Rattus Norvegicus (IV) [Remastered] - Stranglers (The)

Advantages: The sound, the attitude, the sleaze
Disadvantages: A bit grumpy

'DUN DERRUN, DERUNNDERRUNDER, DUN DERRUN!!!' Grinding, in yer face, grunt and grind bass, with the most despicable leer and sneer you have ever heard.... That was the public face (or noise) of The Stranglers as they rode on the back of the Angry Young Men of punk in 1976-77 to come to public prominence as the dirty old men of new wave, meninblack who were more reminiscent of navvies and flashers than fey pop stars.... I first happened across The ...
...as they famously started to discover new wave and they featured the band in a live clip singing (or was that grimacing?) 'Hanging Around' and was instantly seduced by their sleazy, sinewy, grim rock and roll. They were instantly neither of the establishment nor of the snotty young things of new wave - this was a bunch of bruisers who looked like they wanted to eat your daughters (after doing all sorts of other unpleasant things to them first). They ... Read review

Advantages: Raw and dirty
Disadvantages: A bit over the top

...April saw the release of Rattus Norvegicus, which reached Number 4 in the album listings. If the twilight romanticism of Goodbye Toulouse and the urban broodiness of hanging Around showed one side of the Stranglers, the album also revealed their most controversial quality. This was their deep, apparently ingrained misogyny. Four or five tracks violently abused women, with the lascivious bump and grind of Peaches, the leering Princess Of The Street ...
...meat) and the scathing London Lady being particularly offensive. The Stranglers’ macho posturing, as moronic as that of the worst heavy metal bands, lapsed so readily into bathos, however, that it seemed obviously satirical. These deliberatley crass songs, most of them boasting fine melodies and all of them beautifully played, smacked of sexual rejection by women of impotent men (hence the ferocious Ugly by way of revenge). This was hardly something ... Read review

the album that changed my life,from the greatest band<artist> its simply majestic,power,aggression,humour,challenging lyrics its got the whole range.its the standard bearer for all the music in and around that time.if your looking to expand your music education,just buy this album sit back and lose yourself in its brilliance.RP BETHELL

Advantages: one of the most eagerly awaited abums of 77
Disadvantages: not as good as black and white.

Rattus Norvegicus was The Stranglers debut album. It was one of the most eagerly awaited albums of 1977 and got to a very respectable number 4 in the UK album charts. The album spawned two singles, Get a Grip (44) and Peaches (8). The album has a very good collection of songs, Goodbye Toulouse (one of my personal favourites) Hanging Around, the album versions crap but the live one is loads better, Grip, an organ soaked fast paced classic, and London ...
...overall the Stranglers better albums and has also been classed as one of the best new wave albums ever. The stranglers were always noted for their defintive swirlin keyboards and organs and driving bass, and some people just dismissed them as just another punk band, but there was something about these diverse men that made them stand out, their music was actually, good. They were always more melodic than most bands, and are officially the second ... Read review

Advantages: Agressive and catchy
Disadvantages: None

This the most famous album by this late 70's punk out-fit and is the Strangles debut. The Strangles are a four piece UK punk/new wave band that is very under-rated and is normally forgotten (some what like the Buzzcocks) when "the best punk bands" are talked about. Thier sound was very grimmy but with an almost gothic look. The mian features othere that the vocials are the bass and the keyboard both with catchy melodies and riffs and some of the ...
...than any I've every heard and are definatly not sang (in a pop sence anyway). 2 singles where relised from the album, the 1st being Get a Grip and the 2nd, Peaches (their 2nd most listened to song after Golden Brown). The rest of the ablum is just as good as ith consists of their stongest songs from their live set with the best of them being Hanging Aroung and London Lady. I think everyone should give this album a listen because I'd be suprized ... Read review