Swans -- The Seer

Big sigh here at Amazon's ridiculous pricing, as almost always. Nothing to do with Swans. Depresses and frustrates me ferociously.

Go on? Used and new prices from sellers on Amazon can often be the best deal around, unless something is rare and only asshats have copies listed.

Briefly... it is far too cheap for any other retailer to compete with price-wise. When one accounts for dealer price, VAT and the price of postage, there is no profit to be made by a retailer on a sale at that price.

This is a persistent issue and I think that it is a bad thing in the long term, even if a low price may be appealing to one as a consumer in the short term. I see it potentially leading to nothing but operations on the scale of Amazon being able to really survive.

well people will always buy the cheapest they can find. Moneys tight for the 99%!

True, though many of those retailers list inventory (or should) on amazon for international sales, and Amazon will give you a credit towards every order you get. The store I worked at would be out of business if it weren't for Amazon sales.

And I suppose Marcello wants more cd's for his fifty quid.

Evan, the shop krakow works for does.

Oh OK.

What krakow is saying is that they get screwed over by amazons pricing which means people order from them instead of the shop. They have an unfair advantage over the small record shops.

Yes, I see that is very true. Unfortunately though unless you are in Brooklyn or something participating seems to me to be the only way to stay afloat.

Sorry, I'm loathe to appear to duck out, but I think I'm too tired to really get into all this now. Makes me feel depressed, frustrated and hopeless. Should discuss it on another thread really too, as it's definitely not a Swans-specific issue. I am eager to talk about it though and hope that I don't appear too much like a sanctimonious ass.

mine came today, going straight into the car stereo for repeated listening

― sleeve, Thursday, August 30, 2012 3:03 PM (6 days ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

swans in the car is the best

― ayonanas (Matt P), Thursday, August 30, 2012 3:11 PM (6 days ago)

my first listen was on a rainy nighttime drive from PVD to NJ, it was epic.

for fun I reordered the tracks to follow the vinyl sequencing, I've been enjoying the flow of the album a lot more that way. makes me wonder why the CD tracks aren't in the vinyl order.

also been working on a 50 minute streamlined remix, interesting how easy it is to edit and rearrange the song parts, it's like a swans lego set.

the only problem with this album is that its too long for the busy times i (we?!) live in

Working my way through this and really enjoying it, but was struck by the way that Gira's voice has changed over the last ten years - it's a more fragile instrument than before, slightly thinner and cracked (which is understandable, given all the touring that Swans/Gira do.) A few years ago I saw a Gira/Akron Family gig which ended with MG performing Dylan's 'Pity the Poor Immigrant', and there's something Dylanesque about the slow ruination of Gira's vocal chords - a parallel increased in my mind by Dylan having a new album at the same time, with some pretty long songs on it too.

I think there's some intension in the way he uses the higher part of his voice now- on the recent live version of "Sex God Sex" on We Rose From Our Beds, his pentacostal bellowing is strong. I hear a lot of Damo Suzuki in the vocals here, particularly at the end of the title track.

Anyone seen the DVD yet? I've received one with the DVD missing, a mail to YGR has been sent :-(

I do feel so cheated that i was forced into spending £20 on 2 hours of amazing music and a further 2 hours of live DVD from just about the best live band there is. Get a grip!

Ive yet to watch the DVD though, all viewing time has gone on 70s cult british stuff im cutting up for a project and I wanted to actually get a handle on the album first. Also want to dedicate an evening to it, get the projector hooked up to our stereo so i can give it the full on living room cinema treatment rather than huddled in bed with a laptop like 90% of the rest of the crap i have time to watch

here's my 46 minute remix/remux/reedit of the seer for folks who don't have two hours to spare

Swans - The Seer Retracts
1) The Wolf
2) The Apostate Recants
3) A Piece of a Piece of the Sky
4) Lunacy
5) The Seer Returns
6) The Mother of the Seer
7) The World
8) Avatar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EAIQDTjdogw

Realised that both
a) Amazon was doing the deluxe set more cheaply
and B)Gira is running everything on the money he is making on selling cds.

