[kj] remixes and OT Stranglers

[Alexander Smith]

--Apple-Mail-2--723188642
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Content-Type: text/plain;
	charset=ISO-8859-1;
	format=flowed


"yes, it was good, but it seemed to be becoming so restrained that it=20
was an afterthought."

This is true. I'd say the diminishing returns from FELINE onward (with=20=

the brief exception being AURAL SCULPTURE, which I think is actually=20
quite great) pointed in that same direction. Geoff, have you read "No=20
Mercy", the authorized biography by  David Buckley? It's an amazing=20
insight into the band (and entirely uncensored)...revealing the boys to=20=

be not entirely the nicest people in the world (especially JJ, who=20
single-handedly causes the ruin of one journalist's life). Hugh was=20
beyond bored with the band by these points (the book asserts that it=20
was Hugh's intention to steer the band away from its former aggressive=20=

territory and turn them into a "cooler Roxy Music", if you can believe=20=

that).   The only Hugh solo material I've heard is WOLF, which is=20
fine...but he was still in the band at that point. I've never heard any=20=

of his post-Stranglers work (although I spotted him suavely sipping=20
coffee at an outdoor cafe in my neighborhood last year, which almost=20
made me completely lose my shit!)  Up until NORFOLK COAST, my take on=20
the post-Hugh Stranglers was the Pink Floyd syndrome (i.e. Roger Waters=20=

sucks without them, they suck without him), but I really am impressed=20
with the new record. This doesn't bode well for Hugh's return, though.

Now, if only they'd tour the States.

Alex in NYC




On Monday, March 29, 2004, at 09:39 PM, Geoffrey ODonoghue wrote:

> Hi Alex
> =A0
> On reading back my original post I thought that my comment=20
> about=A0Hugh's departure=A0might well cause some contradictory =
feedback.=20
> What I was so clumsily trying to get across is that with the '10'=20
> album I really had no idea where they would or could go to from there.=20=

> You mentioned Hugh's restrained guitar playing and yes, it was good,=20=

> but it seemed to be becoming so restrained that it was an=20
> afterthought. My feeling is that he was not into the Stranglers music=20=

> at all anymore and was either going through the motions or trying to=20=

> take the band in an unappealing (to me) direction (with no individual=20=

> songwriting credits to go by I=A0could be completely wrong=20
> attributing=A0any '10' tracks I don't like to Hugh). If he had stayed,=20=

> what would the next disc have sounded like?=A0- I personally wasn't=20
> hopeful. I haven't heard any solo Hugh material apart from a=20
> forgettable track called Facts and Figures on the soundtrack for=20
> When=A0The Wind Blows. Is his solo stu ff any good? What musical=20
> direction has he taken? Anyone know?
> I also would be happy if there was a reformation of the original band=20=

> but I have to say that, while the MKII and MKIII Stranglers have had=20=

> their song-writing=A0failures, I have=A0been pretty happy with=A0band's=20=

> continuing efforts. And from what I can glean from live recordings it=20=

> seems like they have always continued to deliver the goods in concert.
> =A0
> Geoff=A0
> =A0
>
> Alexander Smith <vassifer@earthlink.net> wrote:
>
>
> to suggest that the band are in any way better off without Hugh=20
> Cornwell *HURTS ME IN MY VERY SOUL!* ... the Stranglers just don't=20
> seem the same without Hugh.
>
>
>
>
<image.tiff>
>
> Do you Yahoo!?
> Yahoo! Finance Tax Center - File online. File on time.=

--Apple-Mail-2--723188642
Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable
Content-Type: text/enriched;
	charset=ISO-8859-1



"yes, it was good, but it seemed to be becoming so restrained that it
was an afterthought."


This is true. I'd say the diminishing returns from FELINE onward (with
the brief exception being AURAL SCULPTURE, which I think is actually
quite great) pointed in that same direction. Geoff, have you read "No
Mercy", the authorized biography by  David Buckley? It's an amazing
insight into the band (and entirely uncensored)...revealing the boys
to be not entirely the nicest people in the world (especially JJ, who
single-handedly causes the ruin of one journalist's life). Hugh was
beyond bored with the band by these points (the book asserts that it
was Hugh's intention to steer the band away from its former aggressive
territory and turn them into a "cooler Roxy Music", if you can believe
that).   The only Hugh solo material I've heard is WOLF, which is
fine...but he was still in the band at that point. I've never heard
any of his post-Stranglers work (although I spotted him suavely
sipping coffee at an outdoor cafe in my neighborhood last year, which
almost made me completely lose my shit!)  Up until NORFOLK COAST, my
take on the post-Hugh Stranglers was the Pink Floyd syndrome (i.e.
Roger Waters sucks without them, they suck without him), but I really
am impressed with the new record. This doesn't bode well for Hugh's
return, though.


Now, if only they'd tour the States.


Alex in NYC





On Monday, March 29, 2004, at 09:39 PM, Geoffrey ODonoghue wrote:


<excerpt>Hi Alex

=A0

On reading back my original post I thought that my comment
about=A0Hugh's departure=A0might well cause some contradictory feedback.
What I was so clumsily trying to get across is that with the '10'
album I really had no idea where they would or could go to from there.
You mentioned Hugh's restrained guitar playing and yes, it was good,
but it seemed to be becoming so restrained that it was an
afterthought. My feeling is that he was not into the Stranglers music
at all anymore and was either going through the motions or trying to
take the band in an unappealing (to me) direction (with no individual
songwriting credits to go by I=A0could be completely wrong
attributing=A0any '10' tracks I don't like to Hugh). If he had stayed,
what would the next disc have sounded like?=A0- I personally wasn't
hopeful. I haven't heard any solo Hugh material apart from a
forgettable track called Facts and Figures on the soundtrack for
When=A0The Wind Blows. Is his solo stu ff any good? What musical
direction has he taken? Anyone know?

I also would be happy if there was a reformation of the original band
but I have to say that, while the MKII and MKIII Stranglers have had
their song-writing=A0failures, I have=A0been pretty happy with=A0band's
continuing efforts. And from what I can glean from live recordings it
seems like they have always continued to deliver the goods in concert.

=A0

Geoff=A0

=A0


<bold><italic>Alexander Smith
<<vassifer@earthlink.net></italic></bold> wrote:



to suggest that the band are in any way better off without Hugh
Cornwell *HURTS ME IN MY VERY SOUL!* ... the Stranglers just don't
seem the same without Hugh.





</excerpt><<image.tiff>

<excerpt>

<fontfamily><param>Arial</param><smaller>Do you Yahoo!?

<bold><underline><color><param>1999,1999,FFFF</param>Yahoo! Finance
Tax Center</color></underline></bold> - File online. File on =
time.</smaller></fontfamily></excerpt>=

--Apple-Mail-2--723188642--