Young God (EP)

Last updated
Young God
Swans - Young God.png
EP by
Swans
Released1984
RecordedMay 1984
StudioPlatinum, Zurich, Switzerland
Genre
Length24:32
Label K.422
Producer Michael Gira, Roli Mosimann
Swans chronology
Cop
(1984)		Young God
(1984)		 Time Is Money (Bastard)
(1986)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [2]
Spin Alternative Record Guide 6/10 [3]

Young God is the second EP by the American experimental rock band Swans. Released in 1984, it was issued through the record label K.422. Although also referred to as "Raping a Slave" and "I Crawled", the band officially recognizes it as Young God. [4] Similar to Cop , the cover art features a notice stating that the record is "designed to be played at maximum volume."

Contents

Background

Young God is widely regarded by critics as one of Swans' most brutal releases, similar in sound to the band's first two albums, Filth (1983) and Cop (1984), but slightly more experimental. The subject matter is exemplified by the title track, which is written from the perspective of serial killer Ed Gein. A notable element of the release is the use of unconventional percussion elements, including a chain and metal table, which has led critics to categorize the album as industrial and experimental music. [1] The EP was recorded during the final recording sessions for Cop. [2]

Release and legacy

The EP sold around 1,000 copies in its first year, making it K.422's highest-selling record. In 1992, the entire recording was released as bonus tracks to the compact disc edition of the Cop LP, and the entirety of that edition would be released as the first disc to the double disc compilation Cop/Young God/Greed/Holy Money .

Kurt Cobain included it (under the name of "Raping a Slave") as his fiftieth favorite album on one of his last "50 Favorite Albums" lists in his Journals. [5] The Swiss band The Young Gods took their name from this EP. [6]

Justin Broadrick of Godflesh cited Young God as a key inspiration for his music. About the EP, he said:

"The first Swans record I owned was [the Young God] EP, and it absolutely blew me away... it was a sound that I always wanted to hear, just the bleakest and blackest. The minimalist approach of the music, that was what really influenced me. It was non-genre-specific, with a total lack of baggage... purely abstract, surreal, and violent. It communicated to me in a very special way, and taught me that heavy metal could be stripped of everything and reduced to its most primal form." [7]

Track listing

All lyrics are written by Michael Gira; all music is composed by Swans

Young God track listing
No.TitleLength
1."I Crawled"5:40
2."Raping a Slave"6:22
3."Young God"7:03
4."This Is Mine"5:24
Total length:24:42

Personnel

Charts

Chart performance for Young God
Chart (1985)Peak
position
UK Indie Chart [8] 9

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References

  1. 1 2 Earles, Andrew (2014). Gimme Indie Rock: 500 Essential American Underground Rock Albums 1981-1996. Minneapolis, MN: Voyager Press. ISBN   978-0-7603-4648-8.
  2. 1 2 Raggett, Ned. "Young God Review". allmusic.com. Allmusic. Retrieved 2018-02-07.
  3. ↑ Newman, Andy (1995). "Swans". In Weisbard, Eric; Marks, Craig (eds.). Spin Alternative Record Guide. Vintage Books. pp. 390–391. ISBN   0-679-75574-8.
  4. ↑ "Swans | Discography | Young God EP". swans.pair.com. Archived from the original on February 4, 2012. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
  5. ↑ Cross, Gaar, Gendron, Martens, Yarm (2013). Nirvana: The Complete Illustrated History. Voyageur Press. p. 171. ISBN   978-0-7603-4521-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. ↑ Ankey, Jason. "The Young Gods Biography". allmusic.com. Allmusic. Retrieved 2018-02-07.
  7. ↑ Ruffin, Josh (23 October 2007). "Justin Broadrick: Existing through risk". Metrospirit.com. Archived from the original on 10 February 2009. Retrieved 19 September 2008.
  8. ↑ Lazell, Barry (1997). Indie Hits 1980-1989. Cherry Red Books. Archived from the original on 2011-06-06. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
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