Swans Are Dead

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.

Swans Are Dead
Live album (double album) by
Swans
ReleasedJanuary 20, 1998
Recorded1995 and 1997
Length142:53
LanguageEnglish
LabelYoung God
Swans chronology
Soundtracks for the Blind
(1996)		 Swans Are Dead
(1998)		 Various Failures
(1999)

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 in Amsterdam, New York City, Trondheim, Prague, Brussels and Atlanta on the band's final tour in 1997. 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. 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[1]
Pitchfork Media7.7/10[2]

The Rough Guide to Rock described the album as "a head-churning final statement".[3]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Michael Gira, except "Yum Yab" and "Lavender", written by Jarboe, and "I Crawled", written by Gira/Crosby/Mossimann/Westberg. "Lavender" would be released as "Lavender Girl" on Jarboe's 1995 album Sacrificial Cake.

Disc one (Black, final tour 1997)
No.TitleAlso onLength
1."Feel Happiness"None16:57
2."Low Life Form"Drainland4:54
3."Not Alone"New Mother13:12
4."Blood On Yr Hands"Blood, Women, Roses2:59
5."Hypogirl"Soundtracks for the Blind3:22
6."I Crawled"Young God (EP)10:05
7."I Am The Sun"The Great Annihilator5:27
8."Blood Promise"The Great Annihilator15:23
Total length:disc one: 72:19
Disc two (White, 1995 tour)
No.TitleAlso onLength
9."Final Sac"Shame, Humility, Revenge (as "One Small Sacrifice") and Soundtracks for the Blind (as "The Final Sacrifice")8:44
10."The Sound"Soundtracks for the Blind12:52
11."I See Them All Lined Up"Drainland and Soundtracks for the Blind (as "All Lined Up")6:27
12."Lavender"Sacrificial Cake (as "Lavender Girl")8:03
13."YR PRP"Soundtracks for the Blind (as "YRP") and Cop (as "Your Property")8:51
14."Yum Yab"Sacrificial Cake and Soundtracks for the Blind (as "Yum-Yab Killers")4:36
15."Helpless Child"Soundtracks for the Blind17:44
16."M/F"The Great Annihilator (as "Mother/Father")3:25
Total length:disc two: 70:44
total: 142:52

Personnel

Credits for Swans Are Dead adapted from liner notes.[4]

Disc one (Black)
  • Michael Gira - vocals, guitar, compiling, mastering, producer, lyrics, music
  • Jarboe - vocals, keyboards
  • Bill Bronson - bass guitar
  • Clinton Steele - guitar
  • Phil Puleo - percussion, dulcimer (hammer)
  • Dave Ouimet - performer
  • Kris Force - performer
  • Berry Kamer - recording
  • Josh Wertheimer - live engineer, recording
  • Chris Griffin - engineer
Disc two (White)
  • Michael Gira - vocals, guitar, compiling, mastering, producer, lyrics, music
  • Jarboe - vocals, keyboards
  • Joe Goldring - bass guitar, guitar
  • Vudi - guitar, keyboards
  • Larry Mullins - percussion, vibraphone
  • Andy Ray - live engineer
  • Chris Griffin - engineer

References
  1. Raggett, Ned. "Swans Are Dead (Live '95-'97)". Allmusic. Retrieved March 2, 2013.
  2. Mirov, Nick. "Swans: Swans Are Dead". Pitchfork Media. Archived from the original on November 26, 2001. Retrieved March 2, 2013.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. Buckley, Peter, ed. (2003). The Rough Guide to Rock. Rough Guides. p. 1042. ISBN 1858284570. swans are dead.
  4. Track listing and credits as per liner notes for Swans Are Dead album
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