Children of God (Swans album)
| Children of God | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by Swans | ||||
| Released | October 19, 1987[1] | |||
| Recorded | February–March 1987 | |||
| Studio | Sawmills Studios, Golant, England | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 71:13 | |||
| Label | Caroline | |||
| Producer | Rico Conning, Michael Gira | |||
| Swans chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Children of God | ||||
| ||||
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
Children of God is the fifth studio album by American experimental rock band Swans. It was released on October 19, 1987,[1] through record label Caroline.
Background
The album marks a change in direction from Swans' early work. More tracks utilize acoustic guitars and more melodic vocals. The lyrics also focus more prominently on religious themes. Michael Gira has stated in multiple interviews that this album is a comment on the practices of religion and the Catholic Church.
Release history
Children of God was re-issued along with the World of Skin compilation (minus the covers) on CD in 1997 as Children of God/World of Skin. On this re-release, the original album version of "Our Love Lies" was replaced with the version included on the Love Will Tear Us Apart EP. Also, the re-release added "Damn You to Hell" and "I'll Swallow You" (under one title as "I'll Swallow You") from the New Mind single as a bonus. Also, "Sex, God, Sex", "Beautiful Child" and "Children of God" were shortened by several seconds with earlier fade-outs and "Trust Me" faded directly into the brief interlude at the end.
Track listing
- Original release [6]
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "New Mind" | Algis Kizys, Michael Gira, Norman Westberg, Ted Parsons | 5:13 |
| 2. | "In My Garden" | Kizys, Jarboe, Gira | 5:34 |
| 3. | "Our Love Lies" | Kizys, Gira, Westberg | 5:50 |
| 4. | "Sex, God, Sex" | Gira, Westberg | 6:49 |
| 5. | "Blood and Honey" | Jarboe, Gira | 4:46 |
| 6. | "Like a Drug (Sha La La La)" | Kizys, Gira, Westberg, Parsons | 5:36 |
| 7. | "You're Not Real, Girl" | Gira | 4:21 |
| 8. | "Beautiful Child" | Kizys, Gira, Westberg, Parsons | 5:16 |
| 9. | "Blackmail" | Jarboe, Gira | 3:34 |
| 10. | "Trust Me" | Jarboe, Gira, Westberg | 5:23 |
| 11. | "Real Love" | Kizys, Gira, Westberg | 6:23 |
| 12. | "Blind Love" | Gira, Westberg | 7:46 |
| 13. | "Children of God" | Jarboe, Gira | 4:34 |
| Total length: | 71:11 | ||
- 1997 re-release Children of God/World of Skin[7]
| Disc 1: Children of God | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "New Mind" | 5:12 |
| 2. | "In My Garden" | 5:35 |
| 3. | "Our Love Lies" (Love Will Tear Us Apart EP version) | 4:30 |
| 4. | "Sex, God, Sex" (edit) | 6:36 |
| 5. | "Blood and Honey" | 4:47 |
| 6. | "Like a Drug (Sha La La La)" | 5:34 |
| 7. | "You're Not Real, Girl" | 4:17 |
| 8. | "Beautiful Child" (edit) | 4:52 |
| 9. | "Blackmail" | 3:32 |
| 10. | "Trust Me" (edit) | 4:58 |
| 11. | "Real Love" | 6:20 |
| 12. | "Blind Love" | 7:44 |
| 13. | "Children of God" (edit) | 4:22 |
| 14. | "I'll Swallow You" (composed of "Damn You to Hell" and "I'll Swallow You" from the "New Mind" single) | 4:14 |
| Total length: | 72:39 | |
| Disc 2: World of Skin | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 1. | "1,000 Years" (edit, from Blood, Women, Roses) | 4:02 |
| 2. | "Everything at Once" (from Shame, Humility, Revenge) | 4:22 |
| 3. | "Breathing Water" (from Shame, Humility, Revenge) | 4:18 |
| 4. | "Blood on Your Hands" (from Blood, Women, Roses) | 3:53 |
| 5. | "Nothing Without You" (from Shame, Humility, Revenge) | 5:43 |
| 6. | "We'll Fall Apart" (from Blood, Women, Roses) | 4:43 |
| 7. | "My Own Hands" (from Blood, Women, Roses) | 4:38 |
| 8. | "Turn to Stone" (from Shame, Humility, Revenge as "Turned to Stone") | 5:21 |
| 9. | "Cold Bed" (from Shame, Humility, Revenge) | 2:25 |
| 10. | "24 Hours" (from Shame, Humility, Revenge) | 4:13 |
| 11. | "Red Rose" (from Blood, Women, Roses) | 4:29 |
| 12. | "One Small Sacrifice" (from Shame, Humility, Revenge) | 6:43 |
| 13. | "Still a Child" (from Blood, Women, Roses) | 5:22 |
| 14. | "The Center of Your Heart" (from Shame, Humility, Revenge) | 4:48 |
Personnel
- Michael Gira – vocals, keyboards, acoustic guitar, album cover concept and design, production
- Jarboe – vocals, backing vocals, piano, keyboards
- N. Westberg – electric guitar, acoustic guitar
- Algis Kizys – bass
- Theodore Parsons – drums, percussion
- Simon Fraser – flute on "In My Garden"
- Audrey Riley – cello on "Like a Drug (Sha La La La)"
- Lindsay Cooper – oboe on "Blackmail" and "Trust Me"
- Wilton Barnhardt – piano on "Blackmail"
- Rico Conning – production, engineering
- John Cornfield – engineering
- Laura Levine – sleeve photography
- Paul White/Me Company – sleeve artwork
Charts
| Chart (1987) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Indie Chart[8] | 3 |
References
- 1 2 "Children of God Advertisement". Retrieved April 21, 2017.
- ↑ Morse, Erik (2009). Spacemen 3 And The Birth Of Spiritualized. Omnibus Press. ISBN 0857121049.
- ↑ Terich, Jeff (September 26, 2013). "Beginner's Guide: Swans". Treblezine. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
- ↑ Pattison, Louis. "Swans - My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope to the Sky". BBC. Retrieved June 24, 2015.
- ↑ Raggett, Ned. "Children of God – Swans". AllMusic. Retrieved March 4, 2013.
- ↑ https://www.discogs.com/de/Swans-Children-Of-God/release/305775
- ↑ https://play.spotify.com/album/05EPYrhpLLfk98xtO9Ib7l
- ↑ Lazell, Barry (1997). Indie Hits 1980-1989. Cherry Red Books. Archived from the original on June 6, 2011. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
External links
- Children of God at Discogs (list of releases)