The Toy Box: Siouxsie and the Banshees

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Retro Spins: Siouxsie and the Banshees - Peepshow

Multi-instrumentalist Martin McCarrick and guitarist Jon Klein joined Siouxsie and the Banshees, with the quintet heading to the studio to lay down the tracks that would become 1988's Peepshow. Upon its release, it was highly praised by critics for its collage of sound, which included orchestration, bouncing tracks, reverse instrumentation, and intermixed styles, such as pop, rock, and reggae,

Peepshow would be the Banshees last album to receive a sales accreditation, silver on the BPI. While follow-up album, 1991's Superstition, and their final (to date) 1995's The Rapture would chart in the top fifty in the UK, as well as be critically acclaimed, they would both fail to meet the sales heights of prior releases.

Starting up the record...or in my case, CD, Peek-A-Boo sets a very unique stage from the drumming, the aforementioned reverse instrumentation. It's a quirky song, but at the same time, kind of spooky. It sets the tone of a fun and different experience, which for the most part Peepshow delivers on.

I had to reserve myself because if I were adding songs to my shuffle simply for getting my toes tapping, I would have added all of them. However, these ultimately wouldn't be memorable. In fact, even writing this paragraph, those memories are all but gone.

What I did add to the shuffle was Peek-A-Boo, Carousel, Ornaments Of Gold, and Turn To Stone. I felt these represented the best of what the album had to offer.

Overall, what makes Peepshow unique, is also what makes it a bit problematic. When you have so many different styles incorporated from song to song, nothing flows. This doesn't sound like an album that a concept was conceived from start to finish. Rather, a mishmash of ideas, that while good, don't transition well into the track which follows.

Tomorrow, things wrap up in our little self proclaimed contest of Siouxsie and the Banshees versus The Cure with the final album in the mix the latter's 1989 Disintegration. From there, a final victor of the 80's will be crowned.

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Disclaimer: They Toy Box does not endorse or contribute to piracy. Retro Spins posts are intended for educational and entertainment purposes only. None of the music discussed here is available for sale, downloading or distribution.

ON THE CHARTS THIS WEEK
July 26, 1980

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
July 26, 1980

Retro Spins: Siouxsie and the Banshees - Through The Looking Glass

On the surface, I immediately have a problem with Siouxsie and the Banshees' Through The Looking Glass. That being that it's a collection of covers performed by the band. Sorry, but much like Van Halen was panned for Diver Down, and Guns N' Roses for The Spaghetti Incident, there's no reason, or excuse, for an established band to record a cover album. The fans expect, and deserve better.

I won't pan it from the starting gate, but I will stress that it's lazy.

As I was greeted by the opener, This Town Ain't Big Enough For Both Of Us, I would have sworn I was listening to a hard rock iteration of the band ABBA, despite being a Sparks song. It had that distinct sound, albeit with a heavy rock overtone layered in. Point being, it resonated, and I dug it a lot.

The Disney Jungle Book covered Trust In Me, is somewhat out of place when the album is based on the Lewis Carroll Alice In Wonderland novel. Why not choose any of the number of songs from that Disney film? It would have better fit. Though as I sit here and think about it, I can't exactly think of one which wouldn't have been silly.

Knowing nothing about the original, I will say that I enjoyed their cover of the Bob Dylan song, This Wheel's On Fire, as well as Billie Holiday's Strange Fruit. But again, I have to take a step back. These versions, while good to me, have the benefit of me not knowing how the originals sound. Further, had I not read that this album was all covers, I would easily have been mistaken to think that Siouxsie and the Banshees brought their "A" game to the writing table.

Look, I'm not going to pan something for being good, even if it is a cover, but again, stress that it's lazy. Which makes me all the more annoyed at how much I enjoyed Through The Looking Glass. If this were my first Siouxsie and the Banshees album, I would almost feel duped if I then went and bought something else from them only to be greeted by a completely different sound.

