Customer Reviews

Queen of Siam (Reis)

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
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Queen of Siam was Lydia's first solo release, and, in my opinion, her best. Her voice sounds like that of a psycotic little girl - her words pouring out of her mouth like liquid.

Her unique chanting and drumroll of words can be found in tracks like "Mechanical Flattery", "Tied and Twist", and "Blood of Tin". In other tracks, she sings with what seems malicious intent. In "Lady Scarface" [on of my faves] a haunting jazzy song about the seduction of the young and innocent. And out of all the versions of "Gloomy Sunday" I've heard, Lydia does the best. And how can you not dance to the beat of "Spooky" - a twisted love tale?
Queen of Siam shoul be in any goth's collection.

One of the few albums I bought 15 years ago that still makes my spine shiver. Like some kind of noir-musical theatre take on L. Carroll's ALICE IN WONDERLAND, "Siam" throws the listener headlong into a swirling, smoking cesspool where a numbing void lurks behind every highball and the gorgeously nervous arrangements (courtesy of the Billy "Flintstone's Theme" Van Planck Orchestra) make you ignore the abyss that lies directly below yr wingtips. Lydia's lyrics were developing out of the stark, blunted rants that defined her earlier TEENAGE JESUS and 8-EYED SPY projects into something way more ambiguous - and ultimately richer for it. All you nay-sayers out there that think Ms. Lunch's art has been nothing but one prolooooonged whine: crack an ear here. This is one timeless cocktail that'll keep heads spinning for years to come.

This album is eerie and depressing but musically very good. The song Gloomy Sunday is as morbid as Michael Gira of Swans at his worst. There's very litle real singing -- just the gorgeous Ms Lunch mumbling and talking -- a bit like a recorded seance. But no less interesting and worthwhile for that. For those who love fringe music.

Queen of Siam was Lydia's first solo release, and, in my opinion, her best. Her voice sounds like that of a psycotic little girl - her words pouring out of her mouth like liquid.

Her unique chanting and drumroll of words can be found in tracks like "Mechanical Flattery", "Tied and Twist", and "Blood of Tin". In other tracks, she sings with what seems malicious intent. In "Lady Scarface" [on of my faves] a haunting jazzy song about the seduction of the young and innocent. And out of all the versions of "Gloomy Sunday" I've heard, Lydia does the best.
Queen of Siam shoul be in any goth's collection.

Spooky and Atomic Bongos, go ahead, give 'em a 'listen' on this site. Man, if the whole album sounded like those two songs it'd be a killer album. As it is, the whole thing is pretty good and not something you commonly run across, musically. She brought together some of that old timey big band sound but not in a BIG BAD VOODOO DADDY way. She's got her slinky sound and melds it well with this sophisticated musical tapastry.

I'm just glad she made this album because there's so many she did of spoken word or other musical albums that just aren't my speed. The incredible TEENAGE JESUS and the JERKS (unbelievable grating guitar and perfect pained vocals) and 13:13 (Lydia's version of a band, not 8 EYED SPY rootsy but a real sorta punk band) are my speed. I'd rate this right in there, assuming you aren't expecting any punk rock on this item.
chrisbct@hotmail.com

Queen of Siam is eerie and depressing but musically very good. There's very little real singing - just the inimitable Ms Lunch mumbling and talking - a bit like the soundtrack to a séance. It starts off on a blue note with Mechanical Flattery then gets worse on the dirge Gloomy Sunday. Called `the Hungarian suicide song,' it was written by László Jávor and set to music in 1933 by the composer Rezső Seress; Billy Holiday & Elvis Costello are amongst its famous interpreters.

Lydia's vocals take a childlike, nursery rhyme turn on Tied & Twist, whilst on Spooky she actually sings. Interesting instrumental arrangements embellish the music, like Spanish guitar on Los Banditos, whilst superlative saxophone sets the mood throughout. Lydia chants on the uptempo Atomic Bongos with its intricate drums and mostly talks her way through the jazzy Lady Scarface, a tale of seduction. Infectious laughter opens Carnival Fat Man, then gives way to Ms Lunch conversing with two male voices over jerky percussion. The album concludes with Blood of Tin in which Lydia recites some ghoulish poetry over appropriately dissonant music.

Queen of Siam is for those who love the fringes of rock. The executive producer is Michael Zilkha of the legendary ZE Records whose artists in its heyday included Cristina Monet, the quirky Was (Not Was), psychobilly synth-rock pioneers Suicide and even John Cale for an album or two. A livelier, exuberant Lydia can be found on the cacophonous Stinkfist, her collaboration with Clint Ruin. And she's an author too! Her books like Incriminating Evidence are as confrontational as her music.