{{otheruses|Hyaena (disambiguation){{!}}Hyaena}} {{Short description|1984 studio album by Siouxsie and the Banshees}} {{EngvarB|date=September 2013}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}} {{Infobox album | name = Hyæna | type = studio | artist = [[Siouxsie and the Banshees]] | cover = Siouxsie_&_the_Banshees-Hyaena.jpg | alt = | released = 8 June 1984 | recorded = June 1983 – March 1984 | venue = | studio = *[[Angel Recording Studios|Angel]], London *[[Eel Pie Studios|Eel Pie]], London *[[Morgan Studios|Power Plant]], London *[[Europafilm|Europa Film]], Stockholm | genre = {{hlist|[[Post-punk]]|[[neo psychedelia]]|[[art pop]]}} | length = 44:15 | label = {{flatlist| * [[Polydor Records|Polydor]] * [[Geffen Records|Geffen]] (US) }} | producer = {{flatlist| * Siouxsie and the Banshees * [[Mike Hedges]] }} | prev_title = [[Nocturne (Siouxsie and the Banshees album)|Nocturne]] | prev_year = 1983 | next_title = [[The Thorn (EP)|The Thorn]] | next_year = 1984 | misc = {{Extra chronology | artist = [[Siouxsie Sioux]] | type = studio | prev_title = [[Feast (The Creatures album)|Feast]]<br />[[the Creatures]] | prev_year = 1983 | title = Hyæna | year = 1984 | next_title = [[The Thorn (EP)|The Thorn]] | next_year = 1984 }} {{Singles | name = Hyæna | type = studio | single1 = [[Swimming Horses]] | single1date = 16 March 1984 | single2 = [[Dazzle (song)|Dazzle]] | single2date = 25 May 1984 }} }} '''''Hyæna''''' is the sixth studio album by the English [[Rock music|rock]] band [[Siouxsie and the Banshees]], released on 8 June 1984 by [[Polydor Records]]. The opening track, "[[Dazzle (song)|Dazzle]]", featured strings played by musicians of the [[London Symphonic Orchestra]] (LSO), a 27-piece orchestra called the "Chandos Players";<ref>Billy Chainsaw. "Phase Three Issues Three & Four". ''The Siouxsie and the Banshees File [Official magazine]''. 1984.</ref> it was scored from a tune that [[Siouxsie Sioux]] had composed on piano.<ref>Billy Chainsaw. "Phase Three Issue Two". ''The Siouxsie and the Banshees File [Official magazine]''. 1984.</ref> ''Hyæna'' is the only studio album that guitarist [[Robert Smith (musician)|Robert Smith]] of [[the Cure]] composed and recorded with Siouxsie and the Banshees.
In the United States, ''Hyæna'' was the first Banshees studio album to be released on [[Geffen Records]], which also signed to reissue the rest of the band's catalogue. Before that, "[[Dear Prudence#Cover versions|Dear Prudence]]" had become the band's highest-peaking single in the UK, reaching number 3 in September of the previous year.<ref>Brian Johns (1989). Entranced: the Siouxsie and the Banshees story. Omnibus Press. {{ISBN|0-7119-1773-6}}.</ref> The song, initially released as a stand-alone single in Europe, was issued in North America in May 1984. Consequently, it was finally added to the track listing of the US album version. ''Hyæna'' was the first Siouxsie and the Banshees album to enter the ''[[Billboard 200]]'' in the US.<ref name="Allmusic">{{cite web|url=http://allmusic.com/artist/siouxsie-and-the-banshees-p125670/charts-awards/billboard-albums|title=Awards Billboard Siouxsie and the Banshees|publisher=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=30 October 2010|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20111023050448/http://allmusic.com/artist/siouxsie-and-the-banshees-p125670/charts-awards/billboard-albums|archive-date=23 October 2011}}</ref>
''Hyæna'' was reissued on CD in a remastered, expanded edition in 2009. A 180-gram vinyl reissue of the album, remastered from the original {{frac|1|4}}-inch tapes and cut half-speed at [[Abbey Road Studios]] by Miles Showell, was released in December 2018.
