Twice Upon a Time – The Singles

Last updated

Twice Upon a Time - The Singles
Siouxsie & the Banshees-Twice Upon a Time The Singles.jpg
Greatest hits album by
Released5 October 1992
Recorded1982–1992
Genre Post-punk, alternative rock
Length76:00
Label Polydor (UK)
Geffen (US)
Producer Siouxsie & the Banshees, Stephen Hague, Mike Hedges
Siouxsie and the Banshees
compilations chronology
Once Upon a Time/The Singles
(1981)
Twice Upon a Time - The Singles
(1992)
The Best of Siouxsie and the Banshees
(2002)
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [1]
MusicHound Rock 3/5 [2]
Select 4/5 [3]

Twice Upon a Time - The Singles is the second singles compilation released by Siouxsie and the Banshees. It follows the same format as Once Upon a Time/The Singles , presenting the songs in chronological order. Twice picks up where Once left off (in 1982), and it includes several hits not included on regular Banshees studio albums. Instead of the studio version released as a single, "The Last Beat of My Heart" is presented as a live recording, from their performance at Lollapalooza in Seattle. Also appearing on CD for the first time here is "Face to Face", a song from the soundtrack of the film Batman Returns . "Fear of the Unknown" also appears as a "House of Fear" remix which is significantly different from the original version. The collection is missing the 1987 single "Song from the Edge of the World", which was included on a later hits collection.

Contents

Reception

J. D. Considine of The Baltimore Sun wrote that the album "follows a more twisted path" than Once Upon a Time, chronicling "the band from cult-level acclaim to something resembling pop accessibility." Considine added that "the most amazing thing about this progression is how little the group alters its approach along the way." [4]

A review of the album in The Advocate notes that the compilation demonstrates that the band that had made "consistently compelling music", and highlights "the group's knack for creating smart arrangements of non-Banshees music" such as on "Dear Prudence", "This Wheel's on Fire", and "The Passenger". [5] In a 4 out of 5 review for Select , Dave Morrison noted that after 1982, the band "produced some of their best work in this period: superbly crafted vignettes of dark-hued psychedelic melodrama." [3]

Writing for MusicHound in 1999, Doug Pullen recommended the compilation as the first Banshees album that listeners should consider since most of their studio albums sounded dated. He said that Twice Upon a Time "at least displays a clarity of vision and conviction that runs through the group's groovy gothic-art-punk rock". [2]

Track listing

All tracks by Siouxsie and the Banshees, except 4 by Lennon–McCartney, 10 by Bob Dylan-Rick Danko, 11 by James Osterberg-Ricky Gardiner, 12 by Harry Warren-Johnny Mercer-Siouxsie and the Banshees and 18 by Siouxsie and the Banshees-Danny Elfman.

  1. "Fireworks"
  2. "Slowdive"
  3. "Melt!"
  4. "Dear Prudence"
  5. "Swimming Horses"
  6. "Dazzle"
  7. "Overground" [Re-recorded version from The Thorn EP]
  8. "Cities in Dust"
  9. "Candyman"
  10. "This Wheel's on Fire"
  11. "The Passenger"
  12. "Peek-a-Boo"
  13. "The Killing Jar"
  14. "The Last Beat of My Heart" [live at Lollapalooza, Seattle, 28 August 1991]
  15. "Kiss Them for Me"
  16. "Shadowtime"
  17. "Fear (of the Unknown)" [House of Fear Remix by Junior Vasquez]
  18. "Face to Face"

Charts

Chart (1992)Peak
position
UK Albums Chart [6] 26

Related Research Articles

Siouxsie and the Banshees English 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. Q magazine included John McKay's guitar playing on "Hong Kong Garden" in their list of "100 Greatest Guitar Tracks Ever", while Mojo rated guitarist John McGeoch in their list of "100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time" for his work on "Spellbound". 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 featured performances recorded at two shows at the Royal Albert Hall in London, on 30 September and 1 October 1983, featuring Robert Smith on guitar.

<i>Once Upon a Time/The Singles</i> 1981 greatest hits album by Siouxsie and the Banshees

Once Upon a Time/The Singles is Siouxsie and the Banshees's 1981 compilation album featuring the band's UK single releases to date. The album featured several songs that had been released as singles yet had not appeared on any of the Banshees' four albums. Once Upon a Time/The Singles spent twenty six weeks in the UK albums chart. The sleeve was designed by Stylorouge.

Dear Prudence 1968 song by the Beatles

"Dear Prudence" is a song by the English rock band the Beatles from their 1968 double album The Beatles. The song was written by John Lennon and credited to the Lennon–McCartney partnership. Written in Rishikesh during the group's trip to India in early 1968, it was inspired by actress Mia Farrow's sister, Prudence Farrow, who became obsessive about meditating while practising with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. Her designated partners on the meditation course, Lennon and George Harrison, attempted to coax Farrow out of her seclusion, which led to Lennon writing the song.

