Swans Are Dead

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Swans Are Dead
Swans are dead cover art.jpg
Live album (double album)by
Swans
ReleasedJanuary 20, 1998
RecordedSeptember 20–23, 1995
January 24 & 29, February 15 & 27, March 13–14, 1997
VenueStiftelsen, Stavanger, NOR
Garage, Bergen, NOR
Sentrum Scene, Oslo, NOR
Studentersamfundet, Trondheim, NOR
Irving Plaza, New York City, USA
House of Blues, Atlanta, USA
Palác Akropolis, Prague, CZE
Paradiso Grote Zaal, Amsterdam, NLD
L’Orangerie du Botanique, Brussels, BEL
Length142:53
LanguageEnglish
Label Young God
Swans chronology
Soundtracks for the Blind
(1996)		Swans Are Dead
(1998)		 Various Failures
(1999)

Swans Are Dead is the fifth double and seventh overall live album by American experimental rock band Swans. It was released in 1998 and was recorded in 1995 and 1997 on the band's final tours, before reuniting in 2010.

Contents

The setlists of this era in the Swans live show were probably the most varied in terms of chronology. Although many of the songs performed were taken from Soundtracks for the Blind , the band also resurrected songs from much earlier albums, including a re-worked version of "I Crawled" from the Young God EP (1984).

Background

Disc one (Black) was recorded during on the band's Final Tour in 1997: Amsterdam (March 13), New York City (January 24), Trondheim (February 15), Prague (February 27), Brussels (March 14) and Atlanta (January 29). [1] Two other songs were performed on this tour, "The Man With the Silver Tongue", which appeared in a revised form on Angels of Light's 1999 debut LP New Mother ; and "My Birth", which remained unreleased until it appeared on Swans's 2010 album My Father Will Guide Me up a Rope to the Sky . However, neither tracks were included on the album. Other songs were also sporadically performed, such as "The Sound" (at least twice on the American leg of the tour).

The liner notes state that disc two (white) was recorded in Norway on the band's 1995 tour (September 20-23). [2] The songs "In", "Alcohol the Seed", and "Animus", that had been played during the tour and also for the Amsterdam concert, did not appear on Swans Are Dead (the concert has been recorded by the radio station VPRO, "Animus" is also cut on that recording).

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [3]
Pitchfork Media 7.7/10 [4]

The Rough Guide to Rock described the album as "a head-churning final statement". [5]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Michael Gira, except "I Crawled" by Gira/Norman Westberg/Harry Crosby/Roli Mosimann, and "Lavender" and "Yum Yab" by Jarboe

Disc one (Black, final tour 1997)
No.TitleAlso onLength
1."Feel Happiness"None16:57
2."Low Life Form"Michael Gira's Drainland (1995)4:54
3."Not Alone"Angels of Light's New Mother (1999)13:12
4."Blood On Yr Hands"Skin's Blood, Women, Roses (1987)2:59
5."Hypogirl" Soundtracks for the Blind (1996)3:22
6."I Crawled" Young God (EP) (1984)10:05
7."I Am the Sun" The Great Annihilator (1995)5:27
8."Blood Promise"The Great Annihilator15:23
Total length:72:19
Disc two (White, 1995 tour)
No.TitleAlso onLength
1."Final Sac"Skin's Shame, Humility, Revenge (1988) (as "One Small Sacrifice") and Soundtracks for the Blind (as "The Final Sacrifice")8:44
2."The Sound"Soundtracks for the Blind12:52
3."I See Them All Lined Up"Michael Gira's Drainland and Soundtracks for the Blind (as "All Lined Up")6:27
4."Lavender"Jarboe's Sacrificial Cake (1995) (as "Lavender Girl")8:03
5."YR PRP"Soundtracks for the Blind (as "YRP") and Cop (1984) (as "Your Property")8:51
6."Yum Yab"Jarboe's Sacrificial Cake and Soundtracks for the Blind (as "Yum-Yab Killers")4:36
7."Helpless Child"Soundtracks for the Blind17:44
8."M/F"The Great Annihilator (as "Mother/Father")3:25
Total length:70:44 142:53

Personnel

Credits for Swans Are Dead adapted from liner notes. [6]

Disc one (Black)
Disc two (White)

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References

  1. ↑ "Search for setlists: artist:(Swans) tour:(Final Tour 1997)". setlist.fm. Retrieved March 13, 2024.
  2. ↑ "Search for setlists: tour:(The Great Annihilator)". setlist.fm.
  3. ↑ Raggett, Ned. "Swans Are Dead (Live '95-'97)". Allmusic. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
  4. ↑ Mirov, Nick. "Swans: Swans Are Dead". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on November 26, 2001. Retrieved March 2, 2013.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. ↑ Buckley, Peter, ed. (2003). The Rough Guide to Rock . Rough Guides. p.  1042. ISBN   1858284570. swans are dead.
  6. ↑ Track listing and credits as per liner notes for Swans Are Dead album
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