This page will contain discussion groups about The Stranglers, as they become available.The Stranglers
They began as a sinister sounding, hard-edge pub rock group, and beginning in 1976, were tangentially assocated with punk rock, due in part to their opening for The Ramones' first British tour. The Stranglers were also associated with new wave music, but their idiosyncratic approach never fit completely within any musical genre However, the four members of the group - Hugh Cornwell, Jean Jacques Burnel, Dave Greenfield and Jet Black (real name: Brian Duffy) - were not regarded as punks by their musical peers for the reason that they could actually play. They wrote a string of top ten hits, including "No More Heroes" and "Peaches", which placed the band at the forefront of the New Wave movement - a branch one step removed from the spitting, snarling punks - not to mention that The Stranglers' material was fiercely intellectual, while never pretentious or boring. The band has been quoted as saying that they did not consider themselves to be a "punk" band. It was their frequent run-ins with the law and their strong following amongst British street gangs like the Finchley Boys that gave them a menacing persona. Their early albums are essential classics by most critic's standards. Although initially received with mixed reaction because of their supposedly "sexist" and "racist" innuendo, the Stranglers employed a sort of intelligent dog-humour in their lyrics that won over many music critics. These albums (Rattus Norvegicus, No More Heroes, Black and White) are gems. Their sense of melody and structure are free, their creativity never wanes, and with the spiraling keyboards of Dave Greenfield, the shredding guitar work of Hugh Cornwell, the rumbling bass of JJ Burnel, and the pulsating drum work of the Jet Black, these albums built a fan following that exists in full force to this day. If one were to listen to the songs (or at least some of them) on The Raven, their 1979 album, one would clearly see the 'symptoms' of their separating from 'traditional' punk, and with that album they would lay out a musical foundation that is emulated to this day. Take one listen to the title track from the album -- even just the first minute -- and you'll be convinced. Two albums later the Stranglers released La Folie. This was both the beginning and the end of a musical era for the Stranglers, as their music took a very different turn in albums following that excellent release. This album and the ones before it are landmarks that never sound dated and even today earn critical praise. The Stranglers went on to score hits with the ballad "Golden Brown" (1982) and "Strange Little Girl" the same year, and by 1990 had more British chart hits (28) than any other artist never to reach the number one spot. Songs of creditable quality. Who can forget the rippling pipe organ on "Skin Deep", the best-known song from their 1984 album Aural Sculpture? Their 1986 album, Dreamtime, was also good, but reverted to softer, more soothing 'instrument work' and vocals that were clearly more subdued than Aural Sculpture and most of their albums before it. Founding member Cornwell left in August 1990 to pursue a solo career. The remaining members recruited two replacements and have continued to tour and release independent label records to little fanfare. The Stranglers classic period 1977-1990 has secured them a respected place in British popular music history. Interest in The Stranglers resurfaced when, in 200, singer Tori Amos covered their song "Strange Little Girl" and titled the album it was featured on "Strange Little Girls" and their song "Golden Brown" was also used in the hit film Snatch by film director Guy Ritchie. "Peaches", finally, also takes pride of place in another British movie, Sexy Beast by director Jonathan Glazer. The Stranglers had a critical and popular renaissance in 2004 (together with their first top 40 hit for 14 years) with the highly acclaimed "Norfolk Coast" album and a subsequent sell-out tour. They are currently preparing a follow-up album for release in early 2006. Discography
Solo DiscographiesJ.J. Burnel
(with Dave Greenfield)
Hugh Cornwell
This page about The Stranglers includes information from a Wikipedia article. Additional articles about The Stranglers News stories about The Stranglers External links for The Stranglers Videos for The Stranglers Wikis about The Stranglers Discussion Groups about The Stranglers Blogs about The Stranglers Images of The Stranglers |
|
