Through the Looking Glass (Siouxsie and the Banshees album)

Last updated

Through the Looking Glass
Siouxsie & the Banshees-Through the Looking Glass.jpg
Studio album by
Siouxsie and the Banshees
Released2 March 1987
RecordedAugust–September 1986
Studio Abbey Road (studio 2), London
Genre
Length43:54
Label Polydor
Producer
Siouxsie and the Banshees chronology
Tinderbox
(1986)		Through the Looking Glass
(1987)		 Peepshow
(1988)
Singles from Through the Looking Glass
  1. "This Wheel's on Fire"
    Released: 5 January 1987
  2. "The Passenger"
    Released: 16 March 1987

Through the Looking Glass is the eighth studio album by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. The album is a collection of cover versions. It was co-produced with Mike Hedges and released in March 1987 on Polydor. Through the Looking Glass included two singles; "This Wheel's on Fire" and "The Passenger". It was the second and final album recorded with guitarist John Valentine Carruthers. Some of their cover songs were praised by the original artists themselves.

Contents

In October 2024 the album was reissued on crystal clear vinyl with new artwork featuring a mirror effect sleeve. [1] An edition with an extra fold-out poster was oavailable via the band's website. [2]

History

The title of the record, Through the Looking Glass, referred to Lewis Carroll's book of the same name. The band had already been inspired by Carroll's work when naming their label, Wonderland, which was derived from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland . [3] The record was also an ode to David Bowie's Pin Ups , a covers album recorded in the early 1970s. After spending more than a year working on 1986's Tinderbox , the Banshees wanted spontaneity, and quickly returned to the studio after the tour, to record their own covers album. It was a project they had been considering since recording a version of the Beatles's "Dear Prudence" in 1983.

For the Through the Looking Glass sessions, which took place in August and September 1986, they chose material mainly dating from the first half of the 1970s, from an era preceding the 1976 formation of their band. Most of the songs were from artists who had influenced them: Roxy Music, John Cale, Iggy Pop, the Doors and Kraftwerk. Producer Mike Hedges, who hadn't worked with them since 1984, was called back. The instrumentation was different; for this album, they hired other instrumentalists including a brass section and a harpist. Musician Martin McCarrick, who would become an official member of the Banshees after this album, created string arrangements for several tracks.

The band's version of Iggy Pop song "The Passenger" featured brass arrangements played by Pete Thoms and Luke Tunney, who had already worked with Siouxsie and Budgie on the Creatures' single "Right Now".

Release

Through the Looking Glass was released on 2 March 1987 on Polydor. A few weeks after, Bowie contacted them to be the special guests at two shows on his Glass Spider Tour in Anaheim. [4]

The album was reissued on CD with bonus tracks in October 2014. [5]

A 180g vinyl reissue of the album, remastered from the original ¼” tapes and cut half-speed at Abbey Road Studios by Miles Showell, was released in August 2018. [6]

In October 2024 the album was reissued on crystal clear vinyl with new artwork featuring a mirror board sleeve, for National Album Day. [1]

Reception and legacy

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [7]

Ralf Hütter of Kraftwerk lauded the version of "Hall of Mirrors" and stated: "In general, we consider cover versions as an appreciation of our work. The version of 'Hall of Mirrors' by Siouxsie and the Banshees is extraordinary". [8] Iggy Pop said of their cover of "The Passenger": "That's good. She sings it well and she threw a little note in when she sings it, that I wish I had thought of. It kind of improves it ... The horn thing is good". [9] Jeff Buckley's biographer mentioned that Buckley discovered "Strange Fruit" via the Banshees'version before deciding to cover it at his turn years later. [10]

In their contemporary review, the Los Angeles Times stated: "These songs are superbly rearranged, retaining enough of what was special about the originals and adding just the right new twists." Critic Terry Atkinson wrote about their cover of "Strange Fruit": "Only someone as brash as Siouxsie Sioux would re-record Lewis Allan's "Strange Fruit," a song so strongly identified with Billie Holiday. And only someone as serious and sensitive could bring it off like this. A solemn string section behind the vocals and—best of all—a bridge of New Orleans funeral-march jazz enhance Siouxsie's evocative interpretation". Atkinson then concluded emphasising, "Such inventive touches permeate a great album". [11] Sounds praised the rendition of "Trust in Me" as "quite astonishing. Whereas once it was about a python getting ready to crush a little boy to death, now it's a harp-laden lullaby of rampant, swirling eroticism". [12]