Iggy Pop would even praise Siouxsie for her rendition of his song, The Passenger. However, I wouldn't go as far as he did by saying she improved it. It's a decent rendition, but in terms of this one, I'd rather hear Iggy's.

In comparison to The Cure's Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, which I've reviewed already in a prior post, and which Through The Looking Glass is contending with today, the Banshees will get the victory. As I said in my original review of Kiss Me, and again in my retrospective review yesterday, it's just not that good. It has its hit, which is cool, but in the sheer volume of songs I grabbed for my shuffle from Looking Glass, it has to be crowned the winner. I'm going to go back to this one far more often than The Cure's '87 entry.

Our final round starts tomorrow when the Banshees' 1988 released Peepshow will go head to head with The Cure's 1989 released Disintegration. From there, we'll get our final winner across all that went on to the last round.

First, we have to deal with the business of who the winner is between The Cure's The Head On The Door, and Through The Looking Glass. Despite my ranting about the latter being a cover album, I really did like this one. Which is why it was really difficult for me to choose between the two. But, someone's gotta win, and that was The Cure.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
July 25, 1981

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
July 25, 1987

Retro Spins: Siouxsie and the Banshees - Tinderbox

With the departure of Robert Smith from the band, the Banshees were in need of a new guitarist. John Valentine Carruthers, would make his debut in that role. His first appearance was on the 1984 EP, The Thorn, before heading into the studio for what would become 1986's Tinderbox.

The album has been praised as one of the best from Siouxsie and the Banshees, with verbal accolades going to the fierce drumming of Budgie, and complexe synthesizer work of Steven Severin. Some critics have even gone so far as to call it their all-time favorite album...like ever.

Well, that's quite a high bit of praise, and a high bar. Tinderbox must be amazing, no?

No.

Maybe I missed something. What I heard in the Banshees seventh studio album was nothing worth writing home about. While definitely delivering a straight up rock sound, I also found it to simply be loud. As if the drums were trying to drown out Siouxsie, while she was trying to drown out the guitars, which they were trying to drown out the keyboards. The whole thing resulted in a wall of sound, which frankly made my ears ring, despite not being turned up high.

The songs also felt bloated, over extended in time, and without any sort of hook to really draw you in to any of them. By song seven, I felt like I had been listening to it for hours, and couple with the sheer volume, it wasn't necessarily enjoyable.

There was one standout track among the bunch, that being Cities In Dust. This was actually a song I had heard in prior shuffle sessions of my entire library, and one which has actually been on my shuffle list for a while. However, beyond that, Tinderbox really doesn't offer anything for me. I love Siouxsie's voice, but it doesn't feel utilized here.

What I disliked most about Tinderbox was that it made me think about my music collection as a whole. I contemplated if it was time to go through my thousands of CD's and reassess what was there versus what I actually loved, and therefore needed. Basically, it made me wonder if it was time to consider downsizing, and that's not a feeling I wanted to have.

Tinderbox gets a big fat "F". Not only for being a stinky album, but for making me reassess my life choices. Basically, tomorrow's review, The Cure's The Head On The Door is poised to already be professed as the winner...Unless of course it's all the more worse, and I don't know, burns my house down, or something...

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
July 23, 1983

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
July 23, 1988

Retro Spins: Siouxsie and the Banshees - Hyæna

Shortly after the release of their 1982, A Kiss In The Dreamhouse, Siouxsie and the Banshees would face a difficult task. Guitarist John McGeoch suffered a nervous breakdown from the stresses of touring and an increasing personal problem with alcohol. The end result was being fired from the band.

With no guitarist, the Banshees turned to Robert Smith of The Cure. Smith would not only fill in on tours, but ultimately join the band for their 1984 Hyæna. However, upon its release and tour, Smith would quit the band, citing it was too much stress to be a full time member in both groups.

Upon its release, critics praised the album, but in doing so honed in on Smith. The presence of his influence and fingerprints were considered very present. However, in doing so, did Robert Smith inadvertently assist in creating a Cure album with the Banshees? Well, only one way to find out.

