The Rapture (album)

The Rapture
Studio album by Siouxsie and the Banshees
Released 17 January 1995
Recorded 1993-1994
Genre Alternative rock
Length 54:13
Label Polydor (UK)
Geffen (USA)
Producer Siouxsie and the Banshees, John Cale
Siouxsie and the Banshees chronology

Superstition
(1991)		 The Rapture
(1995)
Singles from The Rapture
  1. "O Baby"
    Released: 28 December 1994
  2. "Stargazer"
    Released: 6 February 1995

The Rapture is the 11th and final studio album by Siouxsie and the Banshees. The songs with cello arrangements, including the title track as well as "Fall from Grace" and "Not Forgotten", were produced by the band on their own in 1993. John Cale later produced the remaining songs in mid-1994.

This album was reissued in 2014 in a remastered version with bonus tracks, including a previously unreleased song called "FGM".[1]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source Rating
AllMusic [2]
Vox 7/10[3]

The Rapture was generally well received by critics.

Melody Maker hailed the record at its release and wrote: "The Rapture is a fascinating, transcontinental journey through danger and exotica". Describing the arrangements, they added, "it's a vivid cornucopia of lush instrumentation, mandolins vying with cellos and bells, sweeping strings describing starlit oceans and sirens calling from jagged rocks, and attics that hide secret worlds."[4]

Steve Malins of Vox also liked the album. He said, "The title-track is a sublime melodrama recalling the experimentation of Peepshow and 1982's Kiss in the Dreamhouse", before concluding with this sentence, "The Rapture represents an intelligent twist on familiar Banshees obsessions".[3]

Sun Zoom Spark also praised it and wrote, "How is a band that first formed almost two decades ago able to remain both vital and celebrated? Answer: Metamorphosis." The journalist announced, "the album is able to excite the hairs on the back of your neck."[5]

Track listing

All tracks produced by Siouxsie and the Banshees except tracks 1-2 and 7-8-9 produced by John Cale. Track 4 produced by Siouxsie and the Banshees and mixed by John Cale.

All music composed by Siouxsie and the Banshees, except bonus track "New Skin" by Siouxsie.

All lyrics written by Siouxsie Sioux, except where noted. 

No. TitleLyrics Length
1. "O Baby"    3:19
2. "Tearing Apart"    3:21
3. "Stargazer"    3:14
4. "Fall from Grace"  Severin 3:43
5. "Not Forgotten"    4:44
6. "Sick Child"  Budgie 4:49
7. "The Lonely One"    3:29
8. "Falling Down"    2:53
9. "Forever*"    4:04
10. "The Rapture"    11:30
11. "The Double Life"  Severin 4:10
12. "Love Out Me"    4:43
2014 remastered reissue bonus tracks
No. TitleLyrics Length
13. "O Baby (Manhattan Mix)"    3:27
14. "FGM (Unreleased Demo)"    3:05
15. "New Skin (Unreleased Showgirls Version)"    8:06

Personnel

Additional personnel

Charts

Album

Year Chart Position
1995 UK Albums Chart 33

Singles

Year Single Chart Position
1995 "O Baby" UK Singles Chart 34
1995 "O Baby" U.S. Modern Rock Tracks 21
1995 "Stargazer" UK Singles Chart 64

References

  1. ↑ "Siouxsie and the Banshees relaunch archival campaign, new reissues due out in October". Consequenceofsound. 22 August 2014. Retrieved 1 September 2014.
  2. ↑ True, Chris. "The Rapture - Siouxsie and the Banshees". Allmusic. Retrieved 3 November 2011.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 Malins, Steve. The Rapture review. Vox (magazine). February 1995
  4. ↑ Unsworth, Cathi. "Baby, Come back". Melody Maker. 14 January 1995.
  5. ↑ Buckley, Liz. "Siouxsie and the banshees". Sun Zoom Spark. January 1995