Swans - The Glowing Man ALBUM REVIEW
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 21 ส.ค. 2024
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Legendary experimental rock outfit Swans returns with one of the most transcendental releases in their discography: The Glowing Man.
More rock reviews: bit.ly/1qn75Xl
Buy this album: amzn.to/28RWdC2
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FAV TRACKS: CLOUD OF UNKNOWING, THE WORLD LOOKS RED / THE WORLD LOOKS BLACK, PEOPLE LIKE US, WHEN WILL I RETURN, THE GLOWING MAN, FINALLY PEACE
LEAST FAV TRACK: CLOUD OF FORGETTING
SWANS - THE GLOWING MAN / 2016 / YOUNG GOD RECORDS / EXPERIMENTAL ROCK, POST-PUNK, NOISE ROCK, PSYCHEDELIC ROCK, DRONE, NEOFOLK, TRANSCENDENTAL AUDITORY EXPERIENCE
9/10 www.theneedledr...
Y'all know this is just my opinion, right?
Plastic Beach:
Has a song called Cloud of Unknowing - Gets a Strong 9 from Fantano
The Glowing Man:
Has a song called Cloud of Unknowing - Gets a Strong 9 from Fantano
Artists: If you want a Strong 9 from Fantano, add a song on your album called Cloud of Unknowing
do swans worst to best
Filth > The rest.
Jayo Caine filth is their best from that era
Top 3
1 - Children of God
2 - SFTB
3 - To be Kind
also the burning world > the filth
That video would be 3 hours long.
Vintage Lazer no
CONSPIRACY THEORY: Melon is actually the one showing his teeth on the Filth album cover.
Isn't really a conspiracy if the facts are so obviously there?
He needs to do Soundtracks for classics
He should. Since to what I remember. It's one of his favorites.
That or Children of God
Matthias Bangaard Jensen Or Children Of God.
The great annihilator?
Swans has like 4 classics now (filth, children of god, soundtracks for the blind and the great annihilator) and, I believe, the trilogy that is The Seer, To be Kind and The Glowing Man, will eventually be regarded as classics. I don't think one 'classics' review would suffice for swans hahaha
what if: swans and death grip collab featuring kendrick lamar?
Wetthony Dreamtano
Cringe
The real question is what if Miley Cyrus, Dance Gavin Dance and Kid Cudi collabed.
No thanks, I'll take my Swans straight (or at a push with Scott Walker)
+Darknd Dayz lmao
Swans, death grips and Kendrick Lamar are artists that Anthony can't stop loving
Well, Death Grips have gotten both a 6 and a 5 over the years, but then again they release a new project every year so.
+WEWMAKER And Anthony gives it a 5
+WEWMAKER Please let that be a thing
Anthony, and every other critic.
Neither can I... They're all great. Perhaps the three most consistent artists of the decade.
its pronounced gira, not gira
let me get this straight. gira. not gira. gira. okay. i got it.
@@boredquas521 No, it's Gira. not Gira.
@@spamsingles5948 it's actually Gira, not Gira
@@DJ-vg1pr Michael Gira himself has confirmed that it's Gira, and not Gira
Oh shit my bad, thanks for the heads up.
Cloud Of Unknowing booming through big floor speakers at night while watching/listening to a raging thunderstorm was the most epic song experience ever.
"aaaaaarrrrrrrrrr" Michael Gira 2016.
The Seer: 10
To Be Kind: 10
The Glowing Man: 10
Greed 10/10
Filth: 10/10
@@gabe793 soundtracks for the blind 11/10
The Seer: Light 9
To Be Kind: Decent 10
The Glowing Man: Strong 20
Love Of Life: 7
Soundtracks For The Blind: 9
My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky: 8
The Seer: 8
To Be Kind: 9
The Glowing Man: 10
Leaving Meaning: 9
How is CLOUD OF FORGETTING your least favorite track?
Michael cerra is a musical genius.
