Wow. Today marks the 40th Anniversary of my favoritest album of all time.
When I was in high school, a guy named Normal would walk around the halls of Tuscola carrying various Siouxsie and the Banshees albums. This is how I became aware of them as a band. Being a small mountain town in the ’80s, it was hard to come by what was, at the time, more exotic or alternative music. It took until the summer of 1987, while we were on a trip to Florida, for me to get my hands on two Siouxsie and the Banshees cassettes, Tinderbox and Through the Looking Glass. Tinderbox immediately imprinted on me. Everything about it was so mesmerizing. Siouxsie’s voice, the instrumentation, the lyrics, the way the songs are sequenced, the album art. Later, when I was able to get the CD, I discovered the equally enthralling B-sides that were released with the “Candyman” and “Cities in Dust” singles. I listen to this album often. I buy anything Tinderbox-related on vinyl when I run across it. I have even thought about having the ampersand from the album cover or the distinctive 33-1/3 from the record label tattooed on me.
If you had told my 15-year-old self that I would be here 40 years later typing about my undying love for eight album tracks and four B-sides, I would have told you to go take a hike. Thank you, Sioux, Severin, Budgie, and Carruthers for making this absolute gem.
