Boomerang (The Creatures album)
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

''Boomerang'' is the second studio album by British duo the Creatures (a.k.a. singer Siouxsie Sioux and musician
Budgie Budgie may refer to: Arts * Budgie (album), ''Budgie'' (album), the debut album by the Welsh heavy metal band Budgie * Budgie (band), a Welsh heavy metal band from Cardiff * Budgie (musician) (born 1957), English drummer * Budgie (TV series), ''Bu ...
). The album was recorded in Spain with
Mike Hedges Mike Hedges (born 1953) is a British audio producer/engineer best known for his work with The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Manic Street Preachers. During his career, Hedges has worked with an eclectic roster of artists ranging from roc ...
, in Jerez de la Frontera, in Andalusia. It featured brass arrangements including trumpet, trombone and saxophone. ''Boomerang'' received widespread critical acclaim from British music critics, who praised Siouxsie's vocals and the choice of a wide range of musical styles on the album, including
blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the Afr ...
, jazz and Spanish styles such as flamenco. The album was later hailed by singer Jeff Buckley, who covered the song "Killing Time".


Background, recording and music

The album was recorded in a ranch in the
province of Cádiz Cádiz is a Provinces of Spain, province of southern Spain, in the southwestern part of the Autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia. It is the southernmost part of mainland Spain, as well as the southernmost part of conti ...
in Andalusia with producer
Mike Hedges Mike Hedges (born 1953) is a British audio producer/engineer best known for his work with The Cure, Siouxsie and the Banshees, and Manic Street Preachers. During his career, Hedges has worked with an eclectic roster of artists ranging from roc ...
, one year after '' Peepshow''. All the instruments and the voices were done in Spain, bar the brass arrangements that were recorded later in London with Peter Thoms on trombone, Gary Barnacle on saxophone and Enrico Tomasso on trumpet. Budgie conceived the brass arrangements with Peter Thoms, they both had previously worked with a horns section six years earlier on the " Right Now" single. "Pluto Drive" is the only song entirely recorded at their return in England. Critics remarked on the musical diversity on the record, saying that it was "a varied collection of fine, if not earth-shaking work. Each of the 14 tracks has something different to offer".Robert Payes/Ira Robbins/David Sheridan/Michael Azerra
"Creatures"
Trouserpress.com. Retrieved 12 December 2015
"Manchild" features a "flamenco rhythmic inflexion and savannah sunset trumpets", while the trumpet-tinged "Strolling Wolf" is an "Iberian-inspired piece". Blues and jazz elements are also featured on the album, such as on the bluesy "Killing Time" and "Willow". In a different style, "Pluto Drive" "marries a sassy low R&B base to futuristic ambient sound", with electronic loops. "Pity" is a lullaby, with Budgie playing Jamaican steel drums. While being in Spain, photographer
Anton Corbijn Anton Johannes Gerrit Corbijn van Willenswaard (; born 20 May 1955) is a Dutch photographer, film director and music video director. He is the creative director behind the visual output of Depeche Mode and U2,Pitman, Joanna"The silent partner"' ...
joined the band to shoot several pictures for the CD album booklet and the sleeves of the two singles. It was the first time Corbijn took photographs of musicians in colour, using filters: he then designed the artwork for ''Boomerang'' with Area.


Lyrics

Budgie explained the song "Manchild": "It's a story based in
Colombia Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
before the drugs cartel, it's about a small child caught up in a feud, this vendetta between his village and another rival village. In a minor way it is all about drug trafficking, but ends with the stronger village wiping out the whole male population of the other village until there was just one boy left called Nelsito. It was understood that he would live till he was at least 18 before he was assassinated, but he was shot on the way to school." He also commented on "Willow": "It's kind of about how my mother died as it was a black area and I hadn't realised what had happened until I saw my brother. He told me what went on with the family and I never really knew until a year afterwards, and I wrote it down directly after that".


