The Stranglers - Greatest Hits 1977-1990

Stranglers | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (February 12, 1991)
• Original Release Date: February 12, 1991
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B0000027HO
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (20 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #182,455 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Good Collection of Songs, May 2, 2001

By 

Brian A. Wolters (Cabot, Arkansas) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Stranglers - Greatest Hits 1977-1990 (Audio CD)

Back in the 80's, I heard my first Stranglers song SKIN DEEP on MTV. The song stuck with me, but I never did pursue getting a Stranglers album.

Finally, I picked up their greatest hits album. I went to SKIN DEEP first and once again enjoyed this song. However, I was impressed with the rest of the songs on this album. The first 4 songs have a definite 70's punk sound to them, almost like early XTC. The rest of the album transitions into a more modern rock sound that never looses its luster.

Every song on this album is unique and very memorable. WALK ON BY has a long, 70's style keyboard solo that seems to go on forever (and that's a good thing.) The song GOLDEN BROWN slows down into a post punk pop sound. And their cover of ALL DAY AND ALL OF THE NIGHT is simply awesome.

If you are looking to discover some "new" music or even have a causal interest in The Stranglers, this is the album to get.

17 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Scabrous, Scorching "Punk" Rock!, July 21, 2000

By 

steven d de salvo (Los Angeles) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Stranglers - Greatest Hits 1977-1990 (Audio CD)

The Stranglers deserve a revered place in rock history solely by virtue of "No More Heroes." A propulsive, hypnotic attack of guitars and organs that sounds as if its coming from a merry-go-round playing at methamphetamine speed, this song is the apex of punk rock in the 1970s. From the top, lead singer Hugh Cornwell snarls: "Whatever happened to Leon Trotsky / He got an ice pick / That made his ears burn! . . . Whatever happened to those heroes! " At one point, Cornwell dares to rhyme "Shakespeare-os" with "heroes"! What a riot!

So who were The Stranglers, and what happened to them? It was an eclectic, rude, controversial, British "punk" band that rivaled the Sex Pistols . . . and could, at the next turn, sound like the Bee Gees. No kidding!

Although musically inspired by the Doors and the Kinks (and undoubtedly by the Sex Pistols and other contemporaries), the band (hugely popular in Britain during the mid 1970s but virtually ignored in the U.S.) had punk sensibility and raunchy humor to match. As a case in point, in "Peaches," the singer strolls along a beach and admires from afar certain, uh, features of bikini clad women. "She's got me going up and down!" he screams at one point. Subtlety was not this band's strongest suit.

Among the "pop" nuggets here: "Walk On By," a sloppy rendering of the classic Burt Bacharach/Hal David composition that likely was not ironic; "Golden Brown," a perfectly crafted Herman's Hermits sound-a-like; and "Strange Little Girl," a perfectly crafted Doors sound-a-like. As you might guess, the Stranglers were not blessed with much imagination; their studio producers, which once included the legendary Alan Winstanley, are the invisible hands behind the music. But the band rewards the listener with an overabundance of chutzpah and verve.

None of the aforementioned songs ever receive airplay on mainstream radio, and it appears that, surprisingly, even college radio is ignoring them. (Three reviews? ) The band did earn some Stateside attention on "alternative" radio in the early 1980s with some catchy synthesizer songs, "Skin Deep" and "Always the Sun," the latter a hugely popular dance-floor tune in Europe. But those songs do not fairly represent the outrageousness that was at the heart of the Stranglers. As the 80s expired, the band finished its career with forgettable pop remakes (the Kinks and "96 Tears"), songs which are, unfortunately, included in this "Greatest Hits" collection.

A challenge: if you're throwing a party, buy this record in advance, and play this "Greatest Hits" collection midway through the party. You'll revive the party if its sagging . . . and, at the least, heads will turn and your guests will say to each other, "Who IS this? " And then some sexy young woman will slide up alongside you and compliment your cool CD collection.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Lovin' this CD, February 18, 2004

By 

t-boogie "spokesman of the streets" (Brooklyn, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Stranglers - Greatest Hits 1977-1990 (Audio CD)

This CD is my first exposure to this group, and I must say that I'm quite impressed. Some songs fall in categoies that range from punk to a sort of disco-punk, but most of the songs are straight new-wave from later in their career. Some of the new wave is quite inspired, some of it can admittedly border on cheesy, but overall this is a great package with some wonderful songs. It's obvious that these songs are geared more toward pop sensibilities than any need to innovate or push boundaries, but the material is not derivative either. It's intelligent, well-done, and most importantly, fun.

"No more heroes" is a perfect combination of the best elements of British nihilistic punk and new wave music, and has some very smart, cynical lyrics as well. "Golden Brown" is a great song that has such a catchy folksy kind of feel that I was shocked to discover it's actually about heroin. "Strange Little Girl" is also a catchy, well-crafted song.

I'd recommend this to anyone who's a fan of UK punk, new wave, and the Manchester music scene of the 90s, as the Stranglers' music has elements of all these genres.