Swans -- The Seer

yeah "Warrior" is certainly the weakest link on the record.

and also HOLY SHIT THAT WAS A GREAT SHOW. i can't even...."Coward" was amazing, the new songs were amazing, everything— definitely one of the best performances i've ever seen.

bummer, got to wait another week. Been expecting this to fall through my door at any moment but looks like what I got through email yesterday means it was only just dispatched. Not sure how long it takes a package to get across the Atlantic.

HAILING KRAKOW - does your shop still have copies of the double cd edition w/ DVD? And if so, could I reserve one until next Wednesday (payday!)

Thanks

HOLY SHIT THAT WAS A GREAT SHOW.
HOLY SHIT THAT WAS A GREAT SHOW.
HOLY SHIT THAT WAS A GREAT SHOW.
HOLY SHIT THAT WAS A GREAT SHOW.
HOLY SHIT THAT WAS A GREAT SHOW.
HOLY SHIT THAT WAS A GREAT SHOW.

Portland show had some problems, unfortunately, most seemed to be due to bad onstage sound. Gira spent a fair amount of time looking cranky, cut one song a minute in and decided not to play it, and said they couldn't do an encore because they couldn't hear anything onstage. It was frustrating to watch them try to get in the zone and not quite make it. The opening song and "Coward" were still mind-blowing though. He seemed to take it in stride, I think the old version of Swans would have beaten up the sound guy.

or just walked off

doesn't seem to be much footage out there

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0B1o-BaQag

im seeing them this Friday. never seen them before and I'm a bit protective of my hearing (what's left of it). so im guessing get earplugs and stand as far back as possible?

lol yes

that's what I did, it was great. every once in a while I would take the earplugs out, go "WHOA", and put them back in.

when I saw them on the first comeback tour it wasn't a hurty kind of loud, more of an air-is-fully-saturated-with-sound type thing

I usually do earplugs nowadays but made an exception in their case

yes, def earplugs

Yeah, I've put Frances through a lot of things which she doesn't always earplug for (inc Sunn). She didn't feel the need for earplug at all during the Swans (who she had never seen before) but was only managing 15 minutes at a time without a break outside from the 'fullness' of the air in the room and the general oppression.

you can feel your innards vibrating
it's great!

bump

HAILING KRAKOW - does your shop still have copies of the double cd edition w/ DVD? And if so, could I reserve one until next Wednesday (payday!)

Thanks

― Ward Fowler, Wednesday, 12 September 2012 15:17 (Yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

i brought earplugs for myself and some friends, and i put them in a few times, and then was like "I AM NOT GETTING THE FULL SOUND SCREW THIS." and my ears weren't ringing afterwards or anything, tho i obviously lost some hearing. i wear earplugs at a lot of other shows, so i figured i could let my hearing be pummeled one night a year.

I've got YOB the night before SWANS so I am definitely wearing earplugs for both. As it is I'll still probably be having hearing issues on Monday morning.

tickets purchased for tomorrow night. very stoked.

I wore earplugs (expensive ones too!) when the last Swans tour swung around to Leeds and felt so detached from the experience afterwards. I wished I hadn't worn them. But I am seeing them again next month and I'll kick myself if it fucks me over. And you really cannot trust yourself being able to tell when you're there.

I'd give them a go without plugs, as they probably will not be dangerously loud. (Although I realize this is all subjective and depends on venue). I saw them twice on the My Father... tour and again last month on The Seer tour. The two My Father.. gigs were only moderately loud; no plugs needed at all. Last month's gig was certainly louder, and I had to move from directly next to an amplifier to a more comfortable position, but I didn't need ear plugs. They were freely available anyway at all three venues.

I've come back from a few weeks travelling to find my signed copy of the Seer in my mail-box. I had been worried it would get stuck at customs (like my copy of "We Rose From Your Bed...") and get sent back to YGR because I was away for so long. Finally listening now....

Austin show was really great on Friday -- "Coward" was a total mindfuck, just massively great.

Leaving in 5 minutes to go see them tonight in Dallas. Stoked.

man have a good time~!

That was stunning. And based on this show earplugs are a must; one of the most loud and visceral shows I've ever seen. My sternum hurts and my insides feel wrong.

Wow.

I've never really paid much attention to Swans before but I listened to about half of this on the way into work today and it's fantastic. The title track is immense.

I just heard a snippet about four hours ago and I was totally mesmerised. Will be buying ASAP.

Yeah it's amazing (although to be honest it could probably stand two fewer 19+ minute songs, I really like "The Seer" and "Apostate" a lot so really why complain.)

Yes yes yes.

^^^ Scik otm

How / why have I never listened to Swans before? Known of them for fucking ever.

I'm in the same boat, 'cept I jumped on board with the last studio album. I'd always known of them and heard a scattered track here and there, but now I need to go back and inhale the rest of their discography.

yes you will

expect them to turn up in 80s rock poll

There are similarities, but swans II is a totally different beast then their original incarnation imo.

almost every incarnation of swans was a different beast

So what would you recommend as a good place to go next?

some of the work that gira did as Angels of Light might actually veer closest to what Swans is doing now, although i'm certainly no Swans pro

except angels of light were kinda boring

Ok, yeah, I've heard the Akron/Family and Angels of Light split, definitely preferred the Akron half of that.

soundtracks for the blind prolly the next logical step for my father/the seer fans

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcEG0WvfSDM

then children of god

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zTIN6RsgLNo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijIPY-MTClI

if you like the new album you would like most of the 90's swans stuff. very similar sounds.

Cool, thanks! Its one of those kinda daunting back catalogs. Wishing I'd have paid more attention back in the 90s, but I don't think I would have been ready then.

yeah "soundtracks for the blind" & "children of god" are still respectively n°1 & 2 in my swans disco.

white light/love of life too. essential.

yup

swans periods:

1982 - 1983: labor EP, filth
alternates between flailing uppity no wave tempos and sickly dirges, killer polyrhythms

1984: young god EP, cop
descent into total lifeless nihilistic thud, glacial pace

1986: time is money 12", greed, holy money
introduction of keyboards/samplers and the gothy overtones of jarboe, the scuzz of the earlier material is scrubbed off, sound is clean, robotic, sterile

1987: children of god
massive expansion of sound, brutality now alternates with torch song tunefulness

1988: the burning world
inexplicable easy listening album

1991 - 1996: white light from the mouth of infinity, love of life, the great annihilator, soundtracks for the blind
forays into folk blues, tape loops, chamber music pop, this period is the most similar to current reconstituted swans

The Great Annihilator is awesome too.