A Guide to SWANS 

I love how the whole video is nearly the length of two Swans songs

I met Michael Gira in Dallas after seeing him for the first time. I shook his hand and told him I loved his work more than anything in the world... And he grunted and drew a squiggly line on my copy of to be kind and moved on to the next person

Hit that like button so this goes to the top Swans EP - 2:33 Filth - 3:06 Cop - 5:40 Young God EP - 7:11 Time Is Money (Bastard) - 7:59 Greed - 9:27 Holy Money - 11:27 A Screw - 13:04 Public Castration Is A Good Idea - 13:18 Children of God - 14:03 The Burning World - 17: 31 White Light From The Mouth Of Infinity - 20:31 Love of Life - 24:30 The Great Annihilator - 26:09 Soundtracks For The Blind - 29:27 My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky - 34:08 The Seer - 36:48 To Be Kind - 39:35 The Glowing Man - 42:58

You are a godsend to music discussion

These are the most intimidating album covers I've ever seen

"White Light From The Mouth of Infinity" is one of the finest, most amazing albums ever made

I wear my Public Castration t-shirt with pride.

The brilliance of "Swans are Dead" should not be understated. Possibly the best and most amazing live record by the band there is.

BE STRONG BE HARD

I can definitely say starting with their later material might be the best way to introduce yourself to Swans. My best friend was a huge fan of Gira and it wasn't until I heard The Angels of Light's second album that I paid any attention to Gira. A few years later my best friend passed away. He had never seen Swans or AoL live. I find out they were playing near me during The Seer tour and I felt like it was a pilgrimage I had to take. I did find The Seer to be a much more tolerable album that I did enjoy. I went to the show alone, not knowing what to expect. I had heard about their old tours, but what I got was this hypnotic surge, a wall of sound. Some people decided it was too much for them and they retreated towards the back of the venue though I stayed. It was primal and spiritual. I emailed Gira shortly after that show. Thanking him for the experience. I had told him about my best friend and how much he adored him and that the experience was meant more to me than what I could fully write out. He took the time to reply and thanked me for my words.

i really like listening to Swans when falling asleep. their repetitive, hypnotic style really sounds like hypnagogia and it's quite fitting for falling asleep (and is also quite pleasent to wake up)

I met Michael Gira and he told me off for giving him a handshake with my left hand. RIP

in a nutshell: SWANS has a shit load of records and they all AWESOME

I found SWANS a few years ago after watching Fantano's review of To Be Kind and shortly after listening to that album, I found this video and have watched it 3 or 4 times since my journey listening to SWANS to contextualize the deep dive. I've never had a band like this and every time I've listened to an album of theirs and not liked it, I've come back later and had that clicking "oh shit" moment. Just a cool thing that both this video and their discography exist. Love SWANS and Soundtracks is one of my favorite albums of all time, in part because of this video.

You should do The microphones/ Mount Eerie!

I love how primitive, primordial and intuitive Filth is. Just listen to the snares and cymbals on the first track, how spontaneous they are. This album is pure emotion, unfiltered energy. Great video as always, keep it up.

A great, great band.I've been a fan since "Children Of God" in 1987.I saw them perform in London 1992, and they were magnificent. When Michael sang "Failure, (the most heartbreaking tracks I have heard in the last twenty seven years) many people were in tears. Thanks for the sterling overview. It has been long overdue.

Do John Zorn next, it's not like I'm asking too much. 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I've loved Swans since the late 80's, this was excellent for people yet to discover this essential music

13:23 I can attest to public reaction from wearing the Public Castration shirt around town...unfortunately it's mostly nonexistent with the occasional "oh geez haha"

4:20 So, you're saying it was White Light on The Face of Oliver? Sorry, I'll see myself out.

This video is absolutely amazing, you describe Swans with such detail and passion; there is not a wasted moment in this entire 46 1/2 minute video. It's rare to find this much quality and effort put into videos in general, forget videos on indie music. Besides the quality of your work, this also helped me get into a band that I was going at the wrong way -- I've been listening to their most recent two or three albums, trying to get into Swans, but I never realized what I needed to hear was their early stuff. I've had to pause this video several times and come back to it, I was just so captivated by their music.

Why am I just finding this channel? This is some of the most detailed and thorough music commentary I have seen on RU-vid. I actually believe he has listened to all of these albums not just skimmed them to talk about the newest release. Excellent work!

Awesome summary, such a consistent channel. I would love to hear a Scott Walker guide from you, his discography is so fascinating.

