Swans: Classic or Dud?

i joined jarboe's swans e-mail list in 1999 and most of the people on it were definitely more on the industrial side of things than the goth side. i have to say, they were almost all very brainy folks who listened to all kinds of music. but definitely HUGE love for the whole current 93/coil/NWW world on there. and also swans-like crescendo-rock like mogwai and godspeed and the like. and godflesh. what you would expect, i guess. probably lots of goth stuff too. i can't remember. beauty = darkness, etc. i have no problem with swans being goth-friendly or goth-identified. call them whatever you like. i prefer the term "freak folk" myself.

The second I hit "submit response," I *JUST KNEW* someone was going to cite "Don't Pay The Ferryman." CHRIS DEBURGH IS A GOTH, OKAY, I ADMIT IT!

I also knew a kid in college who was a total hardcore punk, but also loved Rush -- i.e. DOES THIS MAKE RUSH A HARDCORE PUNK BAND???

The answer: Fuck no.

Look, yes -- Swans' audiences were crawling with Goths, certainly. Does that make the band goth? Not necessarily. I'll admit that Jarboe added an element to the proceedings that leant uncomfortably towards that crowd, but Michael Gira is no goth -- never was, never will be.

At the end of the day, I suppose it really depends on one's definition of "Goth." As far as I'm concerned, wearing black and having a less than cheeful sensibility shouldn't *AUTOMATICALLY* render one a "goth."

Michael Gira is no goth

Well, of course I agree with this; as I say, I think they transcend the label, which carries all kinds of only-and-exclusively-about-itself connotations. But in the goth family tree, they're a near branch - nearer than the Gun Club, say, but a little further out than the Fields of the Nephilim. The old saying about knowing a man by the company he keeps applies. If we wanted to posit a Non-Silly Goth category that would help, but really all we'd be doing is repeating the old saw about 90% of everything being crap. I mean: emo sucks, right? But Rites of Spring didn't suck at all, even though they're emo as fuck.

Fair enough.

i think for almost anything that was at one time labelled "industrial" you've got a goth fanbase of some size. skinny puppy, neubaten, etc.

crescendo-rock

Ha ha! Is Southern Gothic goth? That one's always confused me.

I wonder if anyone remembers "Public Castration Is A Good Idea", another live (and double) album like "Feel Good Now". Strangely I don't remember anything about it at all, except that it had material from the first part of their career. I do remember that the sleeve was gray at its base with yellow and silver put in or something like that. Damn I wish I had that LP now!

I saw someone recently somewhere on the net who said they couldn't concentrate on Cop if they tried or some paraphrased thing like that, and I totally agreed. Cop is hard to bear, even though I love everything else they've done. Except I admit the first EP is a totally different thing and rather dull, as it happens.

yep - just listened to it about a month ago too

http://swans.pair.com/IMG_PRODUCTS/public.jpg

Fuck goddamnit yeah
HOW I MISS THE VINYL!
I MIGHT CRY!

( review by Mr. Ned)

Who doesn't like Cop?!?!?!?

Public Castration... is now quite rare (as are -- sadly -- many albums in their catalog).

...but, I should point out, it can be had it its unwieldly entiretly (sonically, at least) via iTunes.

entirety

Does anybody get made very very sleepy by early Swans (which is so beautiful I could never force myself to listen to the later stuff, I only have an imagined version in my head but some things can't be corrupted). Seriously, Cop is really relaxing, the louder the better, obv.

Haven't listened to it for years, but, yes, I can see what you mean. Works like massage.

I fell asleep at a bus stop once with it on my headphones. I had to walk three hours in the dark to get home (I got cold hitching) with a bag.

probably of interest:

http://www.theomegaorder.com/s.nl/it.A/id.18990/.f

Nice.

Yesterday a copy of Anonymous Bodies sold on eBay for $160...

I couldn't really get in to the J2 album. Not like I got into the Neurosis/Jarboe album. I think I was hoping for more rock and less Justin as beatscaper stuff.

has anybody seen that youtube video where some guy has put Cop to a slideshow of Paris Hilton photos

I FINALLY GOT SWANS ARE DEAD I FINALLY GOT SWANS ARE DEAD I FINALLY GOT SWANS ARE DEAD I FINALLY GOT SWANS ARE DEAD I FINALLY GOT SWANS ARE DEAD I FINALLY GOT SWANS ARE DEAD I FINALLY GOT SWANS ARE DEAD I FINALLY

Good, innit?

Fuck yeah are you kidding? I'm flipping my lid.

Swans Are Dead is fucking great, one of my favorite live collections ever. nice choice Bimble.!

Cop is hard to bear, even though I love everything else they've done. Except I admit the first EP is a totally different thing and rather dull, as it happens.

this is fucking crazy talk. granted the remixed version on the filth cd is garbage, but have you ever heard the original vinyl release?

Classic!

I remember when I first heard Children of God and I thought it was creepy and I guess 'over the top' but listening right now I only hear the beautiful.

