Album
The Burning World
1989 · Rock
4 collectors on Gatefold own this
The Burning World is an Alt/Indie album by Swans, originally released in 1989. On Gatefold: 20 pressings tracked, owned by 4 collectors.
About
The Burning World is the 6th album by experimental rock band Swans. The album was meant to act as a commercial rebrand for the band after the popularity of their cover of the Joy Division song Love Will Tear Us Apart. The album would also be their major label debut, being released by Uni Records under license to MCA (Now Universal Music). Uni Records locked Gira in with multi-instrumentalist and producer Bill Laswell for the majority of the recording process, which Gira has stated post-album release that this hampered the album quality, as it was recorded "piecemeal, with no communication between musicians." Two singles supported the album, those being Saved and Can't Find My Way Home, the latter being a cover of the Blind Faith song of the same name. The album was a commerical failure upon release, only selling 5000 copies in the United Kingdom. Critics also gave mixed reviews, criticizing Bill Laswell's "world-folk" style production, and how it didn't mesh well with Swans. AllMusic wrote, "Ultimately, The Burning World sounds more like a compromised major label Laswell project than a Swans album, to its overall detriment", calling the album a "general disappointment". The band was dropped from Uni Records shortly after the album's release. Michael Gira has spoken very poorly of the album in retrospect. In 2011, he said, "I abhor that record. Bill Laswell is a very good producer, but we didn't mesh well. I was intimidated and sang in this cramped, monotone way. It didn't sell, and we got dropped." The album remains as the only Swans album never reissued under Gira's "Young God Records" imprint in its original form. However, singular tracks have been reissued as part of multiple compilations such as Various Failures, and the entire album with minor alterations was also reissued in a compilation titled Forever Burned. The album was reissued by Water Records on CD in 2012 and Vinyl in 2014. The album was notoriously off-streaming for the longest time until it was reissued by Geffen Records under license to UMG Recordings onto all streaming platforms in April 2024, seemingly without Michael Gira's input.
via Last.fm
The Clerk says
The Clerk knows this whole record — the pressing quirks, the credits, the take.
Tracklist
- 1The River That Runs With Love Won't Run Dry4:14
- 2Let It Come Down4:28
- 3Can't Find My Way Home4:48
- 4Mona Lisa, Mother Earth4:16
- 5(She's A) Universal Emptiness4:02
- 6Saved4:11
- 7I Remember Who You Are4:23
- 8Jane Mary, Cry One Tear3:51
- 9See No More5:30
- 10God Damn The Sun4:20
Sound DNA
- Alt/Indie
- Goth Rock
- sparse
- mournful
- nocturnal
Intended by all parties to constitute the bands major international breakthrough, The Burning World saw Swans signed with (a sub label of ), for worldwide distribution. The schism between commercial focus and artistic vision however appears to have been too great, and the band was dropped after the album and it’s two associated singles (Saved and Can't Find My Way Home) failed to make the desired impact.
The Burning World was never officially included in the series of retrospective reissues released by in the later half of the 1990's, save for a few select tracks that found their way onto the Various Failures 1988-1992 compilation. It only ever resurfaced as part of the strictly limited 2003 release Forever Burned, which featured the whole album, with a few discrete changes, paired with a selection of album and non-album tracks not included on the first versions of Various Failures 1988-1992.
It is worth noticing however that when the album eventually was reissued in its original format in the 2010’s, it was through and and not via Michael Gira’s own imprint, suggesting that at least part of the reason for it's absence might well be that the phonographic copyrights for the recordings are beyond his reach. Even when it was re-issued onto DSP's in 2024, it was not under Gira's imprint, which makes this even more plausible.
Credits
The people behind it.
Performers
- Aiyb DiengPERCUSSION
- Bernard FowlerBACKING VOCALS VOCALS
- Bill LaswellBASS
- Fred FowlerBACKING VOCALS VOCALS
- Fred FrithVIOLIN
- Garo YellinCELLO
- JarboeARRANGED BY , KEYBOARDS, VOCALS KEYBOARDS KEYBOARDS, VOCALS
- Jason AsnesBASS
- Jeff BovaKEYBOARDS
- John KassVIOLA
- Karl BergerARRANGED BY ARRANGED BY , CONDUCTOR VIBRAPHONE
- Larry PackerVIOLIN
- Mark FeldmanVIOLIN
- Michael GiraGUITAR GUITAR, VOCALS GUITAR, VOCALS, ARRANGED BY, COVER , CONCEPT BY
- Norman WestbergGUITAR GUITAR, ARRANGED BY
- Richard CarrVIOLA
- ShankarELECTRIC VIOLIN
- Trilok GurtuTABLA
4 collectors on Gatefold own this · 20 pressings tracked on Gatefold
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