What was the album that did it for you?
got into them after high school last year, started off with great annihilator, then their newer stuff, everything else after
I don't force myself to like something if I don't really like or care for it at first at all, honestly.
To Be Kind, specifically the song Just A Little Boy.
>>65376826
I didn't force myself to like them. It happened something like this:
>see soundtracks for the blind discussed on here about two years ago
>give it a short listen
>didn't like
>keep seeing threads about To be kind
>Listen to a song or two
>still don't like
>be last week
>randomly on YouTube and see swans interview
>watch it
>decide to listen again
>fall balls deep in love with their music
I heard a song from Filth played on the radio while i was baking cookies
>>65376787
First Swans album I listened to was Filth, then went straight to Soundtracks for the Blind. I didn't quite understand Soundtracks so I thought It'd be better if I went back to get some context. I went through each studio album in order, only sidetracking to listen to the essential live albums. By the time I reached soundtracks for the second time, I've enjoyed several of Swans' albums. I decided for my second time listening to Soundtracks I'd listen to it at night, in complete darkness while blind folded. It was in that moment that Swans became the greatest band ever for me.
>>65377081
>in complete darkness while blind folded
What's the point of the blindfold then?
>>65377138
light from the computer, guess complete darkness isn't the best description. Plus the moonlight was coming in from outside
Is there some place I can read the back stories to their albums? I am really interested by the talking samples and what that's all about. I tried Wikipedia, but they don't really have much info.
>>65376787
Filth got me into swans. Father and Seer almost made me forget how great they were. Nervous about listening to new baby album.
I just listened to Filth and was instantly blown away desu. All the albums from their no wave era are masterpieces.
Can't get into anything they released after Children Of God though.
Go to bed jesse
>>65376787
Seeing them live with my girlfriend on their last tour. It was like stepping into a different reality for 2 1/2 hours. Absolutely mesmerizing
>>65376787
i started listening to them with the song Children of God (wouldn't hear the album until like two years later), and since I was a broke ass neet back then I just listened to individual songs from the Children of God and folk era on youtube (refused to pirate back then also). eventually i got a job and bought The Seer, and that was their first full album I listened to, but by that point I already considered myself somewhat a fan.
>>65376787
I started first with SFTB and didn't like it. Then I tried Filth and loved it, now I like their whole discography
>>65377590
Well, those are the best IMHO. Soundtracks is worth a listen, even though it's a compilation/career retrospective. I hear good things about White Light.
>>65377384
this tbqhwy
>>65376787
Tried Children of God several times to no avail, but eventually forced myself to sit through it. Listened to the first two tracks to The Great Annihilator and thought it was pretty good. Then went back to Filth and enjoyed it.
>>65376787
My first Swans album was The Seer. I hated it. For a long time, I didn't listen to them again, but one night I was bored and tried Filth. Filth was something I like much, much more than The Seer, and I checked out their other early stuff and liked it.
I still hate The Seer though.
Also, is it just me, or is Stay Here an incredibly sad song?
>>65376787
First album I listened to was To Be Kind. It was hard not to like, the groove of the album is infectious. When I went back through the discography I wasn't really that impressed until Children of God, and then the last two 90s albums. That earlier work that I like is a bit too depressing for me to listen to regularly, but the comeback albums get played often.
>>65376787
I was watching a documentary about punk music and at one point they started talking about no wave, particularly artists like Glenn Branca, James Chance, and Suicide.
I decided to give them a listen on YouTube, and one of the tracks from Filth showed up in the recommendations, so I gave that a listen as well.
As soon as the song started playing, I was absolutely mind blown. It was unlike anything I had ever heard prior to that.
Eventually I decided to check some of their other releases.
>>65377819
>>65377892
>>65377977
A little surprising to see the majority in this thread agree with me on Filth. I don't know if I would exactly call Stay Here sad, but it's definitely heavy as hell.
For me, I don't think any moment in Swans repertoire can top the 39 second mark on Blackout. It's like the sky just fell and made the pavement and I one in the same.