Hi ya people,

I've got these SWANS shows,wanted video shows I don't have

AUDIO
CIRCUS MORT(pre-SWANS) E.P. 1981 20' *

Danceteria,NYC ?-?-84 20Â’

Danceteria,NYC ?-?-84 40Â’

The Roxy,L.A.,CA 14-3-86 45'

LA,CA 21-12-85 30Â’

Burgerhuis,Deventer,Holland 24-2-85 40Â’ CASS

electric banana,Pittsburgh,PA 6-10-83 35'

sin club,NY 1982 50'

the rat,Boston,MA 3-5-86 60'

live at sin club/CBGB/Pyramid club,NY 1982-1983 80'

kitchen,NYC 1982 or 1983 25'

Holy Money Tour,Live in Europe 1986 50Â’

Berlin ?-?-84 5Â’

the loft,Berlin? 24-2-97 75Â’

Amsterdam ?-?-88 50Â’

BRNO radio? 2-9-87 40Â’

Warszawa,Polsnd ?-?-86 or 87 45Â’

Variety Theater,Atlanta 29-1-97 75Â’

Errols,Sweden 21-8-87 20Â’

Ljubljana,Yugoslavia FM radio 16-3-86 or 85 35Â’

At the Limelight,NYC(Great Annihilator Tour) 4-7-1992 90Â’

VIDEO
(V)Paradiso,Amsterdam x-x-1986 40Â’

(V)Philadelphia,PA ?-?-1986 40'(Incomplete) DVD

(V)Holy Money Tour DVD

(V)long low screen (o) 1985 60'(33) DVD

(V)Interview+live acoustic 1985 2 songs,snubTV 10'(51)

(V)24-2-86 Nurnberg,West Germany 50Â’ DVD{10}*

(V)15-8-87 konopf,Music Hall,Hamburg,Germany 15'(97) NTSC

(V)x-x-87 Warsaw?,Poland 55'(97) NTSC

(V)Arena,Vienna,Austria 6-8-88 65Â’ DVD

(V)29-8-89 Reading Fest.,UK 60'(97) NTSC DVD{10}*

(V)21-8-89 PowerHouse,Islington,UK 80Â’ DVD

(V)x-6-89 Arenna,Vienna,Austria 80' (97) NTSC

(V)Los Angeles 1989 or 90?? 30Â’ DVD

(V)15-9-95 Markthalle,Hamburg,Germany 60'(97) NTSC

(V)Paradiso,Amsterdam 13-3-97 70Â’ DVD

(V)Schlachthof,Bremen,Germany 12-3-97 65Â’ DVD

(V)Love will tear us apart clip 5'(97) NTSC

(V)Love of life clip 5'(97) NTSC

(V)Skin clip 5'(97) NTSC

(V)Screw clip 5'(97) NTSC

(V)Love of Life 1992 MTV Special clips+Amnesia live Edinburgh 14Â’ DVD{10}*

(V)Int.+Live HideawayÂ’s,Toronto 1995? 10Â’ DVD

You know there's a ton of live CDRs for sale here, don't you?

http://swans.pair.com/prod_frameset.html

good taste in music, poor judgment

RIP

Digging this new track!
http://thequietus.com/articles/04724-michael-gira-review-new-swans-album-my-father-will-guide-me-up-a-rope-to-the-sky

This is gonna be real nice I believe....

fragments of all the tracks here: http://younggodrecords.com/Releases/Detail.asp?C=2343

5. You Fucking People Make Me Sick (5:08)

lol

psyched for this

This should be AWESOME. I have very high expectations.

if the album art and this http://new.assets.thequietus.com/images/articles/4724/swans_headshots_large_1280489291_crop_550x532.jpeg are any indication, it's going to be fucking epic

Swans were the most important band of my life in the 80s and 90s and I can't express in words how much this resurrection, which I never expected to happen, means to me.

There's a more active thread here:

Classic or Dud: Swans

I love those headshots, that is one fucking band you don't want to meet in a dark alley.

That top middle photo is *really* like a Lucien Freud painting.

yeah that's Christoph Hahn who played guitar on my favourite Swans album White Light from the Mouth of Infinity.

What the fuck happened to him?! He was fairly handsome 20 years ago, he can't be that old...

top right is actually one of the nicest dudes on the entire planet

bottom middle is a peach too

I love those headshots, that is one fucking band you don't want to meet in a dark alley.

a girl I knew roadie'd for both swans and sonic youth back in their early years, she said the sonic youth van was usually quiet + somber whereas in the swans van they were always cracking up and having a good time

in the swans van they were always cracking up and having a good time

Concur, I was a crew member for Swans in 1997 and a good time was indeed had on the tour bus.

Which one is Thor? none of those guys look like the smiley happy dude I saw playing with Shearwater/

God, I am just so completely out the top of my head with anticipation at seeing them.

Thor is first row, all the way to the right

Is Thor still in Shearwater? They're touring in October and November as well, presumably on the days Swans aren't playing?

saw thor play with lisa germano years ago and it was one of the best shows ever. never saw him with AOL.