Juju

This was really good! I loved the instrumentals especially.

This was alotta fun, cool band name, a few more discoveries like this would be nice! Getting a bit sick of this run of bang average albums. Strong 3.5, there were a few rather skippable songs. Fav track: Night Shift

Moody, catchy post-punk that again feels like a real precursor to the genre at large. Love the way a lot of these songs are structured, playing with expectations, and the vocals cut through like a knife. Three and a half. Fave track: Head Cut

Lots of fun here - easy to be pulled in by Siouxsie’s energy, as well as a great playing and songwriting. Can hear so much influence this band has had on a lot of Melbourne bands in particular. Really solid album, glad to have discovered this one. Fave track: Into The Light

Love the rhythm. Very angsty teenage tone. I didn't check what year this was released. Once I heard track 2 I immediately said "oh this is from the 80's" Lo and behold 1981. Very much enjoy the rhythm more than the lyrics but that wont stop me from singing along. I am not saying I am going to do this, but if I need to dispose of a body I am bumping Nigh Shift non stop. After Night Shift the album picks up a lot. The lyrics and angst is stronger and deeper. There has to be a reason why they placed these tracks om the middle of the album but for me they belong at the top. Amazing and something you can really slow rock to.

Really liked the entirety of the album

Not big on punk, but still decent listening 👍

First got introduced to this band in a game called 'Sleeping Dogs', with 'Hong Kong Garden'. I love the singers voice so far and I've only heard 'Spellbound'. The guitar and drums are so mesmerising. Feels like they're dancing around my head while her enchanting voice has me captivated. Also really appreciating the punky gothic elements, it gets me moving with it. The songs feel like they're spiralling around my head. It's a surreal experience. 'Monitor' had me dancing and feeling motivated. Overall, awesome album.

i was surprised that this album was from 1981 because it feels about a decade ahead of its time — the lyrics/vocals are the weakest part of this, and they’re not particularly weak. there are some songs i wouldn’t want to listen to again, which is why this isn’t a 5, but it’s pretty close

What voice Siouxsie has! Dark and ethereal, it compliments these gothic arrangements perfectly.

*Track 5: Monitor*

SPELLBOUND!

Really cool album, highlights were Into the Light and Monitor

Nicole Sabouné-känsla

A post punk/goth classic, one of the great albums of the genre. Moody, unsettling arrangements combined with Siouxsie Sioux's hauntingly authoritative vocal and dark lyrical imagery. The rhythm forward style and wide ranging creative use of guitar creates a really singular sound that doesn't really sound like anything else. This is probably the Banshees' best album. Fave songs: Spellbound, Into the Light, Sin in My Heart

Quite enjoyed this one's vibes. You can see the line going from punk to goth, and setting a standard while at it. Very cool

Very interesting cause this album feels like it's from modern era, when I saw 1981 I was pretty shocked. Spellbound and Monitor best tracks for me.

Post punt gothic bliss.

Solid vocals, solid sounds

8/10 - hadn’t properly delved into Siouxsie and the banshee’s prior to this listen except for a couple of tracks, but this was a pleasant surprise. A very consistent album with great vocals and seamless transitions which gave it a really refined feel. Felt the second half lacked as much quality as the first but it definitely didn’t take away from the overall listen. Would listen again Favourite tracks - Spellbound Into the light Halloween Monitor

Very good, unique, some nice catchy bits too andsets a nice atmosphere

First time hearing “Voodoo Dolly”: awful noise The 2nd time: awesome, I love it Finding there’s a lot to love in early 80s goth rock, between the Cure, Bauhaus and now this HL: “Into the Light”, “Monitor”, “Night Shift”, “Spellbound”

Probably the Banshees' best - Monitor is a propulsive beast, powered by that riff, and McGeoch's guitar throughout is a joy. And Into The Light does indeed bring some light to the gothic shade. We'll skip quickly past the - er - reductive lyrics of Arabian Nights, but beyond that, Spellbound is a classic Siouxsie single, and generally this is probably the band's strongest set.

Prachtig allemachtig

first listen this is a fascinating vibe of sounds that reminds me of a lot of modern indie pop

Classic post modern punk. Her voice is incredible: monitor is a standout

My brothers name is Juju

J'ai quand meme vraiment aimé pour un genre de Punk ca déménage mais la musique est entrainante. 4

I really liked this one!

Liked it more than I expected. Dark, gloomy, uncomfortable, menacing, even a bit terrifying. But damn good. I have a soft spot for early 80s guitar sounds. It's dated yes, but when it comes to the 80s guitar and even synths, give me 1981/1982 over 1988/1989.

Shimmers and shines, Siouxsie and the Banshees have something compelling going on here. Siouxsie’s insistent vocals, the pulsating drumming, here is a pink album with artists who can play, less nihilistic, more introverted. Really good fun.

an amazing punk album that kept me engaged throughout its entirety, very underrated album

Pretty awesome rock album. Definitely worth a relisten.

I like Siouxsie And The Banshees but I may not have heard a full album of their music outside of a greatest hits compilation. "Spellbound" might be the only track from Juju that I had heard before. Overall the album was good. I liked the album enough to listen to the re-release bonus tracks. I'm not sure where this album fits in to the rest of the work from the band. Juju sounds like an album from Siouxsie And The Banshees. I found stuff that I could re-listen to, but nothing that I HAVE to listen to again. I'll round up to 4 stars.

Good old post punk rock, always just as good

Dark rock rock lobster

Juju on that beat

This album is a nice mix of rock and punk bit a dash of emo. Not what I usually listen to, but this was enjoyable and quite original. It has a very specific vibe to it (think goth angry hunted house) that I'm sure will appeal to some.

Me encantó. Aunque el segundo tercio se me hace un poco raro, tampoco está tan mal. Principalmente, me da alivio haberlo encontrado, pues luego de oír Daydream Nation de Sonic Youth, me quedé un poco frustrado, pues siento que no cumplió bien su objetivo, pero este creo que cumple exactamente con lo que el otro no pudo.

