For the month of October, I’m selecting a song each day from the decade that has the most meaning to me: the 80s. It was the decade that I grew up in. The period of time where I discovered my love for music — and explored many different genres. For the next 31 days, I’ll highlight a handful of songs that I truly loved and that were representative of the decade. #31DaysOf80sSongs
Siouxsie & the Banshees may be one of the most criminally underrated bands of all time. In fact, one of the most important bands of the post-punk era was inspired by them. That band, of course, is The Cure. Robert Smith’s stint w/Siouxie & the Banshees gave him a taste of everything he wanted in a band. It’s safe to say, without Siouxie there would be no Cure. The band excelled in recreating classics like “The Passenger” and “Dear Prudence” as well as crafting danceable tracks like “Peek-A-Boo”, “Happy House” and “Cities in Dust”. But they also had a flair for the epic, which is on full display in “Dazzle”.
“Dazzle” is majestic at times and sinister in other moments. It more closely resembles an orchestral movement than a rock song. What I love about “Dazzle” most is the turn from sweeping ballad to gothic explosion at the 1:17 mark. The track feels more like a black and white movie than a song, with the aforementioned explosion its car chase scene. “Dazzle” is a cinematic experience, doing what all great post-punk songs do — creating a scene where our minds can escape to over and over again.
“The stars that shine and the stars that shrink. In the face of stagnation the water runs before your eyes.”