''Holy Money'' is the fourth studio album by American

experimental rock Experimental rock, also called avant-rock, is a subgenre of rock music that pushes the boundaries of common composition and performance technique or which experiments with the basic elements of the genre. Artists aim to liberate and innovate, with ...

band

Swans Swans are birds of the family Anatidae within the genus ''Cygnus''. The swans' closest relatives include the geese and ducks. Swans are grouped with the closely related geese in the subfamily Anserinae where they form the tribe Cygnini. Someti ...

. It was released in March 1986, through record label K.422. The album was recorded in the same sessions as " Time Is Money (Bastard)", " A Screw", and ''Greed''.

Background

The first CD issue contained the '' A Screw'' EP as bonus tracks. A later compilation released in 1992, ''Greed / Holy Money'', combined Holy Money (barring "A Screw (Holy Money)", though "A Screw (Holy Money) (Mix)" was listed as this) and

Greed Greed (or avarice) is an uncontrolled longing for increase in the acquisition or use of material gain (be it food, money, land, or animate/inanimate possessions); or social value, such as status, or power. Greed has been identified as und ...

(barring "Fool" and "Money Is Flesh", however "Fool (#2)" and "Money Is Flesh (#2)" were listed as these, respectively), as well as the entirety of the A Screw EP and an abridged version of "Time Is Money (Bastard) (Mix)" (listed as "Time Is Money (Bastard)") from the Time Is Money (Bastard) EP. This compilation, with its entirely re-organized track list, saw re-issue in 1999 in the double-disc set ''Cop/Young God / Greed/Holy Money'', which included the Cop album and Young God EP.

Critical reception

AllMusic AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databa ...

commented that ''Holy Money'' "well documents the continuing transformation of Swans into a more complex, intriguing beast." ''

Trouser Press ''Trouser Press'' was a rock and roll magazine started in New York in 1974 as a mimeographed fanzine by editor/publisher Ira Robbins, fellow fan of the Who Dave Schulps and Karen Rose under the name "Trans-Oceanic Trouser Press" (a reference ...

'' called it "more or less a twin to ''Greed''; virtually identical in cover art and musical approach". Aaron Lariviere of '' Stereogum'' described ''Holy Money'' as a "transitional album", but called it "brilliant in tsown right".

Maynard James Keenan Maynard James Keenan (born James Herbert Keenan; April 17, 1964) is an American singer, songwriter, record producer, actor, and winemaker. He is best known as the singer and primary lyricist of the rock bands Tool, A Perfect Circle, and Pusc ...

Tool A tool is an object that can extend an individual's ability to modify features of the surrounding environment or help them accomplish a particular task. Although many animals use simple tools, only human beings, whose use of stone tools dates ba ...

named the album as a major influence.

Track listing

Personnel

Credits adapted from ''Holy Money'' liner notes Performers *

Michael Gira Michael Rolfe Gira (; born February 19, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, author and artist. He is the main force behind the New York City musical group Swans and fronted Angels of Light. He is also the founder of ...

– vocals, piano, sampling,

production Production may refer to: Economics and business * Production (economics) * Production, the act of manufacturing goods * Production, in the outline of industrial organization, the act of making products (goods and services) * Production as a stati ...

Norman Westberg Norman Westberg is a guitarist from Detroit best known for his work with Swans. Present through almost the entirety of the band's existence, Westberg was brought on for Swans' debut album '' Filth'' (1983) and appeared on every album through 199 ...

– guitar * Jarboe – vocals (tracks 1 and 2) *

Algis Kizys Algis Kizys (born September 8, 1960 in Chicago) is a New York City bass guitarist most well known for his long-time membership in New York City band Swans. First joining Swans on 1986's ''Greed'' LP, he stayed with the group through ''The Great ...

– bass (tracks 1 and 4) * Harry Crosby – bass (tracks 3, 5, and 6) * Ronald Gonzales – drums (track 1, 5, 6, and 7) *

Ted Parsons Ted Parsons is an American drummer most notable for his membership in bands such as Swans, Prong, Godflesh, Killing Joke, and Jesu. Biography Parsons' early career began in 1985 with Swans, when he contributed to their ''Holy Money'' album. He ...

– drums (tracks 1 and 4) * Ivan Nahem – drums (track 3) Additional personnel *

Roli Mosimann Roli Mosimann is a drummer, electronic musician and record producer who has worked in genres ranging from industrial to pop. Originally from Switzerland, Mosimann first came to attention with the New York City no wave band Swans and later col ...

– mixing (track 4) * Jorgé Estabon – engineering, production * Paul White – artwork

Charts

References

{{Authority control Swans (band) albums 1986 albums Albums produced by Michael Gira