The Stranglers - Black and White 1978
The Stranglers - Raven 1979
I've read how great this band is. How some people feel their albums to be some of the best ever made, regardless of punk or rock. How they're a world unto themselves. You know, some of the highest praise you can throw at a band. Rattus Norvegicus 1977 and No More Heroes 1977 are generally recommended to start. I didn't understand. They hit me like the name pub rock implies; you could walk into any bar on a weekend and hear something like them. And even with Black and White, which is thought to be their best by many, I wasn't getting it, but I at least liked the sounds and sound. The cover does that album no favors either. But yeah, the sounds. This is probably some sort of ridiculous earshot nearly 50 years out, but I hear Lou Reed and Kraftwerk. Then, on Raven, you have the twin bass guitar power on "Baroque Bordello", and that reminded me of The Cure's Robert Smith picking up the bass on "Primary". I love me a twin bass attack. Both of these albums finally clicked. I mean, REALLY clicked. I'm hearing them in my sleep. I'll have to see if I hear the first two albums differently now.