I don’t think I’ve really written much about classic Siouxsie and the Banshees albums before, so thought it was time to rectify that. Juju is one of my favourites from my teens. I came to It late, probably the late eighties, as it had already been released in 1981, and I was too young to appreciate it then, probably still in my kid Adam and the Ants phase.
Everybody knows ‘Spellbound’, with its frenetic tribal drumming from Budgie, and warped lyrics about rag dolls and religion : “Don’t forget when your elders forget/ To say their prayers/Take ’em by the legs/ And throw ’em down the stairs”.
Yeah, it’s great, but the whole album is wonderful, fusing punk and psychedelia into dark, sexy new shapes. Siouxsie’s voice was never more impressive, an icy, imperious tool, and guitar hero John McGeoch played like claws down a spine. It sounds pretty creepy, almost evil at times.
‘Monitor”Into The Night’, and ‘Sin In My Heart ‘ are teasing, dark and sexy, and ‘Voodoo Dolly’ is pretty unhinged, with a maelstrom of noise that still brings shivers after all this time. It’s pretty much a masterpiece as far as I’m concerned.
If you want to seduce someone who’s into you, bin the Netflix, jazz or Barry White ( “he’ll love you into a fine paste”, quipped Dylan Moran) put this on instead, and pour some red wine. Works for me. But then, I’m an old goth and don’t get out much anymore. Trick, or treat?
Hit The North 