Named and suitably shamed. Right...here we go with The Stranglers 2nd album No More Heroes from 1977. And a varied set of responses it received...
Ian F
My first
thought on re-familiarising myself with the opening tracks of ‘No More Heroes’ were that it is
ok. That is the sort of damned by weak
praise reaction I wouldn’t have expected to throw at The Stranglers back in the
day. I’m also surprised by how muddy the
Martin Rushent’s production is but that’s Punk as is the shock tactic value in
having a taboo word in the name of the opening track.
The title ‘I feel Like A Wog’, other jolts to
prescribed decencies, and a rattling quick pace help to decorate this pub rock
album in punk colours. ‘Wog’ and its opening compatriots ‘Bitching’ and ‘Dagenham Dave’ clatter along quite nicely, thank you, and all had
me tapping a toe in appreciation.
Conspicuous
in their emperors’ new strides The Stranglers were always punk and disorderly
by design but at least, as the three tracks mentioned confirm they did capture
the spirit if not the ideals, of 77.
There’s also an attitude of sorts to these tracks that is lacking, in such
as ‘Dead Ringer’ the Dave Greenfield song that breaks the sequence of those
openers and also deficient in ‘English Towns’ which comes later, starts well
enough but turns into bin-liner punk of the Hazel O’ Conner variety.
But, a good
beginning, then? Three decent songs out
of four openers ain’t bad and in a similar format, further into the album,
comes ‘Burning Up Time’ which does exactly
what it says in the title. These are the
sort of formulised new wave much enjoyed by both the pot smoking greatcoats
congregated at the back of Trog Bar and the cider supping punks populating the
entrance area.
Unfortunately,
the formula to all these songs – perhaps punks biggest musical selling point
and failing, and the reason the music burnt brightly but dimmed died quickly - and
the vocals which are neither impressive or expressive except in a card
carrying, one dimensional, show of anger don’t make you want to play this album
over and over.
Yet, if the
rest of the album was on par with these tracks we would have a decent album,
apposite of its time, and worth re-visiting every once in a while if only for
nostalgia purposes.
Instead the
remaining tracks show the best and worst of The Stranglers. The best being positioned slap bang in the
middle of this the bands second LP. ‘Something Better Change’ and ‘No More heroes’ were both singles and
each prove what a good pop-punk band the future MenInBlack were.
These tracks
work because they stick to their sixties psych-pop sensibilities. They don’t try to be punk or rock, or even
modern. Ok, so once again the vocals at
best demonstrate a carefree attitude to quality but the lyrics are interesting
in an oblique way but are once again propelled by the fire and pace demanded by
the times.
Unfortunately,
any affection I have for the singles and this album as a whole is wiped out by ‘Bring On The Nubiles’ possibly the
worst three minutes ever committed to recorded history. It’s shit!
The horrible vocoder vocals that try to add pre-Nuuman futurism on to
the track are merely irritating. It would be easy just to dismiss the ‘Bring On
The Nubiles’ for that reason but much has to be said about the song because of
the groups cheap, nasty, puerile and pathetic word play. We can all be immature (can’t we?). Everyone at some point has come up with silly
and infantile rhymes that we giggle at when drunk and amongst friends. These are soon and easily forgotten. Totally different and totally unforgivable is
the fact that four grown can go into a studio and record lines like. “I’ll
kiss your zones erogenous / there’s plenty to explore / I’ve got to lick your
little puss/ and nail you to the floor.” I won’t even bother to quote the excruciating
and embarrassing main refrain.
In my
imagination I try to picture the stranglers listening to a play back to this recording
and then coming to a consensus that it should be released for public
consumption. Are the Stranglers really
that ignorant and stupid? Unfortunately,
as this is the group who also recorded ‘T*ts’ on the give-away ep with the next
album not to mention the final track on this album – which I’ll come to – the
answer is almost certainly yes.
I think even
my 16 year old self, who unfortunately liked cock rock songs as much as the
next spotty and hormonally motivated kid, wanted more meaning to his shagging
songs and cringed on hearing this track.
No wonder the Hippies, and progsters dismissed punk. Let’s face it how could we talk about social
conscious when even David Coverdale fans would find such lyric childishly
banal. Even the Damned were above such
sexism.
Another dud
although much less angst inducing is ‘Peasant
in the big Shitty’ again the lyrics are clichéd comic punk, it once again
has (mis) treated vocals and the whole thing is the sort of track ITV would that
same year stick in the first series of ‘Rock Follies’ to try to give it sign of
the times street cred. .
The album
ends ‘School Mam’ the sort of kiss
off that reminds you not to play this album again. Like most of this collection it does show the
potential inherent in the backroom Doors rock of this most chance grabbing band. It builds like something that Mark E Smith
might have mustered from The Fall circa DraGnet. There is a menace in the sound and a seeming
intent in the lyric but soon ends up as another infantile sexual fantasy with
an ending that is pure nonsense and continues as if the the band were told to
keep playing until they had reached 38 – 40 minutes. Good job they’d paid their dues doing blues
dirges down the local.
