the Stranglers: Classicinblack or Dudinblack

The Stranglers

Black & White (+6), CD $16.99 New package with extensive sleeve notes and many new, previously unseen photo's plus bonus tracks. Bonus tracks: 1.Mean To Me 2.Walk On By 3.Shut Up 4.Sverige 5.Old Codger 6.Tits. Country: UK. Release Date: 20-Aug-01

La Folie (+6), CD $16.99 New package with extensive sleeve notes and many new, previously unseen photo's plus bonus tracks. Bonus tracks: 1.Cruel Garden 2.Cocktain Nubiles 3.Vietnamerica 4.Love 30 5.You Hold The Key To My Love In Your Hands 6.Strange Little Girl. Country: UK. Release Date: 20-Aug-01

Live (X-Cert) (+6), CD $16.99 New package with extensive sleeve notes and many new, previously unseen photo's plus bonus tracks. Bonus tracks: 1.Peasant In The Big City 2.In The Shadows 3.Sometimes 4.Mean To Me 5.London Lady 6.Goodbye Toulouse. Country: UK. Release Date: 20-Aug-01

Meninblack (+3), CD $16.99 New package with extensive sleeve notes and many new, previously unseen photo's plus bonus tracks. Bonus tracks: 1.Top Secret 2.Meninwhite 3.Tomorrow Was Hereafter. Country: UK. Release Date: 20- Aug-01

No More Heroes (+3), CD $16.99 New package with extensive sleeve notes and many new, previously unseen photo's plus bonus tracks. Bonus tracks: 1.Straighten Out 2.Five Minutes 3.Rok It To The Moon. Country: UK. Release Date: 20- Aug-01

Rattus Norvegicus (+3), CD $16.99 New package with extensive sleeve notes and many new, previously unseen photo's plus bonus tracks. Bonus tracks: 1.Choosey Susie 2.Go Buddy Go 3.Peasant In The Big Shitty (Live). Country: UK. Release Date: 20-Aug-01

Raven (+4), CD $16.99 New package with extensive sleeve notes and many new, previously unseen photo's plus bonus tracks. Bonus tracks: 1.Bear Cage 2.Fools Rush Out 3.N'Emmenes Pas Harry 4.Yellowcake U.F.O. Country: UK. Release Date: 20-Aug-01

and secondly:

with the possible exception of the Smiths -- I cannot think of another band who flagrantly re-foist ancient product on the public as much as the beloved Stranglers. says alex and this immediately made me think, "well, of course they didn't, as anyone who has been following news of the latest Smiths compilation cd will tell you. So often it is money-grubbing record companies acting without the bands' consent, much to their chagrin (cf Talk Talk & "history Revisited" remixes).

Still buzzing with joy from Killing Joke's THE UNPERVERTED PANTOMIME? release on Alchemy records (formerlly NMC), I picked up a copy of Alchemy's new Stranglers release, APOLLO, a live recording from the Glasgow Apollo in 1981. Now while it's widely established that the world needs another live Stranglers album like it needs the SARS epidemic, I have to say, this one's a cracker! The sound is weighty yet clear.....JJ's bass comes rumbling out of the speakers with suitable sinewy menace. I'm also always happy to hear this era of the band -- Gospel According to the Meninblack -- captured live (as it seems it's usually very early stuff or yawnsome late career stuff that is widely avialable). That said.....some troubling questions/observations:

(a) There's a significant track listing cock-up. The track list states "Just Like Nothing on Earth" as the third selection, but it's actually "Second Coming" (itself listed at the fourth track). The fourth track is actually "The Man they Love to Hate" (incorrectly listed as well...see [b]). "Just Like Nothing on Earth" doesn't appear on the disc until track 8 (mislabelled as "Tank"). The jacket says there are 12 tracks. There are, actually, 17 tracks.

(b) Why are some of the track titles truncated? ("Non-Stop Nun" is shortened to simply "Non-Stop", "The Man they Love to Hate" is shortened simply to "Hate", "Let Me introduce You to the Family" is reduced to simply "Hate"). Were these printed in haste? Have Alchemy no fact-checkers?

(c) The deliciously sinister instumental, "Waltzinblack" appears *TWICE*, yet is not listed either time. This is followed by an inexplicable second appearance (same recording) of the first track, "Non-Stop Nun."

(d) The famed, Disney-ish Stranglers logo appears in the INNER booklet, yet does not adorn the front cover -- giving the proceedings a decidedly "bootlegy" feel. Is this not an authorized release?

