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18 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Stranglers feel the fear - and it IS g-e-n-i-u-s., 24 Jul 2002
Hello. I doubt Will Smith grooves much to this one. To be honest, neither do I - it's not that kind of an album, it's far too strange. It probably forms the centrepiece of the Annual Conspiracy Theorist's Convention After-Dinner Freak-Out ("How did you know?" gasp the conspiracy theorists, and I reply "<THEY> told me", to which they shrink fearfully away).In this, the most marginal of all The Stranglers' work, Hugh and the gang offer us a dark and hypnotic soundtrack to the hypothesis of Biblical alien involvement. As with Radiohead's 'Kid A', 'Meninblack' (1981) was released in the wake of an acclaimed predecessor, and fans eagerly anticipating more of the same were disenchanted by the new sound. The situation was not improved when the least accessible track, 'Just Like Nothing On Earth' was issued as a single to promote the album, while prime chart material such as 'Two Sunspots' sat in conspicuous, upbeat solitude on the album. Built on the foundations of paranoid doom laid in a track from 'The Raven', 'Meninblack' is a concept album years ahead of its time, with a strong, fluent narrative. The music is heavy and taut with the negativity and fear felt by the musicians during production. All of which makes it sound like a really, really b-a-d listening experience. Well OK, it's true, you're not going to want this blasting out from your car stereo as you drive open-topped to the beach on a sunny day, nor as you attempt to lull yourself to sleep home alone at night. But on some other occasions, it's good: progressive, highly innovative, and intriguingly catchy. The sound has worn well: the passing of time has elevated the album within the context of its 'era' (I discovered it in 1993). Dave Greenfield's looping keyboards and synths are in the fore creating a trance-like ambience, never more so than in 'Waltzinblack', the beautiful yet grotesque opener. 'Turn The Centuries, Turn' and 'Hallow To Our Men' are hauntingly atmospheric; 'Two Sunspots' and 'Four Horsemen' have great melodies. Hugh lifts morale with occasional humour (er...sometimes at the expense of Jesus). All band members give it everything they've got, and the result is slick and seamless. It's one of the most underappreciated records I can think of, and at or near to the pinnacle of The Stranglers' output. I'd say it's genius, but it's by no means to everyone's taste, and it's certainly no introduction to the band - that would be their debut 'Rattus Norveticus', or some 'Greatest Hits' affair. I'd recommend it to anyone with an interest in early Stranglers; fans of good keyboards; anyone up for testing the retrospective claim of bassist JJ Burnel that it sounds like a techno album; and Tommy Lee Jones. I expect it will also appeal to anyone who's gotten it into their head that Jesus was an alien.
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