I'm still a little surprised and dismayed that I don't own Siouxsie's fantastic debut, The Scream, and I'm contemplating biting the bullet and paying full price for it. However, until then, I've discovered this upstairs - a sale purchase which I don't recall listening to in many a long year. It's a live album from the reunion in 2002, where Siouxsie, Budgie and Steve Severin played a few dates.
I don't know Siouxsie's output that well beyond the first two albums and the singles, so the opening tracks - Pure, Jigsaw Feeling and Metal Postcard - should be a treat.
But they aren't. The guitar in Pure sounds weedy, and Siouxsie's voice held back so much further than the album version, and in Jigsaw Feeling and Metal Postcard she's so far from the tune at times that you have to question her ability as a performer, or, more likely, the set up which meant she couldn't hear herself, the band or both. by Red Light and Lullaby, things have improved, but they're not nearly as strong songs as the openers. Lands End feels a little brighter, but I Could Be Again feels like a tired dirge. Icon is, again weak, both in voice and band depth. I'm sure Knox Chandler is an excellent guitarist, but whether it's the acoustics, or the recording, he doesn't drive the songs as John McKay did.
And the turgid plodding continues, but Trust In Me, with a minimal accompaniment, is better and more enjoyable, Blue Jay Way listenable, and the guitar riff of Monitor positively exciting. If only Siouxsie could hear it. But Peek-A-Boo is a decent, well performed finish. I'm keen to investigate Siouxsie's back catalogue further, but I think I'll stick to studio albums, and let this one languish upstairs.
2* - I never saw the band live, but I'm hoping this album, which only really gets going right at the end, isn't a fair representation of their live sound
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