If I was
reviewing this album as a double ‘A’ side single with ‘No More Heroes’ /
‘Something Better Change’. It would have
garnered an 80 from 100. If this was a
mini album with the singles plus the first three tracks and ‘Burning Up Time’
it would have earned a 60. As it is it is
an album that contains both ‘Bring On The Nubiles’ and ‘School Mam’ and
therefore can only be given a
40/100.
Dave C
First of all – Royksopp, I’m sorry it’s not you, it’s me. I
should have tried harder.
Well, actually I should have tried less hard, but more
often. I ended up doing that leaning forward trying too hard to pick out bits
of the album to write about, when it’s an album that should be engaged with
gently and allowed to blossom in your ear. It’s an album that I shall almost
certainly like more in six months than now, and in that, it is perhaps unique
amongst the albums we’ve reviewed so far.
Anyway, onto The Stranglers. Unfortunately it is not
possible for me to review this album properly. The Stranglers are too central
to my character. My favourite band at the age when music becomes a more
important guiding force than teachers and parents could ever be. I’m still
friends today with those I bonded with over The Stranglers. So, if you’re
seeking a balanced critique, I’ll stick my fingers right up your nose.
An odd collection they were. A semi-pro drummer who owned an
off-licence and ran several ice cream vans; a biology graduate guitarist
recently returned from Sweden; a cocky half-French bassist classically trained
in Spanish finger picking guitar playing, and a Jon Lord-loving, hippyish
keyboard player. They were the new wave band for those with catholic music
taste, they actually could play, and solid gigging honed them as a band. Their aggression,
intelligence and wit were brought more to the fore as they caught the zeitgeist.
Consider JJ Burnel’s quote of the time “Rock & roll is about cocks and
jiving, and about people like us talking seriously about the social
order.” - Rebellion, sex, nascent
political awareness, faux intellect, and music that could be danced to with no
compromising of one’s masculinity? That’s the 13 year old me signed up then.
No More Heroes was their second album, released only six
months after their first (and was followed eight months later by Black &
White). Keyboard player Dave Greenfield was the last to join the band. He is a
more confident, central figure here than on the preceding Rattus Norvegicus,
contributing lead vocals on two tracks (ranging from slightly creepy on Dead
Ringer to really creepy on Peasant In The Big Shitty), and some memorable,
melodic playing. The title track with the arpeggio-tastic keyboard line
floating atop is one of two great ‘punk anthems’. The other, “Something Better
Change,” is musically and lyrically basic, a perfect expression of the punk
movement’s attitude. Which is odd when you consider that they used odd time
signatures and had songs with distinct separate parts. They had songs which
were seven minutes long, inspired by acid trips, and some that featured swirly
keyboard solo. That could be ELP or Genesis couldn’t it? Well no, not when you
heard them, not when you felt the menace of the bass riffs.
Whilst they didn’t fit the punk mould, the subject of bands
changing their politics and lifestyle in order to jump aboard the bandwagon is
tackled on Dead Ringer. Other topics include alienation and racism in “I Feel
Like A Wog” (possibly one of the most misrepresented songs of the last fifty
years) the death of a stalwart supporter in “Dagenham Dave”. Seedy sexual
matters are tackled in a juvenile, ‘let’s see what we can get away with”
fashion on Bring On The Nubiles and more interestingly in the frustrated
uptight title character of School Mam. These are counterpointed by the
underrated “English Towns” which laments the emptiness of promiscuity, and to
my mind backs up Pete Waterman’s claim that they were writers of terrific
straightforward pop songs. This straight forwardness is wholly absent from
Peasant In The Big Shitty which in keeping with its lyrical expression of
altered reality druginess, rotates through three different time signatures
adding to the feeling of being off balance.
So straight forward pop, weird shit, introspection,
bellicose bawling they were a mass of contradictions. They introduced me to
Ozymandias, Lenny Bruce and Yukio Mishima, and embarrassed me with some lazy
sexism, but what a fucking bass sound.
80/100
PS Shamefully I’ve got to the end without mentioning the
splendid production work of Martin Rushent and Alan Winstanley.
Andy D
Have you watched the Young Ones recently? You should – and not
only because it’s briefly topical, with the off-screen antagonist Fatcha
all-pervading. Watch it instead as an example of something that has dated quite
horribly. Some things just do. You can sense it was probably once very good, to
a certain type of viewer at certain time in history. You can readily see why it
was attained cult status. But still…committing an entire thirty minutes of your
life to an episode…hm. You probably wouldn’t.
Alas, The Young Ones seems fresh and vibrant compared to No More
Heroes. And yet you can see why, perhaps, it was great at the time. There’s
swearing. That’s ostentatious discordancy. It strives to be edgy, and maybe it
once was. But like so many things, the passing of time and of fashions has
sadly eroded its appeal. To first-time ears, it’s not great.
