Downside Up

Downside Up is a four-disc box set collecting B-sides and bonus material from the catalog of Siouxsie and the Banshees. Also included (on disc four) is The Thorn (EP), originally released in 1984.

Certain songs of this boxset were later hailed by other acts. Tricky covered "Tattoo" as the opening number of his second solo album Nearly God.^[1] The original version of "Tattoo", looks like a pre-trip hop manifesto with a part of the genre's codes : a sweaty atmosphere, whispered voices, huming basses and sounds of fluffy drums.^{[2] [3]} Massive Attack sampled in 1997 "Mittageisen" (the "Metal Postcard" version sung in German) on "Superpredators" for the movie soundtrack The Jackal.^[4] Acts from other genres also selected some of these Banshees's B-sides. Morrissey made "Eve White/Eve Black" play during intermission on his 1997's Maladjusted tour.^[5] Shirley Manson of Garbage stated that "Drop Dead / Celebration" was one of her favourite tracks.^[6][7]

The Times wrote in its review of Downside Up: "Standouts include the spiky Drop Dead/Celebration, the sinister Eve White/Eve Black and the chopped up industrial funk of Tattoo". The critic also rated the band as one of "the most audacious and uncompromising musical adventurers of the post-punk era."^[8]

Most of these songs (only present on these cds) were classics of the band's live repertoire like "Pulled To Bits", "Eve White/Eve Black", "Red Over White", "I promise", "Something Blue" and "B-side Ourselves".

Track listing

All songs by Siouxsie and the Banshees except*

Disc one (1978-1982)

1. "Voices (on the Air)" (Originally the b-side of "Hong Kong Garden")
2. "20th Century Boy"* (Marc Bolan cover) (Originally the b-side of "The Staircase (Mystery)")
3. "Pulled to Bits" (Originally the b-side of "Playground Twist"
4. "Mittageisen" (Originally the A-side of "Mittageisen")
5. "Drop Dead/Celebration" (Originally the b-side of "Happy House")
6. "Eve White/Eve Black" (Originally the b-side of "Christine")
7. "Red Over White" (Originally the b-side of "Israel")
8. "Follow the Sun" (Originally the b-side of "Spellbound")
9. "Slap Dash Snap" (Originally the extra b-side of "Spellbound")
10. "Supernatural Thing"*(Ben E. King cover) (Originally the b-side of "Arabian Knights")
11. "Congo Conga" (Originally the extra b-side of "Arabian Knights")
12. "Coal Mind" (Originally the b-side of "Fireworks")
13. "We Fall" (Originally the extra b-side of "Fireworks")
14. "Cannibal Roses" (Originally the b-side of "Slowdive")
15. "Obsession II" (Originally the extra b-side of "Slowdive")
16. "A Sleeping Rain" (Originally the extra b-side of "Melt!")
17. "Il Est Né, Le Divin Enfant"* (Originally the b-side of "Melt!")

Disc two (1983-1987)

1. "Tattoo" (Originally the b-side of "Dear Prudence")
2. "(There's A) Planet in My Kitchen" (Originally the extra b-side of "Dear Prudence")
3. "Let Go" (Originally the b-side of "Swimming Horses")
4. "The Humming Wires" (Originally the extra b-side of "Swimming Horses")
5. "I Promise" (Originally the b-side of "Dazzle")
6. "Throw Them to the Lions" (Originally the extra b-side of "Dazzle")
7. "An Execution" (Originally the b-side of "Cities in Dust")
8. "The Quarterdrawing of the Dog" (Originally the extra b-side of"Cities in Dust")
9. "Lullaby" (Originally the b-side of "Candyman")
10. "Umbrella" (Originally the extra b-side of "Candyman")
11. "Shooting Sun" (Originally the b-side of "This Wheel's on Fire")
12. "Sleepwalking (On the High Wire)" (Originally the extra b-side of "This Wheel's on Fire")
13. "She Cracked"* (Jonathan Richman cover) (Originally the extra b-side of "This Wheel's on Fire double-pack 7-inch")
14. "She's Cuckoo" (Originally the b-side of "The Passenger")
15. "Something Blue" (Originally the extra b-side of "The Passenger")
16. "The Whole Price of Blood" (Originally the b-side of "Song from the Edge of the World")
17. "Mechanical Eyes" (Originally the extra b-side of "Song from the Edge of the World")

Disc three (1988-1995)

1. "False Face" (Originally the b-side of "Peek-a-Boo")
2. "Catwalk" (Originally the extra b-side of "Peek-a-Boo")
3. "Something Wicked (This Way Comes)" (Originally the b-side of "The Killing Jar")
4. "Are You Still Dying Darling?" (Originally extra the b-side of "The Killing Jar")
5. "El Dia De Los Muertos" (Originally the b-side of "The Last Beat of My Heart")
6. "Sunless" (Originally the extra b-side of "The Last Beat of My Heart")
7. "Staring Back" (Originally the extra b-side of "Kiss Them for Me")
8. "Return" (Originally the b-side of "Kiss Them for Me")
9. "Spiral Twist" (Originally the b-side of "Shadowtime")
10. "Sea of Light" (Originally the extra b-side of "Shadowtime")
11. "I Could Be Again" (Originally the b-side of "Face to Face")
12. "Hothead" (Originally the extra b-side of "Face to Face")
13. "B Side Ourselves" (Originally the b-side of "O Baby")
14. "Swimming Horses" (KROQ Acoustic Christmas) (Originally the extra b-side of "O Baby")
15. "All Tomorrow's Parties"* (KROQ Acoustic Christmas) (Originally the extra b-side of "O Baby")
16. "Hang Me High" (Originally the b-side of "Stargazer")
17. "Black Sun" (Originally the extra b-side of "Stargazer")

Disc Four The Thorn EP (1984)

1. "Overground" (Originally from The Thorn)
2. "Placebo Effect" (Originally from The Thorn)
3. "Voices (on the Air)" (Originally from The Thorn)
4. "Red Over White" (Originally from The Thorn)

Sources and references