So its not like it was a major label that you could get a discount on & not have the company making a loss/unable to afford future projects.

Sounds like Gira is having to cut down on other artists on the label already since his attention is on running the band again. SO hoping that people are buying from the label.

amazon (at least in the US) is selling the special edition for $24.45 and they are out of stock

amazon (at least in the US) is selling the special edition for $24.45 and they are out of stock
--vincent black shadow giallo (Edward III)

They were selling for $14 a few days ago.

I'll buy it next week at the show unless they price it stupidly high.

pretty sure that's the regular edition (tho they have it labeled as "special edition")

xp

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y176/edwardiii/amazon_seer.jpg

Bought the Special Edition at Other Music for 20.99.
The regular went for 16.99.

Pretty fair prices me thinks?

Hmmn weirdly the $24.45 one sez it's only one disc and the $13.60 sez it's two?!!?!

yeah I think their listings are all fucked up

if you look at the other sellers for the $24 one they explicitly say its the one w/ the DVD (at least they did last week)

I was looking at the .co.uk after having bought it at the Young God site when I noticed. & I assumed Special edition meant the same thing it did at the YG site.
Well I've got a signed edition for a few quid more & there will be more SWANS if he can afford it I presume.

I am hoping my missed post this morning is the YGR delivery.

yeah, was hoping I'd get mine today. Hopefully Monday. Dunno how long it takes to get here.

here's my 46 minute remix/remux/reedit of the seer for folks who don't have two hours to spare

awesome! can't wait to listen to this when i get home

i finally ordered mine, but must admit that i torrented the whole thing, too, because i wanted to listen to it repeatedly before they play here in SF on Monday.

i'm not trying to be combative, but why order online when you could buy from a record store? they can order stuff too and you don't have to pay (or wait!) for shipping. and you can buy it from a real live human being.

amoeba berkeley doesn't have it, and i called amoeba sf and they sold out. plus going anywhere near haight street gives me the howling fantods.

Even going to Aquarius Records?
(Who carry the album.)

i am hardly ever in the city, and also, who the hell cares, i fucking ordered the damn thing, get off my back.

I bought mine online, from Gira. It came with the limited version of We Rose From Your Bed.

Holy fucking goddamn was the Swans show tonight ever great! It's not just an amazing show, it's the sound of the crushing of your enemies. It was around 2 hours long, but it only felt like 30 minutes. It helps that a vast majority of the material played was from The Seer. I would double-hydrate up before you see them on this tour. The show takes a lot out of you.

It's here, finally. Is 11am too early for Swans? Maybe.

mackro mackro, this is excellent news. I'll see them in two weeks.

Really, really hoping I can make it to the Tuesday night show, but so far no luck with a ride up and back. Alas.

I've been ordering these directly from Young God because I like the fact that (almost) all the cash goes directly back into the label, and because there's a high chance that it'll come with a personal thank you note from Gira.

Your mix is strange but intriguing, Edward III, thanks!

No reply about the missing DVD yet, unfortunately - I hope I won't have to completely reorder and hope there's a DVD included that time around :(

Oh, and btw:

http://i48.tinypic.com/dqxid.jpg

Six ordinary guys, just thinking bout things.

i've literally never watched a DVD that came with a CD

headed up to Portland in a few hours, will take mackro's advice and hydrate.

also, earplugs.

i'm as big a fan of Swans as they come, but they really are a hard bunch to look at in those photos.

anyway, my thoughts on the album here:

http://walkingthelongmileshome.wordpress.com/2012/08/27/nothing-inside-you-is-real-swans-career-retrospective-and-review-of-the-seer/

Never thought I'd see the day but:

#114 on the Billboard Top 100 sales chart
#100 on Billboard top 200 Current Albums chart
#2 on Billboard new artist chart (18 less units than #1, Wild Nothing)
#24 on Billboard alternative chart

does this mean they're up for a New Artist Of The Year award anywhere?

The album was number one in the UK independent record shop album chart on the week of release, which is fantastic.