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

Hyæna is the sixth studio album by British rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees, released in 1984 by Polydor. The opening track, "Dazzle", featured strings played by musicians of the (LSO) London Symphonic Orchestra, 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>Through the Looking Glass</i> (Siouxsie and the Banshees album) 1987 studio album by Siouxsie and the Banshees

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 was preceded by the single "This Wheel's on Fire". 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.

<i>The Best of Siouxsie and the Banshees</i> 2002 greatest hits album by Siouxsie and the Banshees

Universal Music Group released The Best of Siouxsie and the Banshees in 2002 as the first reissue of the Siouxsie and the Banshees remastered back-catalogue. The most successful singles of the band were presented in a non-chronological order.

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.

Hong Kong Garden (song) 1978 single by Siouxsie and the Banshees

"Hong Kong Garden" is a song by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was released as the band's debut single on 18 August 1978 by Polydor Records. The single reached number 7 on the UK Singles Chart.

The Staircase (Mystery) 1979 single by Siouxsie and the Banshees

"The Staircase (Mystery)" is a song by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees, released as a stand-alone single on 23 March 1979 by Polydor Records. The track was written by Siouxsie Sioux, John McKay, Steven Severin and Kenny Morris, and was produced by Nils Stevenson.

Fireworks (Siouxsie and the Banshees song) 1982 single by Siouxsie and the Banshees

"Fireworks" is a song by British post-punk band Siouxsie and the Banshees, released as a stand-alone single in 1982 by record label Polydor in between the albums Juju (1981) and A Kiss in the Dreamhouse (1982).

Melt! (Siouxsie and the Banshees song) 1982 single by Siouxsie and the Banshees

"Melt!" is a song by English post-punk band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was released in 1982 by record label Polydor as a double A-sided single with the song "Il Est Né, Le Divin Enfant" and is the second and final single from the band's fifth studio album, A Kiss in the Dreamhouse.

Overground (song) 1984 single by Siouxsie and the Banshees

"Overground" is a song by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was originally featured on their debut studio album, The Scream (1978). The band re-recorded the track with elaborate, lush orchestral instrumentation with a flamenco acoustic guitar for its inclusion on the four-track extended play The Thorn (1984). This version was released as a single the same year by record label Polydor.

Song from the Edge of the World 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.

The Killing Jar 1988 single by Siouxsie and the Banshees

"The Killing Jar" is a song written, produced and recorded by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was released in 1988 as the second single from the band's ninth studio album, Peepshow.

The Last Beat of My Heart 1988 single by Siouxsie and the Banshees

"The Last Beat of My Heart" is a song written, produced and recorded by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was released in late 1988 as the third and final single from the band's ninth studio album, Peepshow. In 2021, Spin rated it in their list of "the 50 best alt-rock love songs", for its "slow-climbing swell of accordion and muted tom-tom thump", qualifying it as a "perfect marriage of words and atmosphere".

Fear (of the Unknown) 1991 single by Siouxsie and the Banshees

"Fear " is a U.S.-only single written and recorded by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees and produced by Stephen Hague. It was released in late 1991 as the second U.S. single from the band's 10th studio album, Superstition. It didn't get any domestic release in the UK and was the only Siouxsie and the Banshees single not to be issued in their home country.

Face to Face (Siouxsie and the Banshees song) Song by Siouxsie and the Banshees

"Face to Face" is a song recorded by English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was composed by the group along with Danny Elfman and was produced by Stephen Hague. The track was featured in the 1992 film, Batman Returns, and is included on its soundtrack. Film director Tim Burton asked the band to compose the main song of the movie.

"Tattoo" is a song written by Siouxsie and the Banshees that was first released as the B-side of the "Dear Prudence" single in 1983. It was included on two compilations: 2004's Downside Up and 2015's Spellbound : The Collection.

Love in a Void (song) 1979 song by Siouxsie and the Banshees

"Love In a Void" is a song by the English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees, written by Siouxsie Sioux, Steven Severin, Kenny Morris and Peter Fenton. Originally included as the b-side to the 1979 single "Mittageisen" in West Germany, it was later released as a double A-side single in September of the same year. It was also included on the band's 1981 ten track UK Gold certified compilation album Once Upon a Time: The Singles. In 2006, the song was covered by metal band Darkthrone on the ep Too Old Too Cold in 2006. "Love in a Void" was also heavily sampled by rapper Akala in a version retitled "Love in my Eyes" on the album Freedom Lasso in 2007. The Banshees' studio version of "Love in a Void" was featured on the soundtrack of the 2016 film 20th Century Women.

References

  1. AllMusic review
  2. 1 2 Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. p. 1022. ISBN   1-57859-061-2.
  3. 1 2 Morrison, Dave. Twice Upon a Time -review. Select , November 1992
  4. Considine, J. D. (25 December 1992). "Greatest hits'? Not all that often". The Baltimore Sun . p. Features - 6.
  5. "Banshees' 'Twice' is one of the better hits collections" . The Advocate . 8 January 1993. Retrieved 17 March 2013.
  6. "Siouxsie and the Banshees - 'Twice Upon a Time'". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 23 October 2017.