Customer Reviews

The Best of Siouxsie & Banshees

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I don't argue with the fact that there are better, more fascinating and perhaps even more representative songs in the Banshees' backcatalogue which would have made a more compelling set of discs. But, because every die-hard fan claims to be an aficionado, someone would inevitably complain with whatever set of more obscure songs were chosen. One must remember that this is, first and foremost, a "Hits" package--and for that purpose the selection of songs is right on the mark. A listener experiences the commercially successful side of the Banshees, which, while not the most intriguing or satisfying facet of an incredible band, is heaps better than 99.9% of everything else being produced today.....commercial or otherwise.

This collection is ideal for the casual listener or those who wish to investigate the work of Siouxsie And the Banshees based on what they have heard on the radio. As such, it is a more than satisfying collection that offers the greatest hits from 1978's Hong Kong Garden up to 1991's Kiss Them For Me and 1995's Stargazer. It includes two cover versions: The Beatles' Dear Prudence and Julie Driscoll's hit This Wheel's On Fire, both competent if not brilliant interpretations.

Of course the 1980s was their most fruitful period with UK hits like Happy House, Israel, Christine, Spellbound and Arabian Knights. Most of these are atmospheric numbers with just a hint of The Banshees' proto-goth dark side shining through. Their debut album The Scream still remains one of the most psychotic statements in rock but is not a piece of music that lends itself to hits compilations. Well, perhaps Helter Skelter should have been considered ...

My favorites include their first hit, Hong Kong Garden, a powerful punk number with absolutely blistering guitar work and an exotic touch, Kiss Them For Me, their lilting, swaying 1991 hit about a doomed actress, Peek-A-Boo from the 1988 Peep Show album and Stargazer from their last, under-appreciated album The Rapture. Great songs and an innovative edge lend a timeless quality to the music. Those who want more of this great band are advised to investigate the compilations Once Upon A Time (1981) and Twice Upon A Time (1992).

Every song on this best-of collection is a single, and every one of them was a huge hit in the U.K., and they all deserved it. There's even a great bonus song that the band never realeased. Here's the breakdown:

1. Dear Prudence- Their biggest ever hit, this one's pretty good. It's a Beatles cover that the band manages to sound like their own, with a spacious, atmospheric sound and even touches of a harp. Siouxsie Sioux's vocals, accentuated by an expansive echo effect, give it an almost angelic feel.

2. Hong Kong Garden- The band's very first single release is one of their best songs. The guitar playing is brilliant and the Asian chimes are just adorable. Recently, the song was featured on the soundtrack to the film "Marie Antoinette" in a masked ball scene. That version featured a gorgeous orchestral introduction that suited the song well.

3. Cities in Dust- A really big hit from the band and their break-through single in the U.S., I'm still kind of sick of it. The lyrics aren't very deep or meaningful, and Sioux's vocals are grating. However, there are some very catchy synths, and the guitar and bass work are excellent.

4. Peek-a-Boo- The Banshees's first single to ever get on the Billboard Hot 100 is one of their most recognizable and catchy. It's also one of their oddest, considering that the instruments are all being recorded backwards and it features a sea-shanty accordion. This one's a must-hear.

5. Happy House- This song is one of my all-time favorite singles from Siouxsie. It's also the first song to ever feature the tribal drumwork from Budgie, and that makes one their most important songs.

6. Kiss Them for Me- I love this song! It's their biggest single in the U.S. and their second number one hit on the U.S. Modern Rock Chart (It stayed on there for five weeks!). Sioux's vocals are refreshingly gentle, and the East Indian instrumentation from Talvin Singh is dazzling.

7. Face to Face- A firm fan favorite, it was featured on the soundtrack to the 1992 film Batman Returns and played during a crucial moment in the movie. It's obviously a ballad, with strings and light percussion. Bits of Danny Elfman's movie score are in it as well.

8. Dizzy- The unreleased bonus track on this record. It's actually quite mellow, and judging from some of the synths used, it probably came from around the time the band's final album "The Rapture" came out. It's a very pretty song.

9. Israel- Although I think it's one of their more overrated singles, this classic gothic rock song gets a deserved place in the collection. It featured classic early 80's Banshees sounds: ominous bass, high-pitched guitars, Budgie's thunderous drumming, and Sioux's spooky voice.

