🎤 Album Overview: Join Hands (1979) by Siouxsie and the Banshees
Released in September 1979, Join Hands is the second studio album by Siouxsie and the Banshees and a darker, more theatrical evolution of their debut The Scream. The album reflects a band in transition, pushing deeper into experimental post-punk textures while also exploring themes of war, mortality, and spiritual unease. Fronted by Siouxsie Sioux, the record is marked by intense emotional delivery and increasingly ambitious compositions.
🎧 Tracklist
- Poppy Day
- Regal Zone
- Placebo Effect
- Playground Twist
- The Lord’s Prayer
- Dropping Acid
- Mother / Oh Mein Papa
- The Lords Prayer (Reprise)
- Join Hands
- Icon
- Premature Burial
🎼 Album Genre
Join Hands is primarily categorized as post-punk, but it leans heavily into gothic atmospheres and avant-garde experimentation. The guitar work of John McKay is sharp, dissonant, and often chaotic, while the rhythm section of Steven Severin and Kenny Morris creates a tense, ritualistic foundation that amplifies the album’s dark tone.
🎹 Album Credits
Vocals — Siouxsie Sioux
Guitar — John McKay
Bass — Steven Severin
Drums — Kenny Morris
Producer — Nils Stevenson
Label — Polydor Records
🧠 Fun Facts
During the recording of Join Hands, tensions within the band were rising significantly, particularly due to the increasingly experimental direction and demanding live performances. The album was also influenced by World War I imagery and literature, especially in tracks like “Poppy Day,” which directly references wartime remembrance themes.
🎲 Trivia
“Mother / Oh Mein Papa” is a striking reinterpretation of the 1950s song “Oh Mein Papa,” transformed into something unsettling and fragmented. The album also reflects the influence of European modernist art and literature, contributing to its bleak, almost theatrical atmosphere.
🤯 Did You Know?
Join Hands marked the final album appearance of guitarist John McKay and drummer Kenny Morris in the classic early lineup. The sessions were reportedly emotionally strained, and the band would soon undergo a major lineup change that shaped their future sound dramatically.
