Swans – My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope To The Sky

My understanding is most Swans records are mixed and produced for CD but that doesn't stop me from being a pretentious fool who collects Swans vinyl. That being said, I think this is one of the few later releases that really suits being played on vinyl, which makes me prefer it to some of their seemingly more popular stuff.

This pressing sounds okay. The sound is a bit muffled, and the separation is not that good, but the overall result is listenable.

Now that Swans have released many, many albums since this one... I still believe this is the best one (of the comeback albums). Why? It's short and sweet. Less self-indulgent. I've listened to Leaving Meaning exactly once, with no desire to revisit. It's just a bit boring, let's be honest. 'My Father...' on the other hand feels like true Swans album. The Seer had it's moments, but it was just too long. It gets worse on To Be Kind, Glowing Man, and worst of all - Leaving Meaning. These albums may be cathartic to Michael Gira, but musically there's not much going on.

Just bought the vinyl from Young Gods--it was slit open and autographed, which is Gira's awesome trademark. I can almost imagine him shouting that my purchase ran through his hands, just leaving me to stare blankly as I stand before him.

I saw the tour for this, and the concert footage that's out there, I think during the documentary? Really high moment for SWANS, despite the fact that I like this album much better when I think of it as Angels of Light. It has some grinding ages, but mostly sounds like old-timey music with acapella singing thrown in. Whereas Swans always felt so forward-looking, avant-fixated.

But is good: The new gen hipster Swans fans are now tied into the early Swans by a strip of angelwing cartilage.

I think it must sound better than other editions, or because now it is spinning before my eyes that I find more depth to it than any previous listen. And it is short, and moves along at a concert set gallop.

I mostly bought it to Bill Rieflin. His life and his talent resonate in my house! This album goes high on my list of Rieflin accomplishments.

I can always use more drone and Gira tangle-wad bells, but hell, I can always use more drone. More tangle-wad bells.

I've listened to this on my CD (rip) for years now, but throwing on the vinyl makes for a new experience. Excellent pressing and much better sound quality. I could feel Pravdica's bass from downstairs while playing it. A YGR win!

The bonus disc here is the punch in the face that we're all looking for. If you haven't heard it, go find it. Buy it, stream it, whatever. It's freakin' fantastic. Sporadically light, heavy, atmospheric. As they said themselves, "mangled outtakes" but they flow together so well. It holds my attention far better than the studio album

My copy sounds pretty good actually. Good volume and mastering. Mine has "MATT@ALCHEMY" etched on runouts, not sure if it's on all EU copies.

I'm not sure I understand the negativity towards this album; I think it's one of their very best and straddles the border between their mid-era accessible songwriting and their later doom-laden sonic assaults (that were to follow the release of this album). Far better in my mind than White Light and Love Of Life which are considered by many fans to be the best of their more accessible releases.

Got the LP version recently since its my favorite album by them but my pressing sounds worse than the digital version. also is it me or does it seem like they edited out parts of "no words no thoughts"? It sounds so weak compared to the digital version.

If anyone has the T shirt from this album and tour please sell it to me!