Ah ouais j'ai bien aimé, mais il manquait un petit quelque chose pour que sa mérite un 5

C’est de la bonne bombe, la section rythmique est top notch, c’est genre de la musique Emo avant que ça devienne cringe

I’ve always known about this band by name but this is the second album I’ve come across on this list & they’re a very good band.

What a cracker

a great grooving goth intro ...and then Vooodoo Dolly opened up. superb atmospherics (at once chanelling through time: Ute Lempur, Nirvana, Cure, B52s and some other batshit crazy stuff, but tight ) Sound like Banshees alright, fun loud shrill, and jungle girl sounds... wild woman lyrics, - its impressive for 1981 and i imagine it was influential and the tribal drums very new...I LIKED the propelling transporting beats of Arabian Nights, It is goth, is it punk, is it girl garage band? its empowered, in your face and avant guard. Feels like 1988. Spellbound rang a bell,but pretty sure this is entirely NEW MUSIC for me

Nigel Gray did a lot of fantastic work in the late 70's/early 80's and this is part of that considerable body of work. She's some talent that Siouxsie, if she'd emerged say five years later than that crazy late 70's era I'd think she'd have a greater reputation as both a performer and songwriter. A few things jar a little, the "big" 80's drum sound is probably dated, but then that was one of Nigel's signature moves. Ditto some of McGeoch's Andy Summers style guitar work. But so what, overall it is a fine record. Spellbound never ceases to amaze me, Halloween and Monitor kick, perhaps Voodoo Dolly drags though I'm sure it would have been a great part of their live show.

Enjoyed it. Still think Siouxsie is a singles band and obviously this isn't all the hits, but still great.

Highlights: "Head Cut," "Monitor," "Into the Light" This is a big leap from the punk sound of The Scream. You can definitely see how they readily synthesized Eno, Joy Division, Suicide, Einszturzende Neubaten, and Public Image LTD. into their own more entertaining sound. This formative goth album seems like it's *less* dire and depressive than its contemporary influences (Public Image Ltd., Einszturzende Neubaten, Joy Division, Kraftwerk). It seems to pull in more interesting production and harmony from Eno while providing a driving energy that he mostly got from collaboration with other artists. It's impressive that such chromatic and noisy guitarwork is able to stay behind the vocals and just build atmosphere, or that the bass is able to rein that sound into the song structure. So much metal now sounds more like this than any metal per se from the 80s. "Monitor" could have been released any time in the past forty years. This is another album where a sound from the next decade just seems to pop out fully formed. It needed a lot of groundwork from other great acts, but it sounds like a breakthrough in pop.

Good

Pleasantly surprised by this album

This is the second Siouxsie album I've listened to in this project and as opposed to The Scream, this is more along the lines of the music I associate with this band and have appreciated. "Spellbound" is a pretty kickass classic tune. I didn't love the whole thing, as I got a little weary on Side B, but this is pretty good stuff. Siouxsie's voice is an extreme, powerful force, whose energy sometimes reminds me of Carol Burnett's Tarzan call. The band's sound is pretty fantastic and the guitar work of John McGeoch is deservedly celebrated.

This was what I was expecting from Siouxsie And The Banshees. Although I don’t recall ever hearing any of these tracks before, there was something VERY familiar about a couple…so perhaps I have a poor memory. I was left a bit torn in that I really loved (I mean really really loved) some moments and for others, I couldn’t wait to move on. So, I don’t think I will ever want to revisit the entire album, but it was a good experience for the day.

Pretty fun album, sounds nostalgic

-3 songs in, very good so far -Night Shift is my favorite so far but Into The Light is pretty good -I have heard good things of Arabian Knights, hopefully it’s as good as they say -It was ok -Very solid album, wouldn’t listen to it regularly but i liked it

If Patti Smith was the vocalist for Joy Division with a east coast punk edge. Sick 80s chorusy guitar licks. Anxious, rabid drums.

id already heard most the album before but it was very good 7.5/10

i love this aspect of the 80s. this vibe is such a vibe

This album is like a primal force of nature- deep, dark and disturbing. Stuck between Punk, New-Wave and early Goth. Powerful themes, rhythms, guitar and drums. Siouxsie voice is perfect for this. She is so strong and magnetic.

I really enjoyed the guitarwork and vocals on this album. Both were excellent.

Great female punk rock,

Great goth-pop album, would have loved this when I was younger. Spellbound is the highlight

I had some mixed feelings with this, but most of the time quite enjoyable

Great vocals, solid songwriting, and a cool brooding, unheimish mood.

Did not know this band, pleasant surprise. Like the vibe, sound & rhythm.

Female post-punk is still pretty much undefeated on this list. This and elastica, while not exactly the same era, both stand out as really solid female rock albums. Monitor was my favorite off of this

Never listened to more than the singles from Siouxsie, I've missed out! Much better than I was expecting, unique sounds, esp the guitar work.

Surprisingly refreshing!!!

Yeah, lots of the songs made me feel but only if I was in the mood for a little noise

Shimmery guitars add an extra level of gloss to the goth melancholy.

A Goth hymn book. I love Siouxsie and the Banshees and this album is extra special for how much it pushes the sounds. So layered and chaotic

Gothic rock, a post punk group wihch used the gizmo to give the guitar a more synth or classical effect in the songs. The album seemed to have a concept with the songs relating to each other.

This was simply amazing. Anxious, energetic, weird - all you need from goth!

It is wild how some of these acts seemed to spring up almost fully formed. This is punk developed and refined but still sharp edged and biting. Good stuff.

Really enjoyed this - I'd never listened to a Siouxsie album and there's no reason why as this is right up my street.

So moody and gloomy. Really enjoyed this, they took what they accomplished on The Scream and came back even better. Awesome stuff, 4 stars

Another group that I've always had on my "should listen to someday" list, until now. This record dipped a little in energy for me in the middle for a few tracks, but I really liked the rest. Voodoo Dolly was a nice dark kind of psychedelic spin out at the end. I can hear this group's influence in lots of things I'm into by more recent artists.

