Siouxsie and the Banshees - Kaleidoscope (UK 1st pressing) Vinyl rip in 24 Bit/ 96 Khz + CD

Kaleidoscope is the third studio album by Siouxsie and the Banshees, released in 1980. Following the departure of two band members, the band regrouped and redirected their sound for their third record. Departing from their previous work, the Banshees incorporated synthesizers and drums box for the first time. They particularly experimented in electronic music on a couple of numbers, the electro-dance minimalism "Red Light" and the synth-based piece "Lunar Camel". Kaleidoscope also marks the debut of guitarist John McGeoch from Magazine and new drummer Budgie from The Slits. The album hit number five in the UK album chart, the highest position the band has achieved.

Allmusic's David Cleary described it as a "strong record" with "extraordinarily imaginative production values featuring intricate synthesizer-flecked arrangements; psychedelic touches in "Christine," spaceship synthesizer swoops in "Tenant," and rhythmic camera clicks in "Red Light" all enliven their respective songs". Melody Maker's Paulo Hewitt also praised the album and qualified "Paradise Place" and "Skin" as "classic Banshee pieces. Hypnotic, relentless and incisive, both feature Steve Jones on guitar, revealing a hitherto unknown side of the (S)ex-Pistol".

Kaleidoscope had an impact on several critically-acclaimed musicians. The Cure front man Robert Smith named that record to Steve Sutherland in 1985 to describe The Head on the Door: "It reminds me of the Kaleidoscope album, the idea of having lots of different sounding things, different colors."

Johnny Marr from The Smiths, stated on the BBC radio 2 in February 2008 about John McGeoch's contribution on "Happy House" :

What is it about Happy House from a guitar player point of view. For start, it's modern. It's not going in any of these creaky or rock'n'roll aspects to it and it still sounded like the Banshees, or even more so. That's when I really began to become a fan of John McGeoch. It was a extra bonus for me. They had got a great guitar player who had left and came in. Not surprisingly, that to me was a very good scenario. I've always liked that. It was like get John's best on the guitar.

Santigold said that she took inspiration of the number "Red Light". "'My Superman' is an interpolation of a Siouxsie Sioux song, 'Red Light,'" she explained. "I love her song and I love this song."[5] Santigold also later sampled another song of Kaleidoscope, "Lunar Camel" on her Top Ranking remix album. Jeremy Jay covered the same song, "Lunar Camel" on his Airwalker E.P.

Track listing

All tracks by Sioux and Severin unless otherwise noted.


1. "Happy House"
2. "Tenant"
3. "Trophy" (Sioux/Severin/McGeoch)
4. "Hybrid"
5. "Clockface"
6. "Lunar Camel"
7. "Christine"
8. "Desert Kisses"
9. "Red Light"
10. "Paradise Place"
11. "Skin"

Personnel

* Siouxsie Sioux: vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, droma-derian, finger cymbals, camera, melodica
* Steven Severin: bass, electric guitar, vocals, rhythm box, piano, synthesizers, electric sitar
* Budgie: drums, harmonica, bass, percussion
* John McGeoch: guitar, ellaphone, sax, Farfisa organ, sitar, string synth
* Steve Jones: lead guitar on "Clockface", "Paradise Place" and "Skin"