>>65376787
I was reading a list on a website of supposedly "scary" songs, Cop and Coward were both on the list. I listened to Cop first and thought it was great, but after listening to Coward I was truly blown away. They've been my favorite band ever since.
>finally
Swans clicked for me the first time I heard them.
>all these plebs not listening to discographies chronologically
>>65378286
But almost everybody itt started with Filth
Unless you count the s/t ep
>>65376787
This is one of those bands were the style of the music really matches the bands appearance well.
>>65378439
shit u rite im dumb
I never really connected with their albums - but I kept hearing that they were awesome live, so I went and I immedately thought it was the best concert I'd ever gone to. that said I think they've been getting even better at making engaging studio albums, but if you want you mind blown, see them live if you can - and bring earplugs, if you think you'll need to be able to hear anything else the following couple of days
>>65379686
but if I had to pick a couple, Public Castration is a Good Idea achieves some sort of pinnacle of heaviness out of all the music I've heard, but I'd honestly just recommend To Be Kind
I got into Swans when I was ~15 (10 years ago), and stopped listening to them shortly after TBK was released because anything post-reformation is terrible and you're all embarrassing, clueless adolescents.
>>65379751
o and the album was Cop
>>65376787
Cop did it for me. So good.
>>65376787
I grew out of them when I graduated highschool.
>>65376787
Filth.
>>65379751
Actually this is a lie. Stopped listening to them when I was 18-19, but reappraised their stuff upon reformation. But yeah I cannot stress how much I dislike their new material/fanbase.
>>65376787
Either on Avatar or the end of Feel happiness. The day I saw them live though was when they flew into my top 10
>>65379751
You need to look at this thread a little more closely, most of the people here including me think Filth is their best work and the vast majority ITT think old Swans is superior to new Swans.
Bunch of hipster faggots ITT. Tbk and seer are grade A.
The Seer
>>65376787
First time I heard Soundtracks for the Blind back in like 2008 or 2009. Liked them immediately.
>>65376787
Soundtracks for the blind got me like.
>>65376787
children of god. the religious stuff i can relate to
>>65376787
Went through everything chronologically, even all the Live albums + bootlegs.
Holy Money is still my favorite, and is easily the album that kept my interest for what's been years.
>>65380730
this
>>65377374
this please
Tried SFTB, was pretty weird but liked songs like Sound and Helpless Child. Tried The Seer, really liked Lunacy. Tried TBK, liked Just a Little Boy, Screenshot and stuff. Went and grew from that, now I like 80%+ of their output. I find the '90s and later albums more relistenable than the no wave stuff though.
>finally
i liked them the first time i listened to them bcos i dont have pleb ears
The Great Annihilator was the one that did it for me
Luckily, I never did because I would be a pretty shit person to support a rapist
I started off with the seer. I didn't like it at all at the time. It just confused me. A year later, give it a listen and it all lined up. 10/10 band. One of the best discographies of all time
>>65382414
>all lined up
I see what you did there anon
This is the official, PROVEN GUIDE to liking music made by the Swans.
Step 1: Find a Swans album
Step 2: Listen to it
Step 3: If you liked it listen to more albums
Step 4: If you didn't like it maybe give their other albums a try because they have approached different genre's over the years
It's not hard, just listen to 'em. They aren't even that weird or punishing, if you listen to like any extreme metal or more abrasive types of music their early material won't be too heavy for you in terms of pure sound, then for a couple of years they were just making great arty post punk/alternative rock, now they've been doing their own unique take on post-rock which, aside from the length, is perfectly listenable if you like stuff like Godspeed You! Black Emperor. The only record they have that's truly weird is Soundtracks for the Blind, but they've got loads of other material to listen to. Basically just stop asking how to get into the Swans because all you have to do is listen to them, it's not a puzzle.
Started hearing fuss about to be kind and got hooked on screen shot immediatly, then I just worked my way back. My favorite record of them is still to be kind but second would be soundtracks for the blind or swans are dead
Filth did it for me, randomnly came in while at the gym.
>>65383483
Hit a deadlift 1RM 20 lbs higher than I thought I could do yesterday while listening to Greed.