In a retrospective review, AllMusic said: "The inspired range of covers reaches from glam-era landmarks (Roxy Music's 'Sea Breezes', John Cale's 'Gun') to Billie Holiday's sorrowful touchstone 'Strange Fruit' to, in one of the best such efforts ever (and a year before Hal Willner's Stay Awake project), a Disney classic—namely the slinky 'Trust in Me', originally from The Jungle Book and given a spare, mostly-Budgie backing that could almost be a sparkling Creatures outtake". [7]

Mojo included their version of "Strange Fruit" on the 2007 CD Music Is Love: 15 Tracks That Changed the World Recovered By.... [13] Writing in the 2004 edition of The Rolling Stone Album Guide ,

Mark Coleman and Mac Randall gave Through the Looking Glass a rating of 2.5 stars out of five, saying that it contains "overpolished covers of the group's obvious influences". [14] In an article about "Records Turning 30 Years Old in 2017", Paste included it in their top fifteen saying that it was, "an eclectic and adventurous album of Siouxsie-fied takes on a diverse collection of songs", with "interesting and engaging choices". Journalist Will Hodge concluded: "this album is a prime example of the value of artistic merit not being accurately measured by mainstream successes". [15]

Track listing

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Original artistLength
1."This Town Ain't Big Enough for Both of Us" Ron Mael Sparks 3:09
2."Hall of Mirrors" Ralf Hütter, Florian Schneider, Emil Schult Kraftwerk 5:03
3."Trust in Me" Sherman Brothers Kaa (voice by Sterling Holloway) in The Jungle Book 4:06
4."This Wheel's on Fire" Bob Dylan, Rick Danko Bob Dylan & The Band 5:17
5."Strange Fruit" Lewis Allan Billie Holiday 3:53
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Original artistLength
6."You're Lost Little Girl" John Densmore, Robbie Krieger, Ray Manzarek, Jim Morrison The Doors 2:57
7."The Passenger" Iggy Pop, Ricky Gardiner Iggy Pop5:10
8."Gun" John Cale John Cale 5:06
9."Sea Breezes" Bryan Ferry Roxy Music 4:15
10."Little Johnny Jewel" Tom Verlaine Television 4:56
2014 CD remastered reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Original artistLength
11."She Cracked" Jonathan Richman The Modern Lovers 3:07
12."Song from the Edge of the World" (Single Version)Siouxsie and the Banshees 3:45
13."This Wheel's on Fire" (Incendiary Mix)  7:27
14."The Passenger" (Locomotion Mix)  8:05

Personnel

Siouxsie and the Banshees
Additional personnel

Charts

Chart performance for Through the Looking Glass
Chart (1987)Peak
position
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100) [16] 62
European Albums ( Music & Media ) [17] 28
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100) [18] 59
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ) [19] 46
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan) [20] 23
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade) [21] 29
UK Albums (OCC) [22] 15
US Billboard 200 [23] 188

Certifications

Certifications for Through the Looking Glass
RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [24] Silver60,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siouxsie and the Banshees</span> British rock band

Siouxsie and the Banshees were a British rock band formed in London in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bass guitarist Steven Severin. They have been widely influential, both over their contemporaries and with later acts. The Times called the group "one of the most audacious and uncompromising musical adventurers of the post-punk era".

