One of my favorite bands, a band which creates music that can transmits aggression and also beauty. My first acquaintance with the band was through the album White Light Of The Mouth Of Infinity, this majestic album made me hooked to Swans music. Children Of God is superb album that brings melancholic folk style and also mesmerising aggression. World Of Skin collection (Swans project) is hypnotic,magical and scary, the amazing voice of Jarboe and Gira accompanied with experimental synthesizers sounds and dark folk with deep feel of western horror movies -it is amazing project. Other favorites: Burning World Love Of Life, Various Failures collection, Great Annihilator, Soundtrack For The Blind and Greed / Holy Money. Gira project Angels Of Light is also very Exciting, especially How I loved You cd.
Saw Swans last night at Berlin's Volksbühne and have no idea if I liked it. It was VERY loud. They played like six songs in over two hours and I only recognized "The Seer" and "Coward". The latter only because of it's "Put your knife in me" lyric. No idea where the other four tracks came from. Some parts were majestic, other parts simply irritating. Especially since MG looks more and more like "BOB" from "Twin Peaks". But as driven as he looked during the songs; when chatting with the audience he seemed really relaxed and friendly. There were moments when I found myself staring at the stage for what could have been hours, wondering what exactely a concert was. As much as I love the fact that Swans stay away from the awful "We are now playing our 'classic' album in it's entirety"-routine I must admit that it would have been nice to have recognized one or two songs. But on the other hand: It's incredible how this band puts their 30 year history aside and just... creates. It's just not entertainment. But... that was never what MG was about anyway BTW: What was amazing is that there were A LOT of very attractive women below 30 and a lot of totally nerdy looking guys over 30. A strange mixture.
New album coming in May. It's called To Be Kind and features Annie Clarke from St. Vincent on several tracks. Just like The Seer, it's going to be two discs if you're getting the CD and three if you're going vinyl. http://pitchfork.com/news/53635-swa...-st-vincent-michael-gira-announces-solo-tour/
There are or were a few improvising bands and artists like that, but it's rare in Rock, somewhat more common in Jazz. They have to establish themselves right at the beginning like that to develop an audience or fan base that will accept that kind of approach, to expect the unexpected. They often tend to release live tracks as new recordings because that was the creative event that gave birth, and the record can be the document. It's very cool, and I love artists who have been able to pull that off and not be trapped by their followers. Other artists that come to mind in this regard: Tangerine Dream (early period) Throbbing Gristle Grateful Dead (the jams) King Crimson (improv interludes) Cluster, Kluster
question about Children of God US (Caroline) vs UK (Product) on vinyl? quality of sound? anyone is better than other?
If you're a SWANS fanatic (like me) and rich (unlike me), here's something for ya: http://dangerousminds.net/comments/...ve_history_swans_holy_money_master_reel_for_s
have to say I haven't really gotten into The Seer at all... not sure I'll be diving into the new one.
I feel a "new" sound of Swans... is good, but Im more fan of old albums... and I really miss Jarboe on new albums! part of the old sound of Swans that I love is for Jarboe.
I don't think the "new" (??) sound is that far removed from the old. At the moment Swans do exactely what they want and I really like that. I just wish MG would do (or at least allow) a vinyl reissue of "Great Annihilator". But since there is a repress of "The Burning World" in May there is hope. No idea why that album. Legal issues? Since it was part of Young God's "Various Failures" compilation Gira seems to own the rights to it too. So... no idea why anyone would start with that. I do like it but it is an akward record to start.
Yeah, a lot of people really liked Jarboe's voice. Tracks she sang tended to uniformly be my least favourite on the old LPs so am pretty pleased Gira's on vocals full time now. I'm enjoying "The Seer" but again, dislike the female vox. "Song for a Warrior" makes me wince. Still, classic Swans is still unbeatable. Holy Money/Greed was the apex for me. God, what an incredibly powerful pair of albums.
there's something different about the sound, and the extreme length of the tracks... more theatrical, maybe? I miss their former obnoxiousness -- they seem to be loved now, which makes no sense to me.
Yeah and don't forget the two EPs that came with them: "Time Is Money (Bastard)" and "A Screw". I like all Swans periods but these "$" releases are special.
I've been streaming the new album "To Be Kind" on the NPR website, and I think it's fantastic. I then went and pre ordered the 3LP vinyl version.
Not sure, as I never purchased "The Seer" after sampling a song or two. Didn't gel at the time. I will have to revisit that album now.
Wait... you never got "The Seer" and think the new one is fantastic? Man, now you made me REALLY curious
In the midst of digesting The Seer, my first Swans album. It's certainly ambitious, definitely too long and repetitious in parts but haven't been enthralled such sounds in a while.
I heard the album 2010 and it was great but not the last one that came out. The new one blows away both, I believe!
It was a real trip seeing them at NXNE a few weeks ago playing outdoors surrounded by office buildings, bars, condos, apartments and a huge shopping mall. One of these things is not like the other..
bump question: Children of God US (Caroline) vs UK (Product) on vinyl? quality of sound? anyone is better than other? maybe UK is better? becuase Caroline have the rights of Product so, maybe Product have the masters and Caroline a copy of master? I just say...
