Amazon.co.uk Review
Preposterous as it might seem in retrospect, Siouxsie & The Banshees were the last of the UK's first generation punk bands to secure a record deal; the hippie-bloated record industry was, frankly, terrified of them. Their stark, minimalist collision of ice-pick guitar and pounding drums, allied to Siouxsie's macabre, murder-in-the-nursery lyrics and untameable demeanour of brooding impenetrable cool were regarded as nothing more than commercial poison. But when Polydor finally took the plunge in 1978 they were amply rewarded when the band's debut single "Hong Kong Garden" immediately gravitated to the UK top ten. More hits followed and
Once Upon A Time is a captivating compilation of the very best of them. From the clanging majesty of "The Staircase (Mystery)", the towering menace of "Playground Twist" and the measured schizophrenics of "Christine" to the glorious sensuality of "Arabian Nights", the distilled exhilaration of
Once Upon A Time remains utterly essential.
--Ian Fortnam
CD Description
If you're searching for a concise, straight to the point overview of the early singles by goth rock innovators Siouxse & the Banshees, then their ten track compilation from 1981 (released right around the same time as their classic fourth studio album, JUJU), ONCE UPON A TIME: THE SINGLES, is highly recommended. Although they were never considered a singlesband in the U.S. (they barely ever got beyond cult status in the U.S.), Siouxse & the Banshees were one of the top alternative/new wave bands of the early 80's back in their homeland of England, where they racked up a decent amount of hit singles early in their career, all of which are included here. Included are such goth classics as the album opening "Hong Kong Garden", "Happy House", "Christine", and "Spellbound", to name but a few. Along with its follow up collection, 1992's TWICE UPON A TIME: THE SINGLES, the earlier ONCE UPON ATIME: THE SINGLES are two indispensable Siouxse overviews.