Excellent overview again! I really appreciate your channel in a really significant way and hope you keep doing it for as long as you can!

I love Swans. Their early music makes me think of walking in some darkly lit corridor with stone walls, deep deep underground and I’m walking past cells of tormented doomed men who I can’t fully see because of the poor light but some of them are screaming at me in anger some of them are pleading for freedom, some of them are insane and others are just curled up on the floor crying. I can’t see what’s at the end of the corridor because it’s dark and I can hear a hammering noise but can’t tell if it’s ahead of me or behind me and something really horrible is happening, has happened or is about to happen.

I saw the 'Great Annihilator', 'Soundtracks For the Blind, & 'To Be Kind' tours. All three were killer. 'To Be Kind' was the best. One of the best concerts I've ever been to in my life. 'Great Annihilator' was also a real kick to the balls. Favorite release? 'Cop'. Good luck toppin' that one in terms of sheer heaviness, kids... Note: a couple times in the video, the narrator says that Christoph Hahn had been in the band since its beginnings in '82. He actually came around in '88.

I've been on such a deep Swans mood lately that I keep coming back to that video and rewatch what you had to say for each individual album I'm hung unto at that given point. Swans' music is really an experience that keeps on giving, one should never take their work for granted or think they cracked it open after just one listen.

Do the residents or Boris next

Already knew you, but your guide just got posted by my local Swans gig venue. Thx for all the inspirations.

this is a definitive appreciation of Swans, and especially incredible to watch as a Swans fan and all. Inspired to comment, primarily, because of your appreciative nod to the My Father... record. I love that one so much! My Birth and No Words/No Thoughts are incredible apocalyptic jams and deserve so much love, though hearing Lunacy right around when To Be Kind came out (and seeing them live the first time) was what sold me on Swans and the art of M Gira and company. Great video mate, thanks for taking the time effort and love to do this.

Wow such a beautiful and articualte description of why you love their music. I was intrduced to swans with "to be kind" and i was instantly mesmerized by the groups ability to put emotions and feelings in their music. On songs like "she loves us", "kirsten supine" and "to be kind" , i was completely overwhelmed by emotion and at the end of the album I felt absolutely exhausted. I loved it. After watching this video and hearing your expert deconstruction of all the albums, i cant wait to work my way down swans discography. Thanks alot for sending me down the swan hole :)

I'm a Great Annihilator man myself. I think it does the best job of summarizing the band's journey as a whole, firmly rooted in the post-punk stylings of White Light and Love of Life but also occasionally recalling the aggression of their no-wave material as well as foreshadowing their future post-rock direction with songs like Warm and Telepathy. Actually, I might be so bold as to say that if any one song in their career could hope to summarize the band's sound as a whole, it's Alcohol The Seed. Grinds like the early stuff, builds like the recent stuff, and incorporates lush sonic detail like the mid period, all with Gira's imagery intact and condensed into 3 and a half minutes.

Bro you def did your research and have an inspiring respect for music. Thank you for this. It is the best review/conversation about Swans that I have seen. Great job mate

Thank you for this! Just finished listening to “To Be Kind”. I’m completely mesmerized. Looked through their enormous catalogue and went straight to RU-vid looking for something like that which you just provided. Thanks brother! Can’t wait to dive in to their music.

Oliver, a fantastic guide. My favorite thing about your channel is, you sound like you're sitting in my living room passionately describing music that you enjoy. I appreciate your attention to noisier, grimier bands that sometimes my friends are unwilling to dip into.

Gira has one of the most underrated voices ever, listen to Why Hide and tell me that man is human

These guides are so good, thank you!!!

Have heard the last three albums, but watching this has made me want to go back and listen to their older stuff. Thank you so much for this video, really appreciate the detail, descriptions and passion you put into your stuff!

Live Through Me might just be the most amazing thing I've ever heard. Swans is genuinely the last band I thought who'd make such life affirming music. Just stunning.

Thanks so much for introducing this band. Since you have done the similar intro to my fav. like Radiohead and Bjork, I believed this vid about Swans will be close to the music I'm attracted to, and I'm not wrong. More of this series of vid. Keep up the good work.

You should do one of these on Scott Walker.

Love your guides, dude. Artists with giant discographies are so intimidating to get into sometimes, especially stuff like Swans where chronological listening isn't always the best way to expose yourself to them.

We need more channels on RU-vid like yours. This was an extremely helpful video, keep it up!

