1978 + 1979 - Ju Suk Reet Meate

Advantages: Burn in hell
Disadvantages: Everything else after is empty

...masterful rhythmic patterns transported the 1981-era Banshees to a whole new level. John McGeoch was the guitarist who had guested on Kaleidoscope but became a fully fledged Banshee on Ju Ju, and his contribution was just as impressive as Budgie's. McGeoch's melodic and wide ranging guitar style had formed the perfect accompaniment to Howard Devoto's mannered vocalisations with Magazine. 1978's Real Life album was a stunning showcase for an extraordinary band that never really fulfilled its true potential, but after Kaleidoscope McGeoch moved over full time. His strident, rich, varied playing highlighted Ju Ju and gave it its real passion and colour over the thumping heart and soul of Budgie's rhythmic patterns. The new combination saw the Banshees rise to startling new heights, sparking off the best in each other and prompting the best... Read review

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Advantages: Not many
Disadvantages: Getting scrappy

...After the triumph of 1978’s Plastic Letters, Blondie seemed to lose their way somewhat. By 1979, they were getting more coverage in The Sun than they were in Sounds: they were a pop group with a capital P. Their 1979 album, again with Mike Chapman at the controls, was Eat To The Beat, one of the first albums to be simultaneously released as a video. A little strained in places by comparison with Parallel Lines, it was still a tremendous hit, a number 1 album that yielded another three major hit singles in Dreaming, Union City Blue and Atomic. Parallel Lines had been massive and was impossible to follow up - Eat To The Beat was not the answer.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful

Advantages: Classic, the best by the band
Disadvantages: A bit soulless

...It was an eon before any record company took a gamble on the Banshees, even after (or maybe because) graffiti was scrawled across the entrance of all the London companies saying “Sign the Banshees.” Most of the band’s contemporaries like the Pistols, the Jam, the Clash and the Stranglers were onto the difficult second album phase by the time Polydor took the plunge and The Scream emerged onto the streets in 1978. The delay was probably good for the group and allowed the vision and the article to be honed and polished and this is by any measures a startling piece of work, a very metallic, disturbing record which captures this version of the band with John McKay and Kenny Morris alongside Sioux and Severin, at their best. Disillusion and enmity set in soo after and the follow up, Join Hands, was a joyless (even by their standards... Read review

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