(e) Why is there a picture of a contemporary model jaguar (the car) on the cover (when the music contained herein is from `81)?

(f) "Second Coming" also appears twice.

(g) As does "Meninblack"

(h) I was elated to find a live version of "The Raven" as the 17th track, but fans of this song wouldn't know it's on this album given the information on the sleeve (it is not listed).

(i) The liner notes -- written in first person, presumably by Alchemy mainman Carlton Sandercock, though I could be wrong -- feature no signature nor sign-off, leaving the reader wondering who wrote it.

All that said, it's a great collection of vintage Stranglers music. But some reprimands might be in order over at Alchemy for some of these glaring oversights.

Sorry to be Johnny Pedantic, the irritating Fanboy!

Whoops, I too am in need of a fact-checker. It's reduced to simply "Family."

From Duchess they were prog really, weren't they. Maybe even from Black and White (note : this is a GOOD thing).

It's actually JJ that sings that, by the way.

Something Better Change? Are you certain?

Positive.

Christ almighty. Men have been hung for less.

Dave, if it had been anyone other that youself who said this.....they'd be dead now.

Styx released a series of great albums in the late '70's / early '80's?!?

In fact, thinking about Hugh has generally used better/"name" producers on his solo stuff than The Stranglers have on their stuff post-Hugh. Their last album was produced by one of their road crew!

So, I'm giving Dreamtime another listen tonight and finding it to be really hitting the spot. The best of the late Hugh period records, IMO.

That one has declined in my estimation over the years whereas I still think "Aural Sculpture" is the best Epic album.

I like Aural Sculpture a lot, but I can't help but think how much better it could have been if they'd subbed in a couple of the B-sides for some of the lesser album tracks. 'In One Door' and 'Head On The Line' were easily good enough to be on the album proper, and maybe I'd take off 'Laughing' and 'Mad Hatter' ... Side One is great as is!

Aural Sculpture is a produced a little flat, but the songs themselves are still so goddamn great -- my favorite being "Ice Queen."

'Ice Queen' is great, yeah... I've always loved the way the brass comes bursting in on that! I think Sculpture was quite a fertile songwriting period for the band... not only did they have enough songs for a shitload of B-sides, but I'm quite sure one or two of the Dreamtime songs were written around the time of Sculpture... 'Shakin' Like a Leaf' was one, I think. 'You' dates from then, too, always felt that that was one that got away.

"Ice Queen" is the song I use to erase earworms when I need to clear my mind. All I do is play it internally and by the end whatever unbidden song is gone.

If "Aural Sculpture" is produced flat, "Dreamtime" is produced like a mainstream rock album and suffers for it. "Always The Sun", though, is as good as anything else they did. But talk about b-sides being better: "Norman Normal" and "Since You Went Away" are far better than "Shakin' Like A Leaf" and "Big In America", both which feel forced.

I like 'Instead of This' and 'Poisonality' so much more than anything from 10 that it isn't even funny. That album was a huge mistake for them to do, IMO, and life in the band seemed quite grim if Hugh's book is to be believed!

'Norman Normal'! That's the one I was thinking of as being another held over from Sculpture... I've always really liked both that one and 'Since You Went Away' ... I'm trying to remember off the top of my head what the other Dreamtime B-sides were... 'Dry Day'?

Oh shit, 'Hit Man'... Let's forget about that one!

Why the hell wasn't 'Was It You?' a single!? "WAS IT YEEEAAAAOOOOW!?!"

For no reason whatsoever, my top ten Stranglers tracks at this very moment.....what are yours?

1. "Five Minutes"
2. "Burning Up Time"
3. "Ice Queen"
4. "The Raven"
5. "Just Like Nothing on Earth"
6. "Norfolk Coast" (no, really .... it's excellent)
7. "Straighten Out"
8. "Hanging Around"
9. "Waltzinblack"
10. "Peaches"

In no particular order:

1. Peasant In The Big Shitty
2. Curfew
3. Toiler On The Sea
4. The Raven
5. Genetix
6. Four Horsemen
7. Tramp
8. Skin Deep
9. Was It You?
10. Instead Of This

This changes on a daily basis, though!

Simon Delic's brilliant revisit of The Stranglers' third album from 1978. It crawled deeper under my skin over the years, and eventually became my favorite by the Stranglers. What he said is spot-on, a cool mix of psych and post-punk elements that just barely predate work by Magazine and Joy Division.

http://www.backseatmafia.com/2016/02/19/not-forgotten-black-white-by-the-stranglers/

While doing a 1986 mix piece I realized Dreamtime is definitely worth a re-listen. Not so sure about Aural Sculpture but will go back to that too, and Feline.

