[kj] is: Stranglers was: You Tube!

[Geoffrey ODonoghue]

I've weighed in before on The Stranglers debate but that won't stop me from having my say yet again :)
   
  I completely agree with Rob's assessment of what future The Stranglers had if Hugh hadn't left. Has anyone here actually heard 10, his swan song with the band? It's deplorable - with the exception of the first track (an up-beat, boppy dance number) and the last (a soaring JJ-penned tune). Surely anyone looking at the band's output from 1984 to 1990 can spot a steady decline. Aural Sculpture had a fair few good songs on it but the lightweight, unconvincing, pop fluff was well in evidence and that type of stuff gained a greater foothold through Dreamtime and culminated in the predominantly dross-filled 10. I don't know if Hugh can be blamed for the course the band's music took but, from what I can gather, his solo stuff follows a similar path whereas the continuing band reverted to their rock roots with varying degrees of success. I've personally always thought that it was Hugh's idea to add horns to The Stranglers sound - sometimes it worked and sometimes it emphatically
 didn't. I saw the band at the Wembley Arena on the Dreamtime tour and the experience left me completely cold.
  It often seems to me that some Stranglers fans are really only interested in the band's first two albums - which were both recorded and released in 1977 and comprise most of the live repertoire the band had built up over several years. The band was already exercising it's desire to experiment and explore different musical territory with 1978's Black and White with side one (the white side) being songs in the 77 albums' vein and side two (the black side) comprising much more off-beat and quirky numbers. The Raven continued this trend and its follow-up, 1981's The Gospel According to the Meninblack, completely shook up the band's sound and was a tough listen - even for fervent fans. With La Folie they returned to a more traditional sound and successfully created an eclectic mix of well-crafted pop (Golden Brown, Pin Up), burly rock (Let Me introduce You To The Family, The Man They Love To Hate) and experimental numbers (Aint Nothin' To It, It Only Takes Two to Tango). The
 European-flavoured acoustic/synth follow-up, Feline (1982), was less successful but they were still exploring new musical territiory. My point is that I wonder if people calling for Hughs' return just want to hear Rattus and Heroes songs or if they are into his whole tenure.
  As I already mentioned, The Stranglers with Paul Roberts was a patchy affair but, IMHO, eminently more listenable than the mid-80s to 1990 stuff. I recently found this article about Roberts' departure and I share the author's assessment of his time with the band. 
  http://www.bigtakeover.com/news/paul-roberts-leaves-the-stranglers-finally
  Interestingly, the band's polished (perhaps overly) effort from 1997 - Written In Red - was produced by the GOF's Andy Gill.
  The latest incarnation of The Stranglers did well on Suite XVI but I think they can do better and I hope they keep going for as long they want to and are able (and tour Australia regularly!)
   
  Geoff
   
  PS - Jet Black will turn 70 this year! He recently had some health issues which prevented him from doing a number of gigs (his drum tech stood in) and it seems as though he is still unable to travel long distances which will obviously be an issue as far as touring is concerned.
   
  PPS - IMHO a Hugh Cornwell/Stranglers reunion will never happen. I don't believe either party is interested in going down that track. 
   
  
Rob's Arse <joker at Z6.com> wrote:
  
Paul Roberts left the Stranglers 18 months ago.

The new line up is a four piece and the Suite XVI album is very good for what it is.
I did see them at the Rounhouse doing Rattus 30 years on but thought it was rather ploddy.

However, anything Hugh Cornwell has done since leaving has left me cold and the Stranglers would have been dead and buried if he'd tried to do what he does now within the band, IMO.



       
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