<i>Nocturne</i> (Siouxsie and the Banshees album) 1983 live album by Siouxsie and the Banshees

Nocturne is a live double album and video by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees, released on 25 November 1983 by Polydor Records. Co-produced by Mike Hedges, Nocturne features performances recorded at two shows at the Royal Albert Hall in London, on 30 September and 1 October 1983, featuring Robert Smith on guitar.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Creatures</span> English band

The Creatures were an English band formed in 1981 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and drummer Budgie of the group Siouxsie and the Banshees. The Creatures released their first EP Wild Things in 1981. They recorded four studio albums: Feast in 1983, Boomerang in 1989, Anima Animus in 1999 and Hái! in 2003.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Siouxsie Sioux</span> English singer

Susan Janet Ballion, known professionally as Siouxsie Sioux, is an English singer, songwriter, musician and record producer. She came to prominence as the leader and main lyricist of the rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees, who were active from 1976 to 1996. They released 11 studio albums, and had several UK Top 20 singles including "Hong Kong Garden", "Happy House" and "Peek-a-Boo", plus a US Top 25 single in the Billboard Hot 100, with "Kiss Them for Me".

Motorik is the 4/4 beat often used by, and heavily associated with, krautrock bands. Coined by music journalists, the term is German for "motor skill". The motorik beat was pioneered by Jaki Liebezeit, drummer with German experimental rock band Can. Klaus Dinger of Neu!, another early pioneer of motorik, later called it the "Apache beat". The motorik beat is heard in one section of Kraftwerk's "Autobahn", a song composed to convey the feeling of driving on the German highway. It is heard throughout Neu!'s "Hallogallo", from their self-titled album Neu!, and used on all subsequent Neu! albums with differing tempos and variations.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Glove</span> Band

The Glove was a 1983 English musical collaboration and recording project by the Cure's Robert Smith and Siouxsie and the Banshees' Steven Severin. They released one studio album, Blue Sunshine, in 1983 as part of Severin's solo deal with Polydor. The latter came up with the band name, the album title and the blue/yellow sleeve concept, as Smith had to leave the project before completion due to prior commitments with the Cure.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Budgie (musician)</span> English drummer

Peter Edward Clarke, known professionally as Budgie, is an English drummer best known for his work in Siouxsie and the Banshees. He is also the co-founder of the Creatures.

<i>The Scream</i> (album) 1978 studio album by Siouxsie and the Banshees

The Scream is the debut studio album by British rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees, released on 13 November 1978 by Polydor Records. Its innovative combination of angular and serrated guitar with a bass-led rhythm and machine-like drums played mostly on toms, made it a pioneering work of the post-punk genre.

<i>Join Hands</i> 1979 studio album by Siouxsie and the Banshees

Join Hands is the second studio album by the English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees, released on 7 September 1979 by Polydor Records. Upon its release, it was praised by the British press, including Melody Maker, Sounds, NME and Record Mirror.

<i>Kaleidoscope</i> (Siouxsie and the Banshees album) 1980 studio album by Siouxsie and the Banshees

Kaleidoscope is the third studio album by British rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees, released on 1 August 1980 by Polydor Records. With the departure of John McKay and Kenny Morris and their replacement by two new musicians, Budgie on drums and John McGeoch on guitars, the band changed their musical direction and offered an album containing a wide variety of colors. "It was almost a different band", said Siouxsie.

<i>Juju</i> (Siouxsie and the Banshees album) 1981 studio album by Siouxsie and the Banshees

Juju is the fourth studio album by British rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was recorded at Surrey Sound studio with Nigel Gray as co-producer, and was released on 19 June 1981 by Polydor Records. Two singles were released from Juju: "Spellbound" and "Arabian Knights".

<i>A Kiss in the Dreamhouse</i> 1982 studio album by Siouxsie and the Banshees

A Kiss in the Dreamhouse is the fifth studio album by British rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees, released on 5 November 1982 by Polydor Records. The record marked a change of musical direction, as the group used strings for the first time and experimented in the studio. Guitarist John McGeoch played more instruments, including recorder and piano. For Julian Marszalek of The Quietus, the release proved the Banshees to be "one of the great British psychedelic bands."

<i>Hyæna</i> 1984 studio album by Siouxsie and the Banshees

Hyæna is the sixth studio album by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees, released on 8 June 1984 by Polydor Records. The opening track, "Dazzle", featured strings played by musicians of the London Symphonic Orchestra (LSO), a 27-piece orchestra called the "Chandos Players"; it was scored from a tune that Siouxsie Sioux had composed on piano. Hyæna is the only studio album that guitarist Robert Smith of the Cure composed and recorded with Siouxsie and the Banshees.