I had a bit of a Siouxsie phase back in the day, but haven’t listened to her stuff in a while. It’s good! Almost like if Kate Bush joined Bauhaus. B

An artist that I knew nothing about before, but I feel like I should have. I'm excited to dig into more. 4/5

Jag gillar Into The Light och Sin In My Heart. Användandet av rombs istället för symbolerna ger det en ”gothic”känsla

The opening of Into the Light is so fucking cool. Basically how I feel about this whole album: just so many cool musical ideas and treatments. Kind of a haunted record, almost theatrical in execution. Like Kate Bush meets The Cure. Really enjoyed this listen.

I kind of liked it, though I probably won't revisit. Siouxsie is obv an icon though

Seconds in, I could tell this was my type of music. Spellbound is a great song Into the light: guitar reminds me of the Police. another great song

Love me some Siouxsie and the Banshees.

Slay

i really liked this but not enough for 5 sorry

Great unconventional gloomy post-punk from Siouxsie and her Banshees. Everything on the record is drenching with hopelessness perfectly captured by John McGeoch's theatrical guitar-playing. Even when the guitar is mixed all the way in the background, you can hear him giving it his all. 'Spellbound', 'Halloween' and 'Voodoo Dolly' are highlights.

I like it. The vocals are nice and fit well over the instrumentals. 7/10

Ok

bello, nel mio genere, atmosfera originale

molto bello, un po' troppo omogenee le canzoni. Grandissima cantante.

minne om vgs

Ikkje så megafan av Siouxsie og gjengen, men Spellbound e jævlig bra

Their gothest and heaviest album - which is saying something. The perfect balance of pop-rush (Arabian Knights, Spellbound) Banshees and heavy grinders (Monitor and the quite awesome Nightshift which contains one of the best silences on any record). A very slight loss of focus at the end so four. Probably four and a half if halves existed. John McGeoch - the best guitarist that punk/new wave produced - at his absolute peak.

Quintessential goth rock: perfect for the coming All Hallows' Eve. I have a lot of respect for drummer Budgie, who brings a lot of power to this album with intense beats that the rest of the band ride off of. That's not to discredit the other band members, as their contributions make the whole greater than the sum of it's parts. I particularly love John McGeoch's guitar tone on Monitor. And I would be remiss not to mention Siouxie Sioux's iconic vocals, which is the true core of the band's personality. Every aspect of this album is excellent. It's a wonderful post-punk sound mixed with horror aesthetics that bring Juju to life. Worth listening to every second.

dance and chill

I really enjoyed this record. I had never heard of them prior to this, and I was very surprised at how much I enjoyed it. The vocals and guitars were phenomenal and the who record really flows so well. I was really pleased with almost all the songs and I can see why many praise it as a staple of punk music. Favorite Track: Halloween, Spellbound Least Favorite Track: Voodoo Dolly

Surprisingly more in-depth then I was expecting. I knew the name but had another idea of what they sounded like. Dark breading and even angry. A mix of clash, blondie, pretenders,depeche mode

Wel prima, luistert lekker

Loved the sound

Like this, feel it's missing just that little "something". What a pointless review. 3.7

Love this album, all ticks all the post punk goth boxes and does it very well all round

I wasn't familiar with Siouxsie and the Banshees at all. This album took me by surprise, enjoyed it very much. Despite not being familiar with it, I couldn't shake that feeling of early 80s nostalgia, the guitars are so otherworldly, feels like you're taking a peak behind the dark curtain, and disliking how the shadowy machinery of that neoliberal Cold War world really worked.

The guitar work really makes this album. Reminiscent of the guitarists Bowie had in this era

Post punk gothic rock

Iconic band, post punk progressive rock.

Pretty decent this. Monitor has a brilliant bassline, and Arabian Nights is superb. Varied, pretty thumping, solid solid album. Closer to 3.5, but it is definitely worth a listen. Super punky.

Like it. 80s punk with a female vocalist. What more you want

Muy ochentero. Me gusta.

Some nice, sorta goth, post punk alt rock with female vocals. There was cool dark energy on some of the songs. I liked it more than I expected to. I thought it was just as good or even better than similar contemporary albums, like The Cure’s Pornography.

I actually just listened to this album earlier this past week from a "top post punk albums" list. Spellbound is the most obvious song on this album that I added, but listening again now. I prefer the more new-wave sound vs post punk. "Into The Light" has some killer guitar licks that I must have just glossed over last time I listened. Still like the more new wave style of this era.

Classic

Pretty good alternative gothic vibe. Some great songs, but some fade into the background.

Chyba jeden z najlepszych kombekow listowych do tej pory, bo Siouxsie i jej bansze pamietam dobrze, a byl to jeden z pierwszych albumow przesluchanych na liscie, bylo to az tak straszliwe wycie, na jakze trafnie nazwanym krazku scream, natomiast Juju ktory jest czwartym studyjnym albumem zespolu z 81, pokazuje go w duzo lepszym swietle, nadal jest to granie oparte o gitarowym instrumentalu, sklad bandy zmienil sie w polowie, gitare trzyma w lapie John McGeoch, a trzyma ja na tyle umiejetnie, ze sa momenty ktore trzeba przesluchac wiecej niz jeden raz zeby rozczaic sie co tam bylo zrobione, natomiast za drumy odpowiedzialny jest artysta o pseudonimie Budgie, na basie jak na poprzednim krazku Steven Severin, no i na wokalu pani Siouxsie u ktorej slychac niesamowity progres wokalno liryczny, bo dawno nie slyszalem tak dobrego polaczenia mrocznej i wiejacej tajemnicza groza liryki z hipnotycznym wokalem, a nie juz samym wyciem, choc zdarzaja sie takie momenty rowniez na tym krazku, jesli do tego dodac chemie ktora czuc z grania calej bandy dostaje czlowiek cos naprawde unikalnego, wiki klasyfikuje krazek jako post punkowy material, ale rownie dobrze pasuje tutaj okreslenie gotikowego rokowania, bo pasuje to calkiem niezle, bo gdy mysle o gotiku to wlasnie takie motywy uwodzacego mroku i mrazacych krew w zylach makabr opowiadanych przez chartzmatyczna persone sa jak najbardziej na miejscu, kolejnym waznym, a moze najwazniejszym punktem rozniacych oba te picki jest przepasc jaka slychac na produkcji, o ile scream brzmial doslownie jak krzyk z dna basenu na co wskazywala okladka, tak juju na calych 41 minutach posiada jakosciowe i pelne miesa brzmienie, zarowno jesli chodzi o scene instrumentalna jak i wokale na niej osadzone, bo jest to jeden z tych albumow gdzie instrumenty maja robic miejsce do popisu wokalnego gwiazdy zespolu, na tych 41 minutach zmiescilo sie 9 trakow, na plejke dodam openingowego spellbound, ktory zaklina sluchacza na kolejne 41 minut oraz halloweenowy song, moze dlatego, ze pasuje idealnie do piloczlowieka i pewnie bede go slyszal jesli zdarzy sie znowu czytac o kosmicznym diable, teraz juz sam nie wiem czy w przeciagu 500 albumow tak bardzo zmienil mi sie gust, czy naprawde zespol brzmi az o tyle lepiej niz ostatnim razem