10. Christine- Possibly my favorite Banshees single. It's a very psychedelic song, with a farsifa organ and an acoustic guitar that flangs at the end. Sioux's vocals are a lot softer, considering that people at the time were used to her high-pitched punk wailing.

11. Spellbound- Well, it wouldn't be a Banshees best-of collection if this song wasn't on here, now would it? It just bristles with storming energy and, as ususal, Budgie pounds the living daylights out of his drums.

12. Stargazer- I will never get why this song was featured on here. It might be because it was the Banshee's last single before calling it a day in 1996. I'm not very fond of it, though the acoustic guitar hook is just brilliant.

13. Arabian Knights- A concert favorite, this is one of the Banshee's classic singles, even though it faetures a lots of old riffs. It's also the best known song to use the word "orifices".

14. The Killing Jar- This shiny goth-pop song is perfect for people who are just getting into the band. It's very catchy and is pretty pop-oriented and features a cello.

15. This Wheel's On Fire- Another cover from the band, this time of a song written by Bob Dylan and performed by Julie Driscoll. It's very shiny and has strings that remind me very much of the Orient. Very good cover.

Overall, this collection is suitable for people who are just getting into this band. Die-hard fans should stick to "Once Upon a Time" and "Twice Upon a Time".

First of all, this band's catalogue is huge and yet this "Best Of" disc is only, what? 57 minutes? That's less than the first generation audio CD spec, which was 63 minutes. Now, the only audio CDRs a person can get easily are 80 minutes. That leaves 23 minutes, time that could contain more great tracks, like Dazzle, The Last Beat of My Heart, Song From the Edge of the World, or Melt. O Baby and Song from the Edge should have been here simply to finish the singles collection, as they're not on the prior two releases (Once Upon a Time and Twice Upon a Time), although with the real version of Fear of the Unknown and Last Beat of My Heart. Dizzy, a left-over from the band's breakup, was obviously added to increase sales, even though it's fairly weak, and there is a better version extant, the one handed out with the Seven Year Itch tour. It sticks out like a sore thumb.

Finally, the "remastering" may make the CD louder, but when comparing Face to Face, which admittedly sounded a bit anemic on Twice Upon a Time, the remastered version sounds worse, with the vocals edging toward one of the horribly compressed songs from The Rapture. Listen to a song like Fall From Grace. It's mix is so mashed it sounds like garbage, which is sad since it's a great song. It was clearly a reaction against Superstition's "thin" mix.

"Remastering" today usually means clipping, taking away all of the space songs used to have. Listen to The Cure's Boys Don't Cry, with a tracks like Another Day and Fire In Cairo and then compare them to the "remastered" versions. There is no space now, and they sound worse. I'll gladly trade a miniscule amount of tape hiss for the original spacious mixes and dynamic contrast.

Stick with Twice Upon a Time, or, if you like their early sound, Once Upon a Time. Skip this collection unless you really like remixes, as the second disc is nothing but those. What this collection should have been is a complete singles set, or at least one that truly reflects the band at its best, with songs like Dizzy nowhere to be found, except as material on a bonus disc, in a manner similar to New Order's Substance.

I was walking thru the make-up department in one of the biggest local department stores and heard a song from the album. I had this on casette, but no longer have a player, so I picked this up. This really is a great collection and I highly recommend it.

SATB had way too diverse a catalog to be able to assemble "hit" songs into any reasonably coherent and comprehensive compilation. But this is as good as you can get for a single disk trying to do so. Here's a warning to the purists out there: some of the song intros and outros have been added to help with the transitions on this disc and are not part of the original recording. They are minor, but noticeable if you're a fan. Otherwise, there are a couple of great songs that are hard to come by without either spending much more money on an import or the time to track down a used copy or limited edition print.

I enjoyed this compilation of songs from Siouxsie and the Banshee's but I was very dissapointed that it did not have the extra bonus disc that came with the European release. It even states on the Amazon listing that there are two discs but when I sent a message to customer service they just sent me a duplicate of the regular cd...Look on ebay you can get it cheaper there with the additional bonus disc! Don't buy this on Amazon!

With the notable exception of "Arabian Knights" and "Spellbound", Siouxsie and the Banshees forfeit two decades of intense, gut-wrenching, innovative work in favour of the watered-down, pop-influenced music that soaked much of their late albums. This "Best of" album is a sorry representation of the incredible depth of their work, and sadly surprising in its selection. The Banshees would have done well to let fans pick the songs, in the fashion of Björk's compilation. This might have ensured a more well-rounded set of discs.