After hearing the opening track, Dazzle, I have one question. Why weren't Siouxsie and the Banshees ever asked to do a title track to a James Bond movie? I mean, come on. All the elements are there.

With that said, overall, Hyæna didn't honestly have all that much to offer for me. I suppose there was a descent cover of The Beetles Dear Prudence. However, not being very familiar with that song, I couldn't tell you if it was better, worse, or even close enough to be worthy.

For me, coming off of 1982's A Kiss In The Dreamhouse, and then hearing that Robert Smith had joined on guitars, I was expecting this album to be the Banshees' opus. It's not. Far from it.

I can definitely hear the influences of Smith on it, and by that I mean drab, and melancholy. However, this isn't the sound that I equate to Siouxsie Sioux, and I don't necessarily need her to be the mouthpiece for The Cure.

That's not to say it was a total bust. I did, as I mentioned, or perhaps didn't elaborate enough to imply, that I did enjoy the opening track, Dazzle, Take Me Back, and Running Town. I also added Dear Prudence to my shuffle, if for no other reason than just because of what it was - A cover of The Beetles' song. Terrible reason, I know. I will probably endlessly skip it when it comes around.

Hyæna doesn't stand in a promising spotlight right now, but we'll see how it fares in comparison to The Cure's The Top when I fire that one up tomorrow. Who knows. It could end up being the best of the worse.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
July 21, 1984

Retro Spins: Siouxsie And The Banshees - A Kiss In The Dreamhouse

Fresh off their 1982 tour, Siouxsie And The Banshees returned to the studio with a new vision. Strings. Unlike many bands which were heavily leaning into the synthesizer, Siouxsie Sioux wanted to go full orchestration.

This inspiration came from their prior released single, Fireworks, which Sioux said about it, "Fireworks" indicated the direction we wanted for the album. We wanted strings ... John [McGeoch] wanted a machine but Steven [Severin] and I said it had to be real strings. They give a real, earthy, rich sound. You could hear the strings spitting and breathing and wheezing. Me and Steve have always wanted our music to be performed by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. We've always thought our songs would suit orchestration. Real strings have a very physical sound".

The album gave the Banshees the opportunity to go over the top with their sound, exploring and exploiting everything. If they came up with something big, engineer Mike Hedges would figure out how to make it bigger. He encouraged the group to fiddle with effects, and experiment with everything.

Praise was unanimous from critics, and A Kiss In The Dream House would peak at number 11 on the UK charts. Playing through it, I was raptured by the sounds, and pulled in by the haunting vocals of Sioux.

This was very reminiscent of the sounds I would later hear in their 1990 released Face To Face for Batman Returns, and what initially drew me to the Banshees. Oh my gosh, yes please, more of this!

Tracks one through three, Cascade, Green Fingers, and Obsession are so tightly woven that they feel like one long track that would be remiss without the other. Unfortunately, track four does a full 180, going back to the punchy punk sound for which Siouxsie And The Banshees carved their initial fame from. It's not bad, per se, but this sudden shift leaves the latter track not really feeling like it fits with what came before it.

Or perhaps it's the first three songs which don't fit with the rest of the album. The reason being that things didn't necessarily shift back to the stringy and deep sounds of Dreamhouse's openers for the remainder of what would be called, side A. It did, however, still continue to have that experimental sound aspect to it, which helped it to stay intriguing to hear.

Things picked back up with the side B opener, Melt!, which once again incorporated the strings with a deep rich sound. Painted Bird picked up the speed, and I really dug the fading echoes, and drum work which the track felt built around.

A Kiss In The Dreamhouse wraps up with Coccoon and Slowdive, which is like a nice layer of icing on the cake. While Cocoon has a jaunty almost doowop sound to it, albeit in a darker way which only Siouxsie Sioux could deliver, Slowdive slickly incorporates strings back into the psychedelic punk mix, giving you one last fist pump before departing.

