A Kiss in the Dreamhouse
The fifth album, produced by the band with real strings, recorders and layered vocals.
Siouxsie And The Banshees, 1982
- Released
- 5 November 1982
- Recorded
- May to August 1982
- Studio
- Playground, Camden Town and Abbey Road
- Label
- Polydor
- Producer
- Siouxsie and the Banshees
In spring 1982 they toured Scandinavia with Cascade, Painted Bird and Green Fingers finished. Back in the studio in July they spent a week improvising, sparked by a tape-looped section of the orchestral version of Fireworks. Siouxsie said they wanted real strings rather than a machine, because real strings have a very physical sound. Engineer Mike Hedges layered and treated her voice and encouraged the band to experiment with effects.
The title came to Severin from a programme about Hollywood prostitutes in the 1940s, and the Dreamhouse was a brothel in Los Angeles. The artwork was inspired by the paintings of Gustav Klimt. The album reached number 11 in the UK. Richard Cook of NME ended his review: "I promise. This music will take your breath away." In The Quietus, Julian Marszalek wrote that Siouxsie's voice achieves a sense of strength and maturity.
Track listing
- Cascade4:25
- Green Fingers3:33
- Obsession3:51
- She's a Carnival3:39
- Circle5:22
- Melt!3:47
- Painted Bird4:15
- Cocoon4:29
- Slowdive4:24
Personnel
- Siouxsie Sioux vocals, bells on Obsession
- Steven Severin bass guitar, organ on Painted Bird
- John McGeoch guitar, keyboards, recorder on Green Fingers
- Budgie drums, percussion, harmonica on Slowdive
- Caroline Lavelle cello on Obsession
- Alison Briggs cello on Obsession
- Anne Stephenson violin on Obsession and Slowdive
- Virginia Hewes violin on Obsession and Slowdive
- Mike Hedges engineering
More from Siouxsie And The Banshees
The Scream (1978), Kaleidoscope (1980), Juju (1981), Peepshow (1988)
Sources
- A Kiss in the Dreamhouse, Wikipedia
- Siouxsie and the Banshees reissues review, The Quietus (2009-04-10)