Early Swans is GOAT gym material
>>65376787
Their album To Be Kind got me hooked. Like their later stuff more than their nowave and noise albums.
>>65376787
heard them around the time TBK was announced and everyone was hyping them up, checked out FIlth first only because it was their fisrt album and nearly shat myself listening to it.
>all these embryos that literally discovered swans through this board/after they reformed
I literally choose to share a website with you, lol@me
>>65384860
agreed bands like swans should reform as secretly as possible so that no one new can become a fan... more fans => shit band
>>65384891
you're a silly cunt, and your post meant nothing.
>>65384930
you must have started liking swans later than I have
just admit it you were late find some other band now this train is full
>>65384976
not sure, how long ago did you start listening to them?
>>65384989
1981
>>65385045
well I started listening to them in '67
bore off, kiddo
>>65385056
you beat me
you are the ultimate swan
>>65384349
Nice! I always put it on when i need that extra push
I was never "finally" into swans. I got into them over 10 years ago when I was an edgy teen.
Since i'm a GY!BE fan Soundtracks for the Blind made it for me.
>>65376787
The first album I enjoyed by them was Soundtracks for the Blind honestly just the whole aura of that album captivated me.
>>65385219
>being this old
>still on 4chan
>>65385933
Remember you are here forever.
>>65385946
>implying jap moot won't destroy this site within the next few years
>>65376787
listened to filth after seeing their stuff recommended to me on youtube, pleb i know, but it works
>>65383423
What are their more post punk albums?
I'm not that into noise/industrial and what I've heard from their post-rock stuff they are pretty good.
Recommended them by friend. Listened to filth and fell in love. Stay here is the most played song on my phone
>>65386139
Everything before Children of God is noise rock/no wave. kind of industrial. Children of God retains a lot of that but is much more accessible and has several songs that could fit on the later records. Burning World is very accessible, quite light and folky compared to everything else. Kind of their pop record. White Light, Love of Life, and Great Annhilator are the post-punk/gothic rock albums.
>>65386139
Just go listen to White Light From the Mouth of Infinity. If you like that, listen to Children of God, The Great Annihilator, Children of God and Love of Life. They have a really rewarding discography overall, although Children of God is very understated and overrated IMO. Still good obviously, just not their best by a long shot.
FLEX YOUR MUSSLS
Soundtracks For The Blind is the first album I heard from them when I was 16. Also the first album I checked out because of RYM after discovering the website in ~2008 or 2009. It really blew me away right there and then. Didn't find it too weird because my desire to search for more music at the time was boosted big time from Gorguts' Obscura and Beefheart's Trout Mask Replica. I slowly got more into them from there over the years, and now they are my favorite band.
>>65377374
>>65377819
Go to the Young God records website. Every Gira related release on there has a nice write-up by Gira himself about what was going on when those releases were being made.
>>65376787
Soundtracks for the Blind
Too bad Gira is a rapist. Can't bring myself to listen to their music anymore.
>>65387883
What's your RYM?
Bow down to the superior album
>>65388305
Don't actually have one. Just use the website in general to find new music. Though I honestly should make one considering how many times this question has been asked.
At this point I am honestly kinda scared to make one due to the amount of music I have listened to and then rating everything I have listened to.
>>65388427
I know a lot of people say that Greed/Holy Money aren't worth listening to just listen to Public Castration, but Greed/Holy Money have such a unique feel to them. There was nobody in the no wave scene that was approaching music the way Swans did at that time.
>>65388524
To me it's the hands down epitome of early Swans. It's to the point where I can't even wrap my head around anyone favoring Filth. It's more aggressive I guess. I know lots of people flock to early Swans for just that reason ;) but I think this album keeps that aggression and adds this huge spooky atmosphere and quality Jarboe goodness that makes it all so much more interesting. Also superior lyrics to any Swans album imo.
>>65388199
Quality meme!
[spoiler]To Be Kind[/spoiler]
I didn't get into Swans, Swans got into me.
>>65389288
oh no...
