Four on the Floor – The Stranglers.

 So back in the 70’s Punk exploded with a taste for aggression and I suppose a lot of angry young men, actually there was one group of men that wasn’t particularly “young” four men who aged 25 and 30 (two members) and a drummer who was 40, what the hell did they know about anger, quite a lot as it happens!

From April 1977 through to September 1979 they released 5 albums including a live album, the first three albums in the space of thirteen months and boy were those albums good and angry very angry.

 

Rattus Norvegicus: - released April 1977. 8.5/10.

What a treat, I can remember where I was exactly when I first heard Peaches, Consett YMCA Disco, and my mind was blown it was the first time I had heard a bass so prominent, and the band was so tight they used to play 8 disco songs, then 3 rock and then 3 punk so that night I heard Peaches, Sometimes, Hanging around and Go Buddy Go which was a B side at the time, a friend bought the album and whenever we got to his this was the album  that was played, the only track I struggled with was Down in the sewer, which to me was their Light my Fire by The Doors, I’m actually surprised they didn’t get sued as it was pretty close, I didn’t think that they would repeat an album as good.

No More heroes: - released September 1977. 8.5/10.

I was still a kid but even I was a little wary of certain tracks with what I thought were a tad ”offensive” but there was still some cracking tracks and no album tracks on singles at the time (5 Minutes) most of the tracks were in the three minute range with the exception of School Mam, it did seem like they had found a formula, again I didn’t think that could produce something as good, they toured a lot when did they get the time to write, there was an interesting B Side on the title track, What’s that in the shadows, the shape of things to come, I had the chance to see them on this tour but my lifts car got in a smash so it wasn’t to be,

Black and White: - May 1978. 9.5/10.

And on the eighth day god created this, damn this was so different, the bass was like the charge of the light brigade, damn brutal, the guitar was so discordant, the keyboards were like weird radio signals and static bursts of partial morse code, the artwork was stunning , stark and brutal, just like the bloody album, again most of the songs were around the 3 minute mark with the exception of Toiler on the sea ( a flock of seagulls) it was the first time I heard electronic drums on a record, not a bad note on the album, it wasn’t perfect my original album came with a free EP that quickly disappeared, I have my suspicions, but life’s too short and it was 46 years ago. Of the first three this still sounds the freshest of the bunch and could honestly be released today and make waves! And I still play the full album at least once a month it’s required listening!

Live (X Cert): February 1978. 8/10.

A great live album, if a little rough around the edges, I used to have a few bootlegs that were a of a similar quality, a good sample of them live, I felt it was necessary to put a full stop of the total to the brilliance that was the holy trinity of Punk!

 

The Raven: - released September 1978. 6/10.

This is where they lost me, drugs were in there ascendancy, the album was overly polished sound wise, the songs simply weren’t there, there was a couple Duchess, Nuclear Device the best of the album, there were some good ideas but they probably should have had a bit of a rest, this was the last album that I went out of my way to get, it was soon relegated, I never listened to a full Stranglers after this, I enjoyed the odd single and gig, but that was the end for me.

Then Hugh Cornwall left and it was never the same as there was there was some faceless bodies in as replacements, its only recently with the addition of Baz Warne taking Hugh’s spot does it seem to work there’s some great live stuff on YouTube, and I do drift towards them if I see them, live they are still a great band, no other band did as much in the short length of time that was the quality of those first three albums, yes the first two haven’t aged as well but god they are so damn good!

And they you have a musical one at long last sorry it’s been a while but life kept getting in the way, I’m off to play The Raven just to see if I can change my mind (I doubt it) so stay safe and stay alive until the next time……………. ...Toodles!