The Creatures
The Creatures | |
---|---|
Background information | |
Origin | London, England |
Genres | |
Years active | 1981–2005 |
Labels | Polydor, Geffen, Sioux Records, Instinct Records, PIAS |
Past members | Siouxsie Sioux Budgie |
Website | Official site |
The Creatures were an English band formed in 1981 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and drummer Budgie of the group Siouxsie and the Banshees. The Creatures released their first EP Wild Things in 1981. They recorded four studio albums: Feast in 1983, Boomerang in 1989, Anima Animus in 1999 and Hái! in 2003.
With Feast, the band dabbled in exotica.[1] On Boomerang, they added a Spanish-tinged vibe to their music, with elements of flamenco, blues and jazz;[2] Uncut magazine would later rate Boomerang at number 184 in their list of "the 500 Greatest Albums of the 1980s".[3] In the late 1990s, they developed a more urban sound; The Times then described their music as "adventurous art rock built around Siouxsie's extraordinary voice and drummer Budgie's battery of percussion".[4] In their last work, they returned to their roots while heading east, with an ode to Japanese minimalism. They disbanded in 2005.
Their music was praised by Jeff Buckley,[5] PJ Harvey,[6] Anohni,[7] and name-checked by Neil Hannon of the Divine Comedy.[8]
Wild Things (1981)
Singer Siouxsie Sioux and drummer Budgie created the Creatures in 1981 while rehearsing for Banshees'
Feast (1983)
In 1983, the Creatures released their first full-length album,
Boomerang (1989–1990)
The Creatures reconvened six years later. Siouxsie and Budgie went to a stone barn in
In the US, the single "Standing There" was popular on alternative radio stations, reaching No. 4 on the
Collaboration with John Cale and Eraser Cut EP (1996–1998)
When Siouxsie and the Banshees ended in 1996, the Creatures had already begun composing new material. At the same time, the long-out-of-print Wild Things EP and Feast album were remastered and re-released through the compilation A Bestiary Of.
In February 1998, former
During that period, Siouxsie and Budgie created their own label, Sioux Records, and became an independent act. A stand-alone single, "Sad Cunt", was offered to attendees of two warm-up concerts in London in May prior to the North American tour.
Anima Animus (1999–2002)
Early in 1999, the Creatures released Anima Animus, their first studio album in just under a decade. Its urban sound was an important departure from Boomerang's organic atmosphere. The Times wrote about Anima Animus: "It's entrancing, hypnotic and inventive",[29] and peer PJ Harvey later selected it in her 10 favourite albums released in 1999.[6] Other singles from the album were "
In June, the Creatures appeared on Marc Almond's Open All Night; Siouxsie duetted with Almond and Budgie added percussion on the track "Threat of Love". In late 1999, the remix album Hybrids was issued, featuring remixes by other acts including the Beloved.
In 2000, a compilation of unreleased Anima Animus-era tracks was released as U.S. Retrace. It featured the B-side "All She Could Ask For", which was the opening number for all their concerts during that period. Three one-track CDs – "Murdering Mouth" (live), "Rocket Ship" and "Red Wrapping Paper" – were distributed to fan club members.
Hái! (2003–2004)
Siouxsie and Budgie returned with a full-length album,
In 2004, Siouxsie toured for the first time billed as a solo act, but with Budgie still as drummer and musical arranger. The setlists combined Banshees and Creatures songs. A live DVD called Dreamshow documented the last London concert of September 2004 performed with the Millennia Ensemble. Released in August 2005, this DVD reached No. 1 in the UK music DVD chart.[34]
Dreamshow was the last release by the pair, as Siouxsie announced publicly during a 2007 interview with The Sunday Times that she and Budgie had divorced.[35]
Discography
- Studio albums
- Feast (1983)
- Boomerang (1989)
- Anima Animus (1999)
- Hái! (2003)
References
- ^ a b Raggett, Ned. "Feast – review". Allmusic. Retrieved 10-8-2015
- ^ Raggett, Ned. "Boomerang – The Creatures". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 May 2013.
- ^ The 500 Greatest Albums of the 1980s, Uncut magazine, January 2024
- ^ Williamson, Nigel. "Siouxsie". The Times — Metro. 10 October 1998
- ^ Untiedundone.com archives Archived 27 November 2005 at the Wayback Machine Jeff Buckley covered "Killing Time" at the radio WFMU Studios, East Orange, NJ, 10.11.92. "Killing Time" is a Siouxsie's song from the Creatures' Boomerang album. Buckley also performed it for his first major gig in London at The Astoria in January 1995.
- ^ a b "7th January 2000 PJ selects her Top 10 Albums of 1999" Pjharvey.net. 7 January 2000. Featuring The Creatures aka Siouxsie and Budgie with the LP Anima Animus.
- ^ Mayo Davies, Dean (16 June 2022). "Andy Butler & Anohni In Conversation". Anothermag.com. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
Budgie is such an amazing drummer – there's something so delicious about the Siouxsie catalogue and The Creatures' catalogue ...The Creatures were a band that I loved so much
- ^ Purden, Richard. "Neil Hannon: There have been sticky times". Heraldscotland.com. 28 September 2019. Retrieved 28 September 2019. "The marimba part reminds me of things like [...] The Creatures [formed in 1981 by Siouxsie and the Banshees members Siouxsie Sioux and Budgie]. It was a thing in the early 1980s and seemed to crop up a lot".
