Something tells me he's not a big Madonna fan...
livesidog | Lancaster, PA USA | 05/09/2000
(4 out of 5 stars)
"This limited-edition CD is a collection of short stories written and read by Swans founder and vocalist Michael Gira. These five stories are definitely not for the faint of heart, as they deal with subjects like obsession, torture, sex and murder. Gira's slow, monotone narration adds to the disturbing atmosphere of this disc. Stories like "The Idiot", which details the slow evisceration of a prisoner by his cellmates at the altar of a glowing television screen (told from the point of view of the man being tortured as he drifts in and out of consciousness), simultaneously disgust you and draw you in. "The Sex Machine" is a fairly realistic and very detailed description of an old, rotting peep-show and the men that occupy its booths. Accompanying this grotesque portrait are Gira's own musings about these sick men and their most vile, perverse fantasies which are, of course, spurned by the sick, voyeuristic nature of these peep-shows. The other three stories on this disc are similarly revolting and intriguing. With his stories, Gira succeeds in tapping into some of the darkest parts of your soul -- the feelings and emotions that often times you don't even want to acknowledge that you have. While some may equate listening to stories like this to slowing down when passing a horrible car crash, I'd say doing so is more like stopping, getting out and taking a peek inside the twisted, gruesome wreck."
Light Shining Darkly
J. Bjorne | Huntsville, AL. USA | 12/23/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"So I see this is being gouged here on amazon because it's out of print. Sorry to see that, because the price tag might put off a fan wanting to purchase this.
Having said that, I bought this a long time ago and would gladly pay about $50.00 to replace it if anything happened to my copy. Some of these stories are available in Gira's fiction collection, "THE CONSUMER", which is something I believe is in the works to be reprinted (it also sells for a ridiculous amount of money). MTV and the Cult of the Body is excellent, and runs around 25 minutes I believe, but the true standout is The Idiot, but neither are in that collection.
All of the stories are graphic, nihilistic, and far from anything most people would call "entertainment." Gira refers to these as his fairy tales for adults, and they are definitely for adults. The Idiot describes the systematic rape and mutilation of someone who, well, I'll just say this person deserves everything that happens to them, but Gira's deadpan delivery of the lurid atrocities ads a detached, spectator aspect to the proceedings. MTV and the Cult of the Body focuses on an airline tragedy and the fortuitous find of a fan looking among the wreckage... it is not pretty, but it is a testament to Gira's phrasing and delivery to keep you listening. I wish he would write more and record another spoken word album, but when I asked him about it at an Angels of Light show a few years back, he said he didn't think he'd ever do it again.
Nick Cave said it best when he described the stories in THE CONSUMER as brilliantly disciplined repulsive writing. Buy it, and put it on your iPod!"
Track Listings (5) - Disc #1