Nikad favoriti ali super solidni singlovi

Classic Wave album, really enjoyed it, made me play Cocteau Twins, Hula and other dark music again.

Cranberries + B-52s vibes! Fun "wailing" rock album

A fantastic album very nearly a 5

very good

Gros coup de coeur sur cet album. La face A est excellente d'un bout à l'autre. La face B moins accrocheuse reste intéressante dans ses arrangements. Ce n'est pas les meilleurs musiciens, mais sur cet album, ils arrivent tout de même à livrer de bonnes idées sans que la performance n'affecte négativement la pièce et la voix de Siouxsie est plus juste que sur l'album The Scream. Le riff à 2:00 dans Arabian Knights aurait pu être entendu sur un album alternatif des années 90 et Monitor est loin de sonner comme une pièce d'un album sortie en 1981. Je dois me procurer cet album. Pièces préférées: Monitor, Arabian Knights, Spellbound

4.25

Cada vez mais necessário escutar pela combinação do instrumental e vocal.

Fun fact that S&TB included Sid Vicious, Robert Smith and Slits drummer Budgie in their lineup over the years. Never listened to Siouxsie and the Banshees and now I know why. I didn't have the patience for Siouxsie's voice. The self-aggrandizing dramatic crooning always bugs me... Today however, I was able to push through it, mainly because I couldn't reach the 'skip' button on my phone. I'm glad I did. The first listen was okay, but over the course of the second I was able to appreciate and even enjoy her voice. Let me be clear, the music underneath is wiry, uniquely drone-y and catchy at the same time. Love the less-than-perfect and dirty production of this album. Will def. listen to this more.

I think the punk and post-punk of the late 70s and early 80s has been my favorite part of exploring the 1001, because I've discovered some great stuff I didn't know before. And some less than great stuff, but even those were certainly interesting. With still more to come as we continue the journey. Of that period and genre, I think I like Siouxsie and the Banshees the best. It feels very unique, but not too odd or alienating. It sounds like they may have gone through some stylistic evolutions during their career, but "Juju" is terrific. I love the sharp, piercing guitar work and the understated percussion, and while it took me a few songs to get into Siouxsie's voice, I wound up liking it on most songs. It's too bad they left the punk behind and seem to have become a pretty typical 80s band, with a few decent songs and maybe more than a few annoying ones. I'll put some tracks from "Juju" in regular rotation though.

Well, that was incredible. I knew other Siouxsie albums and really liked them, but I had never really heard this one before. This has to be her best album, great goth/post-punk with menacing riffs and of course haunting vocals. This one goes in my wantlist.

A classic Post-punk/Goth album. The vibe in this one is quite unmatched and is always a pleasure to return to.

Enjoyed it, although some tracks had the peculiar problem of a ripping bass line and a great rhythm, but let down by the melody. Four.

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: Spellbound, Into the light, Sin in my heart

pretty sure naboo in the mighty boosh talks about bad juju. This was surprisingly meaty. goff is usually a bit flimsy.

You call this Goth do you Siouxsie? Not even close. Get back to me when you have successfully invaded and sacked Rome then we'll talk.

Rockin!!

Jangly, spooky post-punk. A successful fusion of different musical elements into one cohesive sound

Pih! Wha....

I wished for a time machine to take me back to an 80's goth club, but this album will have to do.

Dark, frantic, vibrant. Vocally very interesting. Very "cool". Driving music. I'd say the only downside is that it sounds a little hollow, needs more bass. Drums are great though. Favorite tracks: "Spellbound", "Halloween"

Dated in all the best ways - heavy but not overpowering use of flanger, grungy lo-fi production that sounds like it was done on a dive bar's DI, drawn-out vocals that carry from one verse into another. The intersection of post-punk and 80s glam and it sounds damn good.

Enjoyed this quite a bit. Sin in My Heart is so good

siouxise is such. a vocalist yaes queun slay (´∩｡• ᵕ •｡∩`) (♡ω♡ ) ~♪😍😍😍

I really enjoyed listening to this album. In my opinion it's very consistent - I can't find a bad song on this one. Siouxsie And The Banshees developed a unique style unlike any other band of the time I know. I feel "Juju" was an inspiration for many later post-punk bands. Love the mesmerizing vocals, dirty tones and the drum work, especially in the first song, "Spellbound". Will definitely return to this album in the future. Highlight: "Arabian Knights"

Bardzo przyjemny album, styl kojarzy mi się z muzyką Maanamu.

Wreszcie kobieta na tej liście :D Jest moodzik. Ale generalnie brzmi bardzo dobrze, gitarowe segmenty są fajnie zrobione. Album jest stabilnie dobry. Spellbound i Arabian Knights to zdecydowane highlighty. Niby punk, ale faktycznie ma taki goth vibe, choć się podobno od tego odcinają - nie mi oceniać, czy słusznie. Może byłoby to 3.5, ale 3 to za mało w obliczu poprzednich moich ocen

Klikkað band.

great post punk album with its own unique (somewhat hysterical sound)

Very good. I am very into 1980s music and this is a great representative of that era. Spellbound is obviously a fan favorite but I really liked Arabian Knights.

