Customer Reviews

Twice Upon a Time: Singles

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I remember the first time I heard "Twice Upon a Time: The Singles" in my freshman year in college almost ten years ago. I absolutely loved the haunting vocals of Siouxsie Sioux. It had become one of my personal favorite albums of all time, not to mention most influential album ever. I was struggling to fit in at the school I was attending at the time and "Twice Upon a Time" was my personal saviour. I really could relate to the lyrics to "Fear (of the Unknown)" and "Face to Face". I absolutely adored "Cities in Dust" (which I still do to this day). I played "Cities in Dust' so much that I wore out that song on the cassette version of "Twice Upon a Time". I still love listening to Siouxsie wail on "This Whee's On Fire" and "The Passenger". I love Siouxsie's version of those two particular songs even more so than the original versions. The band's cover of The Beatles' "Dear Prudence" is great too. I think the only song I do not care for (and still do) is "Peek-A-Boo". I personally find the lyrics a bit silly and the beat of the music annoying. Overall I love the rest of this album. I now own the cd version so I don't have to worry about wearing it out so quickly. I definitely have to agree that this album is an essential album to own. It is a reminder why Siouxsie & The Banshees' music will always remain timeless unlike most acts today.

This CD sets fire to the 3 ring circus act that has become today's music industry. (With star performers such as Ricki Martin, N'SYNC & Britney Spears.) After listening to this album I get the impression that Siouxsie & The Banshees were not just in this to make a buck or get their faces on every major global publication. They created music because they were artist & expressed themselves beautifully. This kind of attitude should be celebrated & promoted by the industry today. Unfortunately today the only thing it takes to get a recording deal is a pretty face & a voice suitable for digital inhancement. It's a shame in order to find decent music to listen to you have to go back to the past. If any of you are like myself & in search of something totally original, unlike anything your hearing on the radio today & devastatingly gorgeous...buy this CD.

I have to admit that I got in Siouxsie & the Banshees later that most people. I have been a new-wave and synth-pop freak for 15+ years. I am a die hard Cure fan and have been for many many years. I never got myself into listening to Siouxsie for some strange reason, but my X-girlfriend exposed me to them, and I have to say, WOW.........I had been missing out on some serious music and an stunning voice. This album was the perfect way to get me into the band. It has it all, maybe not their very early punk stuff but you can always get the "Once Upon a Time" album and have the best of that era. No female artist has Siouxsie's voice, NO ONE........Her voice sends chills down my spine from its mesmerizing beauty. She has the voice of an angel. Evey song is breath taking. Some of my favorates include "Dazzle", "Cities In Dust", "This Wheel's On Fire", "The Passenger", "Kiss Them For Me", "Fear (Of The Unknown)", and my all time favorate "Face To Face". From this album, I started buying all their others. Be aware, Siouxsie & the Banshees are very addictive.

This is absolutely the best compilation I have ever bought in my whole entire life. There are only 3 songs I'm not crazy about on this album. It's been a while since an album has drawn out as many emotions in me as this one has. The version of "Dear Prudence" is beautiful. Everytime I hear "Dazzle" & "Face To Face"(from Batman Returns), I get the feeling as if the air has been stolen from my lungs, which is not a feeling i get with many songs. If you like Siouxsie and the Banshees, this is a good investment in your music collection.

I remember getting this CD. I was mad at the music store for never having anything but Floodland by the Sisters of Mercy. I was walking away when this CD caught my eye. I had heard of Siouxsie & the Banshees from one of my friends, and thought I might give it a try, so I bought it.
If you're considering doing the same, do it! This is a awesome CD.
Really good.
Out of eighteen songs, there are only two I don't really like, and that's because I have overplayed them so much I'm sick of hearing them.
This, my dearies, is music. If you don't want to hear the pop played on the raido or the excuses for punk bands that are comming out, get this.
This is one of my favorite CD's; it's worth every penny.

Twice Upon A Time" is essentially greatest hits part 2. The band was truly interesting and provocative throughout this portion of their career, and I personally find earlier, pre-Juju SATB material so drab in comparison. Not to say the old stuff isn't good, but it's like sipping soda after eating candy. And the songs on this cd are as sweet as they come. Once upon a time is worthy for the Juju tracks, but Juju is a must have so why bother. Twice upon a time, every song will drive you senseless in fantasy, intrigue and pure pleasure. Especially songs like Face To face, Dazzle, and Swimming Horses....Inimitable.
Also, ignore the review below mine, as Spellbound is on the first collection, poor misguided git ;)

I bought this album to listen to "popular" Siouxsie and the Banshees songs (Peek-A-Boo, Kiss them for me), but I found that these are actually the weakest songs on an album that masterfully blends orchestral string movements, electronica, and the dark moodiness of Goth music. Almost every song is worth listening to, and the album has quickly become one of my most listened to.

While searching for new bands to listen to, I one night came across Siouxsie and the Banshees. After downloading a few songs, I realized that I had come across something incredible. I immediatly purchased this album, hoping it was as good as what I had previously heard. I was not disappointed. This album was incredible, and encouraged me to purchase a few of the other albums. Of all the songs, I'd have to say that "Cities in dust" is my personal favorite.

If you listen very carefully, you can hear me screaming my head off on the live recording of "Last Beat of My Heart." I was at the Lalapoolooza it was recorded at. Better yet, it was her birthday. Siouxsie is the supreme queen of goth. Just buy the cd and listen for yourself!

This disc is missing two singles from the period it covers: Song from the Edge of the World and The Last Beat of My Heart (the version of that one that appears here is live). Also, the song Fear of the Unknown is remixed here; it's not the superior original. Song From the Edge of the World is a great song and its omission is a serious mistake, and the lack of the original non-live versions of the other two songs is also inexplicable.

What's more, the rest of the singles are missing, those that preceed this collection (found, also in possibly incomplete form on Once Upon a Time - Mittageisen?) and those that came after it. 5 star screamers will shout down this review because objective criticism doesn't drive sales as well as hype, but this collection should be retired and replaced with a complete set that has every single in its original form, including Song from the Edge of the World, whether Siouxsie has a grudge with its producer or not. Why the recent, even more incomplete, set includes only the Columbus Mix version is beyond me. The original is still unavailable on CD.

I could do without the sound effects at the end of Fireworks. There is a version of that song without them, but I'm not sure whether it was the version that was released as the main single or not. This disc is the only CD available with Fireworks as well as the odd two I mentioned at the beginning of the review. It's nice to hear Siouxsie live, but a lone live track stuck in the midst of studio set is bizarre.

This review is not focused mainly on the quality of the songs, as that's not the real issue. This very old collection is simply out of date. There are many singles that came after it that are missing, and singles that came prior to it that are missing. The missing Song from the Edge and normal versions of Fear and Last Beat also are big strikes against. I would love to give 5 stars and a glowing review to a new set that's complete.

Here's a list of missing stuff:

Every single prior to this collection, available on the short playing Once Upon a Time (except for Mittageisen)
Song From the Edge of the World
The Last Beat of My Heart (studio)
Fear of the Unknown (normal single/album version)
O Baby
Stargazer
New Skin* (not really a single, but was on the Showgirls soundtrack)