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Swans: Sacrifice and Transcendence: The Oral History
‘I’m no stranger to failure, and I’m aware it can arrive at any minute—as it often has. You have to keep things close to your chest and be aware of what’s really the work, not everything around it. If you have faith in the work, then the people will come … it’s an artistic imperative, it has nothing to do with public perception or career or any of that crap. The name, Swans, it’s synonymous with who I am, but it’s how it’s achieved and it’s achieved by people—those people need to have total commitment to making this sound and to making it utterly incisive and uncompromising. The work is everything and it has to—at least at the time—appear, to me, to be stellar. That’s the prerequisite. It’s an intangible thing where it really speaks and has some truth within it.’ – Michael Gira Over a span of some three and a half decades, Michael Gira’s Swans have risen from chaotic origins in the aftermath of New York’s No Wave scene to become one of the most acclaimed rock-orientated acts of recent years. The 1980s’ infamous ‘loudest band on the planet’ morphed repeatedly until collapsing exhausted, broken, and dispirited in the late 1990s. Swans returned triumphantly in 2010 to top end-of-year polls and achieve feted status among fans and critics alike as the great survivors and latter-day statesmen of the underground scene. Throughout, Gira’s desire has remained to create music of such intensity that the listener might forget flesh, get rid of the body, exist as pure energy—transcendent—inside of the sound. Through these pages, the musicians responsible tell the tale of one of the most significant bands of the US post-punk era. Drawing on more than 125 original interviews, Sacrifice And Transcendence is the ultimate companion to Swans and their work from the 1980s to the present day.
336 pages, Paperback
Published June 26, 2018
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 59 reviews
July 2, 2023
Most important things I learned from this:
1. Michael Gira is one degree of separation from Natalie Portman.
2. Michael Gira is zero degrees of separation from Madonna - they dated?? In the early 80s?? what??
3. Gira sounds like a fucking nightmare to be around and Swans seemingly survived only though sheer attrition and force of will. It's so funny that Gira spends the whole time in this book lamenting that Swans never became a consistent band in its lineup while every other member of the band past and present talks about how he basically acts like Stalin 24/7
4. Swans' music is magic: it has been for the past 40 years and will continue to be for the rest of Gira's life. Nothing can stop him from pulling a universe out of his pathologies
(maybe closer to a 3.5 than a 4.5 - of the music biographies I've recently read Miles Davis' is definitely better. I couldn't really justify putting this below a 4 though, the story of this band is just too insane and I'm grateful it was documented with this level of detail, even if there could've been more on the music recording and album structuring itself)
1. Michael Gira is one degree of separation from Natalie Portman.
2. Michael Gira is zero degrees of separation from Madonna - they dated?? In the early 80s?? what??
3. Gira sounds like a fucking nightmare to be around and Swans seemingly survived only though sheer attrition and force of will. It's so funny that Gira spends the whole time in this book lamenting that Swans never became a consistent band in its lineup while every other member of the band past and present talks about how he basically acts like Stalin 24/7
4. Swans' music is magic: it has been for the past 40 years and will continue to be for the rest of Gira's life. Nothing can stop him from pulling a universe out of his pathologies
(maybe closer to a 3.5 than a 4.5 - of the music biographies I've recently read Miles Davis' is definitely better. I couldn't really justify putting this below a 4 though, the story of this band is just too insane and I'm grateful it was documented with this level of detail, even if there could've been more on the music recording and album structuring itself)
September 14, 2018
I dug this book because I really dig Swans. I don't know if i'll ever need to read another Swans book. Mainly tales about Michael Gira yelling at various people. But it helps you understand the band. I guess I would have liked to know a little more about the concepts behind the individual albums. There aren't a ton of those stories. - It also made me realize that it's amazing Swans lasted so long and so many amazing albums were made through fights and poverty and extreme challenges. Read it if you dig Swans.
September 2, 2018
I loved this book. Not only was it crazy informative about a band that I've been a fan of for my entire adult life, but it was surprisingly well-structured and easy to read.
I wasn't so sure about the format at first. It's just snippets of text from interviews with people in and around the band ordered chronologically, but it flowed really well. I imagine getting all of the pieces and editing them together this way must have been a lot of hard work, so props to Soulsby on that.
I was really surprised at the breadth of people Soulsby interviewed for the book. Not just band members, but producers, promoters, cover artists, agents, lawyers, members of Michael Gira's family... so many people. And I really appreciated that many of them didn't shy away from discussing their difficult relationship with Gira or what kind of person he could be.
I didn't really know much about the band beyond the music coming into this. Despite having been a longtime fan, I could only name a handful of the many, many members it's had over the years. So just about everything in this book was new and interesting to me. I was especially happy with the anecdotes about touring in the early days and run-ins with other bands. Jarboe sitting next to Nick Cave on a tour bus... man, I would have loved to have heard that conversation. Even if it was just about the weather.
Not sure that this book will do anything for people unfamiliar with the music, but I can't recommend this book highly enough to anyone who is.
I wasn't so sure about the format at first. It's just snippets of text from interviews with people in and around the band ordered chronologically, but it flowed really well. I imagine getting all of the pieces and editing them together this way must have been a lot of hard work, so props to Soulsby on that.
I was really surprised at the breadth of people Soulsby interviewed for the book. Not just band members, but producers, promoters, cover artists, agents, lawyers, members of Michael Gira's family... so many people. And I really appreciated that many of them didn't shy away from discussing their difficult relationship with Gira or what kind of person he could be.
I didn't really know much about the band beyond the music coming into this. Despite having been a longtime fan, I could only name a handful of the many, many members it's had over the years. So just about everything in this book was new and interesting to me. I was especially happy with the anecdotes about touring in the early days and run-ins with other bands. Jarboe sitting next to Nick Cave on a tour bus... man, I would have loved to have heard that conversation. Even if it was just about the weather.
Not sure that this book will do anything for people unfamiliar with the music, but I can't recommend this book highly enough to anyone who is.
