The Stranglers

They are currently preparing a follow-up album for release in early 2006. Tool are currently working on their fourth full length album which is expected to be released in 2005. 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. In addition, the members of Tool avoid press, rarely grant interviews, and have only appeared in two of their music videos, "Hush", and very briefly in "Sober". "Peaches", finally, also takes pride of place in another British movie, Sexy Beast by director Jonathan Glazer. The length of the music video for "Parabola" clocked in at an unheard of ten and a half minutes, almost condemning it from being aired on mainstream music channels. 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. Though the singles for Ænima received significant radio play, 2001's Lateralus featured songs averaging six and a half minutes in length, unwieldy for even the most ambitious disc jockeys.

The Stranglers classic period 1977-1990 has secured them a respected place in British popular music history. The music video for the song was also renamed by MTV America to "Track #1" for its offensive connotations. The remaining members recruited two replacements and have continued to tour and release independent label records to little fanfare. Tool has long clashed with conventional television and radio due to their dark musical content and dry disposition: "Stinkfist", the first single from Ænima was initially shortened for radio play until overwhelming fan response compelled them to play the track uncut. Founding member Cornwell left in August 1990 to pursue a solo career. Indicative of their various influences (King Crimson, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and Rush among them), Tool's music features a firm grasp of musical structure, unconventional time signatures, and inventive, often counter-mainstream culture subject matter. 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. Their music includes elements of heavy metal, progressive rock, psychedelia and art rock.

Songs of creditable quality. Paul d'Amour left the band in 1995 and was replaced by Justin Chancellor of the UK band Peach shortly after recording for their third major release, Ænima, began. 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. Tool is a rock music group formed in the United States in 1990 by vocalist Maynard James Keenan, guitarist Adam Jones, bassist Paul d'Amour, and drummer Danny Carey. This album and the ones before it are landmarks that never sound dated and even today earn critical praise. High Priest by Timothy Leary. 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. Hellboy: The Lost Army by Mike Mignola & Christopher Golden.

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. American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis. 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. Black Spring by Henry Miller. 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. Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky. These albums (Rattus Norvegicus, No More Heroes, Black and White) are gems. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez.

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. Dune by Frank Herbert. Their early albums are essential classics by most critic's standards. The Origin Of Satan by Elaine Pagels. 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. Four Treatises Of Theophratus Von Hohenheim Called Paracelus by Paracelus. The band has been quoted as saying that they did not consider themselves to be a "punk" band. Ouspensky.

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. D. 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. Fourth Way by P. 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. What The Buddha Taught by Walpola Rahula.
The Stranglers are a British rock music group, formed in 1973 in Guildford. Holy Blood, Holy Grail by Michael Baignet, Richard Leigh & Henry Lincoln.

2004 Beyond Elysian Fields. The Age of Reason by Thomas Paine. 2003 In the Dock. The Legacy of the Beast. 2002 Mayday. The Mayan prophecies. 2002 Sons of Shiva. The Dancing Wu Li Masters.

2002 Footprints in the Desert. Hearts Aflame by Johanna Lindsey. 2000 Hi Fi. Archaic Revival by Terence McKenna. 1999 Black Hair Black Eyes Black Suit. Interior Design with Feng Shui by Sarah Rossbach. 1997 Guilty. Diary Of A Genius by Salvador Dali.

1993 Wired. Art and Physics by Leonard Shlain. 1992 CCW. Earth by David Brin. 1988 Wolf. Nothing In This Book Is True ... by Bob Frissell. 1979 Nosferatu. Squeak the Mouse by Massimo Mattioli.

Fire and Water. The Wasp Factory by Iain Banks. Un Jour Parfait. And the Ass Saw the Angel by Nick Cave. Euroman Cometh. Love and Sleep and AEGYPT by John Crowley. Norfolk Coast. Behold the Protong! by Stanislav Szukalski.

Coup de Grace. Behind the CD tray on Undertow is a picture of a cow licking itself. Written in Red. On European and other releases, the song appears as track 10 after a period of silence following "Flood.". About Time. The final track of Undertow, called "Disgustipated," appears as track 69 on early pressings of the US copies of the disc, on others it appears at track 30(the intervening tracks are all 3 second blank tracks). In the Night. The Opiate EP has a secret track called "The Gaping Lotus Experience." It fades in six minutes, six seconds into track six ("666").

Greatest Hits 1977-1990. This tribute is performed on acoustic instruments. All Live, and All of the Night. In a similar vain, 'A Gothic Acoustic Ensemble Tribute to Tool' was released in 2004. 10. A second volume of string tribute titled The String Tribute to Tool Volume 2: Metamorphic was released in 2003, again containing various tool songs from all four albums. Dreamtime. Tool's songs are mostly multi-sectioned, and the band's sophisticated grasp of harmony allows for an interesting instrumental interpretation.

Aural Sculpture. The lack of percussion is sometimes countered with "clicking" arco techniques. Feline. A number of Tool songs are rearranged for classical music string instruments (violins, viola, cello and a double bass) with at least three musicians. The Collection 1977-1982. The String Tribute to Tool: Third Eye Open is a tribute album released in 2001. La Folie. Tricky appears, uncredited, in the video for "Parabola.".

The Gospel According to The Men in Black. Timothy Leary is also an influence and his "Think for yourself, question authority" monologue introduces the live version of "Third Eye" on Salival. The Raven. Samples of his comedy are featured on "Third Eye" and the booklet for Ænima has a tribute painting of him. Live -XCerts. Comedian Bill Hicks influenced and is well respected by the band. Black and White. Henry Rollins appears briefy on Undertow, reciting a spoken word piece on "Bottom.".

No More Heroes. Early pressings of the CD featured the song spelled "Lateralis," but this was corrected on subsequent copies. Rattus Norvegicus. The title track from "Lateralus" was also released as a single, however no video was produced for it. Most of these videos were created with the help of interpretive dance duo Osseus Labyrint. "Hush" was the only video where the band members appear prominently, although they appear briefly in "Sober".

The band's singles and accompanying music videos include: "Hush" from Opiate, "Sober" and "Prison Sex" from Undertow, "Stinkfist" and "Ænema" from Ænima, and "Schism" and "Parabola" from Lateralus. Paul d'Amour (bass). Maynard James Keenan (Vocals). Adam Jones (Guitar).

Justin Chancellor (bass). Danny Carey (Drums).