Siouxsie and the Banshees: The Authorised Biography [Illustrated] [Paperback]

Paul Mathur (Author), Mark Paytress (Author), Sanctuary Publishing (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 10, 2003

This offical biography documents Siouxsie and the Banshees unsteady birth through their creative height with 1993's Superstition album and their split in 1996. Now reformed, they are launching their Best Of... album in 2002. The book features exclusive interviews and photos and is written by personal friend and journalist Paul Mather, from London.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Sanctuary Publishing; illustrated edition edition (September 10, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1860743757
• ISBN-13: 978-1860743757
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #237,600 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Hard to put down - If you're a Siouxsie fan - GET THIS BOOK, December 21, 2004

By 

Flip (Springfield, Virginia United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Siouxsie and the Banshees: The Authorised Biography (Paperback)

I bought this book and couldn't put it down! This is one of the best books out there about Siouxsie and the Banshees! These are interviews with Siouxsie along with members of the band and other important figures. They (Siouxsie and others) tell the stories about the band's history, the songs/albums, etc. If you're a Siouxsie fan - you have to get this book! Another good book for a Siouxsie fan (and its hard to get) is Ray Stevenson's Siouxsie and the Banshees Photo Book. Get this book and the Photo book!

12 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Siouxsie's Attitude is as Big as the Music!, December 11, 2003

By 

Are El "Knowme" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Siouxsie and the Banshees: The Authorised Biography (Paperback)

I just finished this and I enjoyed it immensely. Yes, there could have been more pictures, or color pictures, but the "dish" was terrific. Written in interview snippets with band members, associates and friends, you get a clear picture of what was actually going on with the band and behind the scenes while we were all busily worshiping Siouxsie.

I learned plenty from things I must have missed reading up on since first stumbling upon the Arabian Knights video around 1981, up to and including their sad break up in 1995...Who knew that behind Robert Smith's back he was unaffectionately referred to as "Fat Bob," or that PEEPSHOW was fueled most specifically by cocaine, that FEAST was hammered out in two weeks, that Siouxsie ruled the band with an iron fist (well, you HAD to know that). I still worship the music, but now I appreciate the humans who created it, whiny and childish as they seemed at times.

It's a great read, I love Siouxsie's occasional foul mouth and the fact that she had the audacity to have been photographed for the cover of the book in a Burberry blouse. And you'll have fun at the end of the book highlighting all the gigs you actually saw and horrified at how many you allowed yourself to miss. (Discography and extensive index included)

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A roller coaster tale of rock-and-roll survival and success, October 27, 2005

By 

Sean (Earth) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Siouxsie and the Banshees: The Authorised Biography (Paperback)

I have a casual interest in Siouxsie and the Banshees and recently decided to add their 'best of' to my CD collection. On a whim I decided to get this biography to find out the stories behind some excellent songs. I must say how impressed I was with what I learned about the band and the personalities within. I can sum it all up by saying it's a story of chance, hard work, an over-whelming desire to be different, drinking, a seemingly never ending succession of guitar players, more drinking, some drugs, persistance and artistic integrity. With more drinking! Starting from a point of not even knowing how to play their instruments right through to crafting some song arrangements which are quite exquisite, Siouxsie and the crew really made their mark. This book delivers a blunt and to-the-point account of how they managed it. A very interesting read for anyone whose single buying years started in the late 70s and who has an interest in the late punk/new wave/pop genre.