February 20, 2019
Michael Gira is such a enigmatic icon, it is hard to seperate the man from Swans. So going into this book about the Swans, I thought it was going to be more of a biography of Michael Gira. Nick Soulsby really tried hard to not make that so. If the book focuses primarily on Gira, it is only Gira's involvement in the band. It rarely touches on Gira's personal life away from the band. It is an interesting take on a biography as some important aspects of Gira's life, him becoming sober, crumbling marriages, his abusive nature towards members of his band, etc are told by the people who happened to be in or around Swans at that particular time. If his marital problems or other issues are recorded it's as they have to do with Swans. This book reminded me of Brendan Mullen's biography of the Germs, "Lexicon Devil." Darby Crash frontman for the Germs was an enigmatic, polarizing character like Gira. At times you respect, hate, admire Gira. Meticulously researched, I came away from this book with a barrage of information I didn't already know. Recommended for not only fans of the band, but just for readers who like biographies or music period.
September 9, 2018
Good to see a book about Swans. While it's nice to read personal anecdotes, I wish there was a bit more on the music itself, what lead their ideas to evolve, etc.
October 3, 2025
Just judging by the title and committing the sin of judging a book by its cover, I could safely say I was in good hands when going into Nick Soulsby’s oral history of the band. So far, it’s probably the best account of its story and a must for fans of the music.
Highlights include the testimonies of the dynamics of going on tour, anecdotes about what it’s like working with Gira and the literary and other artistic references inspiring the sound.
“Michael had been designing these pieces of music where they're slowly developing a harmonically constructed chord that will just resonate. If you hold these chords long enough, something starts to happen to your body, to your ears, your mind. It becomes a psychedelic experience. (…) This goes back thousands of years- ritualistic, communal ceremonies that use music to instil hallucination or healing. He's working somewhere in there.”
“You love the Swans, what they do, the message is like a revealed religion, and you want to get in that orbit, see the group, and they destroy you”
Highlights include the testimonies of the dynamics of going on tour, anecdotes about what it’s like working with Gira and the literary and other artistic references inspiring the sound.
“Michael had been designing these pieces of music where they're slowly developing a harmonically constructed chord that will just resonate. If you hold these chords long enough, something starts to happen to your body, to your ears, your mind. It becomes a psychedelic experience. (…) This goes back thousands of years- ritualistic, communal ceremonies that use music to instil hallucination or healing. He's working somewhere in there.”
“You love the Swans, what they do, the message is like a revealed religion, and you want to get in that orbit, see the group, and they destroy you”
August 31, 2021
Swans is not a band - it is an audio experience, an ecstatic engine for purgational expiation through sonic exposure.
What the music elicits is the sacrifice and transcendence of the self, of identity, through the effacement which let's the music or the sound unfold without word (the words too being but affective means for producing the ritualistic overload). The develoent of the sound, the identity of Swans, contemporary with the dissolution of the identity of its members - the whole which is not One is never simply the sum of its parts.
Along with this is the ineluctable failure attendant to any attempt at the impossible, insofar as the work is always reaching beyond itself, ever tracing or tracking the movement of transcendence, of excess or exceedance. Gira is never satisfied, never content with a single iteration or configuration of a song - for each is a singular instance, a reaching for that which exceeds and dissolves the intellect in an affective or passionate outpouring or experience.
This book is a fine backdrop for delving into the massive oeuvre that is Gira's discography - a body which continues to grow, to decompose, and to abase itself before the unspeakable experience of which he is ever in pursuit.
What the music elicits is the sacrifice and transcendence of the self, of identity, through the effacement which let's the music or the sound unfold without word (the words too being but affective means for producing the ritualistic overload). The develoent of the sound, the identity of Swans, contemporary with the dissolution of the identity of its members - the whole which is not One is never simply the sum of its parts.
Along with this is the ineluctable failure attendant to any attempt at the impossible, insofar as the work is always reaching beyond itself, ever tracing or tracking the movement of transcendence, of excess or exceedance. Gira is never satisfied, never content with a single iteration or configuration of a song - for each is a singular instance, a reaching for that which exceeds and dissolves the intellect in an affective or passionate outpouring or experience.
This book is a fine backdrop for delving into the massive oeuvre that is Gira's discography - a body which continues to grow, to decompose, and to abase itself before the unspeakable experience of which he is ever in pursuit.
June 11, 2020
В этом году я начал серьезно переразбирать дискографию и историю Swans, и эта книга пришлась как нельзя кстати.
Это что-то среднее между биографией Майкла Джиры и историей Swans как явления. За исключением авторского вступления вся книга это интервью с разными людьми имевшими отношение к Майклу в тот или иной период.
Часть про 80е - настоящая экскурсия в Нью Йорк того времени. Здесь не только Swans, здесь и Лидия Ланч, и вся тогдашняя тусовка. Это слепок жизни в Нью Йорке когда направо пойдешь - перо под ребро получишь, налево пойдешь - может быть не получишь. Слухи о том как Мадонна жила с Майклом в его четырех бетонных стенах без туалета и мебели. Пожалуй, моя любимя тут это история Сью Ханелл - милой гитаристки, наворачивавшей такой нойз что охуевали все. История, увы, трагичная - Сью пропала в безвести в середине 80х и скорее всего умерла тогда же.
Заканчивались 80е записью Burning World, когда Swans залетели на мейжр лейбл, записали хорошие песни в странных аранжировках и создали потрясающе ебланский кавер на Love Will Tear Us Apart. Вы просто посмотрите, это гениально.
Увы, 90е куда менее интересны. Мне запомнилось лишь как Майкл учился играть ну музыку - он находил аккорд который нравится, а потом Кристоф Ханн рассказывал ему что с ним можно делать. В остальном же все 90е это Майкл ругается со всеми окружающими, и эта часть быстро надоедает.
Эпизод между распадом и реюнионов рассказыват даже не про Angels of Light а про работу Young God Records и артистов которых Джира издавал. Эти главы одни из самых интересных в книге. Они резко контрастируют с 90ми и показывают Майкла со светлой стороны.
Запись My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope in The Sky почему-то раскрыта подробнее любого другого альбома. Рассказывают как создавалась обложка, как сочинялась и записывалась каждая из песен по отдельности. Безумно круто, жаль книга редко так делает. Дальше снова туры-туры-туры. Примечательно, что в районе 2015 группа едва не повторила свою судьбу в 97м и не распалась к хуям. К счастью, на старости лет Майкл стал сдержанней и состав смог дожать. Я был на тех концертах, и именно тогда группа показалась мне страшно уставшей.
