Stranglers

[Borneojimy]

Any other fans of these guys out there? I've been listening to "The Old Testament" box set (1st 6 lps + singles) all week long, as well as a few boots that I have. I was wondering how their newest CD "norfolk Coast" is. It got a good review in the latest Big Take Over, does anybody have any feedback on that one? Last one I heard was "About Time", which is OK, but not nearly up to the standards of their older stuff.

[Frau_Blucher]

YES!!! But I doubt there's been much talk of them around here in maybe two years! I like their early stuff the best of course, but a couple of Norfolk Coast tracks have stuck with me. "Big Thing Coming" rocks with the best of old Stranglers, and "Dutch Moon" has that back-and-forth lilting beat, maybe akin to "Blue Sister" or something like that. I don't find the album to overall grab me though.

[Bitter Almonds]

I only have a singles collection of 78-82 and a compilation set titled [i]Gold[/i], which is also the highlights of their early stuff. I like those and I listen to them without skipping tracks, but I don't have any albums to be able to tell if I can do the same.

[oneno]

I've been listening alot to Hugh Cornwell's solo stuff lately. Some of his later releases features Robert Williams so it's more like stranglers.

chuck

[bpdp3]

A band I appreciate, have a lot of records by (eight to be exact) but sadly have to admit I don't listen to much anymore.

Rattus will always be my favorite; I think that "Goodbye Toulouse" and "Get a Grip on Yourself" are two of the best-sounding songs of that late 70's era - raw yet melodic, always with that great bass sound.

Sometimes I'd get mad at the Stranglers for taking a great song and wrecking it somehow to me - - I love everything about 'Nuclear Device' until that keyboard solo in the middle comes in; just kills the song for me (though I love the herky-jerky ending).

[firefall]

I love their early stuff,especially their great debut and ''No More heroes''.Enough good also their later releases until ''Aural sculpture''.Important band with a serious minus their tendency to violence and macho style.

[SomebodySomewhere]

I was always a huge fan of "Golden Brown," and "European Female" was pretty mesmerizing as well, but these guys had a serious identity crisis, and most of their '80s and '90s output was unlistenable.

As for the stuff that could actually be classified as punk, "Hanging Around," "Something Better Change," "No More Heroes" and "Peaches" were decent enough, but reeked of poseur posteuring.

[Ollie Stench]

Took me ages to get into the Stranglers, but now I consider myself a fan. While I don't own everything they ever released I've got the first 3 LPs, Live Xcert, and the greatest hits cd. I've also got Euroman Cometh and Nosferatu, which are both about as far from The Stranglers as you can get.

[schwenko]

I/m a big fan of "Peaches", the song and the video![:p]

[Frau_Blucher]

I've always noticed that very few people are heavily into the Stranglers but often acknowledge how good many of their songs were. They were amazingly prolific early on, at least in volume. Wasn't there a great thread awhile ago where you took a band and listed their top 15 songs? I'll take this opportunity to go OT just a bit a relist some of my favorites, in chronological order:

Dagenham Dave - No More Heroes 1977 - really nice hook, familiar but unfamiliar to many people
No More Heroes - No More Heroes - prototypic Stranglers sound
Hanging Around - Rattus Norvegicus 1977 - likely their most recognizeable early hit
Peaches - Rattus Norvegicus - a heavier sound but another early classic
Sometimes - Rattus Norvegicus - a driving, organ-laced foot stomper
Nice n Sleazy - Black and White 1978 - not a great track IMHO but characteristic sleazy sound
Toiler on the Sea - Black and White - a more straight-forward driving track
Walk on By - Black and White - an amazingly great cover, one of their best efforts
Dead Loss Angeles - The Raven 1979 - a great bassy sound
The Man They Love to Hate - La Folie 1981 - I think it's one of the alltime new wave greats
All Roads Lead to Rome - Feline 1983 - dark, otherworldy, well crafted, classic Stranglers
Golden Brown - Feline - very definitive of their lilting/swaying type of song
Skin Deep - Aural Sculpture 1984 - a fine hit the could have been bigger
Always the Sun - Dreamtime 1987 - oddly, probably their biggest hit 10 years after their start

I can only take them in doses but they're great doses.

[Borneojimy]

Blir, I agree with most of your choices, but I'd add these as well:
"Tank"
"Threatened"
"Nice & Sleazy"
"Five Minutes"
"Straighten Out"
"Golden Boy"
etc, etc......

[bruiser]

and i will add "the raven"... ah hell, the whole album is great. and i'm a huge fan of "bring on the nubiles"-

[edisonoside]

Great Choices everyone!

I also LOVE:
"Midnight Summer Dream"
"Let Me Down Easy"
"Nice in Nice"

[Dave]

Stranglers are as diverse as they come. From songs evoking a carousel at the circus to potty-mouthed punk.

My favorites (I'll keep a short list):

- Duchess (Not mentioned yet?!? My fav and a must for any power pop fan)
- Skin Deep (an LIR staple in the day)
- Always the Sun
- Something Better Change
- Waltzin' Black
- Go Buddy Go (reminds me of Speed Racer [:)])

Hey, anybody notice the opening to "Hanging Around" sounds just like Doors - "Fire"?

[waukena]

Wow, how did I miss this??????

The Stranglers have been in my top 5 for 25+ years. I used to love to play JJ Burnel's riffs when I was learning to play back then...how many thousand times has any punk bass player slung their guitar way down low and played the absolutely killer 'Nice and Sleazy'?

I still have 3 of their albums on vinyl from when I bought them new, one of those being 'The Raven' with the cool 3D cover...

If you're a big fan then 'The Stranglers: Song by Song' by Hugh Cornwell is a must have.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/186074 ... 5&v=glance

and they had, imo, the best logo of any punk/new wave act...