Be heartened. Several of these songs are undeniable
― Josh in Chicago, Saturday, 28 February 2015 02:18 (nine years ago) link
Yes, one must agree that from an entirely objective point of view, Golden Brown is their masterpiece, but for that reason it behoves the cognoscenti to vote for something else from the canon.
― Vast Halo, Friday, February 27, 2015 2:21 PM (4 hours ago)
you have no face, yet i must punch
― describing a scene in which the Hulk gets a boner (contenderizer), Saturday, 28 February 2015 03:12 (nine years ago) link
There's something about the Stranglers...are they the Doors of the late 70s? Pockets of appreciation but they seem unloved compared to...almost everyone who still gets talked about then.
The suspicion around them and how they are 'viewed' is completely Doors-like, without the poetry.
― Master of Treacle, Saturday, 28 February 2015 03:17 (nine years ago) link
Get a Grip. I mean Walk on By is unfuckwithable, but their own songs deserve some credit. And JJ's bass playing was revolutionary
― Dr X O'Skeleton, Saturday, 28 February 2015 20:12 (nine years ago) link
Jeez, calm down. All I'm saying is, what's the point in voting if the result is a foregone conclusion? It's a more interesting poll if you ask, "what's the best song on this compilation (other than Golden Brown?"
― Vast Halo, Saturday, 28 February 2015 20:25 (nine years ago) link
The suspicion around them and how they are 'viewed' is completely Doors-like
And what's the one thing that the two bands had in common? Baroque organ lines. The critics don't dig that stuff.
― Vast Halo, Saturday, 28 February 2015 20:29 (nine years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.
― System, Thursday, 5 March 2015 00:01 (nine years ago) link
I probably spent too much time in Student discos in the 80s but I always thought No More Heroes was considered their classic, not Golden Brown.
― everything, Thursday, 5 March 2015 00:10 (nine years ago) link
Not sure where to place my vote - so many that I have personal connections to. No More Heroes stands out but 5 Minutes, Duchess, Nuclear Device - spent a lot of time in my adolescence playing these singles, taking them to school record clubs and all that.
― everything, Thursday, 5 March 2015 00:16 (nine years ago) link
Wouldn't rate Walk on By above many of these but Walk On BY/Codger/Tank single was a good one to own.
― everything, Thursday, 5 March 2015 00:18 (nine years ago) link
Thank you for this poll, I guess I love the Stranglers way more than I realized because I could vote for about 14 of these fantastic songs
― Heiress Too (Dr. Joseph A. Ofalt), Thursday, 5 March 2015 02:47 (nine years ago) link
It would probably get even harder if this compilation covered all the singles of the original Stranglers line-up, but it only really covers the years from 1977-1982 when they were on United Artists/EMI. After this, they'd sign to CBS and keep putting out material from 1983 until 1990, when Hugh Cornwell left the band. As a result the compilation's missing some great tracks like 'European Female', 'Skin Deep', 'Always The Sun' etc.
― You’re being too simplistic and you’re insulting my poor heart (Turrican), Thursday, 5 March 2015 12:55 (nine years ago) link
Right, their Epic-era b-sides just got compiled last year, too - and some fine stuff is contained therein. And note that in order to get all the Epic 7" versions/edits, you need "The Hit Men" because other Epic comps contain LP versions.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Thursday, 5 March 2015 14:29 (nine years ago) link
There are a couple of big EMI box sets but neither is definitive on its own.
― Mark G, Thursday, 5 March 2015 14:47 (nine years ago) link
I thought there was something bugging me about this poll, where's Shah Shah A Gogo?
― Romeo Daltrey (Tom D.), Thursday, 5 March 2015 14:56 (nine years ago) link
Right, their Epic-era b-sides just got compiled last year, too - and some fine stuff is contained therein. And note that in order to get all the Epic 7" versions/edits, you need "The Hit Men" because other Epic comps contain LP versions.― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Thursday, March 5, 2015 2:29 PM (51 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Thursday, March 5, 2015 2:29 PM (51 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
Yeah, there's some good stuff in amongst the Aural Sculpture/Dreamtime B-sides: 'Head On The Line', 'In One Door', 'Norman Normal', 'Since You Went Away... I'm not overly fond of the 10 album but even that had 'Instead Of This' as one of the B-sides of the period, which I love.
― You’re being too simplistic and you’re insulting my poor heart (Turrican), Thursday, 5 March 2015 15:27 (nine years ago) link
I thought there was something bugging me about this poll, where's Shah Shah A Gogo?― Romeo Daltrey (Tom D.), Thursday, March 5, 2015 2:56 PM (30 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Romeo Daltrey (Tom D.), Thursday, March 5, 2015 2:56 PM (30 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
I think 'Shah Shah A Go Go' wasn't included because they didn't consider the 'Bear Cage'/'Shah Shah A Go Go' single a "double A-side", whereas 'Go Buddy Go' and 'Straighten Out' were considered A-sides alongside 'Peaches' and 'Something Better Change'. It's pretty much the same story with 'Tank' on the 'Walk On By' single. It would have been good to see both 'Tank' and 'Shah Shah A Go Go' included, I think. 'Nice 'n' Sleazy' is the only song from Black and White on this comp!
