Swans

Dean wrote: bytor2112 wrote: ^They absolutely do, just like most of the Post Rock bands listed on PA. All I think is that if bands like Godspeed (like Max mentioned), or Sigur Ros are here, then why shouldn't Swans be here? I'd say Prog-Related without a doubt.  Because we absolutely do not play "If Band X are here then Band Y should be here" games.   That argument has never worked and it will never work.

Triceratopsoil wrote: Swans are prog, most of their fans and many people who don't even enjoy the music would agree.

Don't you see what the problem really is?  Classic example of the "fit sub genre first, to hell with whether or not it is prog" syndrome in this website.   As for prog identity,  the label of progressive rock was applied after the fact to several bands from back in the day so, no, whether the band or their fans regularly identify themselves as prog is not really a foolproof acid test (though the thinking increasingly seems to be that it is).   I thought Bjork was an amazing addition but since then, the website is seemingly fighting shy of bold additions with greater determination.

I mean, if you simply pass this off as, say, an Amon Duul II track, I am not sure how many people are going to vociferously cry this is not prog.  Maybe change the date to 1972 also if that helps. 






Edited by rogerthat - March 03 2013 at 03:17

^^ rogerthat, no this is not the problem

As Dean said above, they were initially suggested to the PM team who has voted 'Move' and this is under evaluation in the post rock team (unless you hear metal in them, I don't) - in my opinion the most appropriate team on this website to decide based on what I have heard so far.

Please be patient and post tracks from their discography that can help the team make an evaluation. If they are finally rejected (and I can understand why) then you can always suggest them for prog related, if a SC is willing to sponsor them.

i love the Swans......they do have Prog type stuff going on in their sound.....but swans are quite a one off band anyways.....no matter what anyone says in this post wont put me off um one bit......The Seer was me fave album last year.

^I thought Tanner was the new member and Austin was only on the Math team.

Einsetumadur wrote: bytor2112 wrote: Okay, I understand. I guess Swans aren't PA's kind of "Progressive", that's fine. After listening to "Seer" by The Swans I was plainly shocked not to find them in the ProgArchives. The earlier albums might be different, but *this* album fits into all prog categories. It's justifiable to reject some ProtoProg bands or to draw a clear line between indie and 'prog' - that's a matter of opinion. But I don't see any scope of interpretation in the prog relevance of "The Seer". I suppose I'll never ever understand the addition criteria here.

Guldbamsen wrote: Einsetumadur wrote: bytor2112 wrote: Okay, I understand. I guess Swans aren't PA's kind of "Progressive", that's fine. After listening to "Seer" by The Swans I was plainly shocked not to find them in the ProgArchives. The earlier albums might be different, but *this* album fits into all prog categories. It's justifiable to reject some ProtoProg bands or to draw a clear line between indie and 'prog' - that's a matter of opinion. But I don't see any scope of interpretation in the prog relevance of "The Seer". I suppose I'll never ever understand the addition criteria here.     Hi there Max Don't worry - you're not the only one who thinks The Seer is (some kind of) prog. Plus, reading your reviews, I think your definitions of 'prog' and all that seem quite well founded.............. and you've got just as much to say as the next guy around here. The problem however of including an act like Swans is finding out just exactly where to put them(if indeed collabs would support the notion). Personally I put Swans in the same pot as Current 93, and while they're actually here under prog folk, it took a long time for folks to evaluate them.

Thank you for the clarifications  - it seemed to me the evaluation process stopped somewhere for no reason.

To me the solution is quite simple - and goes along well with your opinion, too. Simply because the given criteria basically allow a clear decision!

Prog Related:

7) Common sense - Nitpicking over the above listed criteria is not necessarily the correct way to evaluate a band for prog-related. Sometimes you just have to use some common sense and look at the big picture.

Exactly the kind of place where bands could go which clearly belong to this website, but which no-one really knows where to put, isn't it?   In my opinion these sentences are a perfect tool to solve problems such as these.

Things would be so much easier if these categories were regarded as what they should be:  1. a means to split the admins'/collabs' maintenance work,   2. a way to simplify the band research for the PA readers. Imposing more meaning and relevance to these categories, frankly spoken, appears to me like futile pigeonholing.

I think Swans deserves more attention here.

I'd love to see them included, just because I want to see what all of you people write about them haha

I guess prog fans *are* kind of their own race...haha