4.5/5. Quite great. Siouxsie good

4,5 stars; high quality music, felt a bit too long in the middle

Fun throwback sound. Really enjoyed this album. Plus one point for a cool band name

Great album - really inventive & unusual sounds.

Such a great vibe. It's dark and mysterious while still being catchy and just a whole lot of fun Spellbound is one of the best openers of all time, Halloween is an absolute gem, and Mobile was a groovy little highlight

It is a very mature album. Siouxsie is perhaps at the peak of her grotesque vocal abilities, and the backing singers accompany her with truly satanic fervour. McGeogh's atmospheric guitar performs little acrobatic feats that enrich the sound. Pretty dark (7/10) FT: Spellbound, Arabian Knights

It's nice to listen to a punk album released in the '80s when there is an abundance of more popular music condensed on the radio during that time

This album is fantastic. The band have built their sound and confidence in song-writing. I love McGeoch's guitar playing and Siouxsie's singing. Absolute height of British post-punk. Moody, dramatic, startling, and still fresh.

This is a band I always meant to check out because I thought I'd really like them but never listened. I'm glad I got the opportunity to give this one a listen, because I was right and I am really liking it. Favorites: Into the Light, Arabian Knights

I'm very pleased to have been presented with this album. Siouxsie was adjacent to music I listened to a lot back in the day. But I haven't listened to as much or as closely as I should have. Banshees here I come! To start with, the album cover is fantastic. I'm optimistic I'll be liking this album. The opening track, Spellbound, is very strong. Interesting, textured, yet catchy. The next track is all about the rhythms weaving into a transportive experience. I appreciate that the songs stick with one melodic or especially rhythmic idea long enough to make an impression before wheeling around to something new. The whole album feels very cohesive to me, generating a very specific gothy/punky/death chick feeling. Like going out the back door of a apothecary in New Orleans at midnight into a circle of pale women whirling around a fire chanting some dark spell. Ensorcelled. A great album. A little dark for my taste, so not a perfect 5 to me. But a jewel of an album for sure.

Great

Enjoyable punk

Post-punk genius. Worth the listen for the first half alone. John McGeoch’s guitar playing is another highlight.

Vaguely heard of this band, never heard a song before. Very intriguing music, especially for the time. Some songs are much better than others, liked the very first song the most. Overall an interesting album. That first song is really really really good!

Yeah, really liked this! Definitely giving the band side-eye for their rejection of the goth label, heh. I can see me lifting this to 5 stars with more listens... Fave track - "Sin in My Heart" - love the tempo ratcheting up throughout.

First time ever listening this album but genuinely impressed...really cool punk sound and very smart lyrics to match...pretty surprised how much I ended up enjoying this album

I can see why all the hype. Excellent.

I came into this with some skepticism, but dammit if this wasn't haunting in all the right ways. Best track: Night Shift

I acknowledge that this was solid more than I enjoyed it. Some songs were a bit much for me personally. However, their stuff tends to grow on me, so I'm sure I will appreciate it more with time!

7/10 nice goth rock , Halloween is funny

7/10. I didn't care for "The Scream", so I wasn't looking forward to this. But I was pleasantly surprised by this album. Arabian Knights was pretty good.

Super cool sound. 8/10

Great rock album that was ahead of its time and is thoroughly entertaining

I really like this, it has hat crisp post punk sound with a sinister edge.

Hadn't ever listened to this before. I think I shied away from things that were labeled goth rock in the past for some reason but I quite like this sound. Favorite track is "Monitor."

Woah, never heard of them but really digging it, although Spellbound sounds familiar. Punk energy with a few experimental flourishes. Ticks all my boxes for 1001 albums it seems. Interesting roster changes as well, I'd say the only track I didn't care for was Halloween, lyrics are too cheesy for me.

I hadn't realized how long this band had been around before the mid-80s. Some of my favorite songs of theirs came on their fourth, fifth, and sixth albums. This captures well the essence of their sound from around that time, and Spellbound is one of their best.

Nice

Suxie Sux ( xD its a reference) 4/5 very good

Auch nie gehört. Lücke. Wenn ich 'post-punk' lese, rechne ich instinktiv mit dem Schlimmsten, manchmal zu unrecht. Wie hier.

Never actually sit and listened to this album. So I was pretty excited to throw it on. I love spellbound, solid opening for sure. Feels like a Classic in the realm of post punk. It's great, this album maybe came a month early, feels like it would be great for Halloween.

I've heard of them before but this was the first I'd really listened to any of their music, and I liked this a lot. Her voice is a large part of the really dark atmosphere on the album, and I can see why so much was made about the unique guitar playing. Obviously parallels to The Cure, I'm sold Saved: Spellbound, Into The Light*, Arabian Knights, Night Shift

Not my typically type of music, but I enjoyed it. The album seems complete as a whole, but no particular track stood out to me.

Catchy tunes!

The girl power of the 80's is strong. Wonderful experience.

juju on the beat

- really like the sound; electronic, post-punk - a little dirge-ish in places but overall fun - Feels out-there for it's time. progressive

3.75

Good punk album. Melodies flow nicely and the voice comes in over top.

Punky and nice Simple yet intriguing

I like it for it's goth vibes. There are some annoying elements in it, but for the most part I like its repetitiveness. The lyrics are pretty good as well as the voice. Highlights: 1, 3, 4, and 6.

“Spellbound” opens this album and it’s already much more of a badass than I could ever be. The first lines make me think “same” — From the cradle bars Comes a beckoning voice It sends you spinning You have no choice “Into The Light” has a really cool guitar riff that carries the song verse to verse and it makes me imagine a river of golden light carrying the lyrics. The words “Remember when” have me feeling nostalgic for something I’m unaware of. “Arabian Nights” is psychedelic and gothy! “Halloween” is also nostalgic... carefree days being long gone, and the whatnot. Perhaps life is simply tricks and treats, and nothing more...? “Monitor” once again jabs at the concept of the passing of time, a jab I know all too well. The instrumentals on this song are really cool and captivating. And those spooky howls? Amazing. “Night Shift” asks “wonder... What goes on in your mind, always silent and kind unlike the others...” and I was like “this sounds like me”... and the guitars are sick! “Sin in My Heart” made me think of Florence +Machine with added glass shattering effect. “Head Cut” is pretty chaotic and there is a lot of screaming and clapping and howling and screeching and it’s crAaAzy! “Voodo Dolly” closes out the album and is over 7 minutes long and Siouxsie wants me to LISTEN! The reveal line of what I am to be listening to is quite striking and a great way to close out this album. This album is spooky and fun and full of dread and I am all about it! I could imagine some of my favorite musicians drawing inspiration from these tracks.