I won't call the album perfect, but man, it could have been. It was right on the cusp for me, had it not been for the second half of the first side. Still, this puts The Cure in a tough spot. Their 1982 released Pornography, which I'll listen to tomorrow, needs to deliver hard to even be a contender.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
July 19, 1980

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
July 19, 1986

Retro Spins: Siouxsie And The Banshees - Kaleidoscope

I mentioned back in March when listening to Siouxsie And The Banshees' Juno, how I got an itch to get all their 80's albums one day, not really knowing much about them beyond their song, Face To Face, from Batman Returns. This post came prior to the recent format I've adopted as of late, where I run through a series of albums from an artist, and not just one. As such, I started off my Banshees' journey already into the era.

Well, today I'm taking a step back to 1980 to pick up with their record, Kaleidoscope. I already did a deep dive on the band in the aforementioned Juno listening session, so I also can't necessarily do a deep dive either. Well, I could, but it would basically just be rinse and repeat of their other post.

So, let's just dive right in, focusing on the album itself.

Right before a show in support of their 1979 album, Join hands, guitarist John McKay, and drummer Kenny Morris unceremoniously left the band. The two fled from the city after an argument with Siouxsie, and manager Nils Stevenson. This prompted the Banshees to regroup, taking their sound in a different direction. While they still featured the post punk rock that gave them their following, they would also incorporate synthesizers and drum machines, stirring a new wave sound into the mix.

Ordered by her doctors to take a one month rest, Siouxsie used this time to learn to play guitar, and start composing her own music. She would use this new skill to continue work on the demoes for what would become Kaleidoscope. To fill the absences of McKay and Morris, the group brought in John McGeoch on guitars, and Budgie (Peter Edward Clarke), on drums.

When the album was released, it peaked at number five on the UK charts, which at the time was the highest the band had achieved. Not only did critics praise the album, but so too did Paul Wellers and Rick Buckler, of The Jam, who called the music innovative with unusual sounds. Kaleidoscope would also be noted as an inspirational recording for bands such as The Cure, Red Hot Chili Peppers, The Smiths, and Radiohead.

Listening through it, I definitely caught on to the "unusual" aspect of it. Kaleidoscope is a very unique record for its time, and one which I can understand how and why it would be inspiring to may artists. Everything that makes it different is also what makes it stand out, in a good way.

While I wasn't going to hear, nor expected Top Forty hits here, from start to finish, I found the album to be quite enjoyable. There were some standout tracks from the bunch, Happy House, Christine, Desert Kisses, Red Light, and Paradise Place. However, overall, and as a whole, I can't see listening to this one again without playing it from start to finish. It feels like the whole thing needs to be there to really get the full experience.

I'm excited to keep going through their music. However, I want to do something "fun" in doing so. I'll give a bit more information on that tomorrow, as I'm still working through the final details, but hopefully you'll enjoy it.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
July 16, 1983

THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
July 16, 1988

Retro Spins: Siouxsie And The Banshees - Juju

I woke up one day, knowing little to nothing about Siouxsie and the Banshees, but having a sudden itch to scratch. I needed every album they (and The Cure) released in the 80's. Up until this point, my only exposure to the band was their 1990 inclusion on the Batman Returns soundtrack, but quite frankly, that was one of my favorite things about that album. It was this that I was hoping to get more of.

Siouxsie and the Banshees formed in 1975 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bass guitarist Steven Severin, and found themselves immediately part of the emerging punk scene. Their first gig at the 100 Club found them among the likes of the Sex Pistols, Clash, and Subway Sect, where they performed a twenty minute version of the Lord's prayer. The irony of the show was that the only member of the band who knew how to play an instrument was guitarist Marco Pernoi. The Banshee's goal, in true punk form, was to simply annoy the crowd as much as possible, but found themselves getting bored far quicker than that audience.