Boards of Canada would be cool, as would death grips, radiohead, or godspeed

Michael Gija shared this video on his Facebook ^^

Wow, I have just started listening to Swans a few days ago, and see thisvideoon my sub feed. Your videos always make me fall in love with some new music and like the music I already know even more. Thanks!

“To Be Kind “is one of my all time faves by any band/ artist

Started listening to Swans about a year ago, really great music! Bring the Sun is probably my favorite.

This is incredible. I glanced at the video length and assumed this was a documentary, but no, just a guy talking about Swans for 46 minutes -- and what a thorough, passionate, in-depth presentation. : )

This is really excellent, thank you. I've listened to Swans since they started and often have struggled to explain them to people who've asked me what they're like. From now on I'm sending them this link.

Would you ever do Tom Waits?

I'd only heard soundtracks of the blind but really liked it. I had no idea their discography was this varied or extensive. Thanks for helping me get into a really good band I probably wouldn't have otherwise!

Really thorough, comprehensive guide. Appreciate it. Looks like I found a perfect place to start my journey with Swans.

Man been burning through your channel since finding it yesterday - super kudos - really great content delivered with depth, intelligence and in a concise dry delivery that makes for addictive listening. Also passionate without being contrived. great stuff.

OH MY GOD YES. THIS IS INCREDIBLE. YOU HAVE A FAN IN ME FOREVER

Cloud of Unknowing is definitely one of swans best tracks, the noise, the drums, those (what I think are) horns, the dooming chants of I Am, I Am Not. It's perfect

wow! What a definitive guide! You deserve so much more subscribers it's ridiculous. Keep up the good work brotha

Great channel! Consistently, every episode has had high production and been engaging, great discussion and lots of great analysis! I've never listened to Swans, but very happy to be introduced with a full guide like this, awesome work. You deserve much more support!

Talking Heads next?

This is your first video I've watched and man your channel rocks!

I don't usually comment on RU-vid but I had to say that this was fantastic, after watching I can't wait to go back and listen to Swans all the way through again with your insights in mind. Looking forward to your next video!

I had no idea how expensive their discography was! I knew it was huge but you've introduced me to like, five new records I've never heard anyone talk about!

Great guide. You certainly know your onions. I have been into Swans since 1987 (completely blown away by Children of God at the time) and agree with your interpretations very much. I would just like to say the Children version of Blackmail is surely worth a mention as one of the most sublime Swans moments and a shame (probably a time constraint) you didn't mention the visceral beauty of Blind Love. My only real divergence of opinion is with the Burning World, which I know Gira was never happy with, but I still consider it a stormer and extremely under-rated. The beauty of Mona Lisa, Univeral Emptiness and Jane Mary just send chills through me. Love the instrumentalism (use of Balika for example) and the deep resonance of Gira's voice. Anyway, your analysis is impressive.

Well done mate. When the day finally comes that the destroyer of worlds (Michael Gira) has his revenge, you will be one of the first ones spared.

Great video! I got into Swans after stumbling upon 'My Father (...)' in 2010. I've seen them live a couple of times now and listened to all the post-hiatus records intensely for the last 6-7 years, but I've really been wanting help to get into the older stuff. Thanks a bunch!

Your videos are fantastic. I've been into Swans for a while, but I never explored all of their work very thoroughly because I didn't know where to start in their vast discography. I'm really excited to go check some specific albums out now. Thank you!

The first song i heard by Swans was 'Mother, my body disgusts me'. I had not been pummeled so slowly before. This was late 80s for me but Soundtracks for the blind got me ,'into' Swans. The latter work is stellar but how they change the songs for live shows is amazing! Songs like No words, No thoughts(videos on RU-vid) are mesmerizing!

Your vocabulary is as impressive as your channel. As in, very.

I love your reviews. You are a real wordsmith and really describe how the music sounds well.

i just stumbled into this video coming from an uninspired evening by myself that had dragged my restless self what felt already much too far into a sleepless night, and i gotta say, you made me cool down and listen and appreciate. - so, i gotta say: thank you very much, mate - you've really got a thing going here! - and i see cave & eno already sitting there in the check:this:or:that:out:next:list ready to the right. good stuff.

White Light from the Mouth of Infinity is one of the best albums that has ever been made.

I know this has nothing to do with the subject at hand, but: holy crap, you hair is amazing. Great video, btw. Subscribed.

