Kaleidoscope (Siouxsie and the Banshees album)

Kaleidoscope is the third studio album by English post-punk band 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 tracks, the electro-dance minimalism "Red Light" and the atmospheric 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.

Reception

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".^[1] Critic 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".^[2]

Legacy

Kaleidoscope had an impact on several critically acclaimed musicians. The Cure frontman Robert Smith named the album 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."^[3]

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 another band 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.^[4]

Santigold said that she took inspiration from the song "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 off Kaleidoscope, "Lunar Camel", on her Top Ranking remix album. Jeremy Jay covered the same song on his Airwalker EP. Kaleidoscope was also praised by the singer of Suede, Brett Anderson.^[6]

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Sioux and Severin, except where noted. 

Personnel

• Siouxsie Sioux – vocals, acoustic and 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"
• Nigel Gray, Siouxsie & The Banshees – producers

Notes