Suberpad
The Seer, To Be Kind and The Glowing Man. One of the best trilogies in rock music? Very much so, I think, too. Time will justify that claim; I'm betting on it. This generation ain't fucked. We're truly witnessing something real here. I'm pretty sure I'm not alone in the wait. Now it's here for us to enjoy. By god, what a scene Michael Gira is making in the world of music today!
I'd say it's up there with Can's Suzuki trilogy.
Caverman Yes! I agree with this.
𝓛𝓸𝓼𝓽 𝓲𝓷 𝓗𝓮𝓪𝓿𝓮𝓷 Let’s see My Father as an EP compare to the others...
One of the best trilogies in music in general'
1) Swordfishtrombones, Rain Dogs & Frank's Wild Years
2) Bringing It All Back Home, Highway 61 Revisited, & Blonde on Blonde
3) The Seer, To Be Kind, & The Glowing Man
That fucking build up towards the end of the first half of the title track is INSANE
Can't believe this. I know you didn't like this record that much, but a 3 is just too low
Stop this plz
xD xD xD xD
+Randy Vargas then how am I suppose to bait people into giving me likes?
2 years later. It's still funny as fuck.
@@fadlinugraha347 5 years later and it's still funny as fuck
I really don't understand how some swans fans are disappointed in this album. it's amazing
better than to be kind imo
Review the Brexit
Selfish/10.
10/10 for the economically informed, 1/10 for the pro EU blind followers.
Adult Man "economically informed" yeah right. Enjoy having a worthless currency
+Adult Man supid comment, so called "adult man" lmao
it just makes me sad
turn that cover art upside down. it's a 4 now
Turn that upside down it's a MBDTF now.
Last time I was this early England was still in the European Union.
lol. good one bro
was waiting for these jokes to start coming. lol
They still in, will be for a while
And Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
It's the UK not England
I can't even count how many times I've heard this album. Hundreds - for many months I listened to it every day at work start to finish, it led to incredibly focussed work sessions and allowed me to get fully enveloped in it. I've also listened to it in various states of consciousness - stoned, tripping on mushrooms, on acid, on 1 tab of acid, on 4 tabs of acid. Such a heady, heavy album, but so deep that you can dive right in and discover new elements every single time you listen to it. It's so overwhelming that a single listen is almost a taster, requiring many more listens.
You should read the book that inspired this album, the Christian mystic book "The Cloud Of Unknowing," written by anonymous in the 14th century.
4 tabs and throwing on Swans is next level
@@tboss8157 I thoroughly recommend it.
I thought that the meme review was on your econd channel Anthony.
whats an econd channel
Well you are right if you think that
+maxinator317 bit of a meme...
weak
roosted
Micheal Gira is thinking right now " damn! almost a ten"
Kendrick too
the only reason he didn't give this and bottomless pit a 10 was because he already gave them a 10
I know it’s been 5 years but that’s not how Anthony rates albums
Edit: he didn’t like Ring A Bell and said that part of Bottomless Pit was “kind of a low point for me”. No way would he give BP a 10, he clearly doesn’t think it’s perfect
How tf is Cloud of Forgetting your least favorite track?
I'm also wandering.
It's my favorite track on the entire record, actually. Kinda disappointed.
+Fox it's my third favorite after the title track and Frankie M but I'm disappointed as well
I'm 5 years late but the fact that he might have denied this album a 10 for one of my favorite songs on it is fuckin with me a little.
@@arkiece1 so am i. cloud of forgetting is legitimately my favorite track other than the title track, that song is ambient perfection.
The same people who say “how can you spend two hours listening to music” are the exact same people who go ahead and spend more time on Netflix and social media
YES!
I am bliiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiind
😎
I'm freeeeee?
The Childhoooooood is oooooooooover!
HEEEERRRE NOOOW, HEEEERE NOOOOW!