<i>Tinderbox</i> (Siouxsie and the Banshees album) 1986 studio album by Siouxsie and the Banshees

Tinderbox is the seventh studio album by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was released on 21 April 1986 by Wonderland and Polydor Records in the United Kingdom and by Geffen Records in the United States. It was the band's first full-length effort recorded with then-new guitarist John Valentine Carruthers; Carruthers had previously only added a few parts on the 1984 EP The Thorn. The first recording sessions for the album took place at Hansa by the Wall in Berlin in May 1985.

<i>Peepshow</i> (album) 1988 studio album by Siouxsie and the Banshees

Peepshow is the ninth studio album by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees, released in the United Kingdom on 5 September 1988 by Polydor Records and in the United States the following day by Geffen Records. It was their first record as a quintet. With the arrival of multi-instrumentalist Martin McCarrick and guitarist Jon Klein, the group recorded a multifaceted album with a variety of influences. Peepshow included the singles "Peek-a-Boo", "The Killing Jar" and "The Last Beat of My Heart".

<i>The Rapture</i> (album) 1995 studio album by Siouxsie and the Banshees

The Rapture is the eleventh and final studio album by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees, released in January 1995. The songs with cello arrangements, including the title track as well as "Fall from Grace" and "Not Forgotten", were produced by the band on their own in 1993. John Cale later produced the remaining songs in mid-1994.

The discography of Siouxsie and the Banshees, an English rock band, consists of eleven studio albums, three live albums, four compilation albums, one extended play (EP), and thirty singles. This list does not include material recorded by band members with the Creatures or the Glove, or solo work by Siouxsie Sioux and Steven Severin. This page lists albums, singles, and compilations by the band Siouxsie and the Banshees, alongside their chart positions, release date, and sales achievements. In the UK, the band has eight BPI-certified Silver albums and two Gold albums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Song from the Edge of the World</span> 1987 single by Siouxsie and the Banshees

"Song from the Edge of the World" is a song written and performed by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was released as a stand-alone single in 1987. The song had been premiered live in the UK during an appearance at the WOMAD Festival in July 1986. The song was recorded with new members Martin McCarrick on keyboards and Jon Klein on guitar.

<i>Hái!</i> 2003 studio album by the Creatures

Hái! is the fourth and final studio album released in 2003 by British duo the Creatures, composed of Siouxsie Sioux and Budgie. The album was recorded in two parts: the drums were recorded by Budgie and Kodo drummer Leonard Eto in Tokyo in August 2002 and the rest of the recording was done in Europe. During their stay in Japan, the band was inspired and "touched by the delicate snowfall imagery of Akira Kurosawa's Ikiru (1952), absorbing the vibrancy of Tokyo's Roppongi district, and spiritualised by the ancient Shinto shrines and tranquil shores of Lake Ashi."

<i>Feast</i> (The Creatures album) 1983 studio album by the Creatures

Feast is the debut studio album by British duo the Creatures, composed of Siouxsie Sioux and musician Budgie, then-members of the band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It reached No. 17 in the UK Albums Chart and the single "Miss the Girl" peaked at No. 21. With their first album, the band embraced exotica, including "waves crashing on beaches", "found-sound effects from nature" and local Hawaiian chanters. Critic Ned Raggett described it as "a lush, tropical experience".

