The Rapturerelease date: Jan. 16, 1995
format: cd (2014 remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,77]
producer: John Cale; Siouxsie & The Banshees
label: Polydor Records - nationality: England, UK
Track highlights: 1. "O Baby" (5 / 5) - 2. "Tearing Apart" - 3. "Stargazer" - 4. "Fall From Grace" - 5. "Not Forgotten" - 7. "The Lonely One" - 9. "Forever" - 11. "The Double Life"
11th studio album by Siouxsie & The Banshees (as the band is stylised here) released close to four years after Superstition (Jun. '91) is here with the same line-up with Siouxsie Sioux, Steven Severin, Budgie, Martin McCarrick, and Jon Klein. On the band's predecessor, they tempted with a synthpop / new wave producer in the shape of Stephen Hague, but here they have been even more daring by choosing the 'old' art rock icon, John Cale, here credited production of five of the album's total of twelve tracks. Since the breezy but absolutely fine Superstition, the band has released a single for the "Batman Returns" movie and for the singles compilation Twice Upon a Time - The Singles - both released in '92.
The Rapture was partially recorded already in '93 exclusively by the band, but it was then decided to hire Cale to record the remaining five tracks and to head the production of these in the spring of '94. Sonically, th is new collection is its own, as usual - and perhaps Polydor and the band themselves feared that by using Hague again, the new album could sound as a repetition, and in retrospect with the band's shifting expression from one album to another, the choice of Cale perhaps justified that by ensuring a new expression. Although, Cale practically only is credited less than half of the songs on the album by producing five tracks (tracks #1, #2, and #7-9), the album is promoted and billed as a John Cale-production. The band itself is credited production of the remaining seven tracks, but this is hardly ever mentioned when referring to The Rapture. In any case, the sound is darker compared to Peepshow (1988) and especially when comparing to Superstition yet without being exactly darkwave as on Tinderbox (1986). It's the kind of sound that also echoes Cale's own art rock releases with focus on rhythm instrumentation where the guitar has been put further in the back. In that way, the album is more in line with a well-known rock tradition - or perhaps closer to the mix of experimental Banshees productions and something more traditional.
Prior to the release, which added The Rapture to the band's long list of critically acclaimed releases, the song "O Baby" was issued for single release Dec. '94 peaking as number #34 on the domestic scene and as number #21 on the US Modern Rock singles list, after which the album followed to a new low and somewhat disappointing 33rd spot on the UK albums chart. Feb. '95, "Stargazer" followed as only the second but final single, and after that underperformed with a position as number #64, Polydor decided to end its contract with a band that had been on the label for all of the band's active years - meaning since Jun. '78, and thus for almost 17 years. On the following tour, guitarist Jon Klein was replaced by Knox Chandler, and about a year later as of Apr. '96, the core members of the band, Sioux, Severin, and Budgie, chose to disband Siouxsie and the Banshees. After this, Sioux and Budgie continued their joint music project, The Creatures, which in '99 released its third album, the critically acclaimed Anima Animus.
The Rapture is another fine collection, which sees the band introducing a new set of aspects. You'll both find tendencies towards synthpop and the more dance-friendly sound we meet on Superstition and also a darker and simpler sound structure tying thin threads with Tinderbox, and the again more complex structures point in the direction of Through the Looking Glass (1987). A new element, is a more traditional rock structure, and still everything is held together as a meaningful whole, which in essence is Siouxsie and the Banshees.
The 2014 remaster adds three bonus tracks to the track list: a mix of "O Baby", a demo, and a later track with new guitarist Chandler.
Recommended.
[ allmusic.com, Select 4 / 5, Vox 3,5 / 5 stars ]
