Sometimes I hate being in the minority but being a Stranglers fan this is something I have come to live with.

Just to add the balance to all the glowing reviews here I'm afraid I don't really rate this album.

It's a real mess from start to finish. Must be the most inconsistant Stranglers albums ever. To say that they rushed this when vocalist Paul Roberts left seems an understatement when you hear this album. It's like Baz is impersonating Paul Roberts who in turn is impersonating Hugh Cornwell. Not good. That said there's some great material here it just severely lacks in delivery.

The opener Unbroken does disappoint especially with the "slap my thigh..." lyric - is this *the* Stranglers? or some 15 year old public school boys dicking about? Things don't get much better with Spectre Of Love, very average what's the point?

Some of the songs sound like real middle of the road stuff. "She's Slipping Away", "Anything can happen" (cheesey especially the ending), "Barbara" (goes on and on), "Bless You" (drones on and on - it stops then it starts back up AGAIN!) are all pretty cringeworthy cheese factor 9 in parts (factor 10 thanks to a particular dicey Dire Straits moment).

Thank christ then for "Relentless" and "Summat OuttaNowt" 2 tracks that restore your faith in the band. That said "Relentless" could be so much better than a backing track and vocal. "Soldier's Diary" is credit where credit's due - kinda like The Hives - not bad.

"I Hate You" is pure tragedy. Where's the quality control here? C'mon guys seriously. I wrote stuff like this on my school jotter when some 6th former got off with the bird I had my pre-pubescent eye on.

However, the production is pretty good and adds a lot of life and energy to what would be some very average songs.

I do believe that the next album beyond the shadow of Messers Roberts and Cornwell will be a real make or break moment. Let's hope the next one isn't "Just Seventeen".