Which is a pity. It may predate this writer, but hey, I know
music! I know the 70s! I have the single No More Heroes! Stranglers, yeah! That
would probably have been my dismally naff view a month ago. I know better now.
No More Heroes is the highpoint, and also serves to explain why the rest is so
turgid.
Okay, I’m being unkind. There are, the title track aside, good
bits. Bring on the Nubiles is a bit of self-aware sleaziness which oughtn’t
work, but does. Something Better Change is also good – the album does actually
become improves strongly midway through, so it’s unfair to suggest it’s wholly
without merit. When No More Heroes and Peasant in the Big Shitty follow, you
hope it’s building up to a crescendo after a bad start.
But it isn’t. It just fizzles out. Everything begins to the
sound the same. Riffs are repeated. A dull, chugging mid-tempo dirge starts to
dominate. Frankly I couldn’t wait for it to finish, and every time I
re-started, it was with a heavy heart. It sounded old and tired, ironically the
opposite effect to the one intended.
That’s unfortunate, as I wanted to like it. But then, young
people today probably want to like the Young Ones too.
32/100
Rich C
They polarised opinion from day one did the Stranglers. The
young punks viewed them suspiciously due to the fact that they were older,
could play their instruments pretty well and didn’t appear to conform to the
left leaning politics of the time. They were seen as bandwagon jumpers as
well…although oddly certain other older artists who clearly had “careers” of
some sort pre-punk and who had spruced up their act and their fashion sense
since hearing/seeing the Sex Pistols, didn’t get anywhere near as vilified as
the meninblack. Messrs Costello, Dury and Strummer, for example.
The thing with me and The Stranglers was that I sympathised
with much of the above school of thought, but the fact that they would go and
make a debut album as fundamentally bloody good as Rattus Norvegicus got me all
confused. They sounded quite incredibly like The Doors on the opening track of
that first album, Sometimes, but with a 70’s punk sharpness and aggression that
was quite irresistible to a 16 year old lad.
But then…yes this is supposed to be a review of No More
Heroes. So here we go. Maybe it was because it was rushed (released just 6
months after the debut), or maybe they weren’t really that great anyway, but
there are bits of No More Heroes that utterly stink to high heaven.
I Feel Like A Wog. No matter in what way I try and listen to
this, over the years I have honestly never “got” what they were aiming to
achieve with it. I guess in the end it was just them trying to be controversial. But it is a really shit
song.
Bring On The Nubiles. It’s about shagging and more than
hints at underage shagging as well. Again, controversy for the sake of it. And
in the form of a really shit song.
School Mam. About shagging again. But with teachers and
pupils this time. Song just as shit as previously mentioned ones.
Dead Ringer. A very lazy re-write musically of Peaches from
the first album. Quite shit.
But on the other hand they have the capability to give us
two of their best songs…in Something Better Change and the title track. Really
cracking punk singles of their time, that still impress after all these years.
They are sharp, vicious, aggressive, and absolutely on the top of their form
with Cornwell’s vocals epitomising something that was great about punk with the
anger he generates, and Dave Greenfield’s keyboards weaving throughout in a way
that was utterly not punk but worked quite brilliantly– but in just these two
songs.
Dagenham Dave is a lazy rewrite of the aforementioned title
track.
Peasant In The Big Shitty has some abysmal lyrics and a
non-standard time signature. Bloody musos.
Burning Up Time, English Towns and Bitching – again sound like
rejected outtakes from the first album.
So 2 classics, 3 abominations and 6 distinctly average
numbers mean I can’t possibly score this more than…40 out of 100.
They would go on to make what for me was their best album,
the follow up to this – Black And White. So they weren’t as bad as No More
Heroes makes them out to be but they almost certainly were dodgy careerists who
changed their music and image to suit the times. Can’t vilify them for that
but...The Stranglers were bloody hard to love.
Kev B
The late 70
s album took me down memory lane back to younger days when I lived through the
punk rock scene and was
lucky enough to see punk bands such as the Skids, the Rezillos , the Damned and the Buzzcocks to name a few.
The
aggressive, vibrant and blood racing tones these bands kicked out made life
exhllarating at this time.
Im not sure
whether this album would fit into modern society with some of the tracks
somewhat risqué
And I doubt
whether the first track I feel like a wog would be acceptable at all .
Anyway with
the volume cranked up the aggressive tones of this album kicked in and I
sped down the motorway out of town
and out of sight.
Dagenham Dave is a great track to listen to followed by the two timeless
classics No more heroes and something better
change which I found myself bouncing up and down on the seat at high speed.
Some
classic air guitar work through 5 minutes which I believe was an extra
track which for me reached new
aggressive
heights
They just
don’t make music like this now
80/100.
Right so add that lot up and you get an average score of around 54/100. Punk rock eh? Phew!
Till next time...