As soon as I saw "Swans" I knew this would get a good score
No shit Sherlock
because its Swans
2016: 10 - 0, 9 - 4 (Bowie, Xiu Xiu, Death Grips, Swans), 8 - 25, 7 - 25, 6 - 20, 5 - 12, 4 - 10, 3 - 4, 2 - 3 (Star Wars Head Space, Spark Master Tape, A$AP Ferg), 1 - 0, 0 - 0, whitegirlturnupmusic - 1
I apologize about the lack of spacing; for some reason it won't let me enter anymore.
+Drake Johnson yeah it's stupid
man June/May had a lot of 7/8s
Which album was a whitegirlturnupmusic / 10?
post malone
Turn the 9 upside down. It's a 6 now.
you get 2 more of those, u got 666. Anthony Fandango is Illuminati confirmed
😂😂
SIX
L
new nono: its six now!
Black people like us is the best track
😂😂😂
and Frankie M
Track lives matter
the problem with that track is that it commits more crime than the other tracks.
But the groove is so much wider!
I love this album. I can literally put this on in any context and totally vibe with it
The intro is the exact feeling I have when showing my friends Swans.
FLEX YOUR MUSCLES
You know nothing.
AAAUGGH FLEX YOUR MUSCLES!!!
BE HAAAARD
Where's the Red Hot Chili Peppers review??
3/10
Soon, hopefully. It's been a little while since Fantano ripped an album a new one.
+lesryglrhfohser there you go
+beflygelt they need frusciante back lol. That guy was a genius. He needs to stop making that shitty techno hip hop stuff and get back to a guitar.
What this guy said
The cloud of unknowing completely blew me away..., might be my favorite ever from swans up there with the blood promise version from swans are dead
The Swans Are Dead version of Blood Promise is so underrated.
Stop adding "the" to anything and everything where you can. The songs are called Cloud of Unknowing and Blood Promise, not The cloud... and the blood promise. It's people like you that call the band The Swans. Or say The Pixies, or The Deftones etc.. You're not 12, you can read.
nice pfp i love the smashing pumpkins@@smoshbooz
@@musicman6555 hell yeah man
@@smoshbooz fair, pumpkins are my favorite band btw
This trilogy of albums is like most epic funeral to rock music
Why isn't melonhead putting post-rock in the genre section? That's one of their primary genres from their recent three albums!
For me, listening to this album was like watching Goya's Saturn devouring one of his sons - I see it's pure art, and it's beautiful in its own way, but it's too dark for me to enjoy it. People Like Us is def my favourite track on this album
You better review Soundtracks for the Blind for classics week next year, you melon
Gabriel Otavio he didn't :( I even paid him to do it on his livestream
He gave it a 10 on rate your music
he did it!
This and AMSP have made my year in music. Such great albums!
Swans' next release will be a synthpop album;
Also review the new DJ Shadow album The Mountain Will Fall!
Frankie M is an early favourite, as well as the shorter 'breather' songs - you're spot on about how they help the album flow. I've always loved how swans switch so gracefully from loud urgency to calm moments. they do it brilliantly on these songs.
Finally, Peace is one of my favourite swans tracks tbh
Soundtracks for the Blind classic review PLEASE
is The Seer, To Be Kind and The Glowing Man a trilogy?
rafiq Yes
FAV TRACKS: Cloud of Forgetting, Cloud of Unknowing, The World Looks Red/Black, Frankie M, The Glowing Man
LEAST FAV TRACKS: none of them.
*fixed*
Frankie M just kinda exists. I don’t think it’s all that amazing.
@@j.prt.979 hard disagree. it's my favorite track on the album
fauster fair enough. I just think the buildup is too long for too little pay-off. And Gira’s vocals are kind of annoying
I'm actually finding this album to have more replayability and to be a generally more rewarding listen than To Be Kind was. Not to say necessarily that I like it more but The Glowing Man holds up very well with its own unique merits against their other work.
I don't know if Im alone on this, but I would really love to see a review of
1. Ladies & Gentlemen We Are Floating In Space
2. Untrue
3. Agaetis Byrjun
4. Turn On The Bright Lights
Idk i feel like these are important ones to have covered..