Sacrifice and Transcendence это ода Майклу Джире и труду его жизни. Если вам сколько нибудь интересен дух мрачного Нью Йорка - почитайте главы про 80е. А если вы любите Swans - почитайте и все остальное, это очень интересно.
Это что-то среднее между биографией Майкла Джиры и историей Swans как явления. За исключением авторского вступления вся книга это интервью с разными людьми имевшими отношение к Майклу в тот или иной период.
Часть про 80е - настоящая экскурсия в Нью Йорк того времени. Здесь не только Swans, здесь и Лидия Ланч, и вся тогдашняя тусовка. Это слепок жизни в Нью Йорке когда направо пойдешь - перо под ребро получишь, налево пойдешь - может быть не получишь. Слухи о том как Мадонна жила с Майклом в его четырех бетонных стенах без туалета и мебели. Пожалуй, моя любимя тут это история Сью Ханелл - милой гитаристки, наворачивавшей такой нойз что охуевали все. История, увы, трагичная - Сью пропала в безвести в середине 80х и скорее всего умерла тогда же.
Заканчивались 80е записью Burning World, когда Swans залетели на мейжр лейбл, записали хорошие песни в странных аранжировках и создали потрясающе ебланский кавер на Love Will Tear Us Apart. Вы просто посмотрите, это гениально.
Увы, 90е куда менее интересны. Мне запомнилось лишь как Майкл учился играть ну музыку - он находил аккорд который нравится, а потом Кристоф Ханн рассказывал ему что с ним можно делать. В остальном же все 90е это Майкл ругается со всеми окружающими, и эта часть быстро надоедает.
Эпизод между распадом и реюнионов рассказыват даже не про Angels of Light а про работу Young God Records и артистов которых Джира издавал. Эти главы одни из самых интересных в книге. Они резко контрастируют с 90ми и показывают Майкла со светлой стороны.
Запись My Father Will Guide Me Up A Rope in The Sky почему-то раскрыта подробнее любого другого альбома. Рассказывают как создавалась обложка, как сочинялась и записывалась каждая из песен по отдельности. Безумно круто, жаль книга редко так делает. Дальше снова туры-туры-туры. Примечательно, что в районе 2015 группа едва не повторила свою судьбу в 97м и не распалась к хуям. К счастью, на старости лет Майкл стал сдержанней и состав смог дожать. Я был на тех концертах, и именно тогда группа показалась мне страшно уставшей.
Sacrifice and Transcendence это ода Майклу Джире и труду его жизни. Если вам сколько нибудь интересен дух мрачного Нью Йорка - почитайте главы про 80е. А если вы любите Swans - почитайте и все остальное, это очень интересно.
December 1, 2020
Everything I hoped it would be (though not more). Endemic to the genre of oral history, there's no real narrative and so dots are not always connected (when/why did that member leave? When/why did that member rejoin?). And while I can understand some of the criticisms regarding a lack of detail on artistic process and album conceptions, etc., there's also a risk of the book getting unwieldy and ponderous if you include everything. Soulsby struck me as having been quite artful and deliberate in his construction of the work; it has everything is needs to have and is neither too short nor too long. If you're a fan, there's no reason not to read this.
P.S. I've become slowly aware over the past few years that I've developed mild tinnitus. I finally broke down and went to a hearing specialist, who determined that my hearing is still in the normal range, but that I likely have lost some hearing outside of the normal/everyday range of frequencies. (Tinnitus is a constant ringing sound that the brain creates, for some reason, in response to hearing loss). I've seen Swans about 10 times or so (including their very first show after getting back together) and I'm about 75% sure that that's the cause of whatever hearing loss I've sustained.
P.S. I've become slowly aware over the past few years that I've developed mild tinnitus. I finally broke down and went to a hearing specialist, who determined that my hearing is still in the normal range, but that I likely have lost some hearing outside of the normal/everyday range of frequencies. (Tinnitus is a constant ringing sound that the brain creates, for some reason, in response to hearing loss). I've seen Swans about 10 times or so (including their very first show after getting back together) and I'm about 75% sure that that's the cause of whatever hearing loss I've sustained.
July 4, 2022
Pretty good book! I haven’t read an oral history book before, so this was quite a fascinating read. I do wish there was more info on the actual albums themselves, and what their stories are. Majority of the book was about the incredible struggles of touring, and some bits about the actual making/production of the albums, but not what they’re about. Tho I can assume that most likely was due to Michael being one of the ppl with the least sections in the book. I thought that was interesting considering how much Swans is his thing, but maybe he didn’t have much to say. In saying that, it was really cool reading about all of the experiences from the other people involved, I can’t imagine how much work went into interviewing this amount of people.
June 4, 2024
A lovely music book that is largely allergic to talking about the actual music, especially post-hiatus!
December 19, 2024
Incredibly inspiring. Solidified the importance of artistic integrity. Made me want to quit a few bands.
December 25, 2025
Incredibly inspiring oral history of one of the most important and uncompromised acts of modern art.
September 19, 2021
A beautiful read for anyone who is interested in Swans or the figure of Michael Gira. A lot becomes clear, why Michael is a person like he is, how the creative process is set, tons of cool stories from tours and studio. The book is organized in an amazing way, it’s pieces of interviews with different related people, perfectly paced together! It’s like watching a well written documentary.
June 21, 2021
I hate to use the term 'Spellbinding' in books but that was the case with Swan's biography. I couldn't put this down, I haven't read a book this quickly probably since I've read Game of Thrones back in college. Swans have always been one of my favorite bands and I didn't know much about them past their music. This book truly felt like the definitive version of Swans. Reading this book also made me realize how crazy the lead singer Michael Gira is and how long he and the band lasted with so many amazing albums they've produced through fights, poverty, and other challenges that seemed extreme.
The first-person' testimony' from the huge amount of contributors from the massive lineup of band members and to those close to the band really puts you in the moment from beginning to end. The writing is a series of snippets from interviews with people in and around the band ordered chronologically, but it flowed really well. Listening to Swan's discography while reading this was incredible and it really showed what was going through Michael's mindset as the band was going into detail on the albums in the book.
