The Stranglers - Black and White (1978)

The Stranglers - the worlds most overlooked

punk band?

Read any music history and punk started and

ended in the Westway with the Clash + some

help from the Pistols.

Not so - back in '77, to hear any punk stuff played

on the radio apart from Uncle John Peel and the

odd burst on Crapital Radio was a rarity.

The Stranglers had massive hits that got airplay

early on and a lot of people in my school only

got into punk by hearing them and delving

further through this new music.

(Not me - I saw the Damned + Motorhead in '76

at the tender age of 16 which proves how hip I

was and that I probably started the whole punk

movement)!!!!!

"Rattus Norvegicus" and "No More Heros" set the

tone with aggression, Punk Floyd weirdness, fantastic

tunes and one of the most individual voices to vie

with Lydon as "new" style singing.

Black and White, for me anyway, remains their

crowning glory - sinister avante garde lyrics,

post-punk tunes, wailing sax breaks, frenetic

guitar and the best bass sound ever.

Buy