== Critical reception and legacy == {{Music ratings | rev1 = [[AllMusic]] | rev1Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}<ref name="Cook"/> }} Upon release, ''[[Melody Maker]]'' wrote a favourable review: "Parts of it are so wistfully carefree that it's impossible not to credit Robert Smith as the [[talisman]] – his irreverence seems to course through everything. 'Take Me Back' is the Banshees rollicking like some primitive jazz combo drunk on the Good Lord's wine. On 'Belladonna', Smith's liquid guitar relaxes Sioux to the extent that she drops a few masks to reveal her vulnerability. When the siren sings 'daylight devours your unguarded hours', she's illuminating her own predicament so acutely it surely can't be coincidence. '[[Dazzle (song)|Dazzle]]', too, is naively daring: Siouxsie's voice, framed alone against the firmament of strings.{{nbsp}}... You can get impressed, wrapped up and lost in this'".<ref name="Melody Maker">{{cite journal |author=Steve Sutherland |title= Pedigree Chums [''Hyæna'' review] |journal=[[Melody Maker]] |issue=9 June 1984}}</ref>
In his retrospective review for [[AllMusic]], Stephen Cook gave ''Hyæna'' a 4.5 out of 5-star rating and wrote: "The emphasis here is on layered arrangements and pop tunes disguised as art-house production numbers ("Dazzle"); tasteful horn and keyboard parts expand the group's guitar-dominated sound and provide Siouxsie with an airy and dreamlike backdrop in which to fully display her considerable vocal talents".<ref name="Cook">{{cite web |url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/hyaena-mw0000203563 |title=Hyaena – Siouxsie and the Banshees |author=Stephen Cook |work=[[AllMusic]] |access-date=3 November 2011}}</ref> ''[[The Rolling Stone Album Guide]]'' gave a 3 out of 5 rating saying that Smith brought a "surprisingly disciplined influence" to the band, which they recognised in the album's "best cuts: the liquid-mercury 'Dazzle', the sparse 'Swimming Horses', and a lushly appointed cover of the Beatles' 'Dear Prudence'".<ref name="RSAlbumGuide">{{cite book|last1=Coleman|first1=Mark|last2=Randall|first2=Mac|chapter=Siouxsie and the Banshees|title=[[The New Rolling Stone Album Guide]]|editor1-first=Nathan|editor1-last=Brackett|editor1-link=Nathan Brackett|editor2-first=Christian|editor2-last=with Hoard|publisher=Simon & Schuster|location=New York|date=2004|isbn=978-0-7432-0169-8|pages=740–41}}</ref>
When the album was reissued, ''[[The Quietus]]'' praised it saying: "[It was] their most experimental work, Smith's presence is keenly felt on the disciplined execution of the grandiose 'Dazzle' or the starkly seductive '[[Swimming Horses]]'. But the real treasures were buried deep within the album. The [[lysergic]] Spaghetti Western twang of 'Bring Me the Head of the [[Preacher]] Man' is evocative in its execution while the densely epic 'Blow the House Down' finds Smith indelibly stamping his mark on the track courtesy of some his [''sic''] finest guitar work".<ref name=quiet>{{cite web |first=Julian |last=Marszalek |url=http://thequietus.com/articles/01467-siouxsie-the-banshees-a-kiss-in-the-dreamhouse-nocturne-hyaena-tinderbox-reissues-album-review |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120716181554/http://thequietus.com/articles/01467-siouxsie-the-banshees-a-kiss-in-the-dreamhouse-nocturne-hyaena-tinderbox-reissues-album-review |url-status=dead |archive-date=2012-07-16 |title=Siouxsie & the Banshees reissues: A kiss in the Dreamhouse, Nocturne, Hyaena, Tinderbox |website=[[The Quietus]] |date=10 April 2009 |access-date=19 July 2012}}</ref>
''Hyæna'' was namechecked by [[Brett Anderson]], the singer of [[Suede (band)|Suede]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.brettanderson.co.uk/baculture.swf |title=Some Current Fascinations |work=brettanderson.co.uk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130316011411/http://www.brettanderson.co.uk/baculture.swf |url-status=unfit |archive-date=16 March 2013 |access-date=30 April 2016}}</ref> [[James Dean Bradfield]] of [[Manic Street Preachers]] hired producer Hedges because he loved the sound on lead single "Swimming Horses". Bradfield stated: "Swimming Horses' by the Banshees – what a fucking record that is!{{nbsp}}... I remember thinking 'You really care about that record. I'm gonna have to chase that record down." He also mentioned the importance of the drums: "I loved{{nbsp}}... Banshees records{{nbsp}}... where everything starts with the drums".<ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web|url=http://thequietus.com/articles/20332-manic-street-preachers-everything-must-go-interview-simon-price|title=And If You Need An Explanation: Manic Street Preachers interviewed |website=[[The Quietus]] |first=Simon |last=Price |date=2 June 2016 |access-date=22 June 2016}}</ref> [[Stuart Braithwaite]] of [[Mogwai]] selected "Dazzle" when curating a collection of "cinematic music" for BBC radio, saying "this record is so kind of epic and huge".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00281bf |title=Mogwai In The Frame Mogwai |publisher=BBC 6 Radio |date=25 February 2025 |access-date=2025-04-05 |quote=That was Siouxsie and the Banshees with 'Dazzle'. I love the Banshees,this record is so kind of epic and huge, it is such a brilliant group, I feel lucky that I got to see them a few times}}</ref>