If your a fan of Swans this is a must-read. Without a doubt one of my favorite musical biographies I've ever read. Loved this.
The first-person' testimony' from the huge amount of contributors from the massive lineup of band members and to those close to the band really puts you in the moment from beginning to end. The writing is a series of snippets from interviews with people in and around the band ordered chronologically, but it flowed really well. Listening to Swan's discography while reading this was incredible and it really showed what was going through Michael's mindset as the band was going into detail on the albums in the book.
If your a fan of Swans this is a must-read. Without a doubt one of my favorite musical biographies I've ever read. Loved this.
September 30, 2020
A great oral history of the hardest working band in contemporary rock. The interspersed interviews cover recurrent pains and pleasures that the band has explored for almost four decades. Much like the music itself. The band's frontman Michael Gira comes across like a force of nature that moves at full speed in many jagged directions over extremely lengthy periods of time. Gira reminds me of Captain Ahab. Though Gira is searching for what Moby-Dick represents rather than a great white whale.
December 24, 2023
Second time around with this one. One could quote the lyrics of I Was Prisoner In Your Skull endlessly about M. Gira, but what's undeniable is the force of Swans and their contributions to music (even after being /mu/ified last decade, become a meme and then back again to obscurity). Still a great read.
April 10, 2026
A LITTLE GOD IN MY HANDS
Il sacrificio del cigno - così potrebbe intitolarsi una irrealizzabile monografia totale sugli Swans. Irrealizzabile, perché non ci sarebbe nulla da dire. Tutto ciò che sono è, infine, suono ancor prima che musica. Suono puro, una divina dissonanza, gemito dell'universo che sputa in faccia a se stesso. Ciò che si può dare, come schema minimo (ed unico possibile) per chi voglia avvicinarcisi è una cronologia: dai primi '80 al '97 un ventaglio di generi, dal post-industrial allo psych folk, sino ai soundscape di Soundtracks for the Blind; dal 2010 sino ad oggi, una monumentalità ibrida tra Glenn Branca e Wagner, oltre qualsiasi possibile genere, oltre persino le nozioni tipiche di 'musica'. Il primo periodo si chiuse con un album live (indiscutibilmente sempre i loro migliori): Swans Are Dead. Una morte annunciata, in pubblica piazza, una cerimonia iniziata dai tempi delle prime sperimentazioni di Michael Gira con i Circus Mort: il sacrificio, immane, di un animale cosmico, che potrebbe essere il cigno eponimo, l'Uccello del Tuono di alcuni nativi americani. E poi: la resurrezione, o trascendenza. Così si apre il secondo periodo, con My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope To The Sky, titolo dalle risonanze sciamaniche (ricorda quei giganteschi 'pali' usati ritualmente dagli sciamani per scalare i piani dell'esistenza, alla ricerca di una cura).
Ed effettivamente questo è Michael Gira: non un frontman, né un musicista (ignora le nozioni di teoria musicale), né un aedo (troppo corrusca, la sua luce, per non bruciare la parola stessa), ma uno sciamano. Gli altri membri della band sono un'estensione del suo corpo, della sua danza. Egli stesso, però, come un abile taumaturgo, scompare. Retrocede, lasciando il posto a un leviatano senza nome, che è la band stessa, il cigno stramazzante, ora glorioso, messaggero di un sacro che annienta, che va a cercare il sangue. Cosa spera di trovare, là dove il suono si fa luce? La cura, forse. A cosa non è dato saperlo. Può darsi che sia una cura destinata a nulla, a nessuno. Scorre insieme con il sangue venefico, si sovrappone ad esso. Il momento musicale, l'armonia delle sfere, culmina in una singola nota, definitiva, che annienta ogni possibile melodia. Quello è dove si deve arrivare. Dopodiché non c'è più nulla. È l'estasi di un suono minimo eppure totalizzante, un grande muro al di là del quale non si può andare. Il limite è la dimora. La cura, se c'è, sta oltre. Ma la si può scorgere. Perciò bisogna continuare a suonare.
Lo sciamano, prima di guarire una persona, si guarisce - altrimenti rischierebbe solo di contagiare ulteriormente il paziente. Come si guarisce? Uccidendosi, nella maggior parte dei casi. Si uccide, rinasce sano, e può operare. Si aiuta con un tamburo, la cui pelle tirata mostra una mappa del cosmo, o anche si fa consigliare dagli animali che, nell'invisibile, lo circondano. Indossa un abito costituito di frange - sono le sue ali, lo aiuteranno a volare quando dovrà salire i cieli per ricuperare l'anima sua e del paziente. Da qui la preferenza, quasi totale, dei volatili nelle raffigurazioni della cosmologia sciamanica.
Il cigno, però, appartiene all'acqua. Lontano dal cielo, lontano anche dalla terra, su cui contrariato mette piede, sta nel fiume, si lascia trasportare placidamente, come un bucintoro vuoto, senza la pompa della laguna. È Cicno, amante di Fetonte. Quando questi cadde dal suo carro nelle acque del Po, Cicno lo pianse, e dal dolore mutò nel primo cigno. Da allora continua a cercare, lungo tutti i fiumi del mondo, un relitto del carro sul letto del fiume; una ruota, un asse - qualsiasi segno che, nonostante Fetonte sia morto, il raggio solare da lui espugnato possa splendere, ancora, nel bagliore dell'usurpazione.