I always think I don't like SatB until I actually sit down and listen to them. While there are a couple songs here that feel like a stretch - the last track, mainly - there's something for me in every other song here.

To lazy to rewrite- I forgot to copy and paste my review Arabian Knights, Monitor, Night Shift

Really interesting album from a great band. Can absolutely hear their 70's punk roots and influences (which means I also hear 60's surf rock), but they are much tighter rhythmically and more daring than most punk bands.

This was great! So much better than I expected. A bit too long and the remixes are terrible, but really good.

Another glaring omission. Not what I expected at all.

punk fem

V glad to have discovered these guys. Will def listen to more. Aged v well. Can’t believe this album is as old as me!

This album surprised me. I only really knew Spellbound before listening to it, but really enjoyed the other tracks too.

Thoroughly enjoyable.

Went down a treat in our houses. Considered a 5. Arabian Knights and Sin in my Heart were bloody bangers.

the exact kind of doomer vibes I can get on board with

But now remember... Nobody is perfect and you will see...

4.5 | Aquí debería de ir una reseña bastante comprehensiva sobre el rock gótico, Siouxsie, cuánto me gustó el disco y cómo a veces no se toma al rock gótico en serio por lo ridículo de su subcultura pero musicalmente la verdad es que es bastante bueno. Hablaba sobre lo chingón de Spellbound como sencillo y lo sólido del disco en general. Y luego le piqué mal y borré todo y me deprimí. Así que ahora solo dice esto... Gran disco, oigan más Siouxsie.

Este disco tiene una vibra que combina a los Yeah Yeah Yeahs con un poquito de Rage Agains the Machine. Un disco muy agradable e interesante. Mi canción favorita fue Spellbound, en la versión de 12”

A mí parecer una de las mejores bandas de goth, tienen una textura más agradable que the cure por ejemplo, el disco tiene canciones muy bien equilibradas, no lo había escuchado completo y monitor fue una gran sorpresa

Creo que no había oído más de una canción o dos de Siouxsie And The Banshees y no tenía idea de qué esperar, por lo que este disco fue una muy muy grata sorpresa. Me encantó el sonido complejo y oscuro sin tirarse a la depresión como The Cure o a un exceso de lujuria como Depeche Mode. Al contrario, es oscuro pero con su personalidad y con mucho movimiento, ritmo y variedad en la instrumentación. La voz de Siouxsie es muy adecuada para el estilo. Bonita sin dejar de ser agresiva cuando se requiere. La guitarra me pareció excelente, y el detalle de usar el Gizmotron en Into The Light me gustó más. La batería, con cambios y adornos interesantes y el bajo acompañando de manera simple, pero choncho y sólido. Y bueno, lo que hace que no le dé la 5 estrella es que hacia el final sentí que duró un poco más de lo necesario y que el último par de rolas ya me habían perdido.

Solid album, not my taste per se, but good music

OK, must listen again

I forgot about Siouxsie and Banshees. Fun to hear this but not something I will listen to regularly.

Decent album, 80s sound little bit of punk, little bit of pop.

I really enjoyed this, felt fresh despite being older than I am

Giving me a bit of a Bangles vibe. I enjoyed most lyrics. What is that cover art?

I enjoyed the beginning but got a little tired of it by the end. Added a few songs to my bangers playlist and a few to my Halloween mix.

This was enjoyable, but felt like it took a long time to get through.

This isn't a bad group. We love to see female leads. I'm not sure why they went with this album over others, but all the same. Again, I find myself motivated by would I buy this album?

some good songs, another not that memorable, mid album overall

La primera canción, y casualmente la más conocida, me gustgó mucho. La onda de la banda es interesante, medio goth jajaj, no sé si escucharía. El disco está bien, nada muy wow.

Discordant and disturbing, echoey and loud, crash-bash-bang. Would be so fun to hear live. It's also cool to read about how many bands were influenced by her. Love a scary woman, she can cut my head off and eat it any time.

Honestly thought I would enjoy this more given how many bands cite this as an influence. Spellbound was pretty good though

Solid but not wowed

I thought this one was pretty fun. Some crazy lyrics in here like in head cut. Very punk

The album goes from fun and mostly palatable and gets progressively insane until it culminates in the final song Voodoo Dolly, which sounds a little like if you put knives into a garbage disposable and turned it on. I liked it. (Spellbound, Arabian Nights, and Halloween were highlights)

A pretty fun listen but I lowkey tuned out halfway through and have no idea what the second half of the album sounded like. If it's that forgettable then its not allowed to get above a 3. 3/5

Siouxsie later said that the goth bands who came in their wake simply ended up diluting what Juju built. She said this without apparent irony, which is exactly the correct energy. She is right. Bauhaus, Sisters of Mercy, every band who ever wore eyeliner in a fog machine at a university venue in 1984, all of them owe rent money to this record that they will never pay back. Juju did not start the goth scene so much as accidentally invent it while trying to do something more interesting, which is honestly the most goth origin story possible. During the recording sessions, Siouxsie and drummer Budgie quietly fell in love, which they kept secret from the rest of the band. They later formed a side project called The Creatures together and released their first EP two months after Juju came out. Nobody in the band noticed until it was already happening, which suggests the album's atmosphere of psychological tension and paranoia was not entirely fictional. I came to Siouxsie through Peepshow, which is a more colourful, upbeat, and immediately accessible version of what Juju is doing in the dark with the curtains closed. Knowing Peepshow first and arriving at Juju later is like meeting someone's fun party version before discovering they also write intense poetry at 3am. Both are real. One is just easier to invite to things. Spellbound is a perfect song. The rest of the album is very good and deeply committed to an atmosphere that rewards patience more than it rewards casual listening. I appreciate it the way I appreciate a very serious film that I am glad exists and will not be revisiting frequently. 3 out of 5. One star for Spellbound. One for the cover art, which involved scissors, sheet music, and a tribal mask and somehow looks incredible. One for Siouxsie, who invented an entire subculture by accident while falling in love with her drummer and keeping it secret. Iconic behavior across the board.