Though they intended to break up after the show, they found themselves being asked to play again, and brought in drummer Kenny Morris and guitarist Peter Fenton to complete the lineup. However, after playing a few gigs, Fenton was removed from the band, and replaced by John McKay.

Wanting complete control over their music, the band found it difficult to get a recording contract. It wouldn't be until Polydor offered such an opportunity that the Banshees would finally get into a studio to record their first single, Hong Kong Garden. The song would reach the top ten in the UK, and laid the groundwork for their first album, The Scream (1978), which actually would not feature the single. This was followed in 1979 by their follow up album, Join Hands.

The Banshees would embark on a major tour, but soon find themselves shy two members after Morris and McKay began arguing with the other members over creative decisions, and quit mid tour. Budgie would join as their new drummer, but after difficulties in finding a replacement guitarist, Robert Smith (of The Cure) offered to fill in for the remainder of the tour, which they took him up on.

Budgie would join the band in the studio for their next album, 1980's Kaleidoscope, becoming a full member. However, still without a guitarist, John McGeoch, of the group, Magazine, would assist in the recording, and would ultimately join the band full time.

This lineup would remain through 1982's A Kiss In the Dreamhouse. However, before we get that far, we have to stop in the middle at today's Retro Spin, 1981's Juju.

Juju is the band's critically acclaimed fourth studio album, and considered to offer not only the sound that their fans have come to love, but also a strong pop feel, which helped to bring in new fans. Unlike their previous album, Juju returned to more guitar driven tracks, thanks in part to McGeoch.

Would it be here that I would find what I was looking for? Tunes reminiscent of Face to Face, from the Batman Returns soundtrack? Well...Maybe. I'm not too sure.

As a whole, Juju definitely delivers an edgy post punk, yet somewhat pop sound, and it is certainly "different" from what I'm used to. What I found interesting was that the two tracks, and major singles, Spellbound, and Arabian Knights, really didn't resonate with me. Rather, it was the song sandwiched in between them, Into the Light, which I dug.

Truthfully, by the twenty-five minute mark of Juju, I honestly stopped really paying attention to it. Everything just kind of fell into background noise, with nothing really sticking out. This was kind of unfortunate, as because I said at the beginning, I picked up every Banshee album from the 80's, a task that was not only a bit more expensive than I thought it would be, but also not as easy to find as one would have thought. Will I get around to listening to the others? Absolutely. Am I sitting on the edge of my seat waiting to do so? No, not at all. By the time Juju wrapped up, I was pretty done.

Researching this particular group / album, what I found the most interesting was how involved Robert Smith was within it. It was coincidental, I suppose, that I got a bug to get not only every 80's Siouxsie And The Banshees album, but also The Cure at the same time.

Smith would actually return to the group in 1986 upon the firing of McGeoch (due to alcohol addiction) for the studio album, Hyæna. However, he would step out again, and John Valentine Carruthers would become the new guitarist for 1986's Tinderbox, and 1987's Through the Looking Glass.

As part of the ever revolving door of guitarists, Carruthers was released upon completion of their 87' album, cited as not fitting in with the band. After a break, they would recruit Jon Klein as their newest guitarist, as well as multi instrumentalist, Martin McCarrick for 1988's Peepshow. This lineup would also release 1991's Superstition, and after a long break, 1995's The Rapture. However, this would be their last studio album (unless one has come out since this writing in 2023).

I say that last part in parentheses because in 2023, Siouxsie And The Banshees would shock their fans with an announcement in 2023 that they would be embarking on a tour. Not only has this been a major success for them, but as we all know, could lead to a return to the studio.

Before closing, we also have to rewind all the way back to 1981, where after the release of Juju, Siousie and Budgie would form the group, The Creatures, and release their first EP, Wild Things. The two would also start a personal relationship at this time. Fortunately, neither of these aspects appeared to hinder the Banshees. At The Creatures, Siousie and Budgie released four additional studio albums, and an additional EP.

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THIS WEEK ON THE CHARTS
March 23, 1985