'You'll feed me with gasoline / I'll burn my name in your head.' (Swans, Helpless Child)
Il sacrificio del cigno - così potrebbe intitolarsi una irrealizzabile monografia totale sugli Swans. Irrealizzabile, perché non ci sarebbe nulla da dire. Tutto ciò che sono è, infine, suono ancor prima che musica. Suono puro, una divina dissonanza, gemito dell'universo che sputa in faccia a se stesso. Ciò che si può dare, come schema minimo (ed unico possibile) per chi voglia avvicinarcisi è una cronologia: dai primi '80 al '97 un ventaglio di generi, dal post-industrial allo psych folk, sino ai soundscape di Soundtracks for the Blind; dal 2010 sino ad oggi, una monumentalità ibrida tra Glenn Branca e Wagner, oltre qualsiasi possibile genere, oltre persino le nozioni tipiche di 'musica'. Il primo periodo si chiuse con un album live (indiscutibilmente sempre i loro migliori): Swans Are Dead. Una morte annunciata, in pubblica piazza, una cerimonia iniziata dai tempi delle prime sperimentazioni di Michael Gira con i Circus Mort: il sacrificio, immane, di un animale cosmico, che potrebbe essere il cigno eponimo, l'Uccello del Tuono di alcuni nativi americani. E poi: la resurrezione, o trascendenza. Così si apre il secondo periodo, con My Father Will Guide Me Up a Rope To The Sky, titolo dalle risonanze sciamaniche (ricorda quei giganteschi 'pali' usati ritualmente dagli sciamani per scalare i piani dell'esistenza, alla ricerca di una cura).
Ed effettivamente questo è Michael Gira: non un frontman, né un musicista (ignora le nozioni di teoria musicale), né un aedo (troppo corrusca, la sua luce, per non bruciare la parola stessa), ma uno sciamano. Gli altri membri della band sono un'estensione del suo corpo, della sua danza. Egli stesso, però, come un abile taumaturgo, scompare. Retrocede, lasciando il posto a un leviatano senza nome, che è la band stessa, il cigno stramazzante, ora glorioso, messaggero di un sacro che annienta, che va a cercare il sangue. Cosa spera di trovare, là dove il suono si fa luce? La cura, forse. A cosa non è dato saperlo. Può darsi che sia una cura destinata a nulla, a nessuno. Scorre insieme con il sangue venefico, si sovrappone ad esso. Il momento musicale, l'armonia delle sfere, culmina in una singola nota, definitiva, che annienta ogni possibile melodia. Quello è dove si deve arrivare. Dopodiché non c'è più nulla. È l'estasi di un suono minimo eppure totalizzante, un grande muro al di là del quale non si può andare. Il limite è la dimora. La cura, se c'è, sta oltre. Ma la si può scorgere. Perciò bisogna continuare a suonare.
Lo sciamano, prima di guarire una persona, si guarisce - altrimenti rischierebbe solo di contagiare ulteriormente il paziente. Come si guarisce? Uccidendosi, nella maggior parte dei casi. Si uccide, rinasce sano, e può operare. Si aiuta con un tamburo, la cui pelle tirata mostra una mappa del cosmo, o anche si fa consigliare dagli animali che, nell'invisibile, lo circondano. Indossa un abito costituito di frange - sono le sue ali, lo aiuteranno a volare quando dovrà salire i cieli per ricuperare l'anima sua e del paziente. Da qui la preferenza, quasi totale, dei volatili nelle raffigurazioni della cosmologia sciamanica.
Il cigno, però, appartiene all'acqua. Lontano dal cielo, lontano anche dalla terra, su cui contrariato mette piede, sta nel fiume, si lascia trasportare placidamente, come un bucintoro vuoto, senza la pompa della laguna. È Cicno, amante di Fetonte. Quando questi cadde dal suo carro nelle acque del Po, Cicno lo pianse, e dal dolore mutò nel primo cigno. Da allora continua a cercare, lungo tutti i fiumi del mondo, un relitto del carro sul letto del fiume; una ruota, un asse - qualsiasi segno che, nonostante Fetonte sia morto, il raggio solare da lui espugnato possa splendere, ancora, nel bagliore dell'usurpazione.
'You'll feed me with gasoline / I'll burn my name in your head.' (Swans, Helpless Child)
June 16, 2020
Nick Soulsby's so-called "Oral History" of the Post-Rock band Swans, as it is told through the lenses of more than a hundred different people, who at one time or another had some kind of involvement with the band, offers an intriguing and multi-faceted insight into probably one of 21st-century-music's most abrasive musicians Michael Gira and his never-ending struggle of staying absolutely true to his own artistic vision. Already founded in 1982 as part of the New York scene of Noise Rock and No Wave, the history of Swans has ever since been a constant struggle, being plagued by an unceasing fluctuation of band members, disastrous financial instabilities and even a hiatus of more than 10 years, which only proved to be merely momentarily when Gira, having grown dissatisfied with his other artistic endeavours, decided to resurrect this by then almost decomposed Behemoth of more recent rock history.
While often being described as arrogant, dictatorial and at times even borderline relentless/violent by various collaborateurs, who had the (dis-) pleasure of working with him over the years, Michael Gira in the end still comes off as an admirable and respectable person, with his redeeming qualities being mostly his unabiding resilience regarding his search for this one definite Sound and his uncompromising perfectionism. Though putting his artistic merits aside, one would not even do Gira justice by defaming him purely based on his (albeit questionable) morals, given for example the fact that, as it is stated throughout the book, even during his most dire financial times he always kept in mind his debts and owes, striving to pay them back as soon as possible and thus also offering a striking contrast to the often inhuman and immoral practices of modern music industry. But most likely the main and most important thing this biography goes to show is - as cliché as it might sound - the importance and power of constantly maintaining and working towards one's own convictions and goals, regardless of all the obstacles and struggles they may entail. Or to put it more drastically: If people like the Swans are willing to even sacrifice basic functions such as properly working limbs or an undiluted sense of hearing just to provide their music with these last ounces of authenticity, then the acceptance of a little bit more discomfort into one's own life all of a sudden does not seem that daunting of a task anymore.
While often being described as arrogant, dictatorial and at times even borderline relentless/violent by various collaborateurs, who had the (dis-) pleasure of working with him over the years, Michael Gira in the end still comes off as an admirable and respectable person, with his redeeming qualities being mostly his unabiding resilience regarding his search for this one definite Sound and his uncompromising perfectionism. Though putting his artistic merits aside, one would not even do Gira justice by defaming him purely based on his (albeit questionable) morals, given for example the fact that, as it is stated throughout the book, even during his most dire financial times he always kept in mind his debts and owes, striving to pay them back as soon as possible and thus also offering a striking contrast to the often inhuman and immoral practices of modern music industry. But most likely the main and most important thing this biography goes to show is - as cliché as it might sound - the importance and power of constantly maintaining and working towards one's own convictions and goals, regardless of all the obstacles and struggles they may entail. Or to put it more drastically: If people like the Swans are willing to even sacrifice basic functions such as properly working limbs or an undiluted sense of hearing just to provide their music with these last ounces of authenticity, then the acceptance of a little bit more discomfort into one's own life all of a sudden does not seem that daunting of a task anymore.
