This whole album was the beginning of my personal journey on the SWANS train, I think I picked a copy of this album in 1995. Since then, I went back in the discography record by record, station by station in almost no time and the journey continued... and I'm still a passenger on that train. Love from Berlin.
Definitely one of the better mid-period Swans records, and with the reduced reverb there's a sense of muscle and drive that wasn't there before. Beautiful chiming melodies, clearer vocals, full-voiced guitars. It sounds very different from the original issue. Feels like there's more space and emphasis as well.
Michael is one of those rare musicians who manages to walk the line between sticking to his artistic guns yet also remaining in touch with his fans and what they want. He really hit the nail on the head with these reissues. I wish more noisy/experimental bands would revisit their back catalogs and clean them up so it's clearer noise from the actual amps and less "red zone" audio clipping burying everything.
Throw your mind away Fall into the sea There's nothing solid here Dissolve your body today There's a sun in the sky We're in the atmosphere Throw yourself in the sea There's nothing solid down here (mind, body, light, sound) Mind, body, light, sound (mind, body, light, sound) Mind, bodyless, soundless (mind, body, light, sound) This ordinary night This ordinary day They're twisted out of shape Then, they disintegrate Cool water runs through the ground The ocean blends with the air Throw yourself in the fire There's nothing solid down here (mind, body, light, sound) Mind, body, light, sound (mind, body, light, sound) Mind, bodyless, soundless light (mind, body, light, sound) The world was over today The time is already gone Throw your mind in the sea Eternity doesn't last very long There's some people on Earth They live in separate minds Dissolve your body today There is no in or outside (mind, body, light, sound) Mind, body, light, sound (mind, body, light, sound) Mind, body, light, soundless light (mind, body, light, sound) Mind, body, light, sound (mind, body, light, sound) Mind, body, light, sound (mind, body, light, sound) (Mind, body, light, sound, mind, body, light, sound) (Mind, body, light, sound, mind, body, light, sound) (Mind, body, light, sound, mind, body, light, sound) (Mind, body, light, sound, mind, body, light, sound)
One of Swans´s many gems from their mid-period career (86-96), the best period for me. Not that monolithic and raw as their early years (82-85) and not that intense end excessive as their latter years
The light after the dark, redemption after pain/punishment, Milton´s "Lost paradise", Dante´s "Divine Comedy"...that´s what this song makes me think about everytime I listen to it. The best music is the one that brings images into your mind. Cinematic music
The new master here is honestly extraordinary. In some respects it feels more like White Light from the Mouth of Infinity or some of the later live performances than the old mix, yet still unique and wonderfully evocative.
Like the original version of this album more. This is amazing, but I guess I just have a special place in my heart for the sound of the original since I bought it and was there when it was originally issued. I go back to 1989 with SWANS and have great memories around all of the records. I still remember where I was in my life and the record stores I bought them from . Purchasing SWANS was an "occasion". This record and DCD's "Into the Labyrinth" I used to blare and drive my neighbor nuts! Wish I still had all of my stuff from the mail order days. Wish I would have bought that cigar box from Gira after a show in Houston in 1989. ;) Nevertheless, almost 30 years later and I still love my SWANS and eat-up any and all that they do!
Borbs Gira himself said there will be plenty of more remastered swans re-issues. my top three reissues are 'the great annihilator', 'children of god' and 'soundtracks for the blind'. keeping my fingers crossed on it.
Did you guys add any overdubs whikle working on this re - issue ? This is so different from the album I bought at the time I´m not so sure. A little guitar/keyboard part here and there which is much more prominent in this ... dunno, maybe my old stereo system too ...
I mean, the past couple of records r 2 hours long and r in 3 LPs, so 4 seems reasonable. Maybe that's y it's taking so long, 'cause it's a lot of pressing.
Hmm... I'm trying to place the tracks on the records... Assuming that each side can carry 22 minutes. Let's see: SIDE A: red velvet wound, i was a prisoner in your skull, helpless child "first 7 minutes, the lyrical part" SIDE B: helpless child "the rest 8 minutes", live through me, yum yab killers, the beautiful days "only 5 minutes of the track" SIDE C: volcano, mellothumb, all lined up, surrogate 2, how they suffer SIDE D: animus, red velvet wound, the sound "the first 8 minutes, there's a noisy part that could be faded out and then faded in on the next side" SIDE E: the sound "the last 5 minutes", her mouth is filled with honey, blood section, hypogirl, minus something SIDE F: empathy, i love you this much, yrp "the first 3 1/2 minutes until jarboe's singing" SIDE G: yrp "the last 4 minutes", fan's lament, secret friends, the final sacrifice SIDE H: yrp 2, surrogate drone Well, I didn't structure the tracks before typing this very comment but, looks like the last side, h, would only contain 4 minutes of audio. I guess there would be a better structure of the record but... In case it's getting remastered, I would really get mad if the track order will be messed. I adore every single second of this album so don't get me wrong... but looks like the major bangers on the album "helpless child, the sound, yrp" are getting sliced. I really wouldn't want this to happen as on the vinyl version of "The Seer"...