== Track listing == All music is composed by Siouxsie and the Banshees ([[Siouxsie Sioux]], [[Steven Severin]], [[Budgie (musician)|Budgie]] and [[Robert Smith (musician)|Robert Smith]]) except "Belladonna" (Siouxsie, Severin and Budgie).<ref>"''Hyaena'' Siouxsie and the Banshees [Original issue]". Polydor – 821 510-1. 1984. "All songs Dreamhouse / Chappell / A.p.b. except 'Belladonna' – Dreamhouse / Chappell [Picture label notes]".<br />"''Hyaena'' Siouxsie and the Banshees [Vinyl reissue]". Polydor – SATBLP08S. 2019. "All tracks published by – Chrysalis Music Limited / Domino Publishing Company Limited / Fiction Songs Limited except 'Belladonna' – Chrysalis / Domino [Picture label notes]".</ref> {{Track listing | headline = Side one | all_lyrics = [[Siouxsie Sioux]], except where noted | title1 = [[Dazzle (song)|Dazzle]] | length1 = 5:30 | lyrics1 = | title2 = We Hunger | lyrics2 = | length2 = 3:31 | title3 = Take Me Back | lyrics3 = | length3 = 3:03 | title4 = Belladonna | lyrics4 = [[Steven Severin]] | length4 = 4:30 | title5 = [[Swimming Horses]] | lyrics5 = | length5 = 4:06 }} {{Track listing | headline = Side two | title6 = Bring Me the Head of the Preacher Man | lyrics6 = Severin | length6 = 4:37 | title7 = Running Town | lyrics7 = | length7 = 4:04 | title8 = Pointing Bone | lyrics8 = Severin | length8 = 3:49 | title9 = Blow the House Down | lyrics9 = | length9 = 6:59 }}
{{track listing | all_writing = | headline = US version | title1 = [[Dazzle (song)|Dazzle]] | title2 = We Hunger | title3 = Take Me Back | title4 = Belladonna | title5 = [[Swimming Horses]] | title6 = [[Dear Prudence#Cover versions|Dear Prudence]] | lyrics6 = [[Lennon–McCartney]] | music6 = Lennon–McCartney | title7 = Bring Me the Head of the Preacher Man | title8 = Running Town | title9 = Pointing Bone | title10 = Blow the House Down }}
{{Track listing | headline = 2009 CD remastered issue bonus tracks | title10 = Dear Prudence | lyrics10 = Lennon–McCartney | music10 = Lennon–McCartney | title11 = Dazzle | note11=12" Glamour mix | title12 = Baby Piano (Part 1) | title13 = Baby Piano (Part 2) }}
The two "Baby Piano" instrumental tracks are, respectively, a short piano demo of "Dazzle" and the string backing to the album version of the song.
== Personnel == ;Siouxsie and the Banshees * [[Siouxsie Sioux]] – vocals * [[Steven Severin]] – electric bass, keyboards * [[Budgie (drummer)|Budgie]] – drums, percussion, marimba * [[Robert Smith (musician)|Robert Smith]] – guitars, keyboards
'''Additional personnel''' * Robin Canter – woodwind * The Chandos Players – strings * [[Mike Hedges]] – production, engineering * David Kemp – engineering assistance * Frank Barretta – engineering assistance * Siouxsie and the Banshees – production * Maria Penn - paintings
==Charts== {| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" |+ Chart performance for ''Hyæna'' |- ! scope="col"| Chart (1984) ! scope="col"| Peak<br/>position |- ! scope="row"| Australian Albums ([[Kent Music Report]])<ref>{{cite book |last=Kent |first=David |author-link=David Kent (historian) |title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 |edition=illustrated |location=St Ives, N.S.W. |publisher=Australian Chart Book |year=1993 |page=444 |isbn=0-646-11917-6}}</ref> | 98 |- ! scope="row"| [[European Top 100 Albums|European Albums]] (''[[Music & Media]]'')<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://worldradiohistory.com/hd2/IDX-UK/Music/Archive-Music-Media-IDX/IDX/80s/84/M&M-1984-06-18-OCR-Page-0004.pdf |title=European Top 100 Albums |magazine=[[Music & Media|Eurotipsheet]] |volume=1 |issue=12 |date=18 June 1984 |page=12 |oclc=29800226 |via=World Radio History}}</ref> | 64 |- {{album chart|New Zealand|18|artist=Siouxsie & the Banshees|album=Hyæna|rowheader=true|access-date=16 October 2021}} |- {{album chart|Sweden|50|artist=Siouxsie & the Banshees|album=Hyæna|rowheader=true|access-date=16 October 2021}} |- {{album chart|UK2|15|date=19840610|rowheader=true|access-date=16 October 2021}} |- ! scope="row"| US [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]]<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/siouxsie-the-banshees/chart-history/TLP |title=Siouxsie & the Banshees Chart History (Billboard 200) |magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]] |access-date=16 October 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200217000956/https://www.billboard.com/music/siouxsie-the-banshees/chart-history/TLP |archive-date=17 February 2020}}</ref> | 157 |}
== References ==
{{reflist}}
{{Siouxsie and the Banshees}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hyaena (Siouxsie and the Banshees album)}} [[Category:1984 albums]] [[Category:Siouxsie and the Banshees albums]] [[Category:Albums produced by Mike Hedges]] [[Category:Polydor Records albums]] [[Category:Geffen Records albums]]