Peepshow (album)
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| Studio album by Siouxsie and the Banshees | |||||
| Released | 5 September 1988 | ||||
| Recorded | January–June 1988 | ||||
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| Length | 42:41 | ||||
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| Siouxsie and the Banshees chronology | |||||
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| Siouxsie Sioux chronology | |||||
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| Singles from Peepshow | |||||
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Q | |
| Spin | very favourable |
| Record Mirror | |
Peepshow is the ninth studio album by English alternative rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees, released in September 1988 on Polydor. It was their first record as a quintet. With the arrival of multi-instrumentalist Martin McCarrick, the group recorded a multifaceted album with a variety of influences. Including the singles "Peek-a-Boo" and "The Last Beat of My Heart", the record was a commercial success, peaking at No. 68 on the Billboard 200 chart in the week of 3 December 1988. It spent a total of 20 weeks on that chart.
Peepshow was widely acclaimed by critics. Praise centred around the unpredictability of the orchestrations and new nuances in Siouxsie's voice. This album was reissued in a remastered version with bonus tracks in October 2014.
Peepshow received widespread critical acclaim upon its release. Q wrote in its 5-star review: "Peepshow takes place in some distorted fairground of the mind where weird and wonderful shapes loom." Reviewer Mark Cooper hailed "Martin McCarrick's accordion that pokes its way into Peek A Boo [...] a carny piece of musical imagination". He noted that "the rest of the record bursts with similar acts of imagination", saying: "full honours go to the aforementioned McCarrick for all manner of shrewd decorations and drummer Budgie for endlessly inventive rhythm work that manages to pinpoint the tension inherent in each song without ever lapsing into an obvious beat".Melody Maker highly praised its first single, "Peek-a-Boo", and called it "quite the most astounding British record" of 1988, and "a brightly unexpected mixture of black steel and pop disturbance." The paper also praised the band for the ballad "The Last Beat of My Heart". Chris Roberts said: "The infinite pinnacle is their one joint effort, the bravura hymn "The Last Beat of My Heart"". As Martin McCarrick's accordion and Budgie's directly intelligent rhythms underlie its pathos, this elegy is translated by Sioux with capital beatitude. It's the Banshees' most courageous arabesque in some time."Record Mirror also particularly enjoyed that song when reviewing the album: "The highlight is the restrained 'The Last Beat of My Heart', where Siouxsie's voice explores new ground as she caresses a haunting melody." Reviewer Kevin Murphy concluded by saying: "Brimming with confidence [...], Peepshow is the Banshees' finest hour."NME noted a change of approach in the musical direction: "Peepshow is the best Banshees record since A Kiss in the Dreamhouse because it's the Banshees deciding to be a pop band rather than a rock group".
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