Naturally, I love Black and White, it's probably the starkest record they ever made. Of course, they'd experiment further on The Raven, The Gospel According To The Meninblack and La Folie, but those records feel much less stark and stripped-down to me. The only other Stranglers LP that I can think of with such a starkness is, weirdly, Feline.

For a band that were, at the time, noted for anthems like 'Grip', 'No More Heroes', 'Peaches', 'Something Better Change' and so on, tracks like 'Curfew', 'In The Shadows' and particularly 'Enough Time' (which the band tried to re-learn not too long ago, and struggled with it!) are such a huge leap into uncommercial territory. They definitely weren't seeking to please anyone but themselves by this time, a path which they definitely continued down until Aural Sculpture. I get the impression from Hugh's book that he'd tired of making exploratory music by the mid '80s and suddenly wanted to be, well, a pop star.

I mean, christ, I think Hugh's solo album Wolf, which was recorded and released during a time when the tensions that ultimately led to Hugh leaving were starting to rot Hugh's and JJ's friendship/working relationship, has some fine songs on it when they're freed from their heavy-handed production. But, it's definitely a record which is commonly seen as Hugh trying to have success at any cost, consciously trying to forge a distinct solo identity that had more in common with what Phil Collins was doing than his exploratory work with Robert Williams on Nosferatu. It was Cornwell's chinos era.

Hugh's solo work up through "Hi Fi" is pretty damn good, with "Guilty" being particular top drawer and just damn FUN.

Guilty is a great record, agreed! Possibly his best solo record - a great collection of songs that are well performed and Laurie Latham's production is top notch!

Listened to "10" for the first time since 2001 - and doubtless will be my last time. Irredeemable, talk about losing the plot! The big standard synths, drumming and guitar licks are just so boring! "Out Of My Mind" is the only remotely interesting track.

I completely agree. A lot of hardcore fans blame Roy Thomas Baker's production, which to be fair is over the top and ill-fitting, and the fact they had to record the album twice after CBS thought the first recording (with future Oasis producer Owen Morris) was unsuitable. Personally, I just think they just didn't have a strong batch of material that time around. The one song I really like from that whole period is 'Instead of This', which was a B-side!

I'm seeing reports that Dave Greenfield has passed away and it was covid-related. :(

Sadly confirmed.

David Paul Greenfield (29/3/49-3/5/20) We are devastated to announce that Dave passed away last night from Covid 19. Fly straight DG xxx https://t.co/HmnAs1rERe pic.twitter.com/H2570s0cOb

— The Stranglers Site (@StranglersSite) May 4, 2020

Oh no!

This is awful news, remember him this way:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYkqLm9cM3Y

Terrible.

Aw, FFS. One of my all-time favourite musicians.

Damn, RIP. I play keyboards very badly. DG set the bar I am for ever trying to reach and come nowhere near.

Awful.

Hugh’s tribute on Twitter

I am very sorry to hear of the passing of Dave Greenfield. He was the difference between The Stranglers and every other punk band. His musical skill and gentle nature gave an interesting twist to the band. (1 of 2)

— Hugh Cornwell (@HughCornwell) May 4, 2020

After their initial run on A&M I kind of lost track/interest, consequently I am listening to The Raven today for the first time ever in memorium. What a weird, wonderful band, with Dave's circus of keyboards coloring everything. RIP.

Goddamn it! Dave's keys are so otherworldly, it shouldn't have worked but it did in spades.

The Raven is my favourite.

He was the difference between The Stranglers and every other punk band.

100%.

Wow, I'd love to be listening to "The Raven" for the first time ever!

I know, right? I own Black and White, and Aural Sculpture, and missed the stretch in between. Youtube is not doing the sound justice, I think I need to buy a physical copy.

Oh man 'The Gospel According To The Men In Black' is brilliant too.

I'm seeing reports that Jet Black has passed away, 84!

It was common knowledge that they were older than the other punks on the scene, nevertheless 84 is still boggling my mind.

I had Laid Black in heavy rotation a number of years back. A departure from their usual, but one that somehow made sense.

restinpeaceinblack.

RIP JB

Damn, I can't believe he was 40 in 1978!!

Love his work. His music will live forever.

Fucking icon.

My two cents on the loss of Jet Black