They're virtually the only band from the 80s that /mu/ and hipster music publications talk about and seem to have a genuine thriving fanbase of mostly new people. I'm willing to start all the way from Filth to The Glowing Man just to see what all the hubbub's about. Am I missing out on the greatest band ever and is this the correct way to approach their work??
>>66367959
Start with Children of God, then go to the Great Annihilator, then move forward in time, then go back to Filth, then move forward in time until you've listened to it all
>>66367997
I've seen that post rock and Swans flow chart, why do people always want to start with their mid 90s/80s stuff? If filth just a bad starting point?
>>66368049
yeah, early swans is not for everyone
don't skip the live albums either, that is half of the fun
>>66368106
>>66368049
tempted to actually make a newer chart that's more linear than the one extant
give me like 30 minutes
>>66368141
>>66368106
nice trip. Anyway weren't they part of that pretentious no wave thing? What really amazes me is how much they've fucking evolved just skimming over their genres and lineup I think, Makes radiohead's progression look like child's play
>>66367959
Don't listen to anything made after 1996. Don't listen to Burning World. Go to town.
>>66368382
>Don't listen to anything made after 1996. Don't listen to Burning World.
youre joking right?
>>66367959
You're missing out
I'd hop around starting out probably, like go from filth and cop to tbk or the seer then piecemeal it from there and stuff
>>66368632
it's like do they even have a definite genre?
>>66368708
oral fixation-core
>>66367959
It's pretty amusing how big they've gotten, it used to be only goths who listened to Swans in the 80s and 90s, now my 15 year old brother listens to them
>>66368736
>>66368738
I'm pretty surprised to
>>66368759
There's a lot about mouths and biting and i dunno i gotta go to bed
>>66368808
ah. explains the seer and filth cover
>>66368850
just got back from seeing them. Front row no ear plugs. My ears are fucked, but worth
>>66368738
It's damn impressive what Gira managed to pull off.
tell me what you think...
>>66368106
>Early Swans is not for everyone
It's best Swans tho
>>66368246
Yeah they were, however it's very good (at least IMO). I think chronologically is a very very interesting way to listen to them, since you get to grasp their whole evolution
>>66369803
>excluding My Father...
>no sign of Angels Of Light mention
>no Body Lovers
dude...
otherwise it is ok
>>66369803
>Disliking Public Castration
Fucking kill yourself Tuco
>>66369803
Wow! I appreciate the effot you've put into this. I'll definitely head your adivce
>>66369803
>starting with CoG
Nope.
>>66369849
wow man
I don't dislike it at all
>>66369828
shit onion
>>66369839
I fixed it, pls no bully
>>66369987
nahhh, Children of God is a flying start, it't definitely the most Swansy Swans album
>>66369994
How do you go through all the trouble of making something like this but not bother making sure the album covers are square? What's wrong with you? Didn't your parents raise you not to do shit like this?
>>66370053
probably not, got kinda rushed towards the end there
>>66369994
>Up a Rope To Heaven
It's My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky
>>66370103
shit, thanks, fixed
>>66369987
I'm actually into post-rock and would've sincerely been turned down by Swans if I started with SftB... Not that I just listen to lush post-rock but I thought the project lacked substance around its concept
>>66370033
It's not, actually. It's a culmination of their mid era, but doesn't say much about the band's capabilities.
>>66370166
>culmination of their mid era
nah, album is incredibly ahead of it's time, pre-empted the mid period whilst also staying true to the harsher roots
to be honest, you could actually start with Great Annihilator, I prefer Children of God though
>>66367959
People always wanna give their flowcharts and contrived ways to listen to Swans. I say there's no right way to listen to them, I started with To Be Kind, as did most, yet that one is almost never recommended as a starting point, merely because their 90s material is easier to digest (Excluding Soundtracks For The Blind)
Order doesn't matter at all. The only thing that's important is going in with an open mind and realizing the band has covered a wide variety of sounds and disliking one album doesn't mean you'll dislike all of them.
I'll try and divide them up in linear order of release
>Stage 1
Filth
>Stage 2
Cop
Young God (EP)
>Stage 3
Greed
Time Is Money (EP)
Holy Money
A Screw (EP)
>Stage 4
Children of God
>Stage 5
The Burning World
>Stage 6
White Light From The Mouth Of Infinity
Love Of Life
>Stage 7
The Great Annihilator
>Stage 8
Soundtracks For The Blind
Swans Are Dead (Live, necessary)
>Stage 9
My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky
>Stage 10
The Seer
>Stage 11
To Be Kind
The Glowing Man
If you dislike any albums within a stage, just jump to a different one. This is obviously really, really simplifying things, I'm not even giving out any details of the sounds in lace. But just know almost all albums have their own sound, they never really stick with the same thing.
fixed square albums a bit
If you are a real man then listen to Filth, Cop, Holy Money, Greed and Public Castration all at once.
Is the most brutal experience ever designed by /moo/
>>66370409
I've never listened to any swans (gonna change that soon). Is public castration a meme or is it just that brutal? and how/why?
>>66370269
thanks. That's a great analysis of the many phases of this band
>>66367959
Filth is going to be great, and Cop might be even better if you like Filth. Then comes the gospel-era Swans, which is usually hit-or-miss. After that is post-punk Swans, which is pretty thumbs up. Then come sad, country Swans. I don't care too much for that era. The album that comes after the breakup, My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky, doesn't really count as a Swans record imo. It was originally intended for Angels of Light, Gira's side project. Everything after that is absolutely fantastic.
>>66370510
It's brutal. It moves so slow but is so incredibly loud. It's probably the most draining album ever made.
>>66370510
Are you interested on listening to a dude HOWLING over a tribal drum and weird noises during 90 minutes?
It's a very heavy experience desu.
>>66370510
Listen to 10 seconds of the first song on it and you will have your answer
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4kOFjjwME8
>>66367959
>am i missing out on the greatest band ever
yeah kinda
>>66368049
>is filth a bad starting point
here is what great annihilator sounds likes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBJA4fx-BXo
here is what filth sounds like:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RFR_eBXK3p0
they're trying to do you a favor.
>>66368708
No, at first they were a Glenn Branca tribute band/ Sonic Youth's school shooter older brother (no wave), then they became a gothic folk band, and now they're kind of like Mogwai with more Led Zeppelin
If you want to know why people like them now you should go directly to To Be Kind
>>66370269
This. I started at Filth and loved it. Though I can see why not starting at "Public Castration" is a good idea
I can't find a good link for Swans are Dead anywhere online. It's one of the few Swans albums I don't have. Can one of you lovelies help me out?
Also this is the best starting point if you think swans is scary.
