10 (less/ more) Swans tracks from 10 (-/+) albums

Inspired by some other recent topics in part, I am covering what became the most important band to me in PA over the last couple of years. Please try to mention ten tracks each coming from a different release (can be studio, live, EP...). Please mention both the track and album name. You can mention a track from more than 10 releases and also from less than 10, even just one. Many who know some Swans will not have heard enough to participate otherwise.

I'm doing this in chronological album order.

Sex, God, Sex (Children of God, 1987)
Blind (White Light From the Mouth of Infinity, 1991)*
Love of Life (Omniscience, 1992)**
Mind / Body / Light / Sound (The Great Annihilator, 1995)
Helpless Child (Soundtracks for the Blind, 1996)
A Piece of the Sky (The Seer, 2012)
Bring the Sun / Toussaint L'Ouverture (To Be Kind, 2014)
The Glowing Man (The Glowing Man, 2016)
What Is This? (leaving meaning., 2019)
The Beggar Lover (Three) (The Beggar 2023)

* "Blind" was not originally released on White Light From the Mouth of Infinity, but on Michael Gira's solo album Drainland from 1995. That said, Blind is from the original sessions recorded for for White Light but was left off early releases of the album. I find it so beautiful.
** "Love of Life" is the title track on Swans 1992 studio album, but I prefer the version on the live from the same year, Omniscience. And I do find it joyful.

Some might notice Jarboe lacking (and maybe needs more cowbell too) above despite loving those years, and while I love the contrast of Gira and Jarboe (she brought so much more melodicism to the music) I often find my fave ones to have Michael Gira as vocalist (he also often does the longer ones).

And for who are really keen (that being me), you can do a second or even a, third, fourth etc. list if you like (again does not have to cover ten albums/ have ten songs).

Here is my second track list using the same albums:

Children of God (Children of God, 1987)
Song for Dead Time (White Light From the Mouth of Infinity, 1991)
Mother's Milk (Omniscience, 1992)
Killing for Company (The Great Annihilator, 1995)
The Sound (Soundtracks for the Blind, 1996)
The Seer (The Seer, 2012)
Just a Little Boy (For Chester Burnett) (To Be Kind, 2014)
Frankie M (The Glowing Man, 2016)
The Nub (leaving meaning., 2019)
Ebbing - (The Beggar 2023)

And I plan to put together a playlist later with all of the mentions from people.

Here is a playlist that included the tracks in our top top-ten. https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXcp9fYc6K4Jpu5pGJwWc9dAuExtmweNE


Edited by Logan - August 07 2023 at 15:06

^ Very much appreciated. I have not payed as much attention to My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky as most Swans albums, and I really enjoyed listening to "Eden Prison". That's an album I want to give more focus to in the future. I had avoided pre-Children of God albums but then found that I like music there (but then I can like it pretty dang brutal and noisy).

I made a playlist (for my benefit mostly) with both of our top ten tracks from 10 albums (tried for chronological, but I included "Blind" in a 1991 position even though it was not released then and became a bonus track later -- had been recorded for the White Light sessions, but was released on Drainland in 1995). There are 18 so far we both chose Blind and The Glowing Man). Some others of yours could have easily made my list as particular favourites from the albums.

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXcp9fYc6K4Jpu5pGJwWc9dAuExtmweNE




Edited by Logan - August 07 2023 at 14:32

Prog-jester wrote: yep "Blind" deserves to be on a Swans record, thanks YG records for fixing that hehe I had avoided pre-Children of God albums but then found that I like music there interestingly the 80-90s albums are the ones I started with back when I'd discovered the band (2007, 2008?). Filth was my favourite anger management soundtrack ahah, but now I'd say all these releases between Filth and Children Of God are absolutely non-essential

I bet Filth would have worked a charm for me at various times in my life. Still would. While Children of God up is still MY Swans, I then much later checked out Filth and found I appreciated it (I have to be in the right mood, which might be the "wrong" or not best of moods). I remember listening to the pretty highly regarded and brutal Live album Public Castration Is a Good Idea, and that was tough.

I like music off Holy Money even if it's hardly a favourite album of mine and I like the EP THE Screw especially from 1986. I really like this version of The Screw which is on Holy Money / A Screw, which was given a 2016 release. https://swans.bandcamp.com/album/holy-money-a-screw





Edited by Logan - August 07 2023 at 21:04

^ Personally speaking, I prefer Ride a White Swan, but there's nothing wrong with a crazy obsession, just so long as it's not THAT song by Mariah Carey. 

Psychedelic Paul wrote: ^ Personally speaking, I prefer Ride a White Swan, but there's nothing wrong with a crazy obsession, just so long as it's not THAT song by Mariah Carey.

