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"Seven Swans" un prezioso scrigno custodito gelosamente, un in calpestabile tappeto vellutato, una delicata distesa porporeggiante di petali di rosa, l'essenza inebriante che satura la mente con immagini di paesi così lontani, così irraggiungibili, la sua melodia è un'incarnazione di classicità ed eleganza, una storia criptata d'amore, come una carezza che colma il risveglio di mattino, nell'attesa d'imboccare una giornata bombardata d'impegni, un desiderato massaggio che smaniosamente implora "relax", per dare accoglienza a una notte pacata, sognatrice di desideri ricoperti d'oro e di mille favole incantate, basta guardare la sua copertina, il cigno, immagine alata di libertà e bellezza.
Nella storia della musica ci sono Artisti che fanno la differenza, Sufjan Stevens, nei suoi Album, né è l'esempio lucente, non mi pongo differenze nel descriverli, tutti si propongono in egual maniera, una volta ascoltati, si radicano nei sentimenti, come la spontaneità di "Greetings From Michigan" o l'eclissato "Come On Feel The Illinois" o il tepore di "Songs For Christmas" e per sommi capi, a stento si rinnegano i successivi ascolti. Songwriting che non da segni minimi di cedimento artistico o di assenti "delusioni", ma che crede in se stesso e nel suo dialogo con la gente, a honorem per ciò che ha saputo infondere.
Un uomo che dice di non considerarsi un artista cristiano, e non vuole portare questa "affiliazione religiosa" per non creare confusione o malintesi di chi lo ascolta, ma che al contrario, manifesta musica che nasce dal suo cuore e basta, anche se i testi sono a tematica religiosa, è semplicemente ciò che più sente in lui, e la musica la ritiene un mezzo di espressione in senso culturale-artistico ma non fondamentalmente religioso, e per questo motivo di vedere e sentire le cose, ovvero la sua musica, in america, i suoi Album sono diventati oggetto di discussione tematica, paragonandoli proprio alla pellicola di Mel Gibson "The Passion" dove religione-arte intersecano in maniera esplosiva e incontrollata e dove, invece, storia-arte si dissociano, anche se è palese, e sostanzialmente appurato, che la religione è sempre stato il mezzo d'ispirazione dell'arte.
Un Album che concede 45 minuti di contemplazione temporanea, che esige il più assoluto silenzio circostante, la mente ben sgombra e il corpo ben propenso a una distensione totale, dove mente, parole e suoni diventano un tuttouno, compatto, intimo, pulito e comunicativo. Questa nenia si mette in luce a dimostrazione della profonda sensibilità, di un ragazzo appassionato ai racconti di una delle più importanti scrittrici del '900, Flannery O'Connor e dalla quale ne coglie i frutti d'ispirazione.
Ci sono tracce di estrema grandezza strumentale, vocale e sporadiche impercettibili percussioni come "Sister", l'esaltazione del padroneggiante banjo, illustre e incontestato strumento primario "In The Devil's Territory", una soffice ninnananna cantilenante d'apertura "All The Trees Of The Fields Will Clap Their Hands", i ripetuti ritornelli "The Dress Looks Nice On You", un sentito duetto tra banjo e chitarra in "We Won't Need Legs To Stand", e stupendo duetto tra la voce solitaria e una semplice e "povera" chitarra in "Abraham", insomma, questa voce "solista" riesce ad arricchire tutta una serie di strumenti suonati dallo stesso Sufjan diventando essenza compiuta, ma non dimenticando tutta la conduzione familiare "Smith" per voci, strumenti, registrazione e produzione.
Sufjan Stevens, un pozzo di spensieratezza.
Elenco tracce testi e video
02 The Dress Looks Nice on You (02:32)
I can see a lot of life in you.
I can see a lot of bright in you.
And I think the dress looks nice on you.
I can see a lot of life in you.
I can see a bed and make it too.
I can see a fireside turn blue.
And I can see the lot of life in you.
Yes, I can see a lot of life in you.
When the world looks back,
when the face looks after that,
I can see a lot of life in you.
Yes, I can see a lot of life in you.
I can see a lot of life in you.
I can see your bed and make it too.
And I think the dress looks nice on you.
Yes, I can see a lot of life in you.
I can see a lot of life in you.
Yes, I can see a lot of life in you
03 In the Devil's Territory (04:57)
Be still and know your sign.
The beast will arrive in time.
We stayed a long, long time.
We stayed a long, long time.
To see you, to beat you,
to see you at last.
I saw the dragons drying.
I saw the witches whine.
We stayed a long, long time.
But I'm not afraid to die.
To see you, to meet you,
to see you at last.
I stole my father's shoes.
I pulled his pockets too.
We stayed a long, long time.
We stayed a long, long time.
To see you, to beat you,
to see you, to meet you.
To see you at last
04 To Be Alone With You (02:48)
I'd swim across lake Michigan
I'd sell my shoes
I'd give my body to be back again
In the rest of the room
To be alone with you
To be alone with you
To be alone with you
To be alone with you
You gave your body to the lonely
They took your clothes
You gave up a wife and a family
You gave your goals
To be alone with me
To be alone with me
To be alone with me
You went up on a tree
To be alone with me you went up on the tree
I'll never know the man who loved me
05 Abraham (02:33)
Abraham, worth a righteous one.
Take up on the wood,
put it on your son.
Lake or lamb.
There is none to harm.
When the angel came,
you had raised your arm.
Abraham, put off on your son.
Take instead the ram
until Jesus comes
06 Sister (06:00)
What the water wants is hurricanes,
and sailboats to ride on its back.
What the water wants is sun kiss,
and land to run into and back.
I have a fish stone burning my elbow,
reminding me to know that I'm glad
that I have a bottle filled with my old teeth.
They fell out like a tear in the bag.
And I have a sister somewhere in Detroit
She has black hair and small hands.
And I have a kettledrum
I'll hit the earth with you.
And I will crochet you a hat.
And I have a red kite;
I'll put you right in it.
I'll show you the sky
07 Size Too Small (03:04)
I was the best man in a size too small.
You were my best friend, going at it all.
And what if I put off my inheritance?
Where is the best man?
All arise us all in peace.
I still know you.
And I still like you, the best man.
And I still owe you.
Everything rises, going at it all.
All the surprises in a size too small.
And what if I told you
I was still in love with this?
Would you surprise us
in a size for all of me?
I still know you.
And I still like you, the best man.
I still know you, the best man.
I still owe you
11 Seven Swans (06:33)
We didn't sleep too late.
There was a fire in the yard.
All of the tress were in light.
They had no faces to show.
I saw a sign in the sky:
Seven swans, seven swans, seven swans.
I heard a voice in my mind:
I will try, I will try, I will try.
I will try, I will try, I will try.
We saw the dragon move down.
My father burned into coal.
My mother saw it from far.
She took her purse to the bed.
I saw a sign in the sky:
Seven horns, seven horns, seven horns.
I heard a voice in my mind:
I am Lord, I am Lord, I am Lord.
He said: I am Lord, I am Lord, I am Lord.
He said: I am Lord, I am Lord, I am Lord.
He will take you. If you run,
He will chase you.
He will take you. If you run,
He will chase you
'cause He is the Lord.
'Cause He is the Lord...
Seven swans, seven swans, seven swans,
seven swans, seven swans...
12 The Transfiguration (05:18)
When he took the three disciples
to the mountainside to pray,
his countenance was modified, his clothing was aflame.
Two men appeared: Moses and Elijah came;
they were at his side.
The prophecy, the legislation spoke of whenever he would die.
Then there came a word
of what he should accomplish on the day.
Then Peter spoke, to make of them a tabernacle place.
A cloud appeared in glory as an accolade.
They fell on the ground.
A voice arrived, the voice of God,
the face of God, covered in a cloud.
What he said to them,
the voice of God: the most beloved son.
Consider what he says to you, consider what's to come.
The prophecy was put to death,
was put to death, and so will the Son.
And keep your word, disguise the vision till the time has come.
Lost in the cloud, a voice: Have no fear! We draw near!
Lost in the cloud, a sign: Son of man! Turn your ear!
Lost in the cloud, a voice: Lamb of God! We draw near!
Lost in the cloud, a sign: Son of man! Son of God!
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Altre recensioni
Di zigu
Sufjan Stevens ne sa una più del diavolo, ma in questo album si concede una pausa riflessiva.
"I’ll show you the sky" – la promessa poetica che attraversa Seven Swans.
