Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The absolute peak, 19 Sep 2001
This album is the Stranglers finest hour. Following the fascinating 'Black & White' which highlighted two distinct and developing sides to the Stranglers music - the lighter, faster,melody flooded White side with the darker, slower, spikier more challenging Black, this LP kind of mixed the both into a wonderful collection of intelligent songs that still entrance, intrigue and envelop you 22 years later. Gone are the naive, 'notice me' brutal lyrics of the early songs, seceded by an international theme born of tours beyond bristol, bolton and birmingham. Here each of the four players dance with and around each other in musical games - each offering different parts that somehow complement to add to a gorgeous whole on tracks like Genetix, Baroque Bordello and Ice. Many of the songs feature very strong, very intelligent opening instrumental passages that never over stay their welcome but transform into a seemingly separate song in an instant - 'shah shah a go-go' is a perfect example. The drum patterns are very inventive too and add to the layered, textured feel of a lot of the tracks. And then there is " the Raven' - the title track and 5 minutes and 12 seconds of perfection. The sectional approach to the song, the bleak romanticism of the lyrics, the interplay of keyboard and guitar, the driving bass and the final ethereal, swirling last minute of synthesizer magic evoking the flight of 'the Raven' is just breathtaking at loud volume. This is The Stranglers' masterpiece.
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
FIND ME A NEW DIRECTION, 14 May 2007
The first STRANGLERS album I bought rather than borrowed. But where to start? Right at the beginning, I suppose.
(DEEP BREATH) I first saw them in 1980 at Leeds University during The Raven tour. Halfway through the set there was a power cut, so when they eventually returned to the stage, the band (like us) were Seriously Pissed Off and what should have been the remaining thirty minutes were thrashed out in less than twenty. I don't even think there was an encore, although that may be down to the don't-give-a-damn punk ethic of the times. But still I loved the gig and still I love the album. And here's why:
Following on from BLACK AND WHITE, 1979's THE RAVEN was like a breath of fresh air to my ears. The sound is more thoughtful and the instruments easier to differentiate and place, with a production designed to emphasise the gaps, so to speak, yet being far from spartan as a whole. And even though the theme of the album (Viking/Nordic symbolism) peters out after only two tracks, there's still a cohesion that insists you play these songs in order.
It's roughly 50/50 in the writing and performance stakes on THE RAVEN and at this point neither HUGH CORNWELL nor JEAN JACQUES BURNEL are significantly dominant or more accomplished than each other as songsmiths. But it doesn't matter anyway, because each song compliments the next and so on. Highlights include the title track, DEAD LOSS ANGELES, DON'T BRING HARRY (with a beautiful guitar solo), MENINBLACK and GENETIX (DAVE GREENFIELD providing his usual ought-to-belong-on-some-kind-of-creepy-register vocals). Even the bonus tracks are a delight, especially BEAR CAGE, a dinky little number with a typically flat (again, of the time) Cornwell delivery. Marvellous stuff.
And another point worth mentioning: after all these years, there's still nothing to compare in sound or texture to THE RAVEN (if you're in any doubt about that, just listen to the extraordinary SHAH SHAH A GO GO). Timeless? Maybe not. But unique? In spades.
So, a few reasons why the album is worth owning. You'll no doubt discover the rest for yourself.
Oh, and finally: In 1979 I was lucky enough to buy one of the first 10,000 copies of THE RAVEN featuring a 3D hologram stuck over the standard LP cover. So, what do I go and do? Needing some cash, I sell it to a schoolfriend for £[...], having played it to death and figuring that I'll buy another copy before too long. Of course, the utter stupidity of that decision only hits home a few weeks later when I'm in the Bradford branch of Boots the Chemist, face as long as a fallpipe, about to pay £[...] for the non-limited edition. Then, as I prepare to hand over the cash, another assistant walks up and asks if I'd I prefer a 3D copy, SHE THINKS THERE'S ONE LEFT IN THE BACK SOMEWHERE(!!!)
Confirmation in my book that there is indeed a God.
VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A flash of brilliance from The Stranglers., 15 Aug 2001
This is the last album that features JJ Burnel's fabulous grunting, aggressive bass sound in it's full glory. This is an album from a band really hitting a peak with more excellent tracks than you can comfortably shake a stick at. The original sleeve was banned for having a less than flattering picture of an Australian politician on the inside. And that is a good indicator of the content. Political and social comment. Drugs and exuberant dark joy (along with a pointer toward their next release - the decidedly occult Meninback). It contains the fantastic 'Duchess' and one of the most accomplished tracks they ever released - 'Don't Bring Harry'. This new release has additional tracks including the french version of 'Harry' and the fascinating 'Yellowcake UF6'. Originally a B side this track is presented backwards. Only The Stranglers could make that work. An addictive triumph.
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