Juju is the fourth studio album by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was released on 6 June 1981 through Polydor Records. After a slightly electronic bent made on a few tracks of their last album, 1980's Kaleidoscope, the Banshees returned to a guitar-based sound for Juju, due to the now-official guitarist, John McGeoch. The album also featured prominently, for the first time, the intricate percussion work of band member Budgie. It is perhaps the most critically acclaimed album of the Banshees' career.
[edit] Critical reception
| Professional ratings |
| Review scores |
| Source |
Rating |
| Allmusic |
  [1] |
In their retrospective review, Allmusic wrote "The upfront intensity of Juju probably isn't matched anywhere else in the catalog of Siouxsie and the Banshees. Thanks to its killer singles, unrelenting force, and invigorating dynamics, Juju is a post-punk classic."[1] The Guardian wrote "Perennial masters of brooding suspense, the Banshees honed their trademark aloof art-rock to its hardest and darkest pitch on Juju. With their musical alchemy at its peak and Siouxsie at her most imperious, pop marvels such as "Spellbound" and "Arabian Knights" were poised, peerless exercises in magic realism that you could dance to."[2]
[edit] Legacy
In 1995 Melody Maker ranked Juju as "one of the most influential British albums of all time".[3] In 2006 Mojo rated John McGeoch number 89 in their "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" list for his work on "Spellbound".[4] In 2007 The Guardian put Juju in its "1000 albums to hear before you die" list.[2]
Morrissey selected "Spellbound" as one of the songs to be played in an interview for the U.S. radio KROQ in 1997.
| “ |
another great single, a hit in England, certainly not here, I don't think. But they were one of the great groups of the late 70s, early 80s and very underrated, I think. Siouxsie and the Banshees were excellent.[5] |
” |
The ex-leader of The Smiths also later stated to GQ in 2005 that Juju is to him the second best Siouxsie and the Banshees album,[6] while the band's previous guitarist Johnny Marr said on BBC Radio 2 in February 2008 that he rated guitarist John McGeoch highly for his work on "Spellbound". Marr qualified it as "clever" with "really good picky thing going on which is very un-rock'n'roll".[7] In Uncut Marr also rated McGeoch at number ten in his all time favourite guitarists for Juju and Real Life by Magazine.[8]
[edit] Track listing
All lyrics written by Siouxsie Sioux and Steven Severin, all music composed by Siouxsie and the Banshees.
| 1. |
"Spellbound" |
3:17 |
| 2. |
"Into the Light" |
4:13 |
| 3. |
"Arabian Knights" |
3:07 |
| 4. |
"Halloween" |
3:42 |
| 5. |
"Monitor" |
5:35 |
| 6. |
"Night Shift" |
6:06 |
| 7. |
"Sin in My Heart" |
3:38 |
| 8. |
"Voodoo Dolly" |
7:04 |
| 12. |
"Spellbound (12" Extended Mix)" |
4:41 |
| 13. |
"Arabian Knights (12" Vocoder Mix)" |
3:09 |
| 14. |
"Fireworks (Nigel Gray Unreleased Version)" |
4:13 |
[edit] Personnel
- Siouxsie and the Banshees
- Production
- Nigel Gray – production
- Joe Lyons – sleeve photography
- Rob O'Connor – sleeve design, sleeve art direction
- Siouxsie and the Banshees – arrangement, production, sleeve design
- Thomi Wroblewski – sleeve artwork
[edit] References
[edit] External links
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| Studio albums |
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| Live albums |
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| Compilation albums |
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| EPs |
- The Thorn
- The Peel Sessions
- The Peel Sessions
- The Peel Sessions - The Second Session
- Superstition
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| Singles |
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| Concert videos |
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| Related articles |
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[1]
