Album: Juju
Artist: Siouxsie & the Banshees
Born: Bromley, Kent
Released: June 1981
Genre: Gothic Rock
Influenced: The Cure, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Bloc Party, TV On The Radio, The Strokes
Siouxsie Sioux was arguably the most influential figure to emerge from the British punk scene, right from the moment she appeared with the Sex Pistols on Bill Grundy's Today programme in 1976. Her unique look of Cleopatra mask, spiky jet-black hair, leather outfits and fishnet arms inspired legions of women, while Siouxsie's distinctive singing style and the band's tense, atmospheric sound has been widely imitated. By late 1980, the band had undergone a personnel shift, with drummer Budgie and guitarist John McGeoch joining Siouxsie and bass guitarist Steven Severin. The band toured intensively in 1981 and rehearsed the material for Juju on numerous occasions, giving the album a tighter and more polished feel compared to previous releases. As much as I love the rough edges of the band's debut album, The Scream (1978), Juju feels honed to perfection and has that darkly gothic sound that only a few bands (Joy Division, Bauhaus, Sisters of Mercy) could carry off. Many goth imitators that came later put emphasis on horror rather than trying to build dramatic tension in their songs.
Siouxsie & the Banshees' shift from punk into macabre and magical gothic rock was inspired by the psychedelic turn taken by 60s bands like the Rolling Stones and Small Faces. One big reason the band could make this creative leap was John McGeoch, whose hypnotic guitar playing on Spellbound is hugely original. The Scotsman was one of the key figures in post-punk, his guitar work lighting up a huge body of work, from Shot By Both Sides (Magazine) to Seattle (Public Image Ltd). Arabian Knights, which explores the oppression of women in the Middle East, mixed electric and acoustic guitars to create another brilliant hit. More than these two singles though, there are four lengthier epics that define the album's sound. Into The Light's corrupted funk, Halloween's furious pace, Monitor's relentless dirge (its Orwellian lyrics are an early response to Britain's love of CCTV) and Sin In My Heart's teardrop-style guitar work are all mesmerising in their own way. Voodoo Dolly is the song Siouxsie closed many of her sets with during this period of time, dancing in a flamenco style and then dropping to the floor in dramatic fashion at the end, as though possessed by a voodoo spirit. Her inspiration for this new approach is not entirely clear, though Dr John is a possible influence, as were trips to the south London museum, the Horniman, where the African statue that appears on the album cover was spotted. One place in musical history I'd love to be able to transport to, Bill & Ted style, would be the Batcave club in Soho in the early-to-mid 80s, just to see Siouxsie perform.
Siouxsie Sioux was arguably the most influential figure to emerge from the British punk scene, right from the moment she appeared with the Sex Pistols on Bill Grundy's Today programme in 1976. Her unique look of Cleopatra mask, spiky jet-black hair, leather outfits and fishnet arms inspired legions of women, while Siouxsie's distinctive singing style and the band's tense, atmospheric sound has been widely imitated. By late 1980, the band had undergone a personnel shift, with drummer Budgie and guitarist John McGeoch joining Siouxsie and bass guitarist Steven Severin. The band toured intensively in 1981 and rehearsed the material for Juju on numerous occasions, giving the album a tighter and more polished feel compared to previous releases. As much as I love the rough edges of the band's debut album, The Scream (1978), Juju feels honed to perfection and has that darkly gothic sound that only a few bands (Joy Division, Bauhaus, Sisters of Mercy) could carry off. Many goth imitators that came later put emphasis on horror rather than trying to build dramatic tension in their songs.
Siouxsie & the Banshees' shift from punk into macabre and magical gothic rock was inspired by the psychedelic turn taken by 60s bands like the Rolling Stones and Small Faces. One big reason the band could make this creative leap was John McGeoch, whose hypnotic guitar playing on Spellbound is hugely original. The Scotsman was one of the key figures in post-punk, his guitar work lighting up a huge body of work, from Shot By Both Sides (Magazine) to Seattle (Public Image Ltd). Arabian Knights, which explores the oppression of women in the Middle East, mixed electric and acoustic guitars to create another brilliant hit. More than these two singles though, there are four lengthier epics that define the album's sound. Into The Light's corrupted funk, Halloween's furious pace, Monitor's relentless dirge (its Orwellian lyrics are an early response to Britain's love of CCTV) and Sin In My Heart's teardrop-style guitar work are all mesmerising in their own way. Voodoo Dolly is the song Siouxsie closed many of her sets with during this period of time, dancing in a flamenco style and then dropping to the floor in dramatic fashion at the end, as though possessed by a voodoo spirit. Her inspiration for this new approach is not entirely clear, though Dr John is a possible influence, as were trips to the south London museum, the Horniman, where the African statue that appears on the album cover was spotted. One place in musical history I'd love to be able to transport to, Bill & Ted style, would be the Batcave club in Soho in the early-to-mid 80s, just to see Siouxsie perform.
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