References

  1. 1 2 "Through the Looking Glass White vinyl 2024 UK". Roughtrade UK. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
    "Through the Looking Glass White Vinyl 2024 UK". Udiscovermusic. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
    "Through the Looking Glass White Vinyl 2024 UK". Assai.co.uk. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
    "Through the Looking Glass White Vinyl 2024 UK". Resident-music UK. Retrieved 15 September 2024.
    "Through the Looking Glass white vinyl 2024 UK". Hmv UK. Retrieved 15 October 2024.
    "Through the Looking Glass White Vinyl 2024 UK". Amazon UK. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
    "Through the Looking Glass White Vinyl 2024 France". Amazon France. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
    "Through the Looking Glass White Vinyl 2024 Germany". Amazon DE. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
    "Through the Looking Glass White Vinyl 2024 Italy". Amazon Italy. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
    "Through the Looking Glass White Vinyl 2024 Spain". Amazon Espana. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
    "Through the Looking Glass White Vinyl 2024 Canada". Amazon Canada. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
    "Through the Looking Glass White Vinyl 2024 UK". Horizonsmusic UK. Retrieved 14 October 2024.
  2. ↑ "Through the Looking Glass crystal clear vinyl with extra poster". Musicglue official. Retrieved 19 October 2024.
  3. ↑ Siouxsie (25 December 2015), "Alice is Still in Wonderland [Siouxsie Sioux celebrates Alice's Adventures in Wonderland on the 150th anniversary]", BBC, retrieved 19 June 2016
  4. ↑ Paytress, Mark (2003). Siouxsie & the Banshees: The Authorised Biography. Sanctuary. p. 170. ISBN   1-86074-375-7.
  5. ↑ "Siouxsie and the Banshees relaunch archival campaign, new reissues due out in October". Consequenceofsound. 22 August 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  6. ↑ "Through the Looking Glass 2018 black vinyl Siouxsie and the Banshees - Europe". Thesoundofvinyl.com. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
    "Through the Looking Glass 2018 black vinyl Siouxsie and the Banshees - Ireland". Towerrecords.ie. Retrieved 19 December 2023.
  7. 1 2 Ned Raggett. "Through the Looking Glass - Siouxsie and the Banshees". AllMusic . Retrieved 3 November 2011.
  8. ↑ Ruffilli, Bruno (22 August 2003), "Intervista: I Kraftwerk, redeirelettronica: "Partiamo per il Tour de France"", La Stampa , no. numero 229, p. 29, retrieved 10 April 2015, In genere lo consideriamo un apprezzamento per il nostro lavoro. La versione di Siouxsie di "Hall Of Mirrors" è straordinaria, come gli arrangiamenti di Alexander Balanescu per quartetto d'archi. Anche il disco di Señor Coconut ci è piaciuto molto.
  9. ↑ "120 Minutes" Iggy Pop interview. MTV. June 1990. Excerpt about Siouxsie and the Banshees from 08:33
  10. ↑ Cuesta, Stan (2009). Jeff Buckley. Castor Music. ISBN   2859208070.
  11. ↑ Atkinson, Terry (15 March 1987). "Siouxsie Looks Back". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on 11 July 2019. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  12. ↑ Mr Spencer - (28 February 1987), "Cover Up", Sounds
  13. ↑ "Mojo site cover June 2007 issue 163 CD". Mojo. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 18 May 2014.
    Mojo June 2007 issue 163 CD Music Is Love : 15 Tracks That Changed The World Recovered By... track listing includes "Strange Fruit" covered by Siouxsie and the Banshees
  14. ↑ Coleman, Mark; Randall, Mac (2004). "Siouxsie and the Banshees". In Brackett, Nathan; with Hoard, Christian (eds.). The New Rolling Stone Album Guide . New York: Simon & Schuster. pp. 740–41. ISBN   978-0-7432-0169-8.
  15. ↑ Hodge, Will (26 January 2017). "30 Iconic Records Turning 30 Years Old in 2017". Pastemagazine.com. Retrieved 26 October 2017.
  16. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Siouxsie & the Banshees – Through the Looking Glass" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  17. ↑ "European Hot 100 Albums" (PDF). Music & Media . Vol. 4, no. 14. 11 April 1987. p. 27. OCLC   29800226 – via World Radio History.
  18. ↑ "Offiziellecharts.de – Siouxsie & the Banshees – Through the Looking Glass" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  19. ↑ "Charts.nz – Siouxsie & the Banshees – Through the Looking Glass". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  20. ↑ "Swedishcharts.com – Siouxsie & the Banshees – Through the Looking Glass". Hung Medien. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  21. ↑ "Swisscharts.com – Siouxsie & the Banshees – Through the Looking Glass". Hung Medien. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  22. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  23. ↑ "Siouxsie & the Banshees Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard . Archived from the original on 17 February 2020. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  24. ↑ "British album certifications – Siouxsie & the Banshees – Through the Looking Glass". British Phonographic Industry. 3 April 1987. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.