Tried listening to The Stranglers today....

[Velarian]

2 minutes ago, Muzz said:

I'm on record on here somewhere as to that bass at 0:14 on Hanging Around being my trigger into decades of faffing about with basses...culminating (on the JJB side) with a signed Shuker JJB P turning up any time soon...

 

Imagