Songs for Christmas (Sufjan Stevens album)

Songs for Christmas
Box set by
Sufjan Stevens
ReleasedNovember 21, 2006
Recorded2001–2006
GenreChristmas[1][2]
Length123:10
LabelAsthmatic Kitty
ProducerSufjan Stevens
Sufjan Stevens chronology
The Avalanche
(2006) 		Songs for Christmas
(2006) 		The BQE
(2009)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Robert Christgau(choice cut)[4]
Drowned in Sound9/10[5]
Pitchfork7.5/10[6]

Songs for Christmas (stylized as Sufjan Stevens Presents Songs for Christmas on the cover) is a box set of five separate EPs of Christmas-related songs and carols recorded by independent musician Sufjan Stevens between 2001 and 2006. The EPs had been given as gifts to friends and family of Stevens over the past six years, except for 2004 when he was too busy recording the Illinois album.[7] Though the first three EPs had already been available on Sufjan Stevens-related fansites for several years, Songs for Christmas is the first official release of these EPs. Most of the tracks are versions of traditional Christmas songs, with a number of original compositions such as "Sister Winter" and "Star of Wonder". Sufjan Stevens has developed a reputation for being a devoted Christian[8] and many of the songs he chose for inclusion on Songs for Christmas are religious in nature, including his original compositions.

The box set includes a poster of Sufjan Stevens, an animated short for "Put the Lights on the Tree" by Tom Eaton, an essay by Rick Moody, two original short stories by Stevens, stickers, comics and a sing-a-long book for all five discs.

During Stevens' international tour in the later half of 2006, he regularly performed the original song "That Was the Worst Christmas Ever!" while releasing inflatable Santas into the audience for fun.[9]

Songs for Christmas was generally well received by music critics.[10]

Stevens released a follow-up, Silver and Gold: Songs for Christmas, Vols. 6-10, in November 2012, which contains a further 58 original and traditional songs.

  1. ^ Chris Jones. "Sufjan Stevens makes Christmas even better". BBC. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  2. ^ Chris Bosman (21 November 2012). "Sufjan Stevens – Silver & Gold". Consequence of Sound. Retrieved 5 August 2016.
  3. ^ Margaret Reges. Songs for Christmas (review) at AllMusic. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  4. ^ "Robert Christgau: CG: Sufjan Stevens".
  5. ^ Will Dean (2006-11-28). "Album Review: Sufjan Stevens - Songs For Christmas". Archived from the original on 2007-02-28. Retrieved 2006-11-28.
  6. ^ Rob Mitchum (2006-11-21). "Sufjan Stevens: Songs for Christmas Album Review - Pitchfork". Pitchfork. Retrieved 2024-11-18.
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference booklet was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Jeremy Allen (2010-10-12), "Adz And It Shall Be Given Unto You: Sufjan Stevens Interviewed", The Quietus, retrieved 2024-11-18
  9. ^ eoinlarkin (6 November 2006). "That was the worst christmas ever". Archived from the original on 2021-12-17 – via YouTube.
  10. ^ "Songs For Christmas by Sufjan Stevens", Metacritic, retrieved 2024-11-18