- ^ "Once A Fakir Always a Fakir". NME. 10 May 1983. Creatures on the front cover, full page.
"The Creatures Siouxsie & Budgie". Melody Maker. 10 May 1983. Creatures on the front cover, full page - ^ Sutherland, Steve. "Dancing on Glass". Melody Maker. 14 May 1983
- ^ Cook, Richard. "All Creatures Great And Small". NME. 14 May 1983.
- ^ Reynolds, Simon. Boomerang review. Melody Maker. 11 November 1989. "'Boomerang' abounds with scarcely anticipated brilliance".
- ^ Morton, Roger. "Peek-A-Boom" [Boomerang review]. NME. 11 November 1989
- ^ Untiedundone.com archives Archived 27 November 2005 at the Wayback Machine Jeff Buckley covered "Killing Time" at the radio WFMU Studios, East Orange, NJ, 10.11.92. "Killing Time" is a Siouxsie's song from The Creatures's Boomerang album. Buckley also performed it for his first major gig in London at The Astoria in January 1995.
- ^ Jeffbuckley-fr.net list of songs covered by jeff buckley Archived 12 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "The Creatures live on Big World Cafe – Channel Four". youtube. 4 December 1989. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2020.
- ^ "The Creatures live on One Hour with Jonathan Ross – Channel Four". YouTube. 17 December 1989. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 2 July 2021.
- ^ "Alternative Songs – week 27 January 1990". Billboard. Archived from the original on 23 March 2018. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
{{cite magazine}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Standing There" entered the top 10 of the Modern Rock Tracks chart, on 9 December 1989 "Alternative Songs – week 12 December 1989". Billboard. Retrieved 22 March 2018. and stayed there until 10 February 1990 "Alternative Songs – week 24 February 1990". Billboard. Retrieved 22 March 2018.
- ^ "Billboard – Alternative rock chart- the week of 17 March 1990". Billboard. 2 January 2013. Archived from the original on 17 October 2018. Retrieved 3 October 2015.
- ^ Siouxsie and John Cale. "Murdering Mouth". Amsterdam, Paradiso (With the Metropole Orchestra). 25 February 1998. Retrieved 2 February 2018.
- ^ "The Creatures, Siouxsie with John Cale – 'I Was Me' (Live Amsterdam February 1998)". youtube. 25 February 1998. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 2 February 2019.
- ^ "The Creatures Disconnected, Prettiest Thing – Live on Later With Jools Holland". Youtube. 15 May 1998. Retrieved 2 September 2019.
- ^ "Sad Cunt (references)". Thecreatures.com. Archived from the original on 9 March 2001. Retrieved 3 August 2016.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link) - ^ "Siouxsie / The Creatures With John Cale, 'Venus in Furs' (Encore of the Sacramento, Crest Theater – concert)". Youtube. 29 June 1998. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
"Siouxsie / The Creatures With John Cale, 'Hedda Gabler' (Sacramento, Crest Theater – concert)". Youtube. 29 June 1998. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
"Siouxsie / The Creatures With John Cale, 'Pablo Picasso' (Sacramento, Crest Theater – concert)". Youtube. 29 June 1998. Archived from the original on 21 December 2021. Retrieved 2 June 2015.
"Siouxsie And John Cale, Hitting The Road". MTV. 1 June 1998. Archived from the original on 4 May 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2008. - ^ Masuo, Sandy (16 July 1998). "Inventive, Spirited Show". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2 July 2018.
- ^ Mulholland, Gary. "A girl named Sioux". Time Out. 26 September 1998.
- ^ "2nd Floor video – The Creatures". Youtube. September 1998. Retrieved 2 January 2021.
- ^ "Anima Animus" review. The Times. 2 February 1999.
- ^ The Creatures Godzilla promo NME comment. 2003. Retrieved 2 July 2010. archived from the original.
- ^ Watts, Peter. Hái! review. Time out. November 2003. "It's a virile, sultry salute to lust and bondage, and will cure anybody of their hangover. A spine-tingling achievement."
- ^ Paytress, Mark. Hái! review. Mojo. November 2003. "Guaranteed to re-ignite the enthusiasm of lapsed Banshees devotees, it'll likely prompt more than a few disbelievers to take note, too. Those big, Bonham-like beats are Sumo-sized headlocks. But Hái! boasts more than a few moments of jasmine-scented intimacy, where Sioux's inimitable Banshee yelp does daintily nuanced dances to Budgie's intricate marimba manipulations. A robust return".
- ^ The Sopranos Season 5 Trailer. Youtube. 7 March 2004. Retrieved 2 November 2012
Sopranos 01.03.04 The Creatures.com. Retrieved 1 August 2012 - ^ "Siouxsie Number One in UK Music DVD chart". The Creatures Web Site. 30 August 2005. "Dreamshow" Siouxsie Number One in UK Music DVD Chart
- ^ Cairns, Dan.Siouxsie Sioux is back in bloom. The Sunday Times. 26 August 2007
Sources
- Budgie. The Creatures Biography. The Creatures.com April 2000
- Paytress, Mark. Siouxsie & the Banshees: The Authorised Biography. Sanctuary, 2003. ISBN 1-86074-375-7
External links
- The Creatures' videos (official channel) on Dailymotion uploaded in the original 4:3 aspect ratio
- The Creatures' VEVO – two videos only uploaded in 16:9 aspect ratio