Tinderbox (Siouxsie and the Banshees album)

Tinderbox
Studio album by Siouxsie and the Banshees
Released 21 April 1986
Recorded 1985
Genre Alternative rock, post-punk
Length 38:21
Label
Producer Siouxsie and the Banshees
Siouxsie and the Banshees chronology
Hyæna
(1984)
Tinderbox
(1986)
Through the Looking Glass
(1987)
Singles from Tinderbox
  1. "Cities in Dust"
    Released: 18 October 1985
  2. "Candyman"
    Released: 28 February 1986
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Pop Mattersvery favourable[2]
The Quietusvery favourable[3]
Spinvery favourable[4]

Tinderbox is the seventh studio album by the English rock band Siouxsie and the Banshees, released in 1986. It was the first full-length effort recorded with new guitarist John Valentine Carruthers; Carruthers had previously only added a few parts on 1984's The Thorn EP. The first recording sessions for this album took place at Hansa Tonstudio by the Berlin Wall in May 1985.

Two songs were released as singles between late 1985 and early 1986, "Cities in Dust" and "Candyman". Tinderbox peaked at No. 13 in the UK Albums Chart,[5] and at No. 88 on the U.S. Billboard 200 chart in the week of 5 July.[6] Tinderbox is retrospectively considered as a classic by critics.

The album was reissued in a remastered and expanded edition in 2009, with bonus tracks including an unreleased version of 1987's "Song from the Edge of the World" non-album single, and an unreleased song with lyrics by Steven Severin called "Starcrossed", recorded in May 1985. The B-sides of "Cities in Dust" and "Candyman", initially included as bonus tracks on the 1986 CD, were then included in the Downside Up B-sides box set.

Critical reception

The album was well received by critics. Sounds praised the album on its release. Kevin Murphy wrote, "Tinderbox romps and swoons with all the majesty of Dreamhouse", and added, "it's a refreshing slant on the Banshees' disturbing perspective and restores their vivid shades to pop's pale palette."[7] Jon Savage also hailed the record in Spin magazine: "Its scope, ease, and assurance make it 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".[4]

AllMusic reviewer David Cleary retrospectively rated the record 4.5 out of 5 stars, applauding the band for "rocking drumming, drivingly aggressive yet fully textured guitar playing, and masterful, gutsy singing. The songs here are intense [...] in fact, there's a certain satisfying feel to the musically uniform wall of sound here. [...] there are [...] plenty of subtle, effective production touches to be found throughout."[1] The Quietus also praised the album and said: "By removing the focus from the guitar, Siouxsie & The Banshees forged a sound that was totally their own. Rhythmic and percussive, the rock idiom of old was eschewed in favour of a sound that was wholly their own. "Cities In Dust", the first taster from Tinderbox, found the band moving into more electronic climes as Severin's recently purchased DX-7 synth discovered new territories to explore."[3] PopMatters listed it among their "12 Essential Alternative Rock Albums from the 1980", saying it was a " bold and enchanting album".[2]

Legacy

Tinderbox would be later hailed by the singer of Suede, Brett Anderson.[8] Jenny Lee Lindberg of Warpaint cited among her influences, the band and the song "Umbrella", initially included in the track listing of the 1986 CD version.[9]

Track listing

All tracks by Siouxsie and the Banshees.

All lyrics written by Siouxsie Sioux, except where noted

Original release
  1. Candyman - 3:44
  2. The Sweetest Chill - 4:07
  3. This Unrest - 6:21
  4. Cities in Dust - 3:51
  5. Cannons - 3:14
  6. Party's Fall - 4:56
  7. 92° - 6:02
  8. Land's End - 6:06
1986 CD bonus tracks
  1. The Quarterdrawing of the Dog - 4:58
  2. An Execution - 3:50
  3. Lullaby (Severin) - 3:34
  4. Umbrella - 4:11
  5. Cities in Dust (Extended Version) - 6:49

2009 remastered reissue bonus tracks

  1. "Cities in Dust (12" Eruption Mix)"
  2. "The Sweetest Chill (Chris Kimsey 12" Remix)" (unreleased version) (lyrics by Steven Severin)
  3. "Song from the Edge of the World (JVC Version)" (unreleased version)
  4. "Starcrossed" (unreleased track) (lyrics by Steven Severin)

Personnel

Siouxsie and the Banshees with John Valentine Carruthers in 1985. Left to right: Carruthers, Budgie, Sioux, Severin.
Production
  • Siouxsie and the Banshees – producers

Charts

Chart (1986) Peak
position
UK Albums Chart[5] 13
Australian Albums Chart[10] 97
New Zealand Albums[11] 34
Swedish Albums Chart[12] 32
US Billboard 200[13] 88
Dutch Charts[14] 51

Cover photograph

On 8 July 1927, a tornado near the town of Jasper, Minnesota, was photographed by Lucille Handberg.[15] Her photograph has become a classic image,[16] and was used on the album's cover. The same photograph was edited and used for Deep Purple's 1974 album Stormbringer.

References

  1. 1 2 David Clearly. "Tinderbox – Siouxsie and the Banshees". Allmusic. Retrieved 20 August 2012.
  2. 1 2 Makowsky, Jennifer (27 August 2014). "12 Essential Alternative Rock Albums from the 1980s". PopMatters. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
  3. 1 2 Julian Marszalek (10 April 2009). "Siouxsie & the Banshees reissues: A kiss in the Dreamhouse, Nocturne, Hyæna, Tinderbox". Thequietus.com. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  4. 1 2 Savage, Jon. Spin (magazine). June 1986. Page 81
  5. 1 2 "Siouxsie & the Banshees in the UK charts albums and singles". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 19 March 2012.
  6. Billboard 200 - week 5 July 1986. Billboard. Retrieved 15-8-2015
  7. Murphy, Kevin. "Pop's Royal Couple?". Sounds. 10 May 1986.
  8. Culture. Brettanderson.co.uk. 20 July 2011. Retrieved 1 November 2011.
  9. Kerr, David. "Under the Influence: Warpaint's Jenny Lee Lindberg". Theskinny.co.uk. 16 March 2015. Retrieved 10 December 2015
  10. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (Illustrated ed.). Sydney: Australian Chart Book. p. 444. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
  11. "Tinderbox - New zealand charts". charts.org.nz. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  12. "Tinderbox swedish charts". swedishcharts.com. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  13. "Siouxsie & the banshees Billboard albums". allmusic.com. Retrieved 2012-03-18.
  14. "Tinderbox Dutch charts". dutchcharts.nl. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  15. Tornado Historical Photos and Information
  16. Lane, F.W. The Elements Rage. David and Charles. 1966. plate 11: "The classic photograph of a tornado".
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