Sufjan Stevens

The Avalanche

Image of Sufjan Stevens - The Avalanche
Record Label
Asthmatic Kitty

About this item

Sufjan's last album, "Illinois" was originally conceived as a double album, culminating in a musical collage of nearly 50 songs. But as the project began to develop into an unwieldy epic, common sense weighed in – as did the opinions of others – and the project was cut in half. But as 2005 came to a close, Sufjan returned to the old, forsaken songs on his 8-track like a grandfather remembering his youth. Sufjan gleaned 21 useable tracks from the abandoned material, including three alternate versions of "Chicago". Some songs were in finished form, others were merely outlines, gesture drawings, or musical scribbles mumbled on a hand-held tape recorder. Most of the material required substantial editing, new arrangements or vocals. Much of the work was done at the end of 2005 or in January the following year. Sufjan invited many of the original Illinoisemakers to fill in the edges: drums, trumpet, a choir of singers. The centrepiece, of course, was the title track – "The Avalanche" – a song intended for the leading role on the "Illinois" album but eventually cut and placed as a bonus track on the vinyl release.

TRACK LISTING

The Avalanche
Super Computer
Adlai
Vivian
Chicago Acoustic
Henney Buggy
Saul Bellow
Carlyle
Springfield
Mistress
Kaskaskia River
Chicago AC
Inaugural Music
Your Land
Tornado
Pick Up
Perpetual Self
Pluto
Chicago OCD
Pittsfield
Undivided Self

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