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2012 box set by Sufjan Stevens
Silver & Gold: Songs for Christmas, Vols. 6–10 is a five-EP box set of Christmas -related songs and carols recorded by Sufjan Stevens between 2006 and 2012.[ 12] It is a follow-up to Songs for Christmas , which was released six years prior.
On October 2, 2012, it was announced that Stevens would release Silver & Gold on November 13, 2012 in digital format, CD and LP boxset.[ 13] On October 24, 2012, a claymation music video, animated by Lee Hardcastle, was released for "Mr. Frosty Man".[ 14]
Reception
The album has received mostly positive reviews from critics, with Pitchfork giving it a 7.8 out of 10. As Keelan H. of Sputnikmusic writes,"[T]he album exists on [a] plane where introspection meets with group sing-a-longs, depression meets with joyous outbursts, traditional meets with left-field kookiness."[ 11] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album has received an average score of 76, based on 13 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[ 6]
Track listing
Gloria: Songs for Christmas, Vol. VI
Recorded December 2006
"Silent Night " - 2:26 (words by Joseph Mohr ; melody by Franz Xaver Gruber ; English translation by John Freeman Young )
"Lumberjack Christmas / No One Can Save You from Christmases Past" - 3:22 (music by Aaron Dessner , Bryce Dessner , and Sufjan Stevens; words by Sufjan Stevens)
"Coventry Carol " - 2:54 (featuring Marla Hansen) (16th-century English Carol)
"The Midnight Clear" - 2:49 (music by Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner, and Sufjan Stevens; words by Sufjan Stevens)
"Carol of St. Benjamin the Bearded One" - 3:32 (music by Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner, and Sufjan Stevens; words by Sufjan Stevens)
"Go Nightly Cares" - 1:44 (music by John Dowland )
"Barcarola (You Must Be a Christmas Tree)" - 7:03 (music by Aaron Dessner, Bryce Dessner, and Sufjan Stevens; words by Sufjan Stevens)
"Auld Lang Syne " - 1:35 (words by Robert Burns; music: traditional Scots folk melody)
I Am Santa's Helper: Songs for Christmas, Vol. VII
Recorded December 2007
"Christ the Lord Is Born" - 0:49 (music by Leoš Janáček )
"Christmas Woman" - 5:33 (words & music by Sufjan Stevens)
"Break Forth O Beauteous Heavenly Light" - 1:09 (music by Johann Schop ; harmony by J.S. Bach )
"Happy Family Christmas" - 1:23 (words & music by Sufjan Stevens)
"Jingle Bells " - 1:19 (words & music by James Lord Pierpont )
"Mysteries of the Christmas Mist" - 2:10 (music by Sufjan Stevens)
"Lift Up Your Heads Ye Mighty Gates" - 1:20 (words by Georg Weissel ; translated by Catherine Winkworth ; music by Thomas Williams )
"We Wish You a Merry Christmas " - 1:16 (16th-century English Carol)
"Ah Holy Jesus" - 2:42 (words by Johann Heermann : music by Johann Crüger )
"Behold! The Birth of Man, the Face of Glory" - 1:09 (music by Sufjan Stevens)
"Ding-a-ling-a-ring-a-ling" - 1:50 (words & music by Sufjan Stevens)
"How Shall I Fitly Meet Thee?" - 2:09 (music by J.S. Bach ; adapted by J. Troutbeck)
"Mr. Frosty Man" - 1:50 (words & music by Sufjan Stevens)
"Make Haste to See the Baby" - 1:23 (music by Sufjan Stevens)
"Ah Holy Jesus" - 1:29 (with reed organ)
"Hark! The Herald Angels Sing " - 1:51 (words by Charles Wesley ; music by Felix Mendelssohn )
"Morning" - 2:28 (Sacred Harp ) (music by Amos Pilsbury)
"Idumea " - 3:50 (Sacred Harp) (words by Charles Wesley ; music by Ananias Davisson )
"Eternal Happiness or Woe" - 1:23 (music by Sufjan Stevens)
"Ah Holy Jesus" - 1:00 (a capella)
"I Am Santa's Helper" - 1:52 (words & music by Sufjan Stevens)
"'Ma'oz Tzur ' (Rock of Ages)" - 0:42 (traditional Jewish hymn)
"Even the Earth Will Perish and the Universe Give Way" - 2:01 (music by Sufjan Stevens)
Christmas Infinity Voyage: Songs for Christmas, Vol. VIII
Originally recorded December 2008, as "Astral Inter Planet Space Captain Christmas Infinity Voyage: Songs for Christmas Vol. 8"; box set version re-recorded 2011-2012
"Angels We Have Heard on High " - 4:04 (music & words by Sufjan Stevens [based on the original hymn])
"Do You Hear What I Hear? " - 9:14 (words by Noël Regney ; music by Gloria Shayne )
"Christmas in the Room" - 4:23 (words & music by Sufjan Stevens)
"It Came Upon the Midnight Clear " - 0:48 (words by Edmund Sears ; music by Richard Storrs Willis )
"Good King Wenceslas " - 4:18 (words by John Mason Neale ; music: 13th Century carol)
"Alphabet St. " - 1:36 (words & music by Prince )
