Well, last night's Niagara with the French lady didn't go down all that well so, to redeem myself in your eyes, your humble blogger will run a boys' night tonight and who better to do that with than the Stranglers?
From the start they were controversial - the punks didn't like them because of a bassist and organist who could actually play, the women hated their supposed misogyny [and so Alison won't like this post] but they were a cut above as a group.
I don't know why I like groups like this and artists like Ian Dury - it appeals to something rebelling against the constraints of upbringing and education I suppose. Something Better Change [below] is one of the better live Strangler clips available on youtube at the moment and that famous bass line comes through.
I ran with the photo-collage version below with the studio track because the guy did a good job with the photos every two seconds. Yep - I saw the crosses - that's their cross to bear when they shuffle off this mortal coil - but the song is still a rock classic of all time and the change to the last movement at 5:23 lifts this way above the usual punk.
Here's the live version - though the sound quality is less [it was decades ago], the atmosphere is there and the shots of all the band are good.
Enjoy.
An excellent band even if the albums could be patchy. My favourite is the Raven
ReplyDeleteYou're right - the albums were patchy but their classics were classics. The Raven was good of course.
ReplyDeleteI always loved the instrumentals of the Stranglers but their sometimes off tune singing spoiled it a little for me.
ReplyDeleteIan Dury - I saw him live ;-)
They were flawed - part of the appeal. Dury live - lucky duck.
ReplyDeleteIt was quite something :-)
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