siouxsie and the banshees: classic or dud? search and destroy

Wednesday 20th October

Siouxsie Sioux guest presenting The John Peel show
http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/alt/johnpeel/index.shtml

tune in !

However, it picked up!

Not as long as "Got to Get Up" off Superstition exists.

The version I saw at Lollapalooza still disturbs my soul. (Arguably it even crucifies my chest.)

(xpost)

It is a little alarming to realize how much Siouxsie Schtick Karen O has appropriated (actually The Yeah Yeah Yeahs sound like they put Scream-era Banshees on heavy repeat for the entirety of their teenage years but that's another thread) but I'll take it in whatever form I can get it.

(Apparently I am the only person who thinks "Dear Prudence" is deeply embarrassing.)

-- Dan Perry (djperr...), March 17th, 2003.

Right there with ya, Dan. Never liked their cover of "Dear Prudence."

-- Alex in NYC (vassife...), March 17th, 2003.

The Nocturne version of 'Dear Prudence' is appalling - but I quite like the shimmering quality of the single.

search: the authorised biography.

Conversely, every version of "Helter Skelter" is awesome, including U2's.

(This could only have improved Rattle and Hum.)

Everything in this paragraph makes my head spin

[Also that Jon Klein was sacked for hair-loss...Before reading that I always thought there was a rock'n'roll gene that somehow ensured that an unlikely percentage of males in the music business (except Elton John & Phil Collins) keeps a full head of hair.]

This is kind of all the reasons why I hate people encapsulated in an evil little parable.

I've been wanting to buy A Kiss in the Dreamhouse for years and years but keep waiting for the remaster and it never seems to come. *frowns*

Everything up to the "Song From the Edge Of The World" 12" has much merit.

Not too familiar with their output post - "Peek A Boo"

They had some problems with lyrics, for example this one from Arabian Knights:

Whilst you conquer more orifices
Of boys, goats and things

(oh 'things' - that'll do)

but the texture of their music is fantastic.

you have to forgive them for 'things' since the previous line uses Whilst and orifices. I always like how often SATB use the word 'Whilst'

"Waiting FOOOOOOR a sign..."

Listening to a okay-enough sounding recording from Southampton on the Juju tour in 1981 right now. Such a great band.

From 1983 until 1986 the only (then) new music i bothered with was the Banshees.

Nothing else seemed even vaguely interesting, although there was much hilarity.

I was just thinking of Siouxsie the other day -- I saw the 4CD box set used the other day, wondered if i shouldn't go ahead and pick it up. i have all but maybe two of the studio albums. is this worth my money?

Yeah, I think it's well worth it. It's got a lot of totally classic b-sides I remember, sprinkled with plenty of other stuff that wasn't quite as good but almost always interesting. It's also got a lot less of the earliest punk-style stuff than I suspected, which I was glad about.

I was thinking of them just the other day too! Some lyric came into my head..."you're not seeing/what meant to believe in/your non-excuse for a human being..." I think that was it.

i wonder if the rest of the remasters will ever come out.