To reference a Beyoncé song, I'd rather be Crazy in Love with Swans than crazy in love with a swan. Think of the fowl off-spring that this honky and that honker would produce if I ever rode that white swan. Or come to think, don't think about it. Hell, I'd rather get it on and bang a gong. I like T.Rex, by the way.

Basically imagine this except that it's a very white guy riding a very white swan.

Saperlipopette! wrote: I'm already thinking about it but it may take a while finishing (going back and fourth, changing my mind).

I look forward to your list. I don't think I would have been comfortable making just one.

And on a side-note, I was listening through the playlist as I added my three and Prog-jester's and it reminds me of how important it is to listen to full albums as you get the contrast, the flow, the transitions... I have managed to put together some playlists that do work for me by curating music that I think works well together for flow and contrast.

Edited by Logan - August 10 2023 at 11:17

^ I really should have added The Knot from Deliquescence. It is amazing and the main reason I forgot is that I had the album in mp3 form and my Android phone was broken (it's mostly for The Knot that I had wanted to hear it). Will have to put it on my iPhone now. I too warmed up to The Seer over time, but still prefer To Be Kind. That said, Piece of the Sky immediately became one of my favourite Swans tracks. I should listen to Love of Life more, Amnesia is a great track. And it is such a special period from Swans, but then one reason why I respect Swans so much is that they have eras of music, each special in its own way (and some one-off type albums and tracks). I listened to all of White Light from the Mouth of Infinity and think about how Hercules mentioned that he would rather stick needles in his eyes and do other self-harm things than listen to Swans (based on certain modern Swans, I think, though not specified there, and not on a decent exploration into the discography -- could understand such a visceral reaction to early Swans especially)... But I find White Light, which I have recommended to him and other like him, to be beautiful and have up-lifting music. With varied bands with long careers, it's often a matter of finding the right music from the career for your tastes. Judge the album, judge the song, often rather than the band and avoid making generalisations. You might not like it much, but at least you might recognise that listening to that would be better than mutilating your body (hyperbole of course, and some might find it amusing).

Anyway, I ramble, just woke up and off out soon. Look forwards to offering my top ones from Can (which will not be very original looking list as Can has widely recognised classics that I adore).

^ That's a very good listing of albums and does cover most of the essentials for me. If you plan to expand, I would suggest White Light From the Mouth of Infinity as your next. And I also happen to love The Great Annihilator.

Here's White Light on bandcamp if anyone wants to listen to check it out there: https://swans.bandcamp.com/album/white-light-from-the-mouth-of-infinity and on youtube (listed by Swans): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUcXHQ7VorrUQ4VcKSRo598i_8AhQplL_

Michael Gira has been very good about making most of his Swans music freely available at bandcamp and youtube. Good to support the music for those who can and really enjoy it. And to support through getting the limited releases that have acted as fundraisers EPs, lives....) Great value too.

Of course, as said, people are free to list a track from 10 or more or less releases (studio, live, EP...) and one can do multiple lists (I did three). Even if there is just one song you like, that's fine and if it is not already on the playlist, I will include it. I like to focus on tracks, but for those who do not stream music, I would understand those being less keen on listing individual tracks, partially it becomes so easy to review the tracks quickly if one's memory is a bit rusty. And looking at the discography pages helps me to remember. It can be quite time-consuming to come up with satisfactory lists especially with ones that is not hugely familiar with. I have been living and breathing Swans for about a year and a half or two since Swans came up in one of Paul's topics and I suggested to him "Blind" (he had checked out some of the really early material and I did not think that was the best place to start for his tastes/ tolerance).

Blind is the song that most got me into Swans (loved Helpless Child before that but it was not until hearing Blind that I deeply explored the discography from Children of God up -- the earlier than that music is mostly hard for me to listen to).



"Now some of us are weak and some endure
Some people live their life, with a violence that's pure and clean
But I saw a man cry once, down on his knees
In the corner of a darkened cell, and his pain meant nothing to me
But I was younger then young men never die
When I walked out in the sun, I was strong, clear-minded and blind
Now don't say a prayer for anyone, it doesn't do any good
Please don't ask me questions, it'd just be misunderstood
And if you could step inside me you'd feel what hatred brings
And if you saw with my eyes, you'd see what self-deception means...." (Michael Gira - Blind)

This is an excerpt of my favourite Gira (the man behind Swans) lyrics.



Edited by Logan - August 14 2023 at 18:45

^ Nice choices. :) Helpless Child and A Piece of the Sky in particular are two of my very, very favourite Swans tracks, and those are my favourite tracks from those albums.