Good Man Is Hard To Find", because it is completely absent of any banjos. But nevertheless, it has my favorite melody, albeit on an acoustic guitar. Half way through the song, it really picks up, adding organs, a chorus of female vocals and a sporadic beat. It's almost my favorite Sufjan song, but that still remains with "For The Widows In Paradise..." from his "Michigan" album. My next favorite track is "All The Trees Of The Field Will Clap Their Hands." Now this song features no guitar, only Sufjan's banjo. And like most of my favorite songs on this album, this song progresses. Starting with just a banjo and Sufjan's vocals, a little further in a piano melody and female vocals are added, eventually adding a beat. The song just becomes more and more melodic (and hypnotic!) as it progresses. Next I will come to "In The Devil's Territory". This is the most harmonically layered track on the album. Sufjan implements just about every instrument he has ever used in his music, sans his really early work with wood flutes and I guess any wind instruments in general. But it has banjos, guitars, pianos, bass, an instrument I really can't identify acting as a kind of beat, and (unfortunately).... a saw. I cringe every time I hear the saw; I feel it was an unnessesary addition. Some how though, I can usually ignore it. Finally, I will end, like the album does, with "The Transfiguration". This is another song sporting mainly a banjo, but again progressing. As it progresses, horns, drums, xylophones, and another instrument I am having trouble identifying (clarinet?) are implemented. This song leads me to a discussion always addressed when reviewing Sufjan's work: his religious content.
Now, while I am agnostic, and more importantly: anti-organized religion, I can still find the sense to appreciate this music. It is very good, and can be respectable no matter your affiliations and/or beliefs. Sometimes Sufjan can lay his beliefs on pretty heavily, but in no way a preachy manner. It's mostly done through thick story telling, which I can openly dismiss as him and I simply not relating and just enjoying the melody. Other times, he is expressing his love, which he actually presents in a broad manner that you could relate to other things such as a love one. Hell, maybe that's even what he is doing; I'm not too good at analyzing artists' messages.
Overall, this is an amazing, beautiful album, a very worthy purchase. Apart from the aforementioned tracks, other stand outs include: "To Be Alone With You", "Size Too Small", "The Dress Looks Nice On You".
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Unique and home-grown
I've enjoyed listening to Sufjan's music for some time now, and have listened to this album on occasion as well, but just recently decided to purchase it for myself. Read more
Published 2 months ago by Nathaniel Sheppard
5.0 out of 5 stars
Beautiful. Christian. Moving.
Seven Swans is one of the first Sufjan albums I fell in love with, after "Michigan." It is rare to find an album both my grandmother and I love, but it's hard to listen to "The... Read more
Published 4 months ago by Dan tdaxp
5.0 out of 5 stars
love the album, hate my dog
I bought this for my boyfriend and we loved listening to it. I would cook while he'd go work...until one day we came home and my dog had taken it outside for a little fun. Read more
Published 5 months ago by edeaver
5.0 out of 5 stars
sufjan stevens is great!
if your a fan of sufjan stevens and love records then this vinyl is great for you! the packaging feels like paper/carboard but it feels great. Read more
Published 8 months ago by drummer for fun
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Sufjan Album
This album is one of Sufjan's best and a great introduction to his music. I bought Michigan and Illinoise before buying this one, but I wish I had bought this first. Read more
Published 20 months ago by Joe B
5.0 out of 5 stars
THIS is the Sufjan album that matters
For all the hip-raving that has met his later, showier albums, it's in this quiet, modest album that Sufjan's best work is to be found. Read more
Published on April 7, 2011 by J. Drayton
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing album!
For fans of Sufjan Stevens' Illinoise album, Seven Swans represent a change of pace. The music is more subdued and sparse, but equally as thoughtful and moving. Read more
Published on August 5, 2010 by Shontz
3.0 out of 5 stars
Could be better
SS is the type of B-sideish release which made criticisms of overexposure for the ambitious folkie seem valid. Read more
Published on April 4, 2009 by IRate
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful Album
This album is great. Some Sufjan fans may not like it because it's so overtly Christian, but HEY! he's a Christian! It doesn't make him uncool! Read more
Published on April 5, 2008 by BigJohnson
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mystical Masterpiece
This dude's talent for gracefully articulating a personal spirituality is in the same category as Van Morrison and Leonard Cohen. Read more
Published on March 22, 2008 by Pieter Uys
Listmania!
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