Swervedriver: Classic or Dud?

Wow cool! A good read from Mr. Franklin there too re: the band’s early days

I have the original CD of this!

I do too! Guess when it came to this band, we were a little (wait for it) ahead of the swerve.

This slower take on "Juggernaut Rides" is very interesting.

We finished the recording and I took a copy with me to Seville in Spain where I was having a week's holiday with my girlfriend. There was strong weed and oranges everywhere and I remember sitting by the ocean listening to these songs while looking across the water at the haze in the distance that was Morocco - I was looking at Africa while listening to our first record!

Mate, that was some strong weed indeed; Is Seville anywhere near the ocean?

Sounds nice though. I bought the original EP on CD as well.

> Is Seville anywhere near the ocean?

If you're in Seville for a week, taking a daytrip to the Estrecho isn't a big uh... stretch.

Must we be so reasonable.

couple of new bside comps on their bandcamp page:

https://swervedriver.bandcamp.com/album/honey-heavens-above

https://swervedriver.bandcamp.com/album/youth-at-the-summit

mezcal head : it really is all that and so much more.
not sure they ever bettered their thing across a whole album as well as they did on this.

a mighty mighty sound. they definitely lightened up a bit afterwards. 99th Dream is my favorite

they definitely lightened up a bit afterwards

think this is exactly why i love MH so much.
sonically it's a heavy listen, and they definitely pulled back from the excess after this album.

when quieter moods are required, then for me its all about 'Ejector Seat Reservation' which i genuinely believe to be one of the best modern rock albums ever,
and is a prime target for rediscovery by the Mojo/Uncut crew.

All their albums are so fantastic even the new ones are incredible.

fuck you guys for talking about how much you love this band without even acknowledging all the racist skinhead neo-nazi stuff

― and what, Thursday, 31 July 2008 14:57 bookmarkflaglink

still one of my favourite ever ILX posts

It's funny, Ejector Seat sounds even more extreme to me, just layer upon layer of blown out guitars. I think it may have thrown their career off track. That one is badly in need of a reissue.

Also kind of funny to sample an anguished Kurt Cobain.

I had built ESR up so much in my mind (was hard to find in the US in the late 90s) that I was kinda let down at the time lol. Love “son of Jaguar e” and “the birds”

I love how they do this escalating thing on songs like "Duel" and "Bring Me the Head of the Fortune Teller" where each successive section introduces an even more impossibly massive guitar sound. It's almost like they are constantly trying to outdo themselves in a guitar arms race.

I Wasn't Born to Lose You still my favorite. '10s Swervedriver > '90s Swervedriver imo (narrowly), though I should probably take that to the controversial opinions thread.

That is quite challenging, for sure

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJc1HN2PxXI

remember seeing them in St. Paul a few years ago and still don't remember a British band that dressed so American

Saw them on their first USA tour that he talks about (Soundgarden/Swervedriver/Monster Magnet) which was really amazing.

(though he said it was 1991 but it was in fact spring 1992)

Yeah Swervedriver had hit America twice before that "A&M rocks out" lineup (which I saw as well) -- summer 1991 opening for Ned's Atomic Dustbin in a quick bicoastal stint IIRC then a separate tour near the start of 1992 with Ratcat opening. I saw them next on a Mezcal Head date but sadly never have seen them since.

The Mezcal Head date I saw them on had them opening for Smashing Pumpkins, a pretty good pairing given the Alan Moulder connection.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNH7ZngZcIo

Expanded reissue of 99th Dream on deck:

https://swervedriver.bandcamp.com/album/99th-dream-2

CD1 - '99th Dream' remastered extended album
99th Dream 5:27
Up From The Sea 3:24
She Weaves A Tender Trap 3:43
These Times 3:22
Electric 77 7:36
Stellar Caprice 3:47
Wrong Treats 4:24
You've Sealed My Fate 3:53
In My Time 4:32
Expressway 3:33
Behind the Scenes of the Sounds & the Times 7:05
Why Say Yeah 3:14
93 Million Miles From The Sun (..and Counting) 3:30
The Director's Cut of Your Life 4:41
Straight Thru Your Heart 4:06

CD2 - 'Mercury Lounge' - live in NYC 14th Jan 1998
Behind the Scenes of the Sounds & the Times 6:50
Sandblasted 5:01
She Weaves A Tender Trap 3:50
How Does It Feel To Look Like Candy 3:27
Duel 5:16
99th Dream 5:59
The Birds 3:19
Wrong Treats 4:07
Never Lose That Feeling 4:35
Rave Down 6:00
Kill the Superheroes 9:35
For Seeking Heat 3:56
Duress 13:23

CD3 - 'Doremi Faso Latido' - outtakes/demos
Butterfly 4:53
Canvey Island Baby 4:56
Up From The Sea 2:54
Straight Thru Your Heart 4:00
Sciflyer97 5:41
These Times 2:44
Carousel City 4:36
You've Sealed My Fate 3:32
Sea Foam 3:17
Wrong Treats 2:46
Cool Your Boots 4:34
Electric 77 6:54
Behind the Scenes of the Sounds & the Times 5:48
99th Dream (live TV) 5:41
Wrong Treats (live TV) 4:01

ohhhhhh yeahhhhhh!!!

stoked for disc 3

I’ve always wanted to hear the faster version of “these times” that was on the original geffen promo

this looks really cool, very intriguing selection of tracks

I would have included “good ships” over “93 million miles” personally

Had a real nice chat with Adam Franklin for the Quietus for a Baker's Dozen:

https://thequietus.com/articles/33716-adam-franklin-swervedriver-bolts-of-melody-bakers-dozen-favourite-music

Thanks for sharing Ned

Yer welcome!

Ha I did not see that particular Clash record making it, great anecdotes about Shake Appeal and the Swervies first US gig

Love that Bob Mould was an early fan, makes a lot of sense

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7afNL0UGre8

Ned,

On slide 14, the italics after "The Book Lovers EP" are not closed and continue for the remainder of the entry.

spex
macOS Sonoma 14.2.1.
Mozilla Firefox 121.0.1

Your editor,

Stephen Q. Shasta

Yeah caught that — will pass along!

The riffs on ‘Sons of Mustang Ford’ are so great. That whole first Cd is ace.

First two albums including their B-sides are perfect, great stuff.

Proud to say I played Son of a Mustang Ford and Rave Down a lot when Raise came out in the US, on my late night show on an AM carrier current college radio station to like five people.

First 2 albums are classic, but I think Ejector Seat and 99th Dream are also really good.

I absolutely love Raise (and the early EPs) but I could never get into anything on Mezcal Head except "Duel" & "Duress" and I tried some of the records after that and they were not my thing. I feel like I may be an outlier Swervedriver fan.

"Last Train to Satansville" is aces and another excellent B-side also from the second album set:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q0v5s8MkuKk

"Scrawl & Scream" was available on the Reel to Real EP that was released pre-Raise (summer 1991?) iirc.

"Last Train To Satansville" is 100% not for me.

I love all of it, but am an outlier insofar as I find the first one the hardest to get into.

Digging this Bolts of Melody album, but such a tease to bring in Besnard Lakes for such a brief appearance!