"Particle Physics" - 1:04 (music by Sufjan Stevens)
"Joy to the World " - 5:25 (words by Isaac Watts ; music by Lowell Mason )
"The Child with the Star on His Head" - 15:30 (words & music by Sufjan Stevens)
Let It Snow: Songs for Christmas, Vol. IX
Recorded December 2009
"I'll Be Home for Christmas " - 3:22 (words & music by Walter Kent , Kim Gannon , Buck Ram )
"Santa Claus Is Coming to Town " - 2:41 (words & music by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie )
"The Sleigh in the Moon" - 1:44 (featuring Cat Martino) (words & music by Cat Martino)
"Sleigh Ride " - 2:28 (words & music by Leroy Anderson and Mitchell Parish )
"Ave Maria " - 2:09 (featuring Cat Martino) (words by God Himself; music by Franz Schubert )
"X-mas Spirit Catcher" - 3:31 (words & music by Sufjan Stevens)
"Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! " - 2:17 (words & music by Jule Styne and Sammy Cahn )
"A Holly Jolly Christmas " - 2:27 (words & music by Johnny Marks )
"Christmas Face" - 0:40 (featuring Sebastian Krueger ) (words & music by Sebastian Krueger )
Christmas Unicorn: Songs for Christmas, Vol. X
Recorded December 2010
"Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas " - 3:42 (words & music by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane)
"It Came Upon a Midnight Clear " - 0:40 (words by Edmund Sears ; music by Richard Storrs Willis )
"Up on the Housetop " - 4:21 (featuring Vesper Stamper) (words & music by Benjamin Hanby ; arr. by Sufjan Stevens)
"Angels We Have Heard on High " - 0:52 (traditional French carol)
"We Need a Little Christmas " - 2:03 (words & music by Jerry Herman )
"Happy Karma Christmas" - 3:36 (words & music by Sufjan Stevens)
"We Three Kings " - 0:52 (music by John Henry Hopkins Jr. )
"Justice Delivers Its Death" - 3:16 (var. & arrangement by Sufjan Stevens; based on the song "Silver & Gold" by J. Marks )
"Christmas Unicorn" - 12:28 (words & music by Sufjan Stevens; "Love Will Tear Us Apart " used by permission, written by Ian Curtis, Peter Hook, Stephen Morris, and Bernard Sumner )
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
References
^ "Album: Sufjan Stevens, Silver & Gold (Asthmatic Kitty)" . The Independent . 20 December 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2016 .
^ "Sufjan Stevens Silver & Gold" . Drowned in Sound . Archived from the original on 21 September 2016. Retrieved 6 August 2016 .
^ a b Bosman, Chris (2012-11-21). "Album Review: Sufjan Stevens – Silver & Gold" . Consequence of Sound. Retrieved November 29, 2012 .
^ "SUFJAN STEVENS - CARRIE & LOWELL" . Record Collector . Retrieved 6 August 2016 .
^ "Sufjan Stevens – Silver and Gold" . The Line Of Best Fit . Retrieved 6 August 2016 .
^ a b "Silver & Gold Boxset Reviews, Ratings, Credits, and More" . Metacritic .
^ "Sufjan Stevens: Silver & Gold" . anydecentmusic.com . AnyDecentMusic? . Retrieved 29 May 2018 .
^ Reed, Ryan (2012-11-20). "Sufjan Stevens: Silver & Gold" . Pastemagazine. Retrieved 2012-11-29 .
^ Dombal, Ryan (2012-11-14). "Sufjan Stevens: Silver & Gold | Album Reviews" . Pitchfork. Retrieved 2012-11-29 .
^ Houle, Zachary (2012-11-21). "Sufjan Stevens: Silver & Gold: Songs for Christmas – Volumes Six-10" . PopMatters. Retrieved 2012-11-29 .
^ a b Keelan H. (Jan 24, 2013). "Album Review - Sufjan Stevens: Silver & Gold" . Sputnikmusic. Retrieved 25 January 2013 .
^ Battan, Carrie (2012-10-02). "Sufjan Stevens Announces New Christmas Box Set" . Pitchfork. Retrieved 2012-10-02 .
^ "Sufjan Stevens to Release New Christmas Boxset" . Asthmatic Kitty Records. Archived from the original on 2012-10-05. Retrieved 2012-10-04 .
^ Battan, Carrie (2012-10-24). "Watch the Gory Claymation Video for Sufjan Stevens' "Mr. Frosty Man" " . Pitchfork. Retrieved 2012-10-27 .
^ "Sufjan Stevens Chart History (Billboard 200)" . Billboard . Retrieved May 30, 2021.
^ "Sufjan Stevens Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)" . Billboard . Retrieved May 30, 2021.
^ "Sufjan Stevens Chart History (Top Americana/Folk Albums)" . Billboard . Retrieved May 30, 2021.
^ "Sufjan Stevens Chart History (Holiday Albums)" . Billboard . Retrieved May 30, 2021.
^ "Sufjan Stevens Chart History (Independent Albums)" . Billboard . Retrieved May 30, 2021.
^ "Sufjan Stevens Chart History (Top Rock Albums)" . Billboard . Retrieved May 30, 2021.
^ "Americana/Folk Albums - Year-End 2013" . Billboard . Retrieved May 31, 2021 .
External links
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