April 10, 2026
A well-constructed oral history of the band Swans. It's fascinating to read about how the project began in the 80s as almost this grotesque, raw performance art and evolved through so many different eras. Throughout it all, it's clear that Gira was and is unusually committed to his art. He is constantly on the verge of poverty, and the touring and recording sound absolutely brutal, as do the living conditions the group came up through in the 80s and 90s. It's clear from reading the book that Swans isn't really a band in the conventional sense, as Gira's fickleness and absolutely awful behaviour drove people off such that there was rarely a consistent line-up, although two or three members were present for sustained periods. Large parts of the book describe incident after incident where Gira went off on someone for the smallest thing. This sort of behaviour would be unforgiveable if it weren't for the incredible quality of the work, and the sense that the work may not have happened if Gira had behaved in any other way.
I would recommend this book whole-heartedly to any fans of the group. It provides a lot of context for their massive discography, and I enjoyed revisiting releases and discovering new gems as I went through. You'll find out the personal experiences that probably informed the lyrics to Blind, how Soundtracks to the Blind was put together, and what went wrong with The Burning World. Also, It's great to hear a lot about and from Jarboe in this book, who is absolutely essential to my favourite period of their music, in the 90s. At the same time, there isn't all that much here that would provide insight into the music from a more conceptual angle, with the focus being more on the blood, sweat, and tears of recording and touring. Having said that, that kind of insight can be found in the journal entries and prose accompanying each release in The Knot.
I would recommend this book whole-heartedly to any fans of the group. It provides a lot of context for their massive discography, and I enjoyed revisiting releases and discovering new gems as I went through. You'll find out the personal experiences that probably informed the lyrics to Blind, how Soundtracks to the Blind was put together, and what went wrong with The Burning World. Also, It's great to hear a lot about and from Jarboe in this book, who is absolutely essential to my favourite period of their music, in the 90s. At the same time, there isn't all that much here that would provide insight into the music from a more conceptual angle, with the focus being more on the blood, sweat, and tears of recording and touring. Having said that, that kind of insight can be found in the journal entries and prose accompanying each release in The Knot.
July 29, 2019
I became a fan of Swans sometime in 2016, I was enrolled in courses at a local community college and someone gave me a list of music they thought I would like, some mainstream and some experimental. The only band I remembered from the list, Swans. I listened to To Be Kind and didn’t think much of it and didn’t really care for it.
Two weeks later, I found myself humming the tune to one of their songs, long story short I found it, and ever since then I have loved Swans and all of their music as much as I can love any other of my favorite bands.
The book, as it says, is an oral history of the band. Meaning that it is compiled from a list of interviews either conducted by the author or from someone else. But it is all said through the members, close acquaintances of the members, and professionals from the music industry.
The book is very well done and formatted and definitely gives a shockingly good idea of what Swans has been like from beginning to end. It was very insightful as I learned too many things I had previously not known before; Michael’s dedication to art and music, his flaws as a person, Sue, Jarboe’s personal life and what she was like, the band’s touring and musical adaptiveness that came with the reactions they got on tour. There’s a lot you can learn from this book and overall I thought it was great.
The only two things that genuinely annoyed me about the book were that there wasn’t enough Gira. It felt like Jarboe and others had more lines than him in the book, I could be wrong but that’s definitely what it felt like. & then to end the book with Jennifer Gira? Really? She has maybe 6 lines in the whole book and the Michael quote the 3 pages before would have made for an amazing way to end the book.
Anyways, if you’re a fan of Swans or music in general, this is definitely a book you want to pick up!
Two weeks later, I found myself humming the tune to one of their songs, long story short I found it, and ever since then I have loved Swans and all of their music as much as I can love any other of my favorite bands.
The book, as it says, is an oral history of the band. Meaning that it is compiled from a list of interviews either conducted by the author or from someone else. But it is all said through the members, close acquaintances of the members, and professionals from the music industry.
The book is very well done and formatted and definitely gives a shockingly good idea of what Swans has been like from beginning to end. It was very insightful as I learned too many things I had previously not known before; Michael’s dedication to art and music, his flaws as a person, Sue, Jarboe’s personal life and what she was like, the band’s touring and musical adaptiveness that came with the reactions they got on tour. There’s a lot you can learn from this book and overall I thought it was great.
The only two things that genuinely annoyed me about the book were that there wasn’t enough Gira. It felt like Jarboe and others had more lines than him in the book, I could be wrong but that’s definitely what it felt like. & then to end the book with Jennifer Gira? Really? She has maybe 6 lines in the whole book and the Michael quote the 3 pages before would have made for an amazing way to end the book.
Anyways, if you’re a fan of Swans or music in general, this is definitely a book you want to pick up!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2025
Usually, I steer clear of oral histories because I find them impersonal and empty. I find that they struggle to be compelling without a strong narrative thread to drive the story forward. I saw Swans for the 12th time last month, and it was the same cathartic experience it's always been. They are the best live act I have ever seen. By a country mile. That made me pick up this book knowing I might not really enjoy it, given the format. Boy, was I wrong.
The story of Michael Gira and the band is so fascinating and atypical that that the interview format is actually ideal. It efficiently delivers the essentials, giving us the whole story straight from the horses' mouths. The sheer range of emotions I experienced, from shock to sadness to quiet optimism, made the entire reading experience truly amazing.
At its core, the book is about the difficult journey of a visionary genius who, despite his talent and innovation failed to achieve the success necessary to sustain his work, only to find the much-deserved recognition decades later. It details how his upbringing and relentless perfectionism turned him into a raging, despotic asshole who drove everyone away. It also captures the struggles and realities of touring when you're broke. Most importantly, the book delves into the craft of songwriting and how the outside world shapes one's art.
