Swans

ANarcho-Munk

Are there any Swans fans out there?

I'm not sure if they are exactly 'experimental' but they are pretty wacky and have some far out music which would fit in with this forum. Some of their music is really thought provoking and reflective and other pieces of their music is just downright noise.

They were part of the New York no-wave scene and had a reputation for playing music at an incredibly loud volume while locking the doors to the venue they played in so everyone had to endure it. A lot of people apparently got sick and got their heads exploded at their concerts.:D

Locust Reign

Love what Swans I have! (Children Of God and Holy Money)
Very intense!
Any others you recommend?
Jarboe's solo stuff didnt appeal to me as much but the stuff with Neurosis is great!

Ghost Rider

Michael Gyra played upstairs in Doyle's on College Green in Dublin a few years back. It's a venue singularly lacking in atmosphere and normally I hate jerks with acoustic guitars but this was one of the most riveting gigs I've ever seen. Each song was towering and furious, as Gyra bellowed us into silence with that gargantuan baritone. Even the supposed "love songs" were terrifying.

I went on to Gyra's website a few days later to see if I could get one of his CDs. In the form you fill in there, you're invited to include a comment. I wrote something like "I hope it doesn't annoy you when people say they prefer your songs of hate to your songs of love."

I received the CD about 10 days later. It contained a note from Gyra which said. "THANKS A LOT! I HATE YOU!"

John

I love Swans. Definitely one of the most powerful bands out there. I used to have most of them on vinyl but traded them all when Gira put out those nice reissues. I kind of regret doing that though, luckily I kept hold of the things that haven't been reissued (I've a couple of promos with alternative takes).

Locust, the two you have are great but for really heavy Swans I recommend their live album Public Castration is a Good Idea and for a completely different sound try their "mainstream" album The Burning World (where they went into a Nick Cave-ish country vibe). **** it, just buy the whole back catalogue, it's all good. Then get some of Gira's solo stuff and his new band, The Angels of Light.

Jarboe is patchy, some good stuff dotted throughout her back catalogue (the Neurosis album is my favourite) but she never really excited me as a solo artist. Gira does though. I saw him in Birmingham a couple of months ago, outdoor stage on a sunny summer's afternoon and he scared the **** out of me! Absolutely intense man.

A friend of mine saw Swans a few times during the 80s in Belgium. They used to travel with their own PA because no venue's PA was ever loud enough for them. One time they came out and Gira just fell onto the stage naked, wailed for an hour and the band pummeled away at their instruments (apparently the bass was covered in blood as the bassist tore his hands up). All the time it was so loud people just went into a trance or threw up. Sounds like a great gig!

buck65

Diging this up from the grave but am interested in getting some Swans, what would be there best 4/5 records be?

rottenhat

You chaps know that a reformed Swans are playing here in October, I presume? Not sure if I'm prepared to break from my usual policy of avoiding bands that reform but I'm more tempted than I have been in a while.

markw999

I adore Soundtracks for the Blind

John

rottenhat wrote: »

You chaps know that a reformed Swans are playing here in October, I presume? Not sure if I'm prepared to break from my usual policy of avoiding bands that reform but I'm more tempted than I have been in a while.

Bearing in mind that everything that Gira does just sounds like him, I don't think it matters what band name he plays under.