Customer Reviews

Bestiary of Feast

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I remember so well when the first Creatures EP came out. It was perfect and visionary. I played it for years and I am pleased that I just found it here for Amazon to rush into my current playlist.

Budgie is the best modern percussionist of the past 20+ years - period. The haunting and radical production of Souxsie's vocals accompanied only by Budgie's outstanding percussion experiences is simply awesome - you just have to buy this to appreciate it.

It contains the best and most radical cover ever done of the classic rock "Wild Thing" - I can hear the entire arrangement in my head as I write this.

This work was way ahead of its time when it came out - even more raw than the Banshee's material of the time this one was something the artists did for themselves. I love the Banshee's but this first manifestation of The Creature's - is IMHO the best material Sousxie and Budgie ever produced.

This album was the most sophisticated product of the radical influence of punk. It differs from the pop-post-punk in that this is a true work of art from someone that was there (Souxsie was reputedly a Sex Pistols groupie in 1979). They broke the mold but in many ways this album prepared me for artists like PJ Harvey - who is possibly their equal in terms of radical creativity today. ...

This CD has the first Creatures song I ever heard, the delirious "Right Now," which if I recall dates back to 1983. This Las Vegas-like number sounds sort of like what Siouxsie and Budgie might do if they were to lure Frank Sinatra into some type of bizarre collaboration. Siouxsie kicks off the song in a tense, husky warble that soon explodes into an all-out swing dance, with bongos and a brass section that could have come straight out of the 1960's.

The rest of the generous program includes great tracks like "Thumb," "Wild Thing" and "Dancing on Glass," and one of my faves, "Strutting Rooster" with its wild, incessant percussion. The sound quality is excellent, as is usually the case on the Creatures' recordings, allowing Siouxsie's beacon-like voice and Budgie's brilliant drum work to come through loud and clear.

I might slightly prefer their previous disc, Boomerang (and can't explain why), but this one has nothing to complain about. Besides, it has "Right Now" -- and right now I think I'll go listen to it, perhaps with a martini in hand.

Even though this music was recorded over 13 years ago it is still as fresh and innovative as if years have stood still. About a quarter of the cd could be considered filler (some of the songs were 'B' sides), but there are half a dozen absolute gems on the CD. Very few bands are able to so naturally create an air of subversion. The Creatures are a fine example of post punk expermentation. This is by far a fine example of where music's limits can be pushed give half a chance. 'Miss The Girl', 'Mad Eyed Screamer', 'Dancing On Glass' and 'Strutting Rooster' are prime examples of how minimalism can say so much. Their interpretation of the Trogg's 'Wild Thing' is not to be missed. Is it retro or is it futuristic? Only the listener can decide. Overall an excellent listening experience

Incredible drums and rhythms, spooky and weird vocals by Siouxsie, disturbing and fascinating lyrics, not to mention some Hawaiian (?) chanting...an excellent collection of Creatures music. Way off the beaten path, highlighting the talents of Sioux and Budgie. Some faves are "Thumb", "Wild Thing", and the haunting "Morning Dawning". Only reason I did not give it five stars is that that is reserved for their "Boomerang" album, and also the Banshees "Tinderbox" and "Peepshow".

This disc was created with the completist in mind, combining all Creatures tracks previous to "Boomerang": their debut album "Feast", and several singles & EPs.

Someone once described "Feast" to me as "Siouxsie & Budgie to go Hawaii", and that about sums it up. It's a little more erratic than the solid "Boomerang", but it's a joyful chaos. And Siouxsie's always worth a listen.

The singles fare better, like the weird minimalist reading of "Wild Thing" that brings its source material into the realm of the band. The reverse happens on their cover of Mel Torme's "Right Now", where they actually adopt the Vegas stylings of the original. Both experiments are successful.

The very fact that these tracks have been collected here is brilliant in and of itself; so many retrospectives omit a few items that must seem miscellaneous to whoever makes these decisions. Not so here. The packaging is deluxe, too.

Any Creatures fan should own this one--if nothing else, the original Wild Things EP and Feast are both miserably out of print and expensive to purchase (and most fans, like me, are not letting their old copies go). This one collects a couple of B-sides and singles, too, which is a nice bonus. The Creatures' early work is fierce and raw, and maybe a little more spontaneous than their later stuff. This is highly listenable, with a lot of longevity; it stays interesting.

I bought if for like 11 bucks a few years ago.This album I just love.Siouxsie has such a powerful voice!, and Budgie is one excellent drummer.
I especially love the Hawaiian setting! It's like traveling!

siouxsie and the banshees are one of the greatest groups ever but their side project "the creatures' was awsome and this cd is a good collection of songs from the different releases by the group,its a good cd and fans will get a kick out of the songs and musical styles they experiment with.all you creatures fans go out and buy this.

Wild Things EP is truly innovative when you consider the time it was made. The fact that it stemmed from the Banshees' JuJu album is even better. You won't find a CD of it outside of this collection so for that alone it's worth purchase.

The Feast songs are the best songs on this collection. I'm biased to Feast because I was born in Hawaii. If you get this, also get Boomerang. It's soooo good.