Customer Reviews

The Stranglers - Greatest Hits 1977-1990

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

I remember listening to the Stranglers as a teen in the '80's and loving them (I think I had "Dreamtime" on cassette). Then I kind of forgot about them until a few years ago when I was at a record store in Berkeley and decided to buy this CD to take a little walk down memory lane. I think the Stranglers were a very underrated and misunderstood band with loads of talent that never really caught on here in the U.S., for reasons that are unclear to me. Anyway, I LOVE the song "Peaches" which was featured in the recent film "Sexy Beast" (that blew me away) and I also love "No Mercy". I never tire of listening to this. These guys have great lyrics and a cool sound. Everyone should have this in their collection.

Cannot BELIEVE there are no reviews of this band! WHAT ARE ALL YOU PEOPLE DOING? BUY this!If you melted down Camus and a couple of rats and maybe one poisonous snake into a black tarry substance and then poured it slowly out of a pickle jar, that's what this band would sound like. They're like a sun eclipsing.

To those new to the Stranglers, this must be heard. The Stranglers in many ways invented a sound and style that is still almost entirely unique. While the very early stuff is harder and perhaps less sophisticated, this collection is brilliant stuff. This is a rich, multilayer groove. They have managed to combine pure, grinding hard punk sensibilities with wonderful melodic artistry and a dark, intelligent sense of humor. Energetic keyboards and exquisitely pure bass gets you in the mood for a bit of "bover". Not for the avarage pop listener (wank). A must have for any serious collector of modern music.

I love The Stranglers and basically these are not thier greatest songs, altho this is the only one I was able to find "Always the Sun".
This album is missing Dead Los Angeles, Baroque Bordello, Ugly, Don't Bring Harry, The Man They Love to Hate, Nuclear Device, and more! They were such a great band and this is not their greatest. you dont get a taste of their great sense of humor as in the song Ugly.
You basically have to get The Raven, Rattus Norvegicus, La Folie, and Aural Sculptures to get the best of the Stranglers. This is a drag because altho I have all the cassetes including Black and White, the tape is starting to stretch, so now I have to get them on CD's.

The Stranglers were a great band and this collection has a lot of great songs, but it is inexcusably missing their two best---"Hanging Around" and "Get A Grip On Yourself".

This is absolutely one of the most amazing compilations I have ever heard. Predecessors of punk who are actually able to emote fun. Peaches, All Day and All of the Night, Strange Little Girl - it's all good. Some of it's a bit kitschy, but is that necessarily a bad thing? This is just a gem of an album. The one CD in my collection that I keep returning to because it just makes me feel good. All the time.

I lost this CD a few years ago and have always wanted to replace it. I forgot how much of it was so good. The only duff tracks are Big in America, All Day and All of the Night and 96 Tears. The last 2 are passable as remakes but hardly necessary -- I suspect the band were near the end of their best years.

But the rest of the CD is great. Definitely a band for people willing to accept something different. They're hard to categorize. Golden Brown still holds up. Best track is No Mercy.