The remixes, while undoubtedly entertaining, would have been better replaced by B-sides or genuine Banshees songs such as "Night Shift" off of the album Juju and the incredible "Switch" from their debut album, The Scream. The dark torment and twisted ecstasy of the band's early compilations is completely absent from this album. Experimental songs from albums like Kaleidoscope and Hyaena also get overlooked although the notoriously happy-sounding "The Killing Jar" can be reexamined in light of its morbid, telling, lyrics. Gone is the wound-up fury of "Blow the House Down" and the tragic statement made in "Swimming Horses" (Siouxsie speaks out against honour killings...). Gone is the gothic heave of "This Unrest" and the uncanny beauty of "Lullaby".

The creative genius that is the base and the source of the band's unique revolution cannot be divined from this poor offering. For a more complete vision of everything Siouxsie has to offer, I would suggest seeking out every album, starting from the debut and moving on through The Rapture. It's the only way to fully embrace the breadth of the work. Of course, there are quite a few throw away songs in the mix - pop chart sellouts and weak attempts at music palatable to the general public - so let me narrow it down to a list of songs/albums well worth the money.

1) The Scream - This debut album is an amazing force of bitter rebellion and gothic sound. The band's layered, dark approach to music is absolutely stellar. Stand-out tracks include "Metal Postcard", "Switch", and "Nicotine Stain". Read the lyrics, they're worth the effort. For a band that came together over a non-serious, unmusical rendition of "The Lord's Prayer"...this is unbelievable.

2)Join Hands - Although I don't own a copy myself, I can't wait to get my hands on one. This is a further exploration of their moody trek down the road of classic goth and the songs can be alienating to new listeners. Lyrics are often undiscernable - hence the necessity of the lyrics booklet. Knowing what she's saying helps in appreciating the band's work that much more. Check out "Placebo Effect".

3)Hyaena and Kaleidoscope - Experimental songs like "Tenant" and "Swimming Horses" are amazing for their innovation and peculiar clarity. Then there are the typical Banshees songs such as "We Hunger" and "Trophy" which bring out the gritty, dark style that is so vital to their music.

4)Juju - This is a dark tour de force that stands on its own as a symbol of everything goth and everything Banshees. Every song is a stand-out and the extended "Voodoo Dolly" has creepy going for it every second of the way.

5)Tinderbox and Peepshow - These two albums dabble in the darker side of pop and the lighter side of goth with introspective songs written by Steven Severin (his lyrics for "Cascade" and "Melt!" are beyond comparison in the way of description and detail, imagery and beauty). Tracks like "Scarecrow" and "Turn to Stone" unveil a more polished side of the Banshees while retaining the sombre fervor of earlier albums. In "Rhapsody" Siouxsie reveals the true strength and operatic quality/potential of her voice to the stunned surprise of the listener.

The Rapture is a strange, disconcerting album in that Siouxsie makes way for a strangled attempt at pop. However, tracks like "Not Forgotten" and "Sick Child" (the latter of which has lyrics by Budgie!) are heartfelt reminders of their old style. In any case, for a real taste of Siouxsie and the Banshees, do yourself a huge favour and look beyond the packaged, polished world that is their "Best of" album. When you've done that, you'll realise (as did I) that your money is better spent elsewhere.

I bought this album for two reasons: it has my favorite Siouxie & the Banshees song "Cities in Dust" plus "Christine" and "Happy House," and at the time it was in my price range.

Oh boy what a good collection of songs! The only thing that could have made it better would have been to include "Red Light," my other favorite Siouxie song, but you can't always have everything you want.

What makes this worth picking up for the fan who already has all their albums is the second disk with 9 remixes and alternate versions that are such a pain in the rear to find. The included booklet also has a nice synopses of the band and some neat pictures, adding another splash of 'worth it' to the whole thing. Plus it all comes in a neat little sleeve to keep the case all shinny and give careful CD owners bragging rights years from now when they can show off that the sleeve is still spotless.

All in all, I think it's a wonderful buy for both Siouxie collectors and people who want more good music on their MP3 players.

Now, I just have to go find "Red Light" in my price range...

For a customer who likes hard to find music, this was a godsend! Great music, great condition, great price! I couldn't ask for better.