Reading this while listening to the Swans albums chronologically was a great idea. I finished this not only knowing more about Michael and the band but also about the albums and songs, the reality of living in 1980s East Village, and the profound emotional toll of dedication to art.
The story of Michael Gira and the band is so fascinating and atypical that that the interview format is actually ideal. It efficiently delivers the essentials, giving us the whole story straight from the horses' mouths. The sheer range of emotions I experienced, from shock to sadness to quiet optimism, made the entire reading experience truly amazing.
At its core, the book is about the difficult journey of a visionary genius who, despite his talent and innovation failed to achieve the success necessary to sustain his work, only to find the much-deserved recognition decades later. It details how his upbringing and relentless perfectionism turned him into a raging, despotic asshole who drove everyone away. It also captures the struggles and realities of touring when you're broke. Most importantly, the book delves into the craft of songwriting and how the outside world shapes one's art.
Reading this while listening to the Swans albums chronologically was a great idea. I finished this not only knowing more about Michael and the band but also about the albums and songs, the reality of living in 1980s East Village, and the profound emotional toll of dedication to art.
August 20, 2023
My interest in Swans primarily begins and ends with Jarboe’s involvement - roughly the decade between 'Greed' (1986) and 'Soundtracks For The Blind' (1996), but I particularly love anything from about 1987-1992. I never quite understood the shifting lineup so I was interested to read about this, and generally about the direction the band were coming from musically. The book covers Gira’s troubled youth, through Circus Mort, and then the forming of Swans until their '90s breakup. The following chapters on the Angels of Light/Young God records period doesn’t feature much of a commentary by Gira other than his expressing that AoL was a “failure” (one of his more frequently used adjectives). Then the band Swans resumes and the book concludes with 'The Glowing Man' (2016).
Gira is the main protagonist, which makes sense as he was the only constant member of the group. There are the typical crazy rock-bio anecdotes about touring and living in squalor, though it also goes into a fair bit of detail about the intentions behind the recordings and the live sound. It can get repetitive, but it manages to give a pretty consistent sense of Michael Gira and his interpersonal relationships. He sounds very very difficult to work with for most people and has an infuriating communication style, but is also greatly respected by the same jilted band members for his uncompromising vision. I was interested to learn more about Jarboe and by all accounts here she sounds lovely and was quite influential on the band's (and Gira’s) sound.
Gira is the main protagonist, which makes sense as he was the only constant member of the group. There are the typical crazy rock-bio anecdotes about touring and living in squalor, though it also goes into a fair bit of detail about the intentions behind the recordings and the live sound. It can get repetitive, but it manages to give a pretty consistent sense of Michael Gira and his interpersonal relationships. He sounds very very difficult to work with for most people and has an infuriating communication style, but is also greatly respected by the same jilted band members for his uncompromising vision. I was interested to learn more about Jarboe and by all accounts here she sounds lovely and was quite influential on the band's (and Gira’s) sound.
November 13, 2025
An invaluable companion throughout my sonic journey into the artistry and history of Swans! As an insatiable music nerd in general and a years-long superfan of this specific group, I can't help wishing this book described the studio albums' actual recording processes with a level of detail more akin to the oft-prioritized live performances, as well as addressing a few further nooks and crannies of Michael Gira's mindbendingly varied career. However, those are really just minor gripes, which may have been impossible to avoid in the first place considering this book's nature as an aural history rather than a straightforward novelization, with the author/editor/curator's scope being limited by the purview and privacy of those he interviewed to gather material. Taking that into account, it's downright miraculous that this ended up being such an enrapturingly vivid and uncompromisingly revelatory portrait. Although they've leaned further towards one side or another at different times, Swans has always balanced on a knife's edge between obscurity and acclaim, so I cannot overstate my gratitude to Nick Soulsby for compiling and immortalizing the band's story (in their own words, no less) for the sake of obsessive listeners like me. Not only is the art described in Sacrifice and Transcendence an inspiration to me, but – by virtue of its jaw-dropping dedication to research and the blazing passion which motivated it – so is the book itself.
April 13, 2026
Michael Gira - UhhhhAAAAAa
Me: 🕴️
This is the first non fiction book I’ve read that was entirely composed of interviews. Utterly fascinating. Some of the stories in this are insane, especially of the early days of Swans when they started in the shithole of 80s NY.
Michael Gira has had one of the most insane life’s imaginable and it’s so absorbing to read about. What’s also telling is the amount of times his band mates call him out for his abrasive, bullish behaviour. The guy was so dedicated and persistent that he drove himself and the people he worked with mad. Was it worth it? Well Swans are my current favourite band and part of what makes them amazing to me is their unrelenting intensity and emotional heaviness, something that couldn’t have been achieved by cutting coroners or by patting each others backs. Not making excuses cause Gira certainly crossed the line multiple times but jesus is it admirable how totally driven and hyper-focused the guys mind was on the music.
Either way, the collection of interviews and how well they’re pieced together is another admirable feat, one that makes for an accessible, informative read that’s heightened my ongoing obsession with this dense and complex band.
Me: 🕴️
This is the first non fiction book I’ve read that was entirely composed of interviews. Utterly fascinating. Some of the stories in this are insane, especially of the early days of Swans when they started in the shithole of 80s NY.
Michael Gira has had one of the most insane life’s imaginable and it’s so absorbing to read about. What’s also telling is the amount of times his band mates call him out for his abrasive, bullish behaviour. The guy was so dedicated and persistent that he drove himself and the people he worked with mad. Was it worth it? Well Swans are my current favourite band and part of what makes them amazing to me is their unrelenting intensity and emotional heaviness, something that couldn’t have been achieved by cutting coroners or by patting each others backs. Not making excuses cause Gira certainly crossed the line multiple times but jesus is it admirable how totally driven and hyper-focused the guys mind was on the music.
Either way, the collection of interviews and how well they’re pieced together is another admirable feat, one that makes for an accessible, informative read that’s heightened my ongoing obsession with this dense and complex band.
January 29, 2019
Swans were a band I missed the first time around. I knew the name but didn’t know the music. I pride myself on my knowledge of Alternative music (as it was known back then) of the 1980s, so to become aware of a pocket of ignorance is humbling. But at the same time, I’m encouraged to discover that there are still many veins of modern music to mine.
