Music today was the second Siouxsie and the Banshees album Join Hands (1979). Another action-packed album of acerbic McKay guitar attack, slicing concrete pillars in half. Thumping Kenny Morris drums, like Moe Tucker as shaved Duracell bunny on speed and Siouxsie’s irreverent vocals, Severin banging away on the bass with those tom-toms as his guide. There’s the 14-minute The Lords Prayer, their gift to the parents of the day and the song that they played live at their first gig with Marco from the Ants on guitar and Sid Vicious on drums. The great swirling Playground Twist single, the thrash of Love In A Void, that Jehnny Beth might want to listen to although I wish she’d just go back to Savages where there’s input and chemistry. But the album starts with Poppy Day and ends with Infantry which might give away the theme with the album cover, who knew they were pacifists? You wouldn’t guess but they were sartorial, smart angry pacifists, they hated the skinheads for how they treated the foreigners. Any monikers were shock value only, not thought through but challenging the establishment’s hypocrisy rather than support for the politics, upsetting the parents, breaking the drab face of mediocrity in a world of no money, unemployment, strikes and the tory put-downs. Failing labour, condescending conservative “no opportunities” but great, stirring, provocative music, screaming out of pierced, painted faces, meaning and energy, dyed green, anarchic thrills. Razor toned Regal Zone, Placebo Effect sounds like machinery on a factory shop floor of lathes, Icon shimmers with tremolo, rolling drums and stirring melody. Premature Burial scared your little sister until the saxophone reminds us that they are not really a threat. Mother/Oh Mein Papa has the creepy fairytale vibe. The last album with this lineup.

Music Of The Daze

The musical musings in this post are an excerpt from my daily blog, TO WHERE I AM NOW, featured on my main website. See more pictures and read the full post here.