SIOUXSIE & THE BANSHEES Vinyl & CDs

Review: What began in Brussels on 7th July 1981 took Siouxsie Sioux and her Banshees across Europe for one of their most celebrated tours. Itself a precursor to extensive North American activities at the end of summer, the outfit would be on the road for the best part of half a year to support the landmark album Juju. A record that, among other things, features the anthemic 'Spellbound', which lends a lyric to the title of this incredible artefact from those shows.

Anyone who has been lucky enough to see the band in action will attest to the fact that, even in the twilight of their time together, the mid-1990s, they'd not waned one iota in terms of the impact, and the compulsion of everyone in the crowd to get locked in. That atmosphere is, to some extent, distilled onto this album, which gives some idea as to what their gigs sounded and felt like in the height of their glory.

Review: True to their standing as archetypes of goth-tinged punk and pop, Siouxsie & The Banshees present a uniquely angled compilation timed for this very particular part of the year. Themed as an 'Autumnal celebration', All Souls look back through the Banshees catalogue for relevant songs to embrace the chill in the air and the supernatural undertones around Halloween. Of course, that particular festival is well-represented by the classic track of the same name, but there are also rarer B-sides like 'El Dia De Los Muertos' and 'Something Wicked (This Way Comes)', all adding up to a wonderful overview of the spooky atmosphere The Banshees exude so well.