Public Castration Is a Good Idea cover

Public Castration Is a Good Idea

Released

The majority of this double LP, originally released independently by the band, was recorded at a legendary March 1986 gig at London’s Institute of Contemporary Arts. Swans performed at absolutely punishing volume in this era — eyewitnesses have compared the experience to sticking one’s head in a jet engine — and stretched their songs to mind-warping length. The opening “Money Is Flesh” is 12 minutes long, and the first four minutes of that are just a pounding beat and clanging bass/guitar chords, so slow it’s like being struck by a pile-driver over and over and over. More of a purgative ritual than a live album; when you really do need to be crushed under and obliterated by music, nothing else will do the job like this.

Phil Freeman

Recommended by

Suggestions
Omega cover

Omega

Robert Hood
Songs About Fucking cover

Songs About Fucking

Big Black
The Singles 86>98 cover

The Singles 86>98

Depeche Mode
Happy Ending cover

Happy Ending

Wax Idols
History in Reverse cover

History in Reverse

Blackouts
Strategies Against Architecture II cover

Strategies Against Architecture II

Einstürzende Neubauten
Learning to Cope with Cowardice cover

Learning to Cope with Cowardice

Mark Stewart & The Maffia
Official Version cover

Official Version

Front 242
Negativconcertland cover

Negativconcertland

Negativland
Advanced Technology cover

Advanced Technology

Empirion
Hesitation Marks cover

Hesitation Marks

Nine Inch Nails
Darklands cover

Darklands

The Jesus and Mary Chain