The Scream (album)

Infobox Album |
Name = The Scream
Type = Album
Artist = Siouxsie & the Banshees


Released = 13 November 1978
Recorded = 1978
Genre = Post-punk
Length = 39:04
Label = Polydor
Producer = Steve Lillywhite
Reviews =
* Allmusic Rating|4|5 [http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:7meyxdabjolg link]
*"Rolling Stone" (Positive) [http://www.rollingstone.com/artists/siouxsieandthebanshees/albums/album/106537/review/5941624/the_scream link]
Last album =
This album = "The Scream"
(1978)
Next album = "Join Hands"
(1979)

"The Scream" is the debut album by Siouxsie & the Banshees, released in November 1978 on Polydor Records. Even before this release, the band already had a strong reputation as a live act, as well as having a Top 10 UK single under their belt with "Hong Kong Garden" (which did not appear on the original album).

"Sounds" magazine declared "The Scream" as "the best debut album of the year". [ [http://www.thebansheesandothercreatures.co.uk/thescreampress.htm#sounds251178 The most elitist band in the world byPete Silverton, Sounds, 25/11/78] ]

Nick Kent wrote in the "NME" :

This album placed them as pioneers of Post Punk.

The razor-sharp, slashing strings of Bernard Herrmann's score to Alfred Hitchcock's "Psycho" particularly inspired the band for the music of "Suburban Relapse", where the guitars echo the knife-screeching violins of the famous shower scene.

The record was hailed by various bands :
*Massive Attack covered and sampled "Metal Postcard" on their song "Superpredators (Metal Postcard)" for the movie soundtrack "The Jackal" [ [http://www.inflightdata.com/superpredators.html Massive Attack sampled "Metal Postcard" in 1997 for their track "Superpredators" on the movie soundtrack "The jackal"] ]
*"The Scream" is one Morrissey-composer Boz Boorer's top seven "desert island albums". [ [http://www.bozboorer.com/qa_p4.htm Boz Boorer website : Q & A Pt 4 ] ]
*"Mirage" is also one of Morrissey's favorite songs: he featured it as part of his introduction tape on his "Your Arsenal" tour in 1992.

Reissues

"The Scream" was reissued in the UK 27 October, 2005 (28 October in the USA) as part of Universal's Deluxe Edition series. The new edition featured a remastered version of the album on the first disc, while the second disc contained demo and live tracks together with the singles from that period.

A first single disc edition was edited in 2006 with a noticeable digital distortion : so, a flawless remastered version was reissued in 2007.

Track listing

# "Pure" (McKay, Severin, Morris, Sioux)
# "Jigsaw Feeling" (Severin, McKay)
# "Overground" (Severin, McKay)
# "Carcass" (Severin, Sioux, Fenton)
# "Helter Skelter" (Lennon, McCartney)
# "Mirage" (Severin, McKay)
# "Metal Postcard (Mittageisen)" (McKay, Sioux)
# "Nicotine Stain" (Severin, Sioux)
# "Suburban Relapse" (McKay, Sioux)
# "Switch" (McKay, Sioux)

2005 Deluxe Edition

CD One:
# "Pure" (McKay, Severin, Morris, Sioux)
# "Jigsaw Feeling" (Severin, McKay)
# "Overground" (Severin, McKay)
# "Carcass" (Severin, Sioux, Fenton)
# "Helter Skelter" (Lennon, McCartney)
# "Mirage" (Severin, McKay)
# "Metal Postcard (Mittageisen)" (McKay, Sioux)
# "Nicotine Stain" (Severin, Sioux)
# "Suburban Relapse" (McKay, Sioux)
# "Switch" (McKay, Sioux)

CD Two:
# "Make Up to Break Up" (Riverside Session)
# "Love in a Void" (Peel Session 1)
# "Mirage" (Peel Session 1)
# "Metal Postcard (Mittageisen)(Peel Session 1)
# "Suburban Relapse" (Peel Session 1)
# "Hong Kong Garden" (Peel Session 2)
# "Overground" (Peel Session 2)
# "Carcass" (Peel Session 2)
# "Helter Skelter (Peel Session 2)
# "Metal Postcard" (Pathway Session)
# "Suburban Relapse" (Pathway Session)
# "The Staircase (Mystery)" (Pathway Session)
# "Mirage" (Pathway Session)
# "Nicotine Stain" (Pathway Session)
# "Hong Kong Garden" (7" Single Version)
# "The Staircase (Mystery)" (7" Single Version)

Remastered single disc digipack : 2006 (bad pressing), 2007 (good pressing)

# "Pure" (McKay, Severin, Morris, Sioux)
# "Jigsaw Feeling" (Severin, McKay)
# "Overground" (Severin, McKay)
# "Carcass" (Severin, Sioux, Fenton)
# "Helter Skelter" (Lennon, McCartney)
# "Mirage" (Severin, McKay)
# "Metal Postcard (Mittageisen)" (McKay, Sioux)
# "Nicotine Stain" (Severin, Sioux)
# "Suburban Relapse" (McKay, Sioux)
# "Switch" (McKay, Sioux)
# "Hong Kong Garden" (7" A-Side)
# "The Staircase (Mystery)" (7" A-Side)

Personnel

* Siouxsie Sioux: vocals
* John McKay: guitars, saxophone
* Steven Severin: bass guitar
* Kenny Morris: drums, percussion
* Steve Lillywhite: producer, mixer
* Siouxsie & the Banshees: producers

References