Reception and release

The album was released to critical acclaim. '' NMEs Roger Morton qualified it as "a rich and unsettling landscape of exotica", praising "the pre-eminence of Budgie's Spanish-tribal-jazz drumming".
Simon Reynolds Simon Reynolds (born 19 June 1963) is an English music journalist and author who began his professional career on the staff of ''Melody Maker'' in the mid-1980s. He has since gone on to freelance and publish a number of full-length books on music ...
of ''
Melody Maker ''Melody Maker'' was a British weekly music magazine, one of the world's earliest music weeklies; according to its publisher, IPC Media, the earliest. It was founded in 1926, largely as a magazine for dance band musicians, by Leicester-born ...
'' stated that "''Boomerang'' abounds with scarcely anticipated brilliance", qualifying it as "inventive and invigorated music". In a retrospective review, AllMusic hailed Siouxsie's performance, saying: "Sioux's singing is some of her best both in and out of the Banshees, still retaining the shadowed mystery that she makes her own while drawing on an interesting range of styles". ''Boomerang'' was released in CD, vinyl and cassette formats by both Polydor Records and Geffen Records.


Legacy

Jeff Buckley covered "Killing Time" several times between 1992 and 1995. He recorded a rendition for radio station WFMU, and also performed it at his first major London concert at the Astoria after the release of '' Grace''.


Media

In 2008, "
Standing There "Standing There" is a song recorded by English band the Creatures (also known as singer Siouxsie Sioux and drummer Budgie). It was co-produced by Mike Hedges and featured Gary Barnacle on saxophone and Peter Thoms on trombone. It was the lead s ...
" was used by two dancers in the jazz category in the US television show '' So You Think You Can Dance''. In 2012, "You!" was chosen in season 9 of the same TV show."So You Think You Can Dance, Amelia and Will- You! (jazz) "
''Fox.com'' on YouTube. Retrieved 29 December 2012


Track listing

All songs written and composed by Siouxsie and
Budgie Budgie may refer to: Arts * Budgie (album), ''Budgie'' (album), the debut album by the Welsh heavy metal band Budgie * Budgie (band), a Welsh heavy metal band from Cardiff * Budgie (musician) (born 1957), English drummer * Budgie (TV series), ''Bu ...
. # "
Standing There "Standing There" is a song recorded by English band the Creatures (also known as singer Siouxsie Sioux and drummer Budgie). It was co-produced by Mike Hedges and featured Gary Barnacle on saxophone and Peter Thoms on trombone. It was the lead s ...
" – 3:06 # "Manchild" – 3:50 # "You!" – 4:03 # "Pity" – 3:39 # "Killing Time" – 3:26 # "Willow" – 2:06 # "Pluto Drive" – 4:40 # "Solar Choir" – 2:52 # "Speeding" – 4:12 # " Fury Eyes" – 2:10 # "Fruitman" – 2:46 # "Untiedundone" – 3:41 # "Simoom" – 3:43 # "Strolling Wolf" – 4:27 # "Venus Sands" – 5:03 # "Morriña" – 2:49 * "Solar Choir" and "Speeding" were not included on the vinyl issue of the album.


Personnel

;The Creatures * Siouxsie Sioux – voice, instruments *
Budgie Budgie may refer to: Arts * Budgie (album), ''Budgie'' (album), the debut album by the Welsh heavy metal band Budgie * Budgie (band), a Welsh heavy metal band from Cardiff * Budgie (musician) (born 1957), English drummer * Budgie (TV series), ''Bu ...
– drums, percussion, other instruments with: *Peter Thoms – trombone * Gary Barnacle – saxophone *Enrico Tomasso – trumpet on "Manchild" *
Martin McCarrick Martin McCarrick (born 29 July 1962) is an English cellist, keyboardist, guitarist and composer. Aside from being a live and recording artist, he is also a teacher and visiting lecturer in music. Career His first recording in the pop/rock ar ...
– accordion on "Speeding" *Antonio Partida, Domingo Ortega, Eva Ruiz-Verdijo, Innia Ortega, Nuria Fernandez, Rafael Cancelo - Flamenco performers on "Manchild" ;Technical *Mike "Spike" Drake - engineer *
Anton Corbijn Anton Johannes Gerrit Corbijn van Willenswaard (; born 20 May 1955) is a Dutch photographer, film director and music video director. He is the creative director behind the visual output of Depeche Mode and U2,Pitman, Joanna"The silent partner"' ...
- sleeve, cover photography


References

{{Authority control The Creatures albums 1989 albums Geffen Records albums Polydor Records albums Albums produced by Mike Hedges