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

Search: Urg, that's hard. I'll go with my personal underrated fave, "Cannons"

They actually talk about that a bit in the book, so you're not alone there. Weird thing is that even though I've heard that album any number of times I can't recall for the life of me how it goes!

I was a huge, huge fan in the 80s, saw them live several times (they were shit hot) once with Robert Smith on guitar which must be like a goth's wet dream or something. But for some reason I went right off them very quickly and don't listen to them at all now (well, apart from the nostalgic tug of "Hong Kong Garden" and "Jigsaw Feeling"). Maybe it was me, maybe it was "Dear Prudence"

I too read Paytress' book (whilst on jury duty) and enjoyed it so much that I was genuinely sad when it was over.

Has anyone heard the new Creatures record? It's been getting glowing reviews.

Am I the only one who genuinely appreciates "Kiss Them for Me"?

*Thinks it's alright* - sign me up.

chapterhouse/siouxsie sample

I do like "Kiss Them for Me," I thought it was very alluring and interesting (and I loved the subject matter). Great video too -- reminds me that a decent video collection and B-side comp is WELL overdue from them.

I LOVE THAT SONG.

_Hai!_ sounds a lot like the spacier moments of _Boomerang_ with bigger, fatter drums, which of course means that I think it's GODLIKE.

Anyone hear anything about Siouxsie?

total evil riffage, amazing off kilter drum beat from budgie

(Actually, this doesn't really surprise me, but hey; I'll take every "you were right" that gets flung my way.)

search: everything, especially "Painted Bird"

destroy: who told they are dud.

Regardless, in spite of the opinion that everyone seems to be throwing around, I love the Dear Prudence cover. And Spellbound is absolutely amazing.

*sway, sway, hand flutter*

(xpost: Hmm, Atnevon's production point might explain why _Tinderbox_ is perfect; it's the fulcrum point between their two extremes.)

Actually, I think that the last time I listened to them might have been in 2001.

Um, except everyone loves their cover of "Helter Skelter" (where "everyone" actually means "me"). The problem is that the song "Dear Prudence" is an irredeemably twee piece of shitty songwriting that should be beaten with sticks.

You know, there's no handy Banshees anthology. I think most bands benefit from a 30-40 track roundup of their best material. Sure there's the two singles collections but that's not the same.

What about this: https://www.amazon.com/Best-Siouxsie-Banshees/dp/B00006IJXN

Looks pretty good!

It needs to be twice as long! I know there's a 2 disc version but the second disc is all remixes.

oh that's actually pretty cool, I wasn't aware that all those 12" versions were on CD

Didn't they add contemporary singles including 12" mixes to the relevant lps when they did the remasters over the last decade?

Was going to come over and say for me the John McGeoch era is the greatest in its psychy folky otherness.
There's a load of live stuff around from the era including a Rockpalast.

They didn't include anything from the "Downside Up" box when they did the reissues, only some demos and the occasional 12" mix - those are strewn about various releases as well.

This performance still sends shivers down my spine. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wK1ny-YPV4U

Happy belated 60th birthday Siouxsie. Your albums mean more to me the older I get. I hope you perform once again.

I will happily echo that.

Siouxsie, Love and Rockets, Iggy Pop, Echo & The Bunnymen, Adam Ant, Billy Idol playing Cruel World 2023. Details: https://t.co/IjadKbfmUP pic.twitter.com/53xUZO8FoJ

— Slicing Up Eyeballs (@slicingeyeballs) January 23, 2023

'[Siouxsie's] father was a bacteriologist who milked venom from snakes' is a joyous wikipedia fact.

While we're on this tangent, Siouxsie was included last week in a quiz round I compiled on famous Belgians (she qualifies via her father).

Cruel World is only a 20 minute drive (w/o traffic) from my house. Legit excited at dad goth lineup.

Xp hah, never knew. Saw her in Brussels on her solo tour but that was quite a detached performance

Bob Geldof too, sort of.

Come to think of it, 'milked venom from snakes' sounds like a line from the Banshees' early 80s heyday

Cruel World is only a 20 minute drive (w/o traffic) from my house. Legit excited at dad goth lineup.

― Elvis Telecom, Tuesday, January 24, 2023 2:18 AM

I'm in the OC so it's a bit further for me but would love to go to this. Not sure tho as I think my festival days are behind me.

Wow, Billy Love and Echo AND Idol Rockets?

poor Gang of Four, they don't deserve the 5th line

It's a great eye chart for a punk rock ophthalmologist's office

Looks like I'm going, I have been convinced.

I heard horror stories about the heat last year so as tempting as this is, going to pass and pray she does a bay area stop (love and rockets too; I imagine they might, does david J still live here or did he move to LA?)

AFAIK, David J has been in LA for awhile now.

Drugs -

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoZivXDGgYM

I love this one

Somehow always puts me in the mind of The Aloof - Abuse

I think it's how the dutdutdut is often matched by a slowly descending double. E rush kosmische or something.

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/music/story/2023-05-22/cruel-world-siouxsie-iggy-pop-festival

I forget which thread the cruel world fest was discussed on, but here’s Simon Reynolds review