'87 though 90's: Cardiacs Dream Theater Rush Swans

A fun, for me anyway, 1987 to 1999 albums poll, which includes 5 studio album from each of the four bands plus 2 live albums from each band. I was thinking to make this multiple votes, but decided against it.   I would encourage people to list any favourites on the list beyond just that which they voted for. And please mention at least one studio album if you like enough as well as at least one live album. Also, based strictly on these albums, which is your favourite band here?

Cardiacs - A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window (1988)
Cardiacs - On Land and in the Sea (1989)
Cardiacs - Heaven Born and Ever Bright (1992)
Cardiacs - Sing to God (1996)
Cardiacs - Guns (1999)
Cardiacs - Cardiacs Live (1988) or All That Glitters Is a Mares Nest (1995)

Dream Theater - When Dream and Day Unite (1989)
Dream Theater - Images and Words (1992)
Dream Theater - Awake (1994)
Dream Theater - Falling Into Infinity (1997)
Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory (1999)
Dream Theater - Live at The Marquee (1993) or Once in a Live Time (1998)

Rush - Hold Your Fire (1987)
Rush - Presto (1989)
Rush - Roll the Bones (1991)
Rush - Counterparts (1993)
Rush - Test for Echo (1996)
Rush - A Show of Hands (1989) or Different Stages / Live (1998)

Swans - Children of God (1987)
Swans - White Light from the Mouth of Infinity (1991)
Swans - Love of Life (1992)
Swans - The Great Annihilator (1995)
Swans - Soundtracks for the Blind (1996)
Swans - Omniscience (1992) or Swans Are Dead (1998)

Cardiacs and Swans are the bands that I have been most into. And I was very into Rush at one time, and have heard all of those albums. Dream Theater I think it pairs well with Rush. I do regret not having Cardiacs' Song for Ships and Irons compilation here, but I stuck within the five studio albums plus two lives parameters. My top three studio albums from Cardiacs are On Land and in the Sea, Sing to God, and A Little Man and a House and the Whole World Window. And I love All That Glitters Is a Mares Nest (All That Glitters would get my Cardiacs vote today). With Swans it's hard not to do four, love Children of God, Soundtracks for the Blind, The Great Annihilator, and White Light From the Mouth of Infinity. While I do like the more acclaimed Swans Are Dead, I actually prefer the gentler and varied Omniscience (which comes out of what would be to many it's most accessible and melodic period) -- love the later Deliquescence too.

Not sure how I will vote. These days Swans does take it for me over Cardiacs (especially when including albums of the 2010s as well), but I love both. Hmm, maybe I'll go Children of God, but I could go for most of the Swans and Cardiacs albums.

Bonus: Post a favourite cover song from one of these albums:

"Dirty Boy" from the Sing to God cover album Singin' to God which I love:

Edited by Lewian - December 01 2022 at 16:40

Images and Words without doubt.

Two of those Cardiacs albums are the greatest of all time.  I remember seeing them at Stonehenge in 84 - they came on about 2 am between The Enid and Hawkwind.  Mind-blowing!

Dream Theater - Awake (1994)

Dream Theater - Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes from a Memory.

Dream Theater - Awake

Awake

Awake.

To quote a comment I once read, "Swans is everyone's favourite band to soundtrack their crushed and hopeless dreams."

I love Swans, as I have made abundantly clear this year. I find much variation across its discography, over the years, and within many albums. To me it is a band of very significant contrasts. I like contrast in music, I like the atmospheres, moods and grooves that Swans creates. I like how it can be brutal and noisy and then gentle and ethereal, although there often is a dark undercurrent. I listened to the live album Omniscient again this morning, and put a big smile on my face. It is those harder, ornery Swan-slapped moments, but also joy and beauty (Swans can make happy, pleasant music).   I love the folk qualities of White Light From the Mouth of Infinity, and Gira's vocals work well for a kind of heartland Americana.

In Children of God, which I ended up voting for, his rather preacheresque, gravelly and worn down vocals work well to give it something of an almost folk horror like edge while also being sardonic... To have Jarboe take a much greater part is brilliant -- I love the contrasts between them, and how they come together. It does feel like a transitional album -- it is those less easily digestible elements of the earlier albums as well as the greater accessibility and melodicism of ones that follow it.

I could eat up Swans every day. Speaking of eating up, in the Children of God/ World of Skin release that contains more music of the time not in the original Children of God release, right after the eponymous closing track comes "I'll Swallow You" which would make for a great closer methinks.

{edit, removed the vids as I think they add nothing to potential discussion, and it makes the thread less readable imo}

Edited by Logan - December 04 2022 at 00:20