In my youth this was my introduction to Siouxsie and the Banshees and a teenage crush. Still a great album to this day with Siouxsie's distinctive tones and McGeogh's guitar being the main features that made them stand out

Spellbound = banger. Not all of it was for me

얀데레가 부르는 것 같다

This was decent. The first song is by far the best tho, so even listening twice to the album felt let down as it went on with no more real standouts. 2.75

Er ekki að fara að hlusta á hana aftur, en þetta var allt í lagi. Ágætlega áhugavert.

Me gustó pero nose q opinar me hacer acordar mucho a otra banda o nose

Great album! Such a legendary band and i love it!

This album was... fine? No takeaways, not a particularly enjoyable listen but also didn't dislike it. Had some interesting parts and was interesting enough.

ok

Was kinda mid or miss for me. However, I quite enjoyed Spellbound and Arabian Knights. Voodoo Dolly was annoying.

Kinda gave me ABBA vibes. I honestly enjoyed it. Night Shift was really quite good I liked it.

I could take one or two songs. It's almost really good. It might be their voices that just don't do it for me. I liked a lot of the intros tho.

I like this, I’ve heard songs of Siouxsie but never a whole album, her voice has a great gothic, atmospheric quality, kind of camp and theatrical.

Assez chouette mais bon voila quoi. Dingue d'écouter ça sous canicule. ça donne chaud.

Its nice to listen to an alternative band with a female lead for once. Though, I didnt really feel the album until more later and less played on that platform at least tracks, like Voodoo Dolly, Sin in my heart and Monitor

Liked it more than their other offering here, some nice guitar. Siouxsie's vocals still wearisome though - a pop icon through accident of geography.

This sounds like the sort of grungy girl rock that my husband listens to that I find a bit misc, but hey, at least these guys were doing it way before everyone else.

It’s good

Early punk. Take it or leave it.

3/5

Never my complete cup of tea musically, this band successfully navigated the quick demise of punk as it became known as the 'New Wave' and mutated into Alternative and Goth genres / approaches. It's produced by original Police producer Nigel Gray (which definitely explained how well the guitars came across after how well he got Andy Summers to sound on record). 'Spellbound' was a strong single which was rare in that acoustic guitars are heard on an 80s hit song, and one cannot fault the commitment in vocal performance from Siouxsie and the moods conjured up by John Mcgeoch's guitar playing - a defining statement of Post punk music, but not an entirely satisfying listen.

Liked this a lot more than I thought it would!

Fine a little boring at points

Awesome vibe, great guitar work, but I cannot get around the whiny voice of Siouxsie. Individual songs that appear in my shuffle playlists: amazing! A whole album though… not for me.

Conozco unas canciones que me gusta del grupo que me gustan mucho, así que esperaba que este álbum fuera así. Tristemente solo me gustaron las primeras tres canciones, pero el resto las sentí todas parecidas.

This has lovely clangy early New Wave guitars. Was gonna give it four stars but then I realized I never noticed when the album stopped playing so it couldn't actually have been that good.

I was expecting a little more punk in this than I got. Its closer to post punk to me at least. Not all that punchy and a bit spacy. The vocals read as punk rock but its backed by slower stuff. Its kinda a weird one. I dont hate it but im also not that into it. Monitor was the only save i got. The rest of it is alright while its on but just not that right for me. Im happy to hear more of them. It feels like this record might just be a fluke. Or maybe i get more of the same but im willing to try. But this one is fine but thats about it. Not more than fine

Bueeee.... Algo bueno tiene el album..

Not sure. I need to rethink my assessment with another listen.

Siouxsie's sound is 80s intoxicating

Pretty decent - not overjoyed by her voice but interesting post punk.

2.7 2x

Solid punk rock. Just not my jam fam

I enjoyed the music. Some of the lyrics were dark

It’s been way too long since we got an aggressively mediocre overly British punk album (like 2 weeks) Not the worst, from a musical standpoint there’s some interesting guitar stuff in there and I’d say it’s pretty polished. I like how they’re able to take one of the only things I like about punk (i.e. the lyrics actually having meaning and agendas behind them) and makes it more than listenable. Lots of interesting themes covered in this one Vocals are fine in a vacuum but after almost an hour I got so sick of that singing style. I don’t think the vocalist has a ton of range on this one, which is unfortunate since I thought there’d be enough variety to allow her to showcase everything she has. The last non bonus track (Voodoo Dolly) just sucks, I think it just took everything I didn’t like about this one and condensed it into 7 minutes of slop. My opinion swayed pretty significantly over this one, but I think 3 is the only right answer for this one. Post Punk’s way better than the smorgasbord of regular punk we’re forced to listen to, but I still haven’t been truly wowed by anything the genre has to offer

Boring album, but at least it sounds good. It's a calmer album and I can appreciate that, but it was still long to listen to.

I’ll be honest, it was better than I expected it to be. I’m not sure I think it was “good”, but I can definitely see why this band is so influential. On one hand, I cannot stand her voice. I don’t really like the punk affectation in general, so that’s no real surprise. That said, it doesn’t sound out of place. Like, in isolation, it’s garbage, but with the music it sort of fits, if that makes sense. On the other hand, it’s super creative. It definitely sounds like what is: an 80s, punk-inspired, alt-rock, grunge precursor. But what makes it so influential is that this album was released before alt-rock was really a thing and WAY before grunge. I can’t give it a 4 because I didn’t love it and I don’t really need to hear it again, but it almost deserves a 4 for its creativity and its future proofed sound. 3.5

This was good, but not great

Not so sure about Voodoo Dolly, but some good songs and some average songs, but overall a distinctive and appealing presence.

Just ok.

