The Stranglers: Song by Song [Illustrated] [Paperback]

Hugh Cornwell (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 25, 2002

The Stranglers outlasted and outsold virtually every other band of their era, recording ten hit albums and releasing 21 Top 40 singles. As a response to David Buckley's No Mercy, Hugh Cornwell, founding member, songwriter, and creative force, sets the record straight, displaces the myths and explains for the first time the real stories behind The Stranglers, his departure, and the songs.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Sanctuary Publishing (February 25, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1860743625
• ISBN-13: 978-1860743627
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,453,325 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Brilliant Exposition, July 5, 2002

By 

"mencken61" (Metairie, La. United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Stranglers: Song by Song (Paperback)

If only other composers did this: write a book about just what they meant and what they were doing. Yet it's a safe bet others in the business, a trade given to Tommy Lees and J-Los, couldn't possibly handle it as well, and with the humor and respectful reflection in this book. Hugh Cornwell is a smart man, a former doctoral candidate and teacher. Herein he takes us through his fifteen years with the Stranglers, documents what they were trying to say and why, and informs us just who Dagenham Dave is (was, actually). His reflections on the band's personalities are quite interesting. Dave Greenfield NEVER heard Ray Manzarek before joining the band. (Really.) Jet was in jazz bands. And JJ Burnel is a born joiner (from karate classes to the Hell's Angels to the Mishima crowd). All in all, you'll never get this information elsewhere--and never as well written and with such heart.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Stranglers Historical Document, June 19, 2002

By 

god "jubileedunbar" (SF, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Stranglers: Song by Song (Paperback)

While it's true this is only for the ardent Stranglers fan (i.e.--one who has followed them through any period containing Hugh Cornwell), many of the stories regarding the punk zeitgeist and tenor of the period in regards to the band's dealings with chart success, record companies, producers and the British press bring a fresh take to the well-documented punk era, and all that followed in its wake.

Though the interviewer tends to over-involve himself at times (opinions, lack of basic studio knowledge, etc.), he keeps the ball rolling with pointed questions and in-depth discussions of seemingly minute details; most often guiding Cornwell to other interesting points. One such item involves the "MenInBlack" theme in which the band entrenched themselves in the period '79-'80. You get not only the Cornwell explanation of the phenomena, but his personal views, why the band was so interested, yada yada yada...

A very impressive aspect of the book is the overall message that The Stranglers were never totally meshed-in with what is generally considered the "Punk" idea. While most groups were more concerned with looking the part or getting their rocks off, Cornwell and the boys appear quite conscious of their place among the UK music industry. There is much talk of chart positions, commerciiality, calculated structuring of songs and albums, record company pressures, and much more in that vein. These guys were professionals. Music was their job. They ran a business, and Song By Song details the growth and dissipation of The Stranglers as a commercial outfit.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars the real story -, December 13, 2003

By 

mao (NYC, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Stranglers: Song by Song (Paperback)

In his own words, Cornwell tells us what was really behind those great Stranglers tracks. Far better than the other Stranglers book 'No Mercy', which was more concerned with the trivial and mundane. Hugh tells us what the songs meant, what was going on and how he felt at the time. Clearly shows Hugh was the key player in the Stranglers success and deserves his place in rock history. Buy it!