[1]Hear Siouxsie Sioux's Powerful Isolated Vocals on "The Killing Jar,"

[1]Hear Siouxsie Sioux's Powerful Isolated Vocals on "The Killing Jar,"
"Hong Kong Garden," "Cities In Dust" & "Kiss Them for Me" by Josh
Jones:

Like hundreds of other teenagers in late seventies England, Susan
Ballion, better known as Siouxsie Sioux, embraced the
anyone-can-do-it-ness of punk after seeing the Sex Pistols. In 1976,
already a tastemaker in the scene, she threw a band together with
Sid Vicious on drums, and with no practice, or even any songs, they
got onstage, and [2]improvised a 20-minute rendition of "The Lord's
Prayer." There launched the career of a post-punk, dark pop legend,
spanning that first anarchic gig, the infamous Bill Grundy TV
appearance, some of the most influential British rock of the
late-70s and 80s, and major tours and hits throughout the last three
decades.
Despite the awards, star collaborations, and multi-generational
influence, Siouxsie's striking musical talent has often been given
short shrift in the U.S. press. For example, a 1992 _Los Angeles
Times _concert write-up after the release of her biggest U.S. hit,
"Kiss Them for Me," cast her as "the leader of a cult of weird
chicks," writes [3]Liz Ohnanesian at Noisey, "in a review that spent
five paragraphs on her looks and a whopping two on the music."
Maybe, "at that point, the band was used to that." But it's a
serious oversight.
"Much has been written about the vocal range of artists like Freddie
Mercury," [4]Dangerous Minds points out, "but not so much on the
equally brilliant Siouxsie Sioux." If the comparison seems
stretched, consider another one: Kate Bush.
Though very different artists, both released debut albums in 1978
and became style icons who are as influential for their look as for
their vocal prowess. Siouxsie, whose voice "developed from spiky,
punky vocals to rich, powerful, and glorious textured tones& can hit
the high notes and bring an unnerving warmth and menace to her lower
range."
With Siouxsie and the Banshees, The Creatures, and in her solo work,
she has given cool, icy voice to gothic sentiments and images,
conveying ache and fear and brutal beauty. In the videos here,
listen to Siouxsie's isolated vocals from 1988's "The Killing Jar"
(hear the original right above), an excellent example of "just how
good she is." Above, also hear her vocal track from "Hong Kong
Garden," her 1978 debut single, and "arguably the most important of
the early post-punk hits," writes [5]Robert Webb at The Independent.
Listen to her sing 1985's "Cities in Dust," about the destruction of
Pompeii, and below, hear "Kiss Them for Me," a cryptic tribute to
actress Jayne Mansfield and a song that made a new generation of
Siouxsie and the Banshees fans when it came out in 1991. Siouxsie
has attracted a newly devoted fanbase every decade since the 70s for
her style, songwriting, and her voice, an instrument that deserves
greater attention.
"These days," [6]she said in a 2007 interview, the legacy of punk
has "almost been reduced to a fashion statement. I think there's
been a false sense of empowerment for women" in music. "Almost as if
there's that ever-present preoccupation with body form and image&
not about expressing any style or intent." Young artists looking for
genuine inspiration will always find the real thing in Siouxsie's
impressive body of work.
via [7]Dangerous Minds
[8]Hear Siouxsie and the Banshee's Raw & Completely Improvised First
Show, with Sid Vicious on Drums (1976)
[9]The Sex Pistols Make a Scandalous Appearance on the Bill Grundy
Show & Introduce Punk Rock to the Startled Masses (1976)
__________________________________________________________________

My original entry is here: [10]Hear Siouxsie Sioux's Powerful Isolated
Vocals on "The Killing Jar," "Hong Kong Garden," "Cities In Dust" &
"Kiss Them for Me". It posted Thu, 21 Mar 2019 12:00:11 +0000.
Filed under: culture,

References

1. http://www.openculture.com/2019/02/hear-siouxsie-siouxs-powerful-isolated-vocals-on-the-killing-jar-hong-kong-garden-cities-in-dust-kiss-them-for-me.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+OpenCulture+(Open+Culture)
2. http://www.openculture.com/2017/07/hear-siouxsie-and-the-banshees-raw-completely-improvised-first-show-with-sid-vicious-on-drums-1976.html
3. https://noisey.vice.com/en_us/article/3k97vj/the-guide-to-getting-into-siouxsie-and-the-banshees
4. https://dangerousminds.net/comments/listen_to_siouxsie_siouxs_glorious_isolated_vocal_for_the_killing_jar
5. https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/story-of-the-song-hong-kong-garden-siouxsie-and-the-banshees-1978-1775005.html
6. http://magnetmagazine.com/2007/10/06/qa-with-siouxsie-sioux/
7. https://dangerousminds.net/comments/listen_to_siouxsie_siouxs_glorious_isolated_vocal_for_the_killing_jar
8. http://www.openculture.com/2017/07/hear-siouxsie-and-the-banshees-raw-completely-improvised-first-show-with-sid-vicious-on-drums-1976.html
9. http://www.openculture.com/2017/09/the-sex-pistols-make-a-scandalous-appearance-on-the-bill-grundy-show.html
10. https://www.prjorgensen.com/?p=2643