Product Description Tracks 1.Hong Kong Garden2.mirage3.the staircase (Mystery) 4.Playground Twist5.love in a void6.Happy House7.Christine8.Israel9.Spellbound10.Arabian nights .co.uk 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
R**K
The Original and Best
Even though some best ofs or compilations don’t include the obvious or best tracks or your preferred personal choices e.g. changesoneBowie doesn’t include Starman, the most effective of these just seem to flow so well and can never be improved upon and the tracks are chosen so well like Bowie above, Meaty Beaty Big & Bouncy, Weird Scenes, Beatles Red & Blue, Autumn Stone, Hendrix Smash Hits, MFP Procol Harum (yes)! and so on, Once Upon a Time is just that, an exemplary compilation that sounds so great and has never been beaten. Excellent and a terrific and unique band - Twice Upon is also great and also I like Spellbound The Collection; these and JuJu are all I need for the time being
A**R
Very pleased.
Very pleased with my CD. Arrived early and exactly as described by the seller.
D**D
Review
Brilliant cd
T**G
Got *most* of the tracks I liked at the time other than Monitor from Ju Ju
Wanted a 'Best of' Siouxsie and, after some reviewing of the options, I settled on this one.Got *most* of the tracks I liked at the time other than Monitor from Ju Ju...but adding that for 99p isn't a problem.Do they stand the test of time? Well, my kids think they're just noise which, for me, is fantastic as that's exactly what my parents thought :-)
D**F
First and still the best Siouxsie compilation
With chaotic early line up changes and deeper work so strong John Peel played the whole of an album uninterrupted on his evening show this first ever compilation from Siouxsie and The Banshees shows perhaps a different side to the band than those absorbing LP's. A straightforward chronological presentation of just 10 tracks from 1978-1981 shows this is a product of the vinyl age and features 8 singles, a b-side and an album track, clearly demonstrating the developing sound of the band through those line-up changes.At the time of release several non-album tracks made this a good purchase for the album market, and in particular for the more casual listener, with one of those non-album singles, "Hong Kong Garden" kicking off proceedings. The track listing as originally issued is:Side A:Hong Kong Garden (1978) - non album singleMirage (1978) - album track from "The Scream"The Staircase (Mystery) (1979) - non album singlePlayground Twist (1979) - From "Join Hands"Love In A Void (1979) - B side "Mittageisen", though promoted as a double ASide B:Happy House (1980) - From "Kaleidoscope"Christine (1980) - From "Kaleidoscope"Israel (1981) - non album singleSpellbound (1981) - From "JuJu"Arabian Knights (1981) - From "JuJu"There's a clear delineation of style between the two sides thanks to the addition of John McGeoch to the line up. Side A sounds rawer, punkier, less polished. Side B is full of the monster hits I remember with huge fondness (and particularly the 12" versions of the middle three tracks, not included here).This is an excellent summation of the band's early singles. Sadly underappreciated, this collection is still the finest introduction to the band available, but be careful - it could well entice you to investigate the back catalogue further.
H**N
Bought this album before - great to hear it again!
The first Banshees album I bought back in 1981 - absolutely superb! I just love everything about this band they have such presence on stage, when I saw them live, as well as being a very "tight" band - truly magnificent!
H**N
Great collection
Bought 2nd hand CD to save vinyl edition - Have seen Siouxsie with the Banshees, Creatures and Siouxsie solo many times - Always a favourite. Great early singles collection.
R**N
Quite good
Not all that many songs