I've listened to this album twice now. Having been a fan of Swans during the WHITE LIGHT FROM THE MOUTH OF INFINITY & LOVE OF LIFE period but then not paying much attention to them except when friends would let me know a new album was coming out, I figured it was about time to sit down and really listen to a new Swans release. This album sucks you into its sound world and will not let you go if you let it. The first time I listened to it I had too many distractions but was still floored by its epicness. Today I blocked out two hours and sat and just listened and listened and listened. Almost overwhelming at times, not as much a physical assault, as an aural strangulation and then finally at the end it gently lets you go. If anyone has two hours I say listen to this.
Another great review. Keep up the great work. I always appreciate your reviews sending me down new paths to investigate, thank's Anthony!
Oh man, I LOVE this album. So fucking awesome. Myself, I rate this more highly than 'To Be Kind' and probably higher than 'The Seer'. I need to digest it some more before I can fully place it. I do love this latter incarnation of SWANS. Great review man, you really 'got' the album.
Please review:
_My Best Human Face_ by *Moonface*,
_The Bride_ by *Bat For Lashes*,
_Stadium Cake_ by *Oh Pep!*,
_The Getaway_ by *Red Hot Chili Peppers*
best teeth in the fucking game
DENIED
Nope, the swans album in the background has the best teeth in the game.
+Tom D (Tommy4412) LOL
That is a picture of Tano Bear's teeth.
That title goes to matthew santoro
Hey Teethony Glowtano, you should do a classic review of soundtracks for the blind ;)
+1
Ok, Swans discography is huge. I've never really listened to Post-Punk. I am fucking intrigued by this band but their back catalogue leaves me bewildered on where to start. What is a great Swans album to start with for a newbie like me?
to be kind
Children of God is best starting point. The first two records are the best.
with the first album, as you would any new artist
Don't listen to the cool teens. The Seer is accessible, as is the Great Annihilator.
theEarlofChip Who said it wasn't?
TEN OUTTA TEN! REVIEW IT AGAIN!
+1
Wait, WHY ISNT FRANKIE M ON YOUR FAVES LIST?? That was my favorite one!
Because opinions
I like the self portrait of yourself in the background, Anthony!
Genius, I get your joke and i salute you
I can not express how excited I am to hear this. Cant believe it passed me by. For so long SWANS have been one of the most soul shattering and unique bands out there.
By the way... I frequently disagree with your ratings, but your reasoning and articulation is always second to none. You are really good at this. Top notch.
Cloud of Unknowing might be the greatest track Swans has ever put out. The Knot is in the discussion to, but by God is Cloud of Unknowing a monument to Swans.
New swans > old swans fight me
The intro to Frankie M gives me goosebumps everytime
The best experience I had with that song is when I sat on my couch and put on my headphones and closed my eyes and my ac turned on as the song started and I felt this cool breeze and it made the song so much more immersive
The Cloud of Unknowing is the title of a chapter in a book I'm currently reading, Underworld by Don DeLillo. Haven't gotten there yet, but I'm interested to see what parallels exist between it and the Swans track. Michael Gira is a pretty well read guy so I don't doubt the reference was intentional. Strange how works of art can intersect when you're not expecting it to.
Underworld is an incredible book.... Did you end up finding a connection? (not personally familiar enough with Swans, although I like DeLillo)
@@aidabaida6076 Sorry for replying so late, it's been a while since I picked up Underworld so I can't exactly remember, but I do remember doing further research and learning The Cloud of Unknowing is also taken from Buddhist texts, so that's probably where Swans are getting it from.
Buddhism seems to be a common thread in those two very different works. The emphasis on emptying your mind and accepting that everything is connected and trying to work toward a kind of peace through that understanding.
A little tongue-in-cheek for a title with "unknowing" to have something to teach. :P
My bad, it's Christian mysticism, not Buddhism.
