Filth is the debut studio album by American post-punk band Swans. It was released in 1983, following their self-titled debut EP, through record label Neutral.
Background
Only band leader and vocalist Michael Gira and drummer Jonathan Kane remained from the original lineup of the band. Filth is the first Swans release to feature the experimental and noisy playing style that the band's early work would become known for. The album's distinct sound is partly the product of a new lineup featuring two drummers (Roli Mosimann and Kane). It also marks the first appearance of future Swans regular Norman Westberg.
Release history
The 1990 CD and audio tape, released under the name Filth (L.P.#1, E.P.#1) 1982/83, featured the four tracks from Swans' first EP as bonus tracks. The order of each side of the Swans EP are reversed on this pressing. The 1990 vinyl re-release preserved the original nine-song track listing.
A double CD re-issue, Filth/Body to Body, Job to Job, was released in 2000 on Gira's label Young God Records. Paired with the b-side collection Body to Body, Job to Job), this pressing of Filth included a 1982/1983 live set from The Kitchen in New York City. This 24:18 long extra track consisted of the songs "Strip/Burn", "Red Sheet", "Blackout", "Clay Man", "Stay Here" and "Weakling". The tracks from the Swans EP were not included.
Filth was reissued on CD, vinyl and digital download formats October 28, 2014.[2] An unofficial repress of the album emerged in 2012, from the record label Neutral. Its inauthenticity has been confirmed by Gira[3]
Critical reception
In a contemporary review for The Village Voice, music critic Robert Christgau found the album "fun" and described its music as "no wave with five years of practice, too messy for mysticism and too funny for suicide."[1] In their retrospective review, AllMusic's Ned Raggett wrote, "early Swans really is like little else on the planet before or since.".[4] Punknews noted in a similar retrospective review "the terrifying level of intense brutality" the album delivered.
Its deluxe edition also received positive reviews from websites like Pitchfork.
Track listing
All lyrics written by Michael Gira, all music composed by Swans (Gira, Jonathan Kane, Roli Mosimann, Norman Westberg, Harry Crosby).
| 1. |
"Stay Here" |
5:44 |
| 2. |
"Big Strong Boss" |
3:07 |
| 3. |
"Blackout" |
3:49 |
| 4. |
"Power for Power" |
6:03 |
| 1. |
"Freak" |
1:15 |
| 2. |
"Right Wrong" |
4:48 |
| 3. |
"Thank You" |
3:56 |
| 4. |
"Weakling" |
5:30 |
| 5. |
"Gang" |
3:20 |
| 1. |
"Speak" |
4:31 |
| 2. |
"Laugh" |
4:06 |
| 3. |
"Sensitive Skin" |
6:16 |
| 4. |
"Take Advantage" |
4:29 |
Personnel
Swans
Additional personnel
- Sonda Andersson – "mechanicals"
- Mike Berry – engineering
Release History
References
External links
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| | | | Studio albums | |
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| | Live albums | |
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| | Compilation albums | |
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| | EPs | |
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| | Singles | |
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| | Related articles | |
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