Luckily for me, Swans reformed about 10 years ago, not for the nostalgia - there were never any hit songs to re-play - but because Michael Gira needed to make a living and making music is easier than construction (although with the way Gira goes about making music, that statement isn’t as clear cut as it should be).
Somehow I ended up at the legendary KOKO gig in London in 2009 which is referred to a couple of times in the book. The sustained intensity on that night was mesmerizing, compelling, awe-inspiring, and I’ve been a fan ever since. I saw them again in Toronto a few years later but they were nowhere near as good. Which explains the Swans paradox: when Swans are ‘on’ they’re capable of lifting the crowd to a different level - transcendence is a great description - but on an ‘off’ night one just feels bludgeoned by the noise.
After many years on the road, slowly, painstakingly cultivating its cult following, Swans finally get a book written about them. It’s about time. It’s told entirely through interviews with former band members (there are many), friends, and associates, which gives it a back and forth ‘he said, she said’ feel rather than the usual fan based hagiography. It needs to be read quickly as none of the interviewees is given much of an introduction so you quickly lose track of who’s who (although the wittily compiled glossary of subjects at the back of the book helps). The decision to concentrate on Gira and Jarboe makes sense: they are the heart and soul of the band and are fascinating people to boot. I learned the word ‘anhedonic’ from Jarboe - the inability to take pleasure - which sums up their humble, unpretentious, workman-like commitment to their craft. And craft it is, Gira’s aural soundscapes continue to be interesting and relevant nearly 40 years on - a statement which in my mind can be applied to maybe a handful musicians.
Luckily for me, Swans reformed about 10 years ago, not for the nostalgia - there were never any hit songs to re-play - but because Michael Gira needed to make a living and making music is easier than construction (although with the way Gira goes about making music, that statement isn’t as clear cut as it should be).
Somehow I ended up at the legendary KOKO gig in London in 2009 which is referred to a couple of times in the book. The sustained intensity on that night was mesmerizing, compelling, awe-inspiring, and I’ve been a fan ever since. I saw them again in Toronto a few years later but they were nowhere near as good. Which explains the Swans paradox: when Swans are ‘on’ they’re capable of lifting the crowd to a different level - transcendence is a great description - but on an ‘off’ night one just feels bludgeoned by the noise.
After many years on the road, slowly, painstakingly cultivating its cult following, Swans finally get a book written about them. It’s about time. It’s told entirely through interviews with former band members (there are many), friends, and associates, which gives it a back and forth ‘he said, she said’ feel rather than the usual fan based hagiography. It needs to be read quickly as none of the interviewees is given much of an introduction so you quickly lose track of who’s who (although the wittily compiled glossary of subjects at the back of the book helps). The decision to concentrate on Gira and Jarboe makes sense: they are the heart and soul of the band and are fascinating people to boot. I learned the word ‘anhedonic’ from Jarboe - the inability to take pleasure - which sums up their humble, unpretentious, workman-like commitment to their craft. And craft it is, Gira’s aural soundscapes continue to be interesting and relevant nearly 40 years on - a statement which in my mind can be applied to maybe a handful musicians.
October 26, 2022
Wow, this is such a great book! Probably the best music-related I've read in my life.
First of all the "band' history and Micheal Gira as the leader feels like a nearly instant story to grab. But then this book goes deeper into what sacrifices one needs sometimes to make to create art, how difficult it can be, to how devastating the creative process can be. Then it is quite naturally a bit of music history lesson from the late 70s up to the late 2010s, much in New York, but it does not feel to be centered on that single location. And then there is "how" this book is written - I love the fact that it is a narrative build from interviews and talks the author had with band members, friends, other artists, and so on. It is an incredible piece of work and the flow of topics, thoughts, and history is absolutely stunning, it reads almost like a breath taking novel.
And yes, if you like Swans, there are probably some extra points by default. Anyway, go get this book!
First of all the "band' history and Micheal Gira as the leader feels like a nearly instant story to grab. But then this book goes deeper into what sacrifices one needs sometimes to make to create art, how difficult it can be, to how devastating the creative process can be. Then it is quite naturally a bit of music history lesson from the late 70s up to the late 2010s, much in New York, but it does not feel to be centered on that single location. And then there is "how" this book is written - I love the fact that it is a narrative build from interviews and talks the author had with band members, friends, other artists, and so on. It is an incredible piece of work and the flow of topics, thoughts, and history is absolutely stunning, it reads almost like a breath taking novel.
And yes, if you like Swans, there are probably some extra points by default. Anyway, go get this book!
August 17, 2020
This was a great biography of Swans. I enjoyed the format, using interviews with the people who were actually involved and allowing them to tell the story, rather than having the biographer do the interpretation and telling a story from the outside looking in. Swans is one of my favourite bands and, being mostly under the radar for most of their career, there aren't that many interviews around of the band.
What I most liked, was that, unlike a lot of biographies, which tend to focus very much on the early period of the band, while condensing the later years to a scant chapter at the end, Soulsby has made sure to give attention to most of the band's various incarnations, from their no-wave beginnings, to the neo-folk 90s period, to the 2010s post-rock period, and of course, Angels of Light.
What I most liked, was that, unlike a lot of biographies, which tend to focus very much on the early period of the band, while condensing the later years to a scant chapter at the end, Soulsby has made sure to give attention to most of the band's various incarnations, from their no-wave beginnings, to the neo-folk 90s period, to the 2010s post-rock period, and of course, Angels of Light.
January 31, 2026
Swans: Sacrifice and Transcendence: The Oral History by Nick Soulsby is collection of interviews of people who are associated with the band "Swans". The book is a much read for anyone who likes their music. It dwells deep into the history, the band's constant struggle with earning money, the evolution of the band and much more. It also made me revisit some of their older albums and Gira's side projects like Angels of Light.
My only minor complaint is that the contributors appendix page is not listed alphabetically, so at times it felt bit difficult for me to find about the person who are being interviewed.
My only minor complaint is that the contributors appendix page is not listed alphabetically, so at times it felt bit difficult for me to find about the person who are being interviewed.
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