Hugh Cornwell. Both his albums were re-issued by Rhino Records. (with Dave Greenfield). Tone-Loc grew up in Santa Monica, California. Burnel. Additionally, Tone-Loc made a cameo appearance in the 1980's film Ford Fairlane with Andrew Dice Clay. J.J. His tracks "Wild Thing" and "Funky Cold Medina" were immensely succesful - in fact, "Wild Thing", which was co-written by Young MC, was the first top ten hit for a black rapper according to allmusic.com. They are currently preparing a follow-up album for release in early 2006. Tone-Loc is an American rapper and actor. The Stranglers had a critical and popular renaissance in 2004 (together with their first top 40 hit for 14 years) with the highly acclaimed "Norfolk Coast" album and a subsequent sell-out tour. 1991 Cool Hand Loc (Delicious Vinyl). "Peaches", finally, also takes pride of place in another British movie, Sexy Beast by director Jonathan Glazer. 1989 Loc-ed after Dark (Delicious Vinyl). Interest in The Stranglers resurfaced when, in 200, singer Tori Amos covered their song "Strange Little Girl" and titled the album it was featured on "Strange Little Girls" and their song "Golden Brown" was also used in the hit film Snatch by film director Guy Ritchie. The Stranglers classic period 1977-1990 has secured them a respected place in British popular music history. The remaining members recruited two replacements and have continued to tour and release independent label records to little fanfare. Founding member Cornwell left in August 1990 to pursue a solo career. Who can forget the rippling pipe organ on "Skin Deep", the best-known song from their 1984 album Aural Sculpture? Their 1986 album, Dreamtime, was also good, but reverted to softer, more soothing 'instrument work' and vocals that were clearly more subdued than Aural Sculpture and most of their albums before it. Songs of creditable quality. The Stranglers went on to score hits with the ballad "Golden Brown" (1982) and "Strange Little Girl" the same year, and by 1990 had more British chart hits (28) than any other artist never to reach the number one spot. This album and the ones before it are landmarks that never sound dated and even today earn critical praise. This was both the beginning and the end of a musical era for the Stranglers, as their music took a very different turn in albums following that excellent release. Take one listen to the title track from the album -- even just the first minute -- and you'll be convinced. Two albums later the Stranglers released La Folie. If one were to listen to the songs (or at least some of them) on The Raven, their 1979 album, one would clearly see the 'symptoms' of their separating from 'traditional' punk, and with that album they would lay out a musical foundation that is emulated to this day. Their sense of melody and structure are free, their creativity never wanes, and with the spiraling keyboards of Dave Greenfield, the shredding guitar work of Hugh Cornwell, the rumbling bass of JJ Burnel, and the pulsating drum work of the Jet Black, these albums built a fan following that exists in full force to this day. These albums (Rattus Norvegicus, No More Heroes, Black and White) are gems. Although initially received with mixed reaction because of their supposedly "sexist" and "racist" innuendo, the Stranglers employed a sort of intelligent dog-humour in their lyrics that won over many music critics. Their early albums are essential classics by most critic's standards. It was their frequent run-ins with the law and their strong following amongst British street gangs like the Finchley Boys that gave them a menacing persona. The band has been quoted as saying that they did not consider themselves to be a "punk" band. They wrote a string of
top ten hits, including "No More Heroes" and "Peaches", which
placed the band at the forefront of the New Wave movement - a branch one step
removed from the spitting, snarling punks - not to mention that The Stranglers' material was fiercely intellectual, while never
pretentious or boring. However, the four members of the group - Hugh Cornwell, Jean Jacques Burnel, Dave Greenfield and Jet Black (real name: Brian
Duffy) - were not regarded as punks by their musical peers for the reason that they could actually play. They began as a sinister sounding, hard-edge pub rock group, and beginning in
1976, were tangentially assocated with punk
rock, due in part to their opening for The Ramones' first British tour.
The Stranglers were also associated with new wave music, but their
idiosyncratic approach never fit completely within any musical genre. 2004 Beyond Elysian Fields. 2003 In the Dock. 2002 Mayday. 2002 Sons of Shiva. 2002 Footprints in the Desert. 2000 Hi Fi. 1999 Black Hair Black Eyes Black Suit. 1997 Guilty. 1993 Wired. 1992 CCW. 1988 Wolf. 1979 Nosferatu. Fire and Water. Un Jour Parfait. Euroman Cometh. Norfolk Coast. Coup de Grace. Written in Red. About Time. In the Night. Greatest Hits 1977-1990. All Live, and All of the Night. 10. Dreamtime. Aural Sculpture. Feline. The Collection 1977-1982. La Folie. The Gospel According to The Men in Black. The Raven. Live -XCerts. Black and White. No More Heroes. Rattus Norvegicus. |