Monday 24 September 2018

Best Banshees



So, my friend today bought up the fact that she didn't know that ole Big Wet Baby himself, Robert Smith was in Siouxsie And The Banshees.
Always one to chat about all things Banshees, it got me thinking - how do I rank their albums? what are my faves? considering they prob didn't really make a "bad" album, i thought i'd scratch my head and write a list:

1. JUJU (1981) - prob my fave, due to the inclusion of "Spellbound" and "Arabian Knights". however theres lots to be said about John McGeoghs playing on this album. what IS he doing with that guitar? "Into The Light" is a great example of where he was at around this time.

2. THE SCREAM (1978) - cos it starts here. incredible debut record. Juju pips it cos I like tunes. this is hard to listen to, but its killer. "Switch" is my fave.

3. KISS IN THE DREAMHOUSE (1982) - another McGeogh one. This is the Banshees moving slightly away from the goth darkness of Juju, and embracing pop and psychedelia. Lush.

4. HYAENA (1984) - ok, this is the Bob album. What he does on this is insane, his guitar playing is bonkers. Its a real varied record, lots going on here, and think its majorly underrated. See the Banshees performance on "The Tube" round this time to see what i mean. "Running Town" and "Blow The House Down" are highlights for me.

5. JOIN HANDS (1979) - proper abrasive post punk. its hard to rate the top 5 cos they all mean a lot to me and all have elements that make them as good as the next record. this is a hard listen, but has inklings of whats to come with things like "Icon". Listen to "Mother" on headphones and shit your pants.

6.  KALEIDOSCOPE (1980) - bit of a mixed bag this one, but the addition of Budgie and the fact the music is so varied puts this up there with the top 5. think "Christine" is on this? that first chord kills me.

7. PEEPSHOW (1988) - they really up their game with this one. another line up change, and means The Banshees up their game to try something new. Its all wonky drum beats and samples, sounding totally mad and totally modern at the same time. Still holds up. "Killing Jar" is one of their best pop songs, and "Last Beat Of My Heart" remains one of the best gig-openers i've ever witnessed. 

8. TINDERBOX (1986) - John Valentine Carruthers joins the line up for this one. Very light and poppy in places, prob too many guitar overdubs, great album cover. "Cities In Dust" and "Lands End" are my faves on this. I was totally into Carruthers as a guitarist, as he was the fella i saw live with The Banshees first. But - hes a shadow of what came before him.

9. THE RAPTURE (1995) - i don't own this record, so have only heard it a few times. I think i liked it more than "Superstition" but i can't really remember. I have good memories about what I remember hearing though. Or maybe its the memory of how much my friend loved this album instead. Needs a revisit.

10. THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS (1987) - the covers album. great selection of tracks, and remembering the singles doing well at the time. Can't say theres much that grabs me really though, more of a curio than anything. Covering "Trust In Me" from The Jungle Book was a stroke of genius.

11. SUPERSTITION (1991) - prob the only Banshees record I could live without. Think it all falls a bit flat, with nothing that memorable on it, apart from the singles. Maybe more to do with the production than anything. One of these had to go last, so sorry "Supersition".








Thursday 26 April 2018

Update!

Well - that was a long break!
Lifes been a bit sporadic for the last 18 months - being unemployed for a year, lead to me taking a terrible job in Nov 2016 for terrible money. Which meant i had to leave my awesome flat of 5 years in Hove, and move into a flatshare (as a lodger) for the first time ever. I managed 6 months living with someone who I didn't gel with at all (and her not with me - why the hell would you buy a house in Hove if you hated the people and the place?), and had to eventually move back to the parents in June 2017 with no money in the slightest. And in the meantime, I got signed off with stress from the job!
I then got a decent new job in July (talk about timing - a month earlier and I wouldn't have had to move!) - which saved me from the horrible stressful phone job i had - but i wasn't permanent. So have spent since then driving a 4 hour round trip to work - not pleasant.
This week however, I passed my probation at work, AND have an awesome new flat to move into back in Hove - a road from where I used to live!
I feel a weight has been lifted, and finally I can get on with my life again. 

Onwards and upwards.