I began listening to Siouxsie & the Banshees in June 2023. I didn't have any expectations whatsoever going into them but I was really impressed with their work and thought it was worthwhile to do their entire output. The last two albums were not available on Apple Music when I reviewed them so I don't think I was able to make as good a judgement on them.
The Scream (1978): A-
Join Hands (1979): C+
Kaleidoscope (1980): B+
Juju (1981): A-
A Kiss in the Dreamhouse (1982): B-
Hyaena (1984): B+
Tinderbox (1986): A-
Through the Looking Glass (1987): B
Peepshow (1988): B+
Superstition (1989): B
The Rapture (1995): B-
The Scream (1978):
Siouxsie's lyrics certainly don't have many parallels in the UK punk scene. She writes not of social/political concerns but, for example, of a butcher falling in love with his meat. Nevertheless, she doesn't play up her metaphorical lyrics any more than necessary, so to pretend like she comes off as more self-interested than John Lydon or more artsy than Patti Smith or more pretentious than Tom Verlaine is silly. Although the band does take punk's tempos and slow them down noticeably, the Banshees follow punk's lead and continue to play rock music as simply and intensely as possible. Thus, this power trio make their goth leader’s artistic tendencies and curious ambitions very consumable. And if you can resist their best stuff like "Overground," how much do you really like rock'n'roll? A-
Join Hands (1979):
Did others foresee what I did not? What made this talented three piece, with so much promise, quietly disappear in the mix behind Siouxsie's marching orders? C+
Kaleidoscope (1980):
Seeing guitarist John McKay and drummer Kenny Morris go is too bad but the Banshees once again point to a new musical direction that proves highly influential. The songwriting can sometimes miss--mostly towards the end of the track-list and when they slow down the tempo too much--but a lot of times, they pull of this synth pop/post punk direction. On their debut, the band proved a highly convincing trio of guitar, bass, and drums but the synthesizers take over for an excellent guitarist with surprising success. Plus, Siouxsie is once again where she needs to be in the mix: with her band. B+
Juju (1981):
Now with guitarist John McGeoch firmly in the lineup, the band move past synthesizer-based music and return to a post-punk sound that mostly relies on guitars, bass, and drums. More atmospheric than their previous attempts and a much denser sound, the production is excellent and when McGeoch is on fire, the band releases some of their finest tracks to date. On the second side, the track-list doesn't offer as much. But even as they stretch their songs further in length, things stay interesting. A-
A Kiss in the Dreamhouse (1982):
If this band drowns their albums in too much artsy bullshit once every three albums or so, I can swallow it. Here, the direction only produces one worthwhile song, "Painted Bird," and it's no surprise. This group will only consistently prevail when they play something reminiscent of rock music. B-
Hyaena (1984):
With McGeoch ousted, the band turned to longtime friend Robert Smith of the Cure as a temporary replacement. Smith is not as flashy as the previous Banshees guitarists but his tasteful playing and influence is nicely felt. Siouxsie and the band service the powerful post-punk instrumentals only as much as needed and each works as understated pop melodies. Believe me, the least interesting song is their cover of "Dear Prudence." B+
Tinderbox (1986):
Although yet another excellent guitarist has left their ranks, John Valentine Carruthers joins as the fourth and does not disappoint. In fact, his sonic palate and cool playing help make the band's best album. Hyaena steered them a little away from straightforward post-punk but the production here emphasizes both a mysteriously intangible atmosphere and the band simply playing together in the studio. Like Juju, it's the masterful and dynamic instrumental performances that shine--with Budgie's drumming in particular standing out--while Siouxsie's vocals continue to become more interesting and complex. A-
Through the Looking Glass (1987):
The Banshees didn't spend much time on this covers album but it doesn't show in the final product. The familiar tunes get interesting rearrangements while the unfamiliar songs could pass as Banshee originals. B
Peepshow (1988):
Besides the powerful and beautiful final track, this doesn't have the standout highlights that often make the Banshees best albums. However, it boasts a consistent track-list that even their strongest albums sometime suffer from. The new guitarist hasn't made much of an impression and though the addition of multi-instrumentalist Martin McCarrick is certainly felt, it's not yet obvious if a fifth member was really necessary. While the new lineup hasn't exactly cemented itself, their songwriting continues to work like clockwork. B+
Superstition (1991):
The quintet has mostly established themselves now and with some powerful 80s production, they make an interesting album. They nail a few pop gems including the lead-off track but there are a few failed experiments and slower tracks ("Drifter" and "Softly") that I was ready to believe they had put behind themselves. B
The Rapture (1995):
This has the standard three or four strong songs that one would expect from a Banshees album but it doesn't have a solid direction or cohesion. Instead, it has more failed experiments than usual, including a flop of massive proportions: the eleven minute title track, which is an lame, artsy move the band hasn't been dumb enough to try since their second album. B-
