Once Upon A Time (The Singles) - Siouxsie & The Banshees > Reviews > Greatest bits

Author's product rating:   

Originality	Groundbreaking
Lyrics	Sublime
Quality and consistency of tracks	A couple of weak links
How does it compare to the artist's other releases	Good
Value for Money

Advantages:	Blissful songs  -  sheer class
Disadvantages:	None

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

The Banshees - icy fingers running up and down my spine - all that Nazi paraphernalia strictly for shock value in the early days when Steve Severin was known as Steve Havoc and Sid Vicious was the drummer - the evolution from black garbed Goths to splendidly rich dandies when the Budge arrived on the scene - the period with the rotating guitarists through Smith, Jones, McGeoch and back again - The Scream with its metallic ring and butchering of 'Helter Skelter' - so many memories, so few to recall.

There's no way that I'm going to let this get out of hand - it would be far too easy to write an academic piece of prose about the darlings of the new wave, which was only an excuse for an endless streams of meaningless big words all ending in 'ism' - let's keep this too the point and in English please.

Hanley Victoria Hall - 1978/79, the Banshees headlining with support from Spizz Oil and the Human League, drowning under a wall of spittle from the brittle new troops of punk rock - Siouxsie wasn't happy and she told them so in no uncertain terms - that was when they crossed over for me into SOMETHING ELSE.

They were different from the rest - so very different. Perhaps it was just Siouxsie or the mock horror theatrics of their material - all I know is that they were unique - a rushing maelstrom of dark menace - and boy could they kick ass.

Bullet point one - Once Upon A Time - Greatest Hits from a band who shouldn't have had them, but did anyway - absolutely blistering records - they kept us dancing and made us think - never the easy kill, always the outsiders, but we welcomed them in - ever since every record company in London had 'Sign The Banshees' scrawled across their doors that fateful night.

Bullet point two - members - Siouxsie Sioux - vox - big hair - strident Germanic voice - make up - Steve Severin - Mr Smooth - bass - heart and soul - pulsebeat man - Budgie - assault and battery skin man.

Cut up cover - so many images - unfeeling and cold - warm and emotional - a contradiction in terms.

Hong Kong Garden - shock! - Banshees go pop - oh no! - but wait - glorious, glorious anthem, S kicking on So It Goes, suddenly making sense - sheer bliss.

Harmful elements in the air
symbols clashing everywhere
Reaps the fields of rice and reeds
while the population feeds
Junk floats on polluted water
an old custom to sell your daughter
Would you like number 23?
Leave your yens on the counter please
Hong Kong Garden

Tourists swarm to see your face
Confuscius has a puzzling grace
Disoriented you enter in
unleashing scent of wild jasmine

Slanted eyes meet a new sunrise
a race of bodies small in size
Chicken Chow Mein and Chop Suey
Hong Kong Garden takeaway
Hong Kong Garden

Mirage - what the hell - no I missed it - never mind.

The Staircase (Mystery) - Second alnum (problem) - retread and recycle the horror image - Staircase - terror trying to get out - McKay and Morris jumped ship - gave her the slip - nerdy nerdy nerr.

Playground Twist - death throes of the black shirts - just forget it.

Hanging....
Hanging from your daisy chains
Swinging in the trees
Running from your enemies
And falling on your knees
On your knees
Get down on your knees

Throw the dice
You three blind mice
Did you ever see
Such a thing in your life
You swallow the trail
But still arrive
Inside your entrails

Hanging....
Hanging out at party games
Dancing in the shadows
Up and down on the see-saw
Balancing the scales
You're drunk
Yet you're balancing the scales

Someone to blame
Someone to shame
Someone who you can claim
Go back the to pass the parcel
And follow the leader

Hanging....
Hanging from your climbing frames
Swinging in the gallows
Laughing with your buddies
But you can drown when you're shallow
You can drown....

Love In A Void - Stone age Banshees from the days when they were chaos merchants.

Happy House - intense paranoia - the Banshees are saved and resurrected as rich psychedelia - blissful blissful noise - class in a glass.

This is the happy house-we're happy here in the happy house oh it's such fun
We've come to play in the happy house
and waste a day in the happy house-it never rains

We've come to scream in the happy house We're in a dream in the happy house
We're all quite sane

This is the happy house-we're happy here There's room for you if you say "I do"
but don't say no or you'll have to go
we've done no wrong with our blinkers on It's safe and calm if you sing along

This is the happy house-we're happy here in the happy house. To forget ourselves-and pretend all's well There is no hell

Christine - Ooh, there's the rub, the strawberry girl, banana split lady, disintegrating... - pop as she should be methinks - how can songs about madness be so appealing - must think.

She tries not to shatter, kaleidoscope style Personality changes behind her red smile Every new problem brings a stranger inside Helplessly forcing one more new disguise

Christine-the strawberry girl
Christine-banana split lady

Singing sweet savages lost in our world This big-eyed girl sees her faces unfurl Now she's in purple
Now she's the turtle

disintegrating

Christine-the strawberry girl
Christine-banana split lady
22 faces...disintegrating

Israel - jingle bells, jingle bells - well, jangle jangle jangle anyway - splendour personified, the Banshees in killer mood - never never doubt them again.

Spellbound - and the hits just keep on coming pop pickers ... - the greatest, the richest, the most wonderful, "Throw him down the stairs..." Glory Be, this band is awesome.

From the cradle bars
comes a beckoning voice
it sends you spinning
you have no choice......

You hear laughter
cracking through the walls
it sends you spinning
you have no choice

Following the footsteps
of a rag doll dance
we are entranced
Spellbound

And don't forget
when your elders forget
to say their prayers
take them by the legs
and throw them down the stairs

When you think
your toys have gone beserk
it's an illusion
you cannot shirk
you hear laughter
cracking through the walls
it sends you spinning
you have no choice

Following the footsteps
of a rag doll dance
we are entranced
Spellbound

Arabian Knights - draw down the curtain on the finest run of singles you ever did see - Banshees now moving into the mainstream, or moving the mainstream towards them - either way - sheerest bliss.

The jewel, the prize
looking into your eyes
Cool pools drown your mind
What else will you find

I hear a rumour-it was just a rumour
I heard a rumour-what have you done to her

Myriad lights-they said I'd be impressed Arabian Knights-at your primitive best

A tourist oasis-reflects in seedy sunshades a monstrous oil tanker
it's wound bleeding in seas

I heard a rumour-what have you done to her I heard a rumour-what have you done to her

Veiled behind screens
kept as your baby machine
Whilst you conquer more orifices
Of boys, goats and things
Ripped out sheeps eyes-no forks or knives

Myriad lights-they said I'd be impressed Arabian Knights-at your primitive best

Madness apart this could be quite the best greatest hits collection known to man - it's certainly the best ever produced by the spirit world. bet you never thought it would come to this when they played The Lord's Prayer.