| features in: Album Chart of 1982 → ● Album Chart of the Decade: 1980s → |
The fifth Banshees long-player arrived in November, 1982, the quartet remaining: Siouxsie Sioux (vocals), Steven Severin (bass guitar), John McGeoch (guitar, keyboards) and Budgie (drums, percussion). Recorders, chimes, tubular bells, loops and many vocal overdubs are variously contributed in what turns out to be an experimental set, and a lively, colourful one at that. 'The Dreamhouse' in question was a brothel in Los Angeles with sex workers who'd been surgically altered to closely replicate the stars of the day. “Cascade” almost seems to reflect this hedonistic-horror-show from the off: “Oh, Love, Like liquid falling, Falling, In cascades, Oh, lovelorn victims, Laughing in cascades”. It's an exciting opener, whichever way you choose to interpret it. “Green Fingers” takes a sharp left turn, headlong into a psychedelic wonderland, complete with recorders and exotic oriental touches. “Oh, magic in her hands, She could make anything grow”. Are we back at the Dreamhouse here? There's a sense of White-Album-esque experimentation when the third track, “Obsession” takes another sharp turn, this time confronting us with a rather sinister waltz drama about a spurned-lover-turned-psycho. There's plenty of (heavy) breathing space in the perfectly pitched strings arrangement which keeps us on edge throughout. It all makes for a terrific 1-2-3 opening, and “Circle” closes a wonderful side. Both of the album's singles appear on side two - the lush sexual decadence of “Melt” (#49) was too much for the pop-pickers, who also struggled to deal with those oh-so-twisted violins on the fantastic “Slowdive” (#41). There were group troubles behind the scenes, but these were clearly kept at bay when it came to the business of creation. The floating nebulae from that famous big bang of '76 continues to evolve through luminaries such as these.
The Jukebox Rebel
11–Aug–2008 (edited 02–Dec–2020)
| Tracklist |
| A1 | [04:24]  Siouxsie and The Banshees - Cascade (Susan Ballion, Steven Bailey, Peter Clarke, John McGeoch) Post-Punk |
| A2 | [03:33]  Siouxsie and The Banshees - Green Fingers (Susan Ballion, Steven Bailey, Peter Clarke, John McGeoch) Post-Punk |
| A3 | [03:52]  Siouxsie and The Banshees - Obsession (Susan Ballion, Steven Bailey, Peter Clarke, John McGeoch) Moodcore |
| A4 | [03:38]  Siouxsie and The Banshees - She’s A Carnival (Susan Ballion, Steven Bailey, Peter Clarke, John McGeoch) New Wave |
| A5 | [05:22]  Siouxsie and The Banshees - Circle (Susan Ballion, Steven Bailey, Peter Clarke, John McGeoch) Post-Punk |
| B1 | [03:47]  Siouxsie and The Banshees - Melt! (Susan Ballion, Steven Bailey, Peter Clarke, John McGeoch) Indie |
| B2 | [04:16]  Siouxsie and The Banshees - Painted Bird (Susan Ballion, Steven Bailey, Peter Clarke, John McGeoch) Indie |
| B3 | [04:29]  Siouxsie and The Banshees - Cocoon (Susan Ballion, Steven Bailey, Peter Clarke, John McGeoch) Jazz |
| B4 | [04:18] Siouxsie and The Banshees - Slowdive (Susan Ballion, Steven Bailey, Peter Clarke, John McGeoch) Post-Punk |