Hey Anthony, Loved the review - I do think there is an underlying thematic focus to this album at that is one of mortality and legacy. A key to grasping that though is understanding that as Swans first started performing these tracks live the song The Glowing Man went by another name - Black Hole Man - and as we know, Black Holes, the remnants of collapsed stars, are all surrounded by a ring of light. I think it's a rumination on that ring of light - that glow - that exists after one has passed, that's the album's central thesis - which is further supported by Finally Peace's closing lines - where the final line or two references the mind being reflected by the ocean, but at a couple of moments in earlier tracks, it's clear that in references to ocean on this album he's not talking about the sea itself, but the "sea" of humanity...so in short, what lingers after we're gone - a faint residue of what we thought/the ideas we fought for/reflected forth by the next generation.
What's even more interesting to this is it gives the Four album sequence a more poetic shape - starting with a more Youthful perspective (My Father Will Guide Me...)...to a period of Profound Awareness of what one is capable of and worth fighting for (The Seer "I see it all"), to a shift to later life, more human oriented values (To Be Kind) and ending with a sense of what Gira hopes he has passed on to the generations to come...of course all filtered through SWANS very cynical, dark perspective.
The Glowing Man>To Be Kind
I agree
I think so as well, though it's almost a moot point because they're both essentially perfect for what they try to do
I agree. Still both of them are 10s for me.
Classic Review: Jethro Tull - Thick As A Brick
Holy shit thats an amazing pfp
hey anthony, pretty sure his last name is pronounced more like 'juh-RAH' rather than 'JEE-rah'.
also, i can tell you improved your chromakeying in when you pass your hand in front of the cover. nice
I have found listening to Swans on the road, is my favorite thing to do. It took me forever to get into it, but then To be Kind, became one of my favorite albums I have ever listened to.
Not rating Swans as whitegirlturnupmusic/10
Smh tbh fam
I really gotta say, Filth is a REALLY good album once you read the lyrics, understand it in the context of being from a New York band in the early 80's doing this bleak social commentary, and get used to the sound.
IT'S HERE
Saw them live a few nights ago, it was quite an expiriance and they melted my face off... In a good way!
how do you get into Swans
WLFTMOI then soundtracks
With their first album, just like you would any other artist.
God damn I loved old /mu/
My first album was "The Seer". It's definitely their most accessible. Then do what Swan suggested.
The Seer is not more accessibly then "White Light from the Mouth of Infinity", "Love of Life" and "The Great Annihilator". Begin with those 3, and then go to The Seer.
You listen to them and determine whether you enjoy what you've listened to or not.
Best teeth is debatable. Look behind you.
Maybe it's just me but hearing my name screamed over and over again in the title track really fucked with me in the best way possible
this is another 10 and you know it anthony
Well I guess you could say, he gave this a glowing review
where the fuck is that 10?
9/10 has a 10 in it :P
stolen from coloring book
Chillin with TPAB
I like looking back on older reviews. Wish more people covered music like this. Angels of Light shouldn't be looked at as a side project though. But thank you for the reviews, Anthony.
Its been two years now since Glowing man. When will they resurface??
This year at some point it seems
trilogy ranked:
1. the glowing man
2. to be king
3. the seer
they really got better with each album
The Seer > The Glowing Man > To Be Kind.
@@nicknickson3650 why?
@@cj.nightingale I liked it the most. The first two tracks of TGM are great but the rest is just okay. I saw Swans perform The Glowing Man song three times before the album came out so it didn't hit me that hard, but the first two Christian tracks Cloud of Forgetting/Unknowing are 10/10. The Seer has an apocalyptic gothic country aesthetic that I love all the way through and no meh songs.
It's all subjective
1. The Seer
2. The Glowing Man
3. The Great Annihilator
4. Soundtracks for the Blind
5. To Be Kind
Cloud of Unknowing is my favorite song on the album.
