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11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Deliciously Dark, April 10, 2000
This review is from: Anima Animus (Audio CD)
I have been an on-agian-off-again fan of Siouxsie and The Banshees for years. When I heard about this album, I was excited, but apprehensive. Being more of a casual fan, I was not sure what to expect. Finally, after I found it for a good price, I took the leap and bought it. I am so glad that I did. It is undoubtedly one of the most rewarding discs I have run across recently. It took a few listens to get the gist of it, but once I was hooked, I was REALLY hooked. The first half is a little on the slow side... except for "2nd Floor" (straight ahead dance pop, IMO) and "Say" (Beautifully melodic trippiness, with synthesizers to boot) this first side recalls the rhythmic emphasis of "Boomerang." But the second half picks up, takes off, and never comes down for air. "I Was Me" is one of the coolest tracks I have ever heard Siouxsie do. Its dark folk-sy strumming will take you completely off guard. The lyrics on this one are fantastic, too. Its a big genre step for Siouxie, and she handles it just fine, thank you. "Prettiest Thing" is so completely bleak, so tense... its pretty indescribable. Turn the lights out and sit in a dark room for this one... you will have a hard time sitting through this one... its just kind of menacing and creepy... very stalker-esque. This particular track is based around a muted and reverbed "ticking" drum beat - almost sounds like a heart beat, once the bass gets going with its "throb, throb, throb-throb, throb." And then there is the album's highlight... the brilliant, "Exterminating Angel." The music is incredible, and fits perfectly with the very "gothic" lyrics. All blood and gore and filth on this epic piece of armegeddon. The whining, harping synths are un-nerving, to say the least, and the rhythm is very hypnotic. Eerie. Next comes, "Another Planet," which kind of retreats into itself, and is over shadowed by its predecessor - but it is still a quality track... just not quite as memorable as some. The album closes with Siouxsie going a capella on "Don't Go To Sleep Without Me." This particular song brings me to another point... besides displaying wonderful lyrics and dense melody on this album, Siouxsie is in wonderful vocal form. Her voice sounds as good as ever, and she carries her songs with her well suited pipes... whether its her witch-like cackle as on "I Was Me" and "Exterminating Angel" her breathy, sexy whispers, as on "Prettiest Thing" or her smooth swooping croon, as on "Say" and "Don't Go To Sleep Without Me," Siouxsie's voice is no less the highlight than it was more than 20 years ago when the Banshees first began performing. I would recommend this album to anyone who likes Siouxsie and the Banshees, or anyone who is looking for an adventurous foray into dark, but not depressing, music. A real pleasure to listen to.
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6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Prepare to be blown away- Creature Style, April 25, 1999
This review is from: Anima Animus (Audio CD)
From the I'm-in-purgatory-and-I'm-proud-and loving-it attitude of the first track, "2nd floor" to the Oriental hot-mud-bath-for-two finisher, "Don't Go To Sleep Without Me", you'll fall painfully in love with Anima Animus. My personal favorite track is "Exterminating Angel", an all-out powerhouse that is part hysterical Judgement Day reckoning and part ode to menstral bitchdom. As far as our heroes are concerned, drummer Budgie is no Little Helicopter-he's a Stealth Bomber. As for Siouxsie, her vocals have taken on a delightfully buzzing raspiness that can be warm and crackling like a slow-burning ember on "Say"(compassion for a distant friend), "Prettiest Thing"(touch of self-loathing) and "I Was Me( detached self-analysis)" or omnipotent angry smoker's rants like on "Exterminating Angel" and "Turn It On" The Millenium Bug ("Disconnected") is a Black Widow in Anima Animus, and thanks to Carl Jung, Who's Afraid of The Big, Bad, 4-0? Not Siouxsie and Budgie! Buy it and weep! The great part is, you won't know why you're weeping, joy, pain, frustration, fear, paranoia, longing, love, ache- Its all here. Siouxsie says it best: It makes me laugh, in spite of it, just for the hell of it!
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
It's not Tinderbox, but it is still great, July 14, 2000
This review is from: Anima Animus (Audio CD)
I am a Siouxsie Sioux fan of long standing; when The Banshees broke up I was sad, but given "The Rapture" they HAD to go. I then heard that Siouxsie & Budgie would continue with The Creatures. Wow. Okay, this is not Siouxsie's best album (I'll reserve that for Tinderbox), but this is exciting, interesting, and heavily textured music. Still following along the not-quite-Goth,not-quite- Punk, not-quite-Pop line, this album rolls off the presses strong and just keeps moving. Anything involving Budgie directly is going to have interesting percussion work and this album proves the tale. But above all else it is Siouxsie Sioux's voice that captures. After a quarter century (think about it) of singing, her voice is still strong, haunting, dramatic, and, well, sexy. If you have not tried them yet, give The Creatures a run with this album.
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