― You’re being too simplistic and you’re insulting my poor heart (Turrican), Thursday, 5 March 2015 15:31 (nine years ago) link
Right, for some reason I thought it was a double A-side, probably because it's miles better than "Bear Cage".
― Romeo Daltrey (Tom D.), Thursday, 5 March 2015 17:07 (nine years ago) link
I love 'Shah Shah A Go Go', but if I'm to be honest I definitely prefer 'Bear Cage' which is best heard in its 12" form! The 7" version is way too short, IMO, and the mix is far more exciting on the 12" (there's a third mix too, which is somewhere in between the 7" and the 12" which was released as 'G.m.b.H.')
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHODX4i8s2E
― You’re being too simplistic and you’re insulting my poor heart (Turrican), Thursday, 5 March 2015 17:14 (nine years ago) link
I've just heard reports that the current line-up of The Stranglers are playing 'Four Horsemen' from The Gospel According To The Meninblack in their live sets on their current tour... bit of a perverse choice!
― You’re being too simplistic and you’re insulting my poor heart (Turrican), Thursday, 5 March 2015 18:36 (nine years ago) link
Duchess
― stirmonster, Thursday, 5 March 2015 20:39 (nine years ago) link
(there's a third mix too, which is somewhere in between the 7" and the 12" which was released as 'G.m.b.H.')
I don't think I ever realized this! Is it a different mix entirely or just an early fade of the 12" mix?
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Thursday, 5 March 2015 21:15 (nine years ago) link
I don't think I ever realized this! Is it a different mix entirely or just an early fade of the 12" mix?― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Thursday, March 5, 2015 9:15 PM (14 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Thursday, March 5, 2015 9:15 PM (14 minutes ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink
It sounds to me like it's the 12" mix edited down to a structure that resembles the 7" mix, but they've retained the part of the 12" mix where it drops down to the "G.m.b.H." backing vocals at the end. It was only available on this US-only compilation
― You’re being too simplistic and you’re insulting my poor heart (Turrican), Thursday, 5 March 2015 21:33 (nine years ago) link
Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.
― System, Friday, 6 March 2015 00:01 (nine years ago) link
So, the Rodney's were queuing up!
― stirmonster, Friday, 6 March 2015 01:36 (nine years ago) link
Wow, genuinely surprised at the overall number of votes! 'Let Me Introduce You To The Family' at least deserved one, though... 'La Folie' with the same amount of votes as 'No More Heroes'!
― You’re being too simplistic and you’re insulting my poor heart (Turrican), Friday, 6 March 2015 08:04 (nine years ago) link
It's surprising that No More Heroes fared so poorly. I guess it's overplayed kinda. I went for Duchess.
― everything, Friday, 6 March 2015 08:58 (nine years ago) link
Really enjoyed this poll/thread. I just thought I'd post one more time before it disappears down the ILX sinkhole w/the rest of the Stranglers threads.
― kwhitehead, Friday, 6 March 2015 18:52 (nine years ago) link
Listening to La Folie now and my god is 'Let Me Introduce You To The Family' underrated, the way the echoing bass shifts into that frentic guitar playing once the song itself kicks in. Great melody, too.
― WHERE'S JIM!? (Turrican), Tuesday, 22 March 2016 20:07 (eight years ago) link
The last time I listened to Black & White -> La Folie I was stunned by the growth you can hear along the way, in both playing and songwriting. An amazing feat for the fun-dumb punk band that made those first two records. (Though you could correctly point out that was just a pose.)
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Tuesday, 22 March 2016 21:03 (eight years ago) link
What do you think of Feline?
― WHERE'S JIM!? (Turrican), Tuesday, 22 March 2016 21:12 (eight years ago) link
Love it, with it's weary, late night vibe exemplifoed by "Midnight Summers Dream". That one never fails to play a little film in my head. The total is more than the sum of it's parts.
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Tuesday, 22 March 2016 22:31 (eight years ago) link
Yeah, I totally agree... it's such a moody record and mostly wonderful, the only thing I'd really change about it is JJ's vocal on 'Paradise' - I love it, though, how Hugh always complains about 'La Folie' being the follow-up single to 'Golden Brown', yet when they found themselves on a supportive new record label after having hits with 'Golden Brown' and 'Strange Little Girl', they delivered Feline, which, as good as it is, only has one obvious single on it!
― WHERE'S JIM!? (Turrican), Tuesday, 22 March 2016 22:45 (eight years ago) link
Even the b-sides have the same feeling. "Pawsher" isn't much more than a hypnotic repetition of the title but I still love it.
Did they get off the junk when they made Feline, is that why it's so mellow?
― Gerald McBoing-Boing, Tuesday, 22 March 2016 23:02 (eight years ago) link
No, if anything Feline was the pinnacle of it! Both 'It's A Small World' and 'Ships That Pass In The Night' were written while under the influence... Hugh mentions in his book that it was a struggle to write those songs, because him and JJ kept nodding out during the writing of them. They'd be sat, holding their instruments and working on the song, fall asleep, come around and work on the next bit and so on...
Aural Sculpture was the first one recorded after JJ and Hugh cleaned up. Hugh had quit all drugs by that point.
― WHERE'S JIM!? (Turrican), Tuesday, 22 March 2016 23:11 (eight years ago) link