Aside from the first 3 tracks, not a lot to like for me. but 3 good track is still at least 3 stars in my book. OK monitor is a banger, and there's definitely more than just 3 good tracks on here, just not a real postpunk/goth rock kinda guy. 3/5 Top tracks: Spellbound, Into the Light, Arabian Knights, monitor, night shift

Love. Her. Voice. Always. They’re not quite my genre but a few of these songs are just so iconic and I love her. I need to relisten on a drive, rather than as a soundtrack to packing up in Maine.

Solid album. I liked side 1 more than side 2 though

Released in the 80's sounding very 60's. Little boring.

pretty good but sounded all the same as siouxsie unfortunately tends to do

Wednesday May 27th, 2026. This album was alright. I enjoyed the guitar and drumset parts. I don't really like the singer's voice and most of the songs didn't really resonate with me. It is a good album, just not really for me. 6.5/10.

Never listened much to this band, but they were popular with my high school friends. I like Siouxse's vocal and I really like the guitar work, but together, they're sometimes abrasive, as if competing for space. They work best when each takes a temporary back seat to the other. This is a fun album, but very frenetic, and so very 1980s. :) I was a teenager that decade and worked in a record store, so I had my share (and maybe my fill) of 80s post punk. To be fair, this band was at the forefront, so it's not their fault that later bands copied it to death. There are some great tunes on this album, but I'm not in a space anymore where I want to listen to too much of it. :) 3 stars.

This album is dark and haunting, aided by the echoey vocals and unique guitar sounds. It sounded ahead of its time, too. It's opportune I listened to it on a cloudy day, it really added to the spooky Halloween feel.

An underappreciated album from an underappreciated genre during an underappreciated time in music.

Not my cup of tea

I should like this but I don’t like this.

Man, what energy! Quite a good vibe. Love her vocals. It's just not my preferred genre, so i can't sustain it long enough. My bad.

Heti alkuun mainittakoot että on tuttu bändi, tehnyt yhden parhaista covereista Iggy Popin kappaleesta The Passenger. Todella vahva levyn aloitus. Spellbound oli kyllä kova kappale, Arabian Knights oli kans todella kova. Mainitsit aiemmin, että aika mitäänsanomaton albumi. Olen jokseenkin samaa mieltä. Levy alkaa erittäin vahvasti, mut sit heikkenee kyl lppua kohden. Itse olen henkilökohtaisesti aina pitänyt alternative-genrestä. Tää on kuitenkin vähä tällaista goottityylistä joka ei sit loppujen lopuksi uppoa. Loppujen lopuksi kaksi kappaletta päätyi omalle listalle. Arabian knights ja spellbound. Arabian Knights on siis todella hyvä kappale pidän itse todella paljon.

No sé qué me pasa, pero es escuchar una vocalista MUJER y el álbum me entra muchísimo mejor. Me mola el rollo punk grunge.

Not the worst

Although a child of the '80s with many goth friends at the time, I never really checked out these guys in real time, so I've been looking forward to this opportunity for a while now. Unfortunately, I didn't find it as interesting as I had hoped.

Much like the other Siouxsie and the Banshees album in this collection, I can't quite get into their sound as much as I feel like I should, or at least they deserve given how influential they were. But this is still a very solid album, and when I finally realized that I could think of them--or perhaps only this album's version of them--as what The Smiths and The Cure *wanted* to sound like, then I enjoyed them more (I suspect a lot of that had to do with John McGeoch's inventive guitar playing). There weren't too many songs that really stood out for me, although "Into the light" and (for some reason) "Monitor" seemed a bit more distinctive and interesting. (Ironically, the video for "Spellbound" kind of did a disservice to the song, as all I could think of was how much this was exactly like a Boy George video, which probably wasn't what they were aiming for...)

Again, I think another one that is good but just not my own vibe. I would listen to Spellbound.

interesting I guess?

3/5

This is a great match for the performer’s vocals and the sound of the band behind her — they seem so authentic in their musical vision. Unfortunately, it’s just not appealing to me, but I wouldn’t blame anyone for being a fan.

I only know the singles from this album, it's a good listen though. I remember having their early punk singles as a teenager in the 70s. This album shows a bit more maturity in their sound, complex guitar and rhythm parts.

Very 80s. Peaked early, but reasonable throughout

Maybe a tad better than the other album, but pretty average/nothing to give it more than a 3.

i dont wanna say this is bad but i really am not feeling the genre rn

very cool & a nice cohesive sound

Some great tracks but not all good.

Perfectly decent goth rock type thing. Good vocals, kind of samey. Catch me on a good day and maybe I like it more.

This was a weird one. Gothic British rock that felt like it didn’t fit into any direction. I certainly wasn’t bored with it, but I can’t say I really enjoyed it either. The leading vocals was good, as was the screeching guitars, but the overwhelming sense was unease and unsettling; so if that’s what it was going for great! But not quite my preference.

Doesn’t resonate with me.

This was better than expected. Last song rocks. High 3

Fine

Mixed on this one. I liked it in general, but found some of the songs sounded almost exactly the same.

Kult med en artist jeg ikke hadde hørt om

Banshees - JuJu Everything is there. Amazing playing, haunting & gymnastic vocals, but after an opening triple whammy of great songs it all falls away for me. Spellbound, Into the Light and Arabian Knights streets ahead of the rest of the album. I mean it's not bad, but just didn't pull me back in any way. Not hard to spot the legacy they leave in modern music, and important I am sure. You can hear them still in Chvrches, Nadine Shah, PJ Harvey and so on. But never gonna be one I will go back to I'm afraid. Best Track - Spellbound Worst Track - Halloween 6/10

Interesting listens, starts strong with Spellbound and carries this dark cult like energy with it throughout. Her vocals give the music the ominous punk vibe that is its strength. Good overall but loses steam in the back half

oops havent quite finished it

Was okay. I was able to listen all the way through & didn't dislike it immediately. I'm a fan of The Cure so this is in the same realm. It felt a little drawn out & by the end all kind of sounded the same. So while not bad, wasn't anything special in my opinion.

Well... the music isn't bad; it's pretty epic in places

not bad

Good that sounded the same yeah OK well put it. I have one.

The first few songs I was enjoying, not enough to want to listen again and I feel it slightly dropped off as the album went on