Great guide! Seen Swans live a few times- incredible and the loudest thing I've ever seen!

I love those videos, the way you describe is just magnificent and it gets me absolutely hyped for the music so really thanks for the hour I feel totally rewarded

I know that this is an irrelevant comment, but I experienced an inexplicable excitement after seeing that you'd kept the bottle of a Japanese brewed beer called "Hitachino Nest" on the shelf behind you. I like collecting things like that and I have one on my shelf too. Evidence that humans do not differ so greatly as to be exempt from similar habits and tastes.

Nobody: Deep cuts comments: Do literally every artist ever considered to be /mu/core

Hey. Just discovered your channel after RU-vid recommended this video to me. Really appreciate the amount of dedication you put into these. Keep it up.

I actually listened to all of the band's studio albums and a few live albums in preparation for this video, and I have to say that I am defintely impressed with this bands versatility and intensity. Soundtracks for the Blind and their last three albums are all fucking incredible, and stuff like Cop, Children of God, and Great Annihilator are pretty great as well. Also, the live version of I Crawled that appears on Swans are Dead is beyond words. Great video! I am looking forward to what you pump out next!

I love your channel! The bowie videos were great! You totally got me hooked on Scary Monsters! lol! Thanks for that! Ever thought about doing a discography on the Melvins? Thanks for the videos!

Man, youre definitely one of the more underrated music channels here, and congrats on your 10K subs, also i would love to hear your opinion of harsh noise as a genre, since youre interested in abrasive music, and your analysis are always awesome.

Well done, sir. Possibly the first comprehensive guide to, arguably, the most important band on earth. I believe a documentary is being crowdfunded. That will be monumental. Depeche Mode might be an interesting one to do. They have a fascinating biography also.

I appreciate this so much more than reviews. Have just recently begun to discover the band and this was a phenomenal introduction to a daunting discography. Thanks a lot :)

Great series! if requests are of any value: COIL! (should keep you busy for a while ;-)

Nice Swans video. You should do a video about the group called Controlled Bleeding. They were very prolific too. They've mutated &/or evolved into many different genres & styles of music throughout the years. They started in the late 70's as prog rock then went into harsh experimental noise like Merzbow then went into medieval / sacred music then went into ambient then went onto Wax Trax records style rhythmic electro industrial with heavy metal guitars then did an early Swans influenced sludge/death metal side project as Skin Chamber then did ambient dub then experimental free jazz. I probably don't have the exact chronological order right but you can get the idea that they were into a lot of different music. The only original member left is Paul Lemos. The other early members Chris Moriarty & Joe Papa have passed away.

I have only recently stumbled onto your channel and I am already finding it rewarding. Thank you for tackling Swans, which I find their work fascinating. The only suggestion that comes to mind is Throbbing Gristle and its offshoots, especially Coil and Chris & Cosey.

Man, this is an incredible treatment. Soon to be shared with others who need to know. Very nice!

"killing for company" was one of the first songs from them i've ever heard

When are you gunna get a meme channel?

Deeply impressed with this, the first Deep Cuts i've viewed. I must say in all honesty i align whole heartedly with your summations/ favorites. I FINALLY saw SWANS live in 2014 after listening since 1985 and it was absolutely a cathartic, mind blowing experience. Blessed to have my photo taken with several members and shaking Giras hand ( even though i know he probably hates that). I was even okay with him flagrantly hitting on my girlfriend haha! Thanks for this-- you've won another hardcore viewer. Shared on my page-- Draven

Another great music discussion channel. I’ll gladly subscribe. Needed more channels like this other than theneedledrop. Great video!

Damn! I wish I wasn't at work, or else I would watch this instantly

Awesome intro to Swans, only complaint is that you didn't talk about The Glowing Man's title track! As for a suggestion, how about A Guide to Animal Collective?

I have been trying to figure where to start with this band for ages. I feel like I actually have the key for understanding them now. Thanks!

Swans had come up on my radar a hand full of times, but I really didn't know much about them. I followed along on spotify...what an intense sonic journey! Thanks for doing these!

Would be great to hear your thoughts on the band Low.

I prefer your videos to the Needle Drop. Thank you for taking the time to do this, you genuine enthusiasm for the nuances and scope of music are a pleasure to listen to. First caught your videos through the Math-rock one. Great stuff.

Thank you for shedding light on the work of one of the most incredible bands of our time

Great intro. to the band's discography and Gira's work--thanks!

Would love to see a Skinny Puppy guide