Rocktrospectiva: The Immaculate "Tinderbox" Turns 40

 

Released on 21 April 1986 "Tinderbox" was the 7th., studio album by the English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees. It was the band's first full-length effort recorded with then-new guitarist John Valentine Carruthers; Carruthers had previously only added a few parts on the 1984 EP The Thorn. The first recording sessions for the album took place at Hansa by the Wall in Berlin in May 1985. Two songs were released as singles between late 1985 and early 1986, "Cities in Dust" and "Candyman". Tinderbox peaked at number 13 on the UK Albums Chart and at number 88 on the US Billboard 200.

Wildly regarded as on the most important and essential alternative rock albums from the 1980s', and several alternative rock artists including Billy Howerdel of A Perfect Circle, Jean-Benoît Dunckel of Air and Rachel Goswell of Slowdive, have cited it as an inspiration.

The album's lyrics explore themes such as natural disasters and panic and was written to be presented live on stage in full like Juju was in 1981 on its subsequent tour. After rehearsing the songs for months and demoing them in late 1984, the band went abroad in Berlin to record the new material in May 1985 (they had previously recorded in Germany, in Bavaria, for The Thorn EP). The lead single, "Cities in Dust", was the only track that was entirely recorded at Matrix Studios in London in September. The rest of the vocal parts were done at AIR Studios in December.

At the beginning of the song "92°", there is a sample from the 1953 film It Came from Outer Space with the line: "Did you know ... that more murders are committed at 92 Fahrenheit than any other temperature? I read an article once. Lower temperatures, people are easygoing. Over 92, it's too hot to move. But just 92, people get irritable".

The sleeve reproduced a picture of a tornado, taken by Lucille Handberg near the town of Jasper, Minnesota, on 8 July 1927. Her photograph has become a classic image; it had previously been used on the covers of Miles Davis' Bitches Brew (1970) and Deep Purple's Stormbringer (1974).

Tinderbox was praised on its release, by saying that it was a refreshing slant on the Banshees' disturbing perspective and restores their vivid shades to pop's pale palette, it was a good collection for the Banshees to relaunch themselves into the international market this spring. Carruthers fits in to the point that you wouldn't know there was a change, and Budgie's drumming is superb. Apart from the singles "Cities in Dust" and "Candyman" (which perpetuates the Banshees' sinister view of childhood), the sparks fly on the crystal clear "Cannons" and the unsettling "Parties Fall", an "exciting" and "superb offering" with "its own charms" with rocking drumming, drivingly aggressive yet fully textured guitar playing, and masterful, gutsy singing. The songs were intense and with a certain satisfying feel to the musically uniform wall of sound here. ... there are ... plenty of subtle, effective production touches to be found throughout.

 

Tinderbox Track List: 

 

1. Candyman

2. The Sweetest Chill

3. This Unrest

4. Cities In Dust

5. Cannons

6. Party's Fall

7. 92º

8. Lands End