I suspect that Dirk's recent Stranglers posting led to me subliminally picking out No More Heroes The Stranglers second album from 1977 to play in the car.
And what a load of absolute tosh it is. The two singles are passable but everything else is a pile of pants.
I was going to say that unlike many of the contemporary new wave albums it hasn't really stood the test of time but I now suspect it probably wasn't very good in the first place.
I Feel Like a Wog is apparently a sarcastic attack on racism but still seems offensive whereas Bring on the Nubiles is blatantly sexist.
Subtle they were not.
Has not been played for ages and unlikely to be played again anytime soon.
The Stranglers - Something Better Change
The Stranglers - No More Heroes
It was their second LP of 1977 and sounded weak at the time. Some artists had the strength in depth to put out that much material, though The Stranglers didn't. I dispensed with my copy of 'No More Heroes' many moons ago. I kept these two singles though and they still sound pretty good to me.
ReplyDeleteNot quite as down on the album as you CC but after Rattus it was a big disappointment. Bitching, Dead Ringer and Dagenham Dave all pretty decent to my ears but there was only ever half an album there. Luckily Black and White was a return to form.
ReplyDeleteJamie
Well, I dunno, CC, it's not THAT bad, is it? Forget about the last four tracks, but the rest was rather awesome back then. And, in parts, it still is nowadays ... at least as far as I'm concerned.
ReplyDeleteI loved the Stranglers for a while - Rattus was the second album I ever bought (after the Clash first) and Peaches one of the first singles... and I adored the two singles featured, which still sound good to my ears.. and especially loved Straighten Out on other side of Something Better Change. But it's funny to think, retrospectively, how unaffected I was by the lyrics you mention, as a girl in her very early teens (I remember having to look up the meaning of 'nubile'!). None of it bothered me at all. If I were to hear an equivalent now I think it would... so is that me or is that just down to the times we lived/live in?!
ReplyDeleteApart from Bear Cage and Duchess, I never really got into The Stranglers. My best mate's oldest brother always rated then and still goes to see them. They were in this neck of the woods a few weeks ago.
ReplyDeleteMy introduction to the Stranglers was Bring on the Nubiles and Nice N Sleazy from the No Wave compilation, So, I have a soft spot for Nubiles, but I was quite young and didn't have any idea what the song was about when I was listening to that record. I could probably count my favorite songs from the Stranglers on my fingers. Not much of an endorsement for a band that has been around as long as it has.
ReplyDeleteWell that post has sparked a few interesting debates!
ReplyDeleteThe Swede/Jamie - I think you are right , it came far too soon after Rattus which was much better. Not enough material for a good album
Jamie/Dirk - we will need to agree to disagree. For me the two singles are good and the rest poor
C/Brian - like you I din't think much about such things at the time. Now that I am older and we live in more enlightened times it seems different
Drew - they appear to have retained a fairly substantial and loyal fanbase
Rattus is, for me, the only essential Stranglers album, though have always had a soft spot for Aural Sculpture. Certainly not the only band of that era to release a great debut followed by a disappointing second with The Jam and The Clash springing to mind...
ReplyDeleteI like Give em Enough Rope Scott - not as good as the first I'll grant you but not bad at all
ReplyDeleteIt's not a bad album, some great songs on there. Just never been a fan of the production...
ReplyDeleteI think it's quite good. Has a consistent sound which makes it hang together as an album.I Bought the first 3 Stranglers albums and was right into them at the time. It isn't a patch on Rattus I grant you but then Rattus is, with the exception of Down In The Sewer, the best album evverrr.
ReplyDeleteI don't think The Stranglers were ever in music to make any social or political difference or stand at all for that matter. A pub band that took advantage of the DIY culture and created a pretty decent amount of music at their height - IMHO. Never Punk - they used an organ and then synths!!!, not quite quirky enough to be New Wave, they stuck out like a sore thumb, but managed to navigate the charts moving from style to style. My favorite track on No More Heroes is Something Better Change - it sounds like ? And The Mysterians after catching a Sex Pistols show. I rate the title track pretty high as well. Hugh Cornwell always managed a great disaffected sneer. Interestingly Duchess off of The Raven - their BEST album, is my favorite Stranglers song and possibly the closest they ever got to being purely New Wave.
ReplyDelete