So, your argument is automatically invalid. haha
Justin Lance this is an autistic comment
I listened to "to be kind" and.... yeah, it was great experience, but i cant find situation in which i would just wanted to listen to this. I listened to this while i was running endurance training (2 hours and more) and it was very dense fog outside and it was dark everywhere... but i dont think ill be in this situation ever again till november :D
It is really good, I totally agree with you! Reminds me a bit of the approach taken on "White Light from the Mouth of Infinity", albeit less song-based and more like the current band's massive approach.
New Kayo Dot please !! It's so freaky it needs your review.
i love this damn album
Every Swans album is literally just contentless noise for 2 and a half hours
+theneedledrop Yaaaasss!!! Still haven't given it a go, but I listened to the excerpts and some of the live versions and I've loved what I've heard. Man, I'd really like to thank you for turning me on to Swans way back when you reviewed The Seer. Before that I had only listened to Filth? I think? Then I listened to Cop, Children and Soundtracks for the Blind. Now I'm collecting their discog on vinyl. As we speak they're probably my favorite musical unit and biggest influence in some of my music. Thank youuuuu. :]
10/10
Wheres the new RHCP and Gojira though
Anthony's keybord is broken, he can't type 'o' or 'j', so he just did Gira instead
Hopefully in the trash where they belong
+dylanon3k where can i sign up for the cool kid classes ?
Listened to it yesterday morning, beautifully coherent, no idea which of the trilogy I like the best, they're all so unique!
definitely the glowing man
I don't know if it was intentional or it's a known factoid but the cover art resembles the kanji character for "Power"
Soundtracks For The Blind classic review when??
Still waiting for that day in 2016 when this melon gives a 10
+Squadala9001 😂😂😂
Swans, Angels of Light, I can't ever get enough.
Glad you liked it, I actually think this album is easier to get into than The Seer or To Be Kind. I wasn't completely exhausted after listening to The Glowing Man.
Fantano! If you had to choose, To Be Kind, The Money Store or To Pimp a Butterfly?
kid cudi - speeding bullet to heaven
I assume he'd pick To Be Kind, because he didn't have a least favourite song from it.
+Eamøn Røche
No. He hates swans.
you should try getting felix kjellberg (pewdiepie) on the podcast. You guys have a very similar music taste and itd be interesting to see you pick his brain a bit
Lol
No.
I would support this occurring in a meme review.
No.
That's a negative
+theneedledrop this SWANS is my album of the year together with NOTHING's "tired of tomorrow" and Death Grip's, but WGAF
It's funny, when TGM came out I had almost the same exact take as the rest of the critics, and I didn't listen to it all that much. I took my not reaching for it in contrast to the way I COULD NOT stop listening to TBK as a valid gut reaction to the quality. And, let's be frank, we were all weary of another 2.5 hour journey through Swans-land at that point (no matter how utterly fantastic they all were) so there was a natural bias against it there.
Well. Now here we've got some years distance, and a better ability to view the work as it's own thing instead of "the third of an epic trilogy," and damn. I listen to this one more than any other Swans record, at the moment.
I forgot what I understood very well before this record came out, which is this:
Swans toured like mad in the run from Seer thru TGM. I saw them after Seer when they were starting to play TBK tracks and after TBK when they were starting to play TGM tracks. They were a vicious son of a bitch of a live band then. Possibly the best live run of any band, ever. And I've seen a fuckton of bands.
They were composing tracks and experimenting onstage throughout the period. Michael literally composing, because they were so tight and he had every member on a string where he could provoke musical reactions from them with movements of his body. Watch the live shows: Look at how intently the members watch Michael.
Anyway, I loved this style and I thought with absolute clarity that this is what Swans should be. They were following the exact artistic path they should have.
And The Glowing Man captures this free flowing and spiritual musical style better than any other Swans record.
Once you view it more as its own thing and not the follow up to two of the best records of all time, and in the light of history, I think Melon did extraordinarily well to ignore the rest of the crowd and score it higher than most of the rest.
Man, when the title track suddely becomes a three chord punk song, shit that is an all-time great music moment.
It took me a while to adjust to this one. After three listens, I am loving it.