S/D (probably been done) Swans

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I've spent a day with my SWANS records & CDs and can't find anything I wanna destroy (except myself, after all that pummeling). I went waaay back, too, though I prefer the newer stuff. OK, some of the offshoots, 'specially Jarboe, put me off. A little.

Ancillary question: is there anywhere I can find the loooong version of "Walls Are Bleeding" (appeared on DRY LUNGS compilation)? Y'all are smart and resourceful, help me out here. I've tried the various share programs and have gotten squat.

― Matt Riedl (veal), Tuesday, 13 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

a C/D was done and very entertaining it was too. Look for the classic and dud section as you scroll down the page or search it on ILM search.

― Julio Desouza, Tuesday, 13 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Naughty Julio. Just provide the link. And Matt, I fully sympathize with not wanting to destroy anything by them. ;-)

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 13 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Nice thread, thank Julio. I think those running down BURNING WORLD would be advised to give it another shot! It's not their finest moment, but there are beautiful moments of actual musical, instrumental texture - very acoustic oriented, much different from the textural sound-collagey type stuff that's more recent. Good melodies, too. And "God Damn the Sun" kinda distills what the folks in that thread seemed to hate about M.Gira into a paste, a sad, mournful paste. His book was excellent as well (the Consumer). VERY disturbing.

I recall vividly: playing both CHILDREN OF GOD and the 1st/2nd (I think it was the 1st, self-titled) TMBG albums at the time they were both new, one after the other. Freaked out my friends but didn't harm me in the least. Hell with 'em!

― Matt Riedl (veal), Tuesday, 13 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

What a beautiful combination in its own way.

― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 13 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

where would be a good place to start investigating this band? i downloaded song "failure" because (i think it was) lyra was talking about it. didn't dig that too much, mostly because i didn't like the voice (it was a MAN and TOO LOW) i'm still up for trying some other stuff out if anybody wants to recommend. or you can just tell me to read the c/d thread

― Ron, Tuesday, 13 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Search: the Circus Mort EP, recorded just before the Swans started up. Not so easy to find, but worth the search.

― Ciaran, Tuesday, 13 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

There are some Circus Mort tracks on an old Roir comp, put together by Albini. Don't quite share yr enthusiasm for CM, 'tho - the rhythm section isn't anywhere near as punishing as on early Swans recs (eg the classic 'Raping a Slave' 12", my fave early period Swans disc.)

My flatmate asked me this question the other day - what Swans song wld you like to hear Johnny Cash covering?

― Andrew L, Wednesday, 14 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Found a copy of the circus mort 12" in a record shop in brighton for 50 pee years ago.... dontcha just love a bargain!

― Baxter Wingnut, Wednesday, 14 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

Does anyone have a copy of that video (atavistic?) put out from The Holy Money Tour? It pretty intense from what I remember. I watched it alone one evening in the late 80's or early 90's and have been disturbed ever since. Several bassists and drummers pounding their instrument into submission while a loin clothed Gira wails with the mic stuck down his throat..

― brg30, Wednesday, 14 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

I like the later albums alot more than the early music, but I never got around to listening to them until much later than other bands of that time.

I'm tainted as the first Swans I heard was "The Burning World", which I don't think is quite as bad as some make it out to be. It kind of got filed away for me until I checked them out again after hearing "The Great Annilator".

My favorite album would probably be "Soundtracks to the Blind" or perhaps "Children of God". "Soundtracks..." is a very unique record and I don't think there is much that can be compared to it.

Swans are definitely a group which music seems to fit only certain times. It is like pulling out the bottle of the strong stuff.

― earlnash, Friday, 16 August 2002 00:00 (twenty-two years ago)

five years pass...

There is absolutely nothing better to play when you are depressed than early Swans. Has anyone else heard this "Children of God" era live album I found in iTunes called (unfortunately) "Kill The Child"? That is music to CLEAN YOUR SOUL OUT, MAN. And towards the end when they do one of the best songs on Children of God called "Sex, God, Sex" it's really too much.

Swans are my primal scream. They clear out the detritus of what it feels like to be human. They make me feel cleansed in a way no one else does.

― Bimble Is Still More Goth Than You, Tuesday, 10 June 2008 02:48 (seventeen years ago)

I think Kill the Child came out on CD during the Atavistic releases tons of Swans stuff days.

― dan selzer, Tuesday, 10 June 2008 03:00 (seventeen years ago)

what Swans song wld you like to hear Johnny Cash covering?

It is really too bad that this will never happen. Can't you just imagine Cash doing something like "You're Not Real, Girl"?

― sleeve, Tuesday, 10 June 2008 07:35 (seventeen years ago)

ultraclassic! Public Castration Is A Good Idea is a great great live album too, as is Real Love. Oh, and Swans Are Dead too, of course. (and everything else they ever did, even the difficult stuff from the beginning)

http://swans.pair.com/DISCOGRAPHY/kill_child.html
http://swans.pair.com/DISCOGRAPHY/public_cast.html
http://swans.pair.com/DISCOGRAPHY/real_love.html
http://swans.pair.com/DISCOGRAPHY/swans_dead.html

― StanM, Tuesday, 10 June 2008 15:57 (seventeen years ago)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYiT6iEszX4

― J0hn D., Tuesday, 10 June 2008 16:01 (seventeen years ago)

Ha! Yeah I've got that on an old VHS cassette somewhere.

"Real Love" is something I've had on tape and loved for years. I should probably go about obtaining Public Castration again, I don't have that anymore. I don't have Feel Good Now anymore, either. Never had Swans Are Dead. Argh. I'm so behind!

― Bimble, Tuesday, 10 June 2008 16:52 (seventeen years ago)

You know, the transition between the (lovely) gothy-folky opening track "Coil" and then the clangy opening guitar chord of "Heir Apparent" from the new Opeth album is just incredibly Swans-y. I've become fine with growly vocals, but man would I love to hear this album re-done w/Gira on vocals.

― dlp9001, Tuesday, 10 June 2008 20:28 (seventeen years ago)

eight months pass...

I'm into the second half of Swans Are Dead now and I am terrified. This isn't music anymore. This is fucking witchcraft or something. I am absolutely terrified.

― Gothy McGoth (Bimble), Saturday, 28 February 2009 09:56 (sixteen years ago)

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