Swans - To Be Kind [Full Live Bootleg Remake Album]
978
Published 2024-07-22
Legend: (song number) (disc number-track number) "Title" time start - time end (track length)
01. 1-1 "Screen Shot" 00:00 - 08:46 (8m 46s)
02. 1-2 "Just A Little Boy" 08:46 - 21:32 (12m 45s)
03. 1-3 "A Little God in My Hands" 21:32 - 34:11 (12m 38s)
04. 1-4 "Bring The Sun/Toussaint L'Ouverture" 34:11 - 1:17:32 (43m 21s)
05. 2-1 "Some Things We Do" 1:17:32 - 1:27:39 (10m 7s)
06. 2-2 "She Loves Us!" 1:27:39 - 2:03:47 (36m 7s)
07. 3-1 "Kirsten Supine" (5m 18s) (Unavailable on YouTube)
08. 3-2 "Oxygen" 2:03:47 - 2:14:50 (11m 3s)
09. 3-3 "Nathalie Neal" 2:14:50 - 2:25:36 (10m 46s)
10. 3-4 "To Be Kind" 2:25:37 - 2:40:50 (15m 12)
~Information~
Here is the full 'To Be Kind' album by the American experimental rock band Swans recreated using live recordings from concerts dated 2012-2017. Lots of great, unique renditions of the songs on this version.
The version of "Screen Shot" I used was from August of 2017; I consider the 2017 versions of Screen Shot to be the perfected arrangements of the song. Along with Some Things We Do, they are the only 2 songs to be taken from The Glowing Man's tour (2016-2017).
The fascinating 43 minute behemoth version of "Bring The Sun/Toussaint L'Ouverture" used on this is actually cut - The Seer segment is trimmed off to keep relevancy to the To Be Kind parts. On the uncut version (which can be found in the Mega folder along with uncompressed WAV/FLAC files and extra goodies) the song, nay, composition reaches a staggering 58 minutes.
Known as "Deliquescing" on the aptly titled 2017 limited live album "Deliquescence", the version of "Some Things We Do" used here is a work in progress metamorphosis from "The World Looks Black" to the live-only song "The Man Who Refused To Be Unhappy", with the atmospheric Glowing Man style rhythms and the lyrics to Some Things We Do interpolated in.
"She Loves Us!" had two versions, a drony, raga/tribal ambient version and the groovy version seen on Not Here/Not Now and To Be Kind's studio album. many Swans fans are unaware of the former version, played in 2012 and never appearing on any official recordings. The performance used here is quite special, as it is an unabridged merging of these two versions, reaching 36 minutes long.
The only To Be Kind era song to never be performed in any form live by Swans or (to my knowledge) Michael Gira solo, "Kirsten Supine" here has been lifted from a charmingly lo-fi home demo seen on "Not Here/Not Now". This is unavailable on YouTube due to copyright, but can be found in the Mega folder.
~Mega folder~
The Mega folder below includes uncompressed WAV files of the songs, further information about the recordings/performances, 2000x2000 custom cover art by me, uncut recordings of the performances used on this album and 5 unique To Be Kind era deep cuts - courtesy of the Swans Live Archive ran by @strangerecordings4648
These rare recordings include:
A medley of Mother of The World and an archaic arrangement of Screen Shot
The 2013 version of Just A Little Boy, developed from performances of Apostate
A 64 minute version of The Seer/Bring The Sun in professional quality sound
A energetic festival performance of the old, discarded 2012 version of She Loves Us
An unusual alternate arrangement of Oxygen played early in the 2014 tour
Check out the Mega folder: https://mega dot nz/folder/lNgQSKIJ#u5GUTMbTNPbnb_CF_NAeCg
And the Swans live archive: https://mega dot nz/folder/pYshnYpT#yJr6mbVGBTTLqYF5idiMAA/folder/oR8iiKrC
All Comments (6)
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I just finished this, what an awesome selection of performances. She loves us was particularly cool also I'm glad how informative the description is, thank you for making this!
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wow i randomly just got this in my recommended after seeing you talk about it in the discord a bunch. pretty funny
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Just listened to this in full and I have to say I might like it more than the studio album, really great selection of performances
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Amazing selections, all incredible songs that you did a fantastic job finding and cataloguing.
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~Recording dates for each track~ No.1 Screen Shot - recorded 2017-08-22 at The Independent, California No.2 Just A Little Boy - recorded 2015-04-06 at The Parish, Texas No.3 A Little God In My Hands - recorded 2015-04-06 at The Parish, Texas No.4 Bring The Sun/Toussaint L'Ouverture - recorded 2013-03-30 at Trix, Antwerpen No.5 Some Things We Do (Deliquescing) - recorded 2016-07-21 at Headliner's Music Hall, Kentucky No.6 She Loves Us - recorded 2013-03-30 at Trix, Antwerpen No.7 Kirsten Supine - recorded at an unknown date at Michael Gira's house No.8 Oxygen - recorded 2013-03-30 at Trix, Antwerpen No.9 Nathalie Neal - recorded 2012-09-14 at La Zona Rosa, Texas No.10 To Be Kind - recorded 2012-11-21 at Haarlem, Patronaat
