What could anyone possibly think of a band that releases such an album as Kaleidoscope in 1980 and gives life to juju just a year after? What if you were also told that at the same time the idea of the creatures came up? You could only make the right guess that itʼs the Banshees this semi-paranoiac-totally-creative band that has gone berserk with the entire world , has had it its own way. A drummer with a hidden extra-pair of arms , a bassist dedicated to music and a provocative, hissing singer: this is the core of the band- the guitarists come and goprobably noone can cope with them for long (?). Anyway McGeoch (Magazine) seems to fit well in the group , since he was also present at Kaleidoscope and by the time juju recordings started he had already joined the Banshees.

Every song in this album is unique and all seem to come out in a very natural way , none seems to be forced and it kind of gives you the feeling they actually didnʼt have to work a lot on the album itʼs more like they just met and did it! Unlike most albums of most groups where there are moments you hate to admit now they are missing something and you push the button to the next track , there is not one such moment in juju ! Experiencing a darker (or the darkest) side of the group , this album is the one that attracted many to place the Banshees in the gothic category (they then released A Kiss in the Dreamhouse and shut everyoneʼs mouth!). What strikes you more here is definitely the guitar as well as Siouxsie howling inarticulate sounds while every song is almost marked with a different howl Then it is full of spells and mystery: it starts with Spellbound to end with Voodoo Dolly(?!)

I think: maybe they were really under some kind of spells and the strange thing on this is the fact that, until you reach the ninth track, you also feel Spellbound yourself. It sends you spinning. Budgie does his best.Faster and faster.

Then, there is this obsession with the East again (which they really enjoyed in Hyaena later) in Into the Light and Arabian Knights in both of which youʼll find Budgieʼs presence so simple and yet determining. And there is also this Hahaha-ha-ha great!

Halloween on the other hand is one of those Bansheesʼ songs part-bitchy funny, part-sadHow on earth do they do that???

Monitor is a straight attack to vicious TV entertainment.

Number 6 Night Shift one of their best songs ever, based on the Yorkshire Ripper who terrorized North England at that time. The darkest song of the album, maybe the darkest the group ever made switching from wonder to anger. Hissing, not kissing Sioux is almost crying on this one...!

Sin in my Heart: now guess who takes the guitar...Whioux do you guess? Opens in a stunning way, then a glass breaks, continues in a stunning way, followed by one of Siouxsieʼs most attacking howling - reminding moments of their debut album the Scream- and ends with a breaking glass. Everyone loves to sin, but listening to this song sin is the first thing youʼll do when the album comes to the end of it

The best thing in Head cut is the hissing (yes, she does it again). Flirting with the idea of killing again, or maybe just twisted desire? It gets mixed up with such brutal lyrics

Voodoo Dolly transfixes you to your fear for 7 minutes, with the last 3 listening to a terrifying mixture of sounds and listenlistenlisten .

Ok, now you are entranced

Though I love picking the highlights of an album I give up on this one (although I consider Night Shift as one of the best songs I have e v e r heard)