Search - Siouxsie & Banshees :: Twice Upon a Time: Singles

Excellent CD by an Immortal Band

Dr. Abbey Graves | Chicago, Illinois | 12/18/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This collection chronicles the Banshees' period with their most commercial sucsess. Their are some truly classic moments on this disc, such as "Dear Prudence" and "Peek-a-Boo".



1. Fireworks- This fabulous track is like listening to its namesake; sparkling, explosive, and deeply sensual.



2. Slowdive- I have no clue what the title means, but that is rendered irrevelent when you listen to this head-turning, string touched masterpiece.



3. Melt!- Listening to Siouxsie Sioux howl and pur sexy lines like "handcuffed in lace, blood, and sperm" whilist a lush orchestra and mandolin play, it makes me wish that more female artists would make this kind of music.



4. Dear Prudence- At first I did not like this song because I thought that it was murky and dull. But, over time, I warmed up to it and found that it was a warm, pretty cover of a classic song.



5. Swimming Horses- This song is dumbly underrated because it is a very strange, edgy, psychedelic song. It has a staccato piano melody and scritchy-scratchy gutair similar to that of the classic Banshees hit "Israel".



6. Dazzle- I have tried and tried, but I still haven't found a song today as powerful, as moving, or as beautiful as this orchestral piece of gothic rock. It is a soaring rock song with Sioux proving herself as a beautiful singer, and the band does their great musical stuff.



7. Overground- This song is a remake of a track from the Banshees' debut album "The Scream". It is a pulsating, charging song. The only problem is that Sioux sings in a voice that I usually asccociate with a person complaining about burning dinner.



8. Cities in Dust- This song is what gave Siouxsie and the Banshees their first big hit in the U.S., which this classic dance-pop song diserves. It starts out with the sound of bubbling lava and bell-like synths, and then explodes into a anxious firecracker of a song.



9. Candyman- This dizzying punk-rocker must have been very personal for Sioux, seeing as it is about sexual abuse against children, and Sioux herself was sexually assaulted when she was only 9 years old. What a great song.



10. This Wheel's On Fire- This cover of a Bob Dylan penned classic is a shiny pop-rocker of a song. The best part of this track is a true Banshees touch: it is accompanied by orchestral strings that remind of a Japanese movie. Even better than the original.



11. The Passenger- You will probably look at me like I'm an alien when I tell you that I have never heard the original song. But I can assure that only good songs are worthy for the Banshees to cover. This song is a spirited magic-carpet ride that takes you along and never lets go.



12. Peek-a-Boo- I can't think of anyone who can cover this song and make it as good as this giddy hit single. The bizarre instrumentation is the result of the percussion in the song being played backwards. Siouxsie wails her typically cryptic lyrics while the choppy percussion stomps along. And where on Earth did they get that accordion?!



13. The Killing Jar- This is an accidental low point of this collection. The classic album version, with pummling percussion and purring cellos, is sorely missed here. Instead we get a fun but dull remix that was the single version. It is still a great song either way.



14. The Last Beat of my Heart- An already beautiful song made even more beautiful by the live version that is played here. The only dissapointment is that Siouxsie's singing always sounds so strained and screechy live, and I think she should sing with the beautiful restraint as in the original version.



15. Kiss Them For Me- Siouxsie and the Banshees' biggest hit on the Hot 100 is a pure pop song. Even so, the eccentric Banhsees touch is present, with exotic East Indian instrumenation and cryptic lyrics about the grisly car crash that took blonde bombshell Jayne Mansfield's life.



16. Shadowtime- Around this time, the Banshees were international pop stars, and during that time this suprisingly weak single was churned out. It has a nice melody, I guess, but it is so commercial sounding, and Siouxsie's big voice is unfortunetly strained.



17. Fear (Of the Unknown)- While the remix that is present is too synthy, this wailing, unbashedly poppy song is one of the Banshees' most enjoyable in a long, long time. Siouxsie also looks like Emma Peel in the video.



18. Face to Face- No wonder it was featured in goth king Tim Burton's Batman Returns. This smoky, sexy torch song features strings, light percussion, and Siouxsie being, well, Siouxsie! This is, however, the last single they made that was actually worth a listen.



As you can see, Siouxsie and the Banshees lasted long enough for two singles collections, and still have a place in my pantheon of favorite musicians."

Incomplete and out of date, but still a nice introduction to

SRS | Ohio | 04/16/2007

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This disc is missing two singles from the period it covers: Song from the Edge of the World and The Last Beat of My Heart (the version of that one that appears here is live). Also, the song Fear of the Unknown is remixed here; it's not the superior original. Song From the Edge of the World is a great song and its omission is a serious mistake, and the lack of the original non-live versions of the other two songs is also inexplicable.



What's more, the rest of the singles are missing, those that preceed this collection (found, also in possibly incomplete form on Once Upon a Time - Mittageisen?) and those that came after it. 5 star screamers will shout down this review because objective criticism doesn't drive sales as well as hype, but this collection should be retired and replaced with a complete set that has every single in its original form, including Song from the Edge of the World, whether Siouxsie has a grudge with its producer or not. Why the recent, even more incomplete, set includes only the Columbus Mix version is beyond me. The original is still unavailable on CD.



I could do without the sound effects at the end of Fireworks. There is a version of that song without them, but I'm not sure whether it was the version that was released as the main single or not. This disc is the only CD available with Fireworks as well as the odd two I mentioned at the beginning of the review. It's nice to hear Siouxsie live, but a lone live track stuck in the midst of studio set is bizarre.



This review is not focused mainly on the quality of the songs, as that's not the real issue. This very old collection is simply out of date. There are many singles that came after it that are missing, and singles that came prior to it that are missing. The missing Song from the Edge and normal versions of Fear and Last Beat also are big strikes against. I would love to give 5 stars and a glowing review to a new set that's complete.



Here's a list of missing stuff:



Every single prior to this collection, available on the short playing Once Upon a Time (except for Mittageisen)

Song From the Edge of the World

The Last Beat of My Heart (studio)

Fear of the Unknown (normal single/album version)

O Baby

Stargazer

New Skin* (not really a single, but was on the Showgirls soundtrack)"

For those under tight budgets and/or being introduced to the

ReadListenLive | 08/02/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"While this cd is definitely not the most complete collection of Siouxsie and The Banshees' best songs, it is definitely a wise choice for all of those, like me, that are already fans but that, for some reason or another, cannot afford to buy all of their albums. This singles collection is also a wise choice for those who need an introduction to some of the most splendid music ever. My personal favorites are "Fireworks", "Dear Prudence", "Dazzle", "Cities in Dust", "The Passenger", "The Killing Jar", and "Face to Face". I recommend also buying "Once Upon A Time- The Singles" for a more complete and inexpensive experience of the world Siouxsie and The Banshees create for us."