Track Listing

1. Pure
2. Jigsaw Feeling
3. Overground Original Version
4. Carcass
5. Helter Skelter
6. Mirage
7. Metal Postcard (Mittageisen)
8. Nicotine Stain
9. Suburban Relapse
10. Switch
11. Hong Kong Garden
12. The Staircase (Mystery)

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #23580 in Music
• Released on: 2007-01-29
• Number of discs: 1
• Formats: Original recording remastered, Extra tracks
• Dimensions: .22 pounds
• Running time: 45 minutes

CD Description
Despite evolving from a group of Sex Pistols fans, SiouxsieAnd The Banshees eschewed the cliches of punk, offering instead an austere and bleak music. Bassist Steve Severin and drummer Kenny Morris provide simple, Teutonic-style patterns over which Siouxsie Sioux wails in the manner of former Velvet Underground chanteuse Nico. Unremitting original songs are joined by a version of the Beatles' 'Helter Skelter', which the Banshees interpret with the full knowledge of its inspiration for murderer Charles Manson. The Scream is an apt title for such desolate music.

Customer Reviews

Who mixed this?
I've waited for the first review, because I wondered whether it was my sound system at fault. It's also been a long time since I listened to the vinyl version, because I've been waiting for this to be remastered before buying. I bought the 1st 4 Siouxie albums and fortunately only the Scream has problems - the mixing is dreadful, you have to put it on a very low volume or the vocals and guitar distort.

The artists in particular must be gutted. They should insist that the work be re-released and exchanged.

HELP - I want to own this work, which is brilliant. Can someone advise as to which version I should buy? Does the previous release have the same problems?

Unlistenable!
I don't know if I got mine from a bad batch but the sound quality is appaling!

The levels are far too high and this makes a layer of distortion throughout the entire CD!

Harsh punk classic now enhanced

My first encounter with Siouxsie and the Banshees was the vinyl single Hong Kong Garden, which has now been included here along with another early single, The Staircase (Mystery) from 1979. The melodic Hong Kong Garden with its oriental feel is atypical but welcome on this album of harsh heavy metal blended with psychedelia and its disturbing themes dealing mostly with the more unpleasant aspects of the psyche.

The overwhelming guitar onslaught is pierced by Sioux's stabbing shrieks and wails, creating a doom-laden atonal cacophony. Jigsaw Feeling is one of the few tracks that are immediately accessible. Their version of The Beatles' Helter Skelter is chaotic and chilling but nevertheless impressive. Another memorable outing is Metal Postcard (Mittageisen) with its vivid imagery and ominous chorus.

Overall, the music is extremely aggressive and the mood claustrophobic. I loved the second album, Join Hands, where they showed that one could create the same eerie feeling by being melodic and gentler on the ear. The Scream isn't an unlistenable album, but it takes guts and persistence to appreciate it. The Scream now gets four stars because of the addition of the aforementioned two songs.