TIME IS MONEY (BASTARD)

This single marks the first move away from the Swans original slow and sludgy sound and the first time that Jerboe appears on a Swans record. Everything previous to this was ultra-heavy and thick noise sludge rock. The first version of "Time is Money (Bastard)" has a more industrial dance sound to it, much lighter than their music from before. The rhythm on this is created by drums and a nail gun. Gira's vocals still have that angry sound to them nevertheless, but we are seeing a move away from that sludge metal from before and it is a first step to the excellent progressive rock that they would later adopt.

The 2nd track is called "Sealed in Skin". This one is much slower, pretty much the same slow plodding beat that they were known for on previous recordings, but this time, the wall of noise is not there. Gira's vocals are all in a low register, almost grumbling, and the music is dark and disturbing, but not sludgy like before. Even though this is more similar to their earlier music, it is also an indication that those noise rock days are done. This is also the first time piano was used in Swans music.

The last track is an alternate mix of "Time is Money (Bastard)". It is a also a longer version at just over 7 minutes. This is where Jerboe makes her debut with the Swans making the screaming noises heard throughout the track. It starts out with a quick looping sound of the nail gun before settling into the upbeat industrial rhythm, and Gira is repeating some words. It's all beat and vocal loops at the beginning, then Gira starts with his non-melodic vocals. The beat is more unrelenting and heavy this time around. Unfortunately, it is less interesting than the other two tracks since there is much else going on here than what was described.

Of course, this is a sought after item for Swans fans because of the limited availability of the tracks. I don't really see that it will be that appealing to anyone else, but it is a landmark recording for the band because it marked the move away from their extreme music from before. It has 2 great tracks and one long repetitive track. 3 stars.