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
Porcupine cover

Porcupine

Echo & the Bunnymen
Dos Dedos Mis Amigos cover

Dos Dedos Mis Amigos

Pop Will Eat Itself
Anxious cover

Anxious

Rødhåd
Visage cover

Visage

Visage
The Gordons cover

The Gordons

The Gordons
Love cover

Love

The Cult
Forever Now cover

Forever Now

The Psychedelic Furs
Dead Can Dance cover

Dead Can Dance

Dead Can Dance
Humberstone cover

Humberstone

In the Nursery