Kaleidoscope

Siouxsie & The Banshees | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 25, 1992)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Geffen Records
• ASIN: B000000OPJ
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (46 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #53,210 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #83 in Music > Alternative Rock > British Alternative > British Punk

Editorial Reviews

Digitally remastered reissue of this 1980 album by the Queen of Goth Rock and her busy little Banshees featuring nine bonus tracks including 'Sitting Room', 'Israel' (Single Version), four Warner Chappell demos and three Polydor demos. 20 tracks. Polydor. --This text refers to an alternate Audio CD edition.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars They broke the mold, February 5, 2005

By 

B. Kemper "Buzz" (Madison, WI United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kaleidoscope (Audio CD)

Forget categories like Goth or Dark Wave, this record is a classic no matter what pigeonhole you try to put it in. On this disc the band pulled out all the stops, and the quirkiness of their performances (notice for example the dizzying tempo changes on "Happy House"; it ends at least 1/3 faster than it begins), only serve to make the thing more endearing. And Budgie's drum sound--good heavens.....it's as far from the over-produced "big drum" crap that Phil Collins made famous as you can get. These drums have character and Budgie's snare never sounds the same two hits in a row. But the true charm of this disc is the songs. They are so creatively conceived and performed it is mind-boggling. Some people call "Juju" the quintessential Siouxsie record--and I love it too, my friends, but Kaleidoscope broke the mold. I had the LP, wore it out, and now I'm carrying the CD in my car and refuse to part with it. Buy this disc; you will love it.

18 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars More Meters, less Bela Lugosi., April 3, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Kaleidoscope (Audio CD)

Siouxie and the Banshees always had a deep crush on classic American funk (find, if you can, the cover of "Supernatural Thing" on the flipside of the "Arabian Nights" 12" single), though, in keeping with a key plank in punk's aesthetic manifesto, they were smart enough to never play it in blackface. In short, this is an album of dope beats -- the underlying foundation for some clean barre-chord riffing, sweet and tarnished pop songcraft, and a good dose of European weltschmertz -- though it's the cold rock beats that make it better than a Nico record every time out.

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Banshees Best, August 7, 2004

By 

J. Brady (PAWLEYS ISLAND, SC United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Kaleidoscope (Audio CD)

In my opinion the Banshees best over all album. A perfect blend of hypnotic, rhythmic oddities and twisted, not quite "pop" songs. Kaleidoscope shows off the Banshees every strength, from Siouxsie's new-found control over her once admittedly quite out of control voice, to Severin and Budgie's continuing almost telepathetic relation as a rhythm section. A bevy of session guitarists ( from ex-Pistol Steve Jones to eventual full time, if short lived member, John McGeoch ) hold the songs together quite well, you'd never notice the ever-shifting lineup. Tight, with great production. Very highly recommended.