The Album Review Club - Week #145 - (page 1923) - Tellin' Stories - The Charlatans

[The Lightbowne Cowboy]

Robin Williams and Keith Floyd were huge Stranglers fans

I always remember Floyd playing Waltzinblack on it when I was a kid and had no idea it was the Stranglers. Rattus Norvegicus is a fine album,gets a solid 8/10. Stranglers are so underrated in my book.
Edit: Fuck it! It's getting 8.5, listened to it last night after messaged..much better than solid.

 

[LGWIO]

Having only ever really heard the singles I had an idea that they were quite different from their normal output. Always having the image of The Stranglers as a punk band so I have been surprised at the overall sound of this album.
Two listens in and I am really enjoying it. I can certainly see the immediate reference to the Doors and really think it is the keyboards on this that lift it above being something that is just OK.
Loving the drums and bass across most of them and finding it so much easier listening to this week than last.

 

[Saddleworth2]

From their final studio album, for the record.

Just sheer class.
The lyrics were loosely based on the spree killer Billy Cook, who committed several murders including that of a five-person family in 1951. Morrison used the story as a jumping-off point for the lyrics to “Riders of the Storm.”

Funny, I always think of the character Randall Flagg from Stephen Kings "The Stand' when I listen to that track.

 

[threespires]

I haven't listened to this for a long time but it's interesting that what I both liked and disliked about it doesn't seem to have really changed over the years. Reading some of the other reviews makes me think again about how often timing is so important with the bands you end up loving. I was probably a couple of years too young to be meaningfully into the early stages of punk (not that this really is but that's another discussion) and I think it definitely colours my views compared to had I been at their early gigs etc.

When I do get round to doing my review I was going to point out that I think JJ Burnel was more than a bit of a knob and that as good and as different as his brutalist approach to bass was, the fact that he is underrated by many is offset by the fact he was so overrated by himself.

I was also going to point out that, no I definitely would not say any of this to his face. But I reckon it's entirely possible that one of the BM Waldorf Massive who've rocked up for this pick might actually know him and dob me in it!

So I won't be saying any of that :-)

I may have to go on the run anyway after my review but I reckon @Saddleworth2 might give me sanctuary ?

 

[Vienna_70]

I haven't listened to this for a long time but it's interesting that what I both liked and disliked about it doesn't seem to have really changed over the years. Reading some of the other reviews makes me think again about how often timing is so important with the bands you end up loving. I was probably a couple of years too young to be meaningfully into the early stages of punk (not that this really is but that's another discussion) and I think it definitely colours my views compared to had I been at their early gigs etc.

When I do get round to doing my review I was going to point out that I think JJ Burnel was more than a bit of a knob and that as good and as different as his brutalist approach to bass was, the fact that he is underrated by many is offset by the fact he was so overrated by himself.

I was also going to point out that, no I definitely would not say any of this to his face. But I reckon it's entirely possible that one of the BM Waldorf Massive who've rocked up for this pick might actually know him and dob me in it!

So I won't be saying any of that :-)

I may have to go on the run anyway after my review but I reckon @Saddleworth2 might give me sanctuary ?

I would definitely say that Rattus Norvegicus was released in the early stages of the Punk era - April 1977.

The infamous Bill Grundy interview with the Pistols was in December '76, so four months later can’t be regarded as anything other than still the early part of that era.

I don’t remember being aware of any earlier Punk albums than RN.

 

[Deepest Blue]

I would definitely say that Rattus Norvegicus was released in the early stages of the Punk era - April 1977.

The infamous Bill Grundy interview with the Pistols was in December '76, so four months later can’t be regarded as anything other than still the early part of that era.

I don’t remember being aware of any earlier Punk albums than RN.

Just this from the UK scene.

 

[Vienna_70]

View attachment 125750
Just this from the UK scene.

Did you read my post?

Rattus Norvegicus was the first Punk album that I was aware of.

I didn’t say there were no Punk albums before RN.

 

[RobMCFC]

Just sheer class.
The lyrics were loosely based on the spree killer Billy Cook, who committed several murders including that of a five-person family in 1951. Morrison used the story as a jumping-off point for the lyrics to “Riders of the Storm.”

Funny, I always think of the character Randall Flagg from Stephen Kings "The Stand' when I listen to that track.

LA Woman is a fantastic album - it's got three of my favourite Doors tracks on it: "Riders on the Storm", "Lover Her Madly" and the title track.

I know what you mean about the lyrics and Randall Flagg - "There's a killer on the road ....."

I also seem to remember reading in No One Here Gets Out Alive by Jerry Hopkins and Danny Sugarman that a young Jim Morrison witnessed some fatal accident on a car journey and that this inspired some of the lyrics.

 

[Saddleworth2]

LA Woman is a fantastic album - it's got three of my favourite Doors tracks on it: "Riders on the Storm", "Lover Her Madly" and the title track.

I know what you mean about the lyrics and Randall Flagg - "There's a killer on the road ....."

I also seem to remember reading in No One Here Gets Out Alive by Jerry Hopkins and Danny Sugarman that a young Jim Morrison witnessed some fatal accident on a car journey and that this inspired some of the lyrics.

Just been playing it. Fabulous album.
Nice Bass from Jerry Scheff who previously played in the Elvis band.

 

[OB1]

Sorry mate but you can't really say that without hearing a lot more than you've heard. You may still prefer The Doors(fair enough) but The Stranglers are a much better band than many give them credit for. Do me a favour and listen to their albums in order like I said to @OB1 a while back. He now appreciates them a lot more than he first thought he would : )

This is true but I still need to give them more of a listen; probably as I do The Doors, all of whose studios albums I think I have.