Tag: Siouxsie and the Banshees

In 1981, Siouxsie and the Banshees reconvened to once again work with producer Nigel Gray on what became the band’s fourth album, Juju. The band further developed their mix of post punk, art rock, industrial, and goth into and intriguing mix of songs. “Spellbound” got a new lease on life in 2022 when it was used on the TV show, Stranger Things. The top 20 single sees intricate guitar playing and influential guitar tone from John McGeoch.  Drummer Budgie powers the song underneath and replicates the sound of falling down the stairs one of the band’s finest songs.

Second single “Arabian Knights” sees the band continuing to fire on all cylinders. Scathing lyrics from Siouxsie about middle eastern culture and it’s treatment of women, once again powered by Budgie and a bass swing from Steven Severin. “Into The Light” is gloomier yet also contains arguably Siouxsie’s best vocal performance on the album while “Monitor” sees guitar bristle, introducing a bit of an industrial element to the sound.

On side two, “Sin In My Heart” starts as a bit of a dirge before picking up steam before the first verse starts, drums pounding, the track then sees the band in full rock flight. Most tracks on the album have a darkness to them, whether the song is about stepping into death’s light or on “Night Shift” about the Yorkshire Ripper serial killer, yet it never turns into a slog.  Juju has been hailed as a classic in some circles and highly influential on future alternative rock bands, many specifically citing the guitar work of John McGeoch.  Another must hear album from this inventive band.

9/10

After releasing Join Hands in 1979, it’s safe to say Siouxsie and the Banshees were in disarray.  Both guitarist John McKay and drummer Kenny Morris left the band on the day the album was released. Siouxsie and Steven Severin would then regroup and bring in new drummer Budgie who became a mainstay along with guitarist John McGeoch for their first release of the 80s,  Kaleidoscope.

The first single was a sarcastic take on the drama the band had endured.  “Happy House” is one of their best tracks – gloomy with pop sensibilities that went into the UK top 20.  Here, Siouxsie deadpans that that happy house is “such fun” and that “it never rains”. A bass riff played through electronics powers “Tenant” that dispenses any of tongue in cheek joy that precedes it, it’s the happy house at night when the squatters move in.  Downbeat with glitchy beats, “Lunar Camel” could have come out in the last 10 years and been hailed as innovative.

“Hybrid” puts the drumbeat front and centre, with a ringing guitar and wailing horn. While there is a lot going on musically, the song is always locked down and the quieter moments are quite lovely.  Second single “Christine” is another highlight. Lyrics by Severin, the song chronicles the split personality of Christine Sizemore over an acoustic guitar strum and chugging bassline.  It’s just one of many tracks that create an atmosphere all their own on a highly influential album. Kaleidoscope would see Siouxsie and the Banshees continue to move well past their punk origins into helping form the underground music world of the 1980s.

9/10

The second album from Siouxsie and the Banshees was released less than a year about their spectacular debut. Join Hands has a distinctly different sound, one that is more haunting and introduces gothic tones that would later become popular.  “Poppy Day” opens the album with the ringing of bells and a brief snippet of a Canadian poem by John McCrae about Flanders Field. “Regal Zone” takes the war theme to Iran, with Siouxsie Sioux singing with a staccato voice and a sax interlude courtesy of guitarist John McKay.

Where the album really shines is on “Icon”.  The only track included on the Seven Year Itch live album released in 2003. It’s a spine tingling vocal with a guitar riff and pounding drums that slam in just before the first verse.   The only track released as a single, “Playground Twist” pulls in more bells, thundering drums and buzzsaw guitar. The dark chaotic song takes on a child bullying theme and lyrics of “hanging, hanging, hanging” before ending with children’s voices.

Siouxsie and the Banshees historic first gig was opening up for the Sex Pistols at the 100 club in September 1976. The only song played was an extended version of “The Lord’s Prayer”, that track is recreated as the last song on Join Hands.  At 14 minutes it brings in lyrics from Bob Dylan, The Beatles and Muhammad Ali.  To hear it live must have been mesmerizing but here, it needs some severe editing to make it more than just a noisy scattershot of sometimes interesting shouts. In all, Join Hands can be a hard, grim listen. 

6/10

Siouxsie Sioux and Steven Severin met in 1975 and went on to form Siouxsie and the Banshees, debuting a year later at the 100 Club Punk Festival with Sid Vicious on drums. With Siouxsie handling vocal duties and Severin on bass, the duo would later add guitarist John McKay and Kenny Morris on drums. The band’s first release was the Steve Lillywhite produced single “Hong Kong Garden”. One of the landmark releases of the punk era peaked at #7 in the UK singles chart. A few months later in November of 1978, the band released their debut album, The Scream, also produced by Lillywhite.

First track “Pure” features a spare guitar with disembodied voices before one of the album’s finest songs “Jigsaw Feeling” ups the ante with a stunning mix of punk, metal, industrial and goth while Siouxsie sings of “My eyes are doing summersaults/staring at my shoe”. The staccato vocals of “Carcass” and hard guitar edge do little to hide the pop melody including handclaps. Ending side A, the band reaches back a decade earlier for inspiration in a powerful cover of The Beatles “Helter Skelter” climaxing with Siouxsie exclaiming, “you may be a lover but you ain’t no fucking dancer!” before a cymbal crash brings it all to an end.

The only track from here to appear on the Once Upon a Time:  The Singles compilation is “Mirage”. The accelerated track is driven by an acoustic guitar where Siouxsie’s “limbs are like palm trees/swaying in the breeze”. In stark contrast, “Metal Postcard (Mitageisen)” is cold and militant. Having originated in the London suburb of Bromley, “Suburban Relapse” revisits life outside the capital centre where the character suddenly snaps while doing the mundane chores, the music ups the tension throughout. The album closes with the ambitious “Switch” where Siouxsie sounds like Grace Slick and the music changes on virtually every verse over it’s nearly seven minutes.

The music that young Londoners created in the late 70s known as punk still reverberates throughout the music industry as new generations keep finding it. Siouxsie and the Banshee’s debut that was released just one year after the Sex Pistols is already moving the sound in new directions. Morris’ drumming is a highlight throughout, along with Severin they create a solid base for McKay’s guitar to shine. Siouxsie is a true icon who’s voice here already sounds developed. The Scream is a true classic album of the late 1970s.

10/10