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Critic Reviews
80
Featuring the same lineup as the Greed album, this album -- much like the "Time Is Money" single -- features two differing mixes of the title track and another, wholly separate song.
6y
Swans discography listen 7/? | A SCREW (1986)
Sorry for the length.
REVISED 3-17-2023 REVIEW:
Yes. I did not input the score incorrectly. Yes I gave this very coveted number (only 3 albums are at a 100 for me rn and there’s like only 5 or 6 others out there that are truly 100s for me) to this EP. Am I crazy? Probably. I had to republish this entire review because the original couldn’t express how this EP makes me feel.
A Screw is the Swans’ magnum opus. Yes, an incredibly ... read more
Swans Deep Dive - A Screw EP
Ok, we’re two for two with Swans EPs defying any and all expectations. The horns on the new mix? Wtf? Why do they sound so good? Compared to the depravity of Holy Money, this feels much more vaudevillian in nature and I kinda love it. The no lead vocals mix is just alright, nothing too interesting to it. Gives major sample energy, I feel like a hip-hop artist could flip this into something super cool.
Blackmail is just gorgeous. I feel like this is the first ... read more
Swans revisited part 8/22
The EP that nobody really wanted and, in the grand scheme of things, really doesn't matter. In 1986, to go along with the Greed/Holy Money double album, they also released two EP's, the first being the brilliant Time Is Money (Bastard), and now A Screw, the one that everyone likes to forget about because of how inessential it is.
I'll try to keep this one short. Well actually, it's going to be short regardless of whether or not I want it to be or not, because there's ... read more
blackmail is really beautiful. jarboe takes the lead on the track and a really pretty piano melody plays in the background. the song is a bit repetitive but not to a boring or grating extent. it's just generally a good song. something that a screw isn't. a screw is really silly sounding to me and just generally obnoxious. i also feel like the holy money version feels pretty similar, but not nearly as bad.
I wasn't expecting much considering this EP is just two versions of A Screw followed by Blackmail, but it's actually pretty interesting. I like the addition of some kind of brass instrument to the first mix of A Screw, and surprisingly the second one is actually different aside from the lack of lead vocals, unlike what the name might suggest. Blackmail is also beautiful, and more haunting than the Children of God version.
Favorite tracks:
A Screw (Holy Money) (Mix, W Vocals)
Blackmail
I love Swans but what is this goofy bullshit? These mixes of A Screw sound like they belong in kids shows, like the intro theme of Handy Mandy or some late 80s game show. I'm not against fun but these just sound bad in my opinion. The only redeeming factor to this EP is Blackmail and even then it's not a phenomenal song or anything, it's just decent. This is a serious lowlight in Swans' discography.
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Track List
| 1 | A Screw (Holy Money) 5:41 | 74 |
| 2 | Blackmail 4:54 | 81 |
| 3 | A Screw 5:00 | 60 |
Total Length: 15 minutes
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3mo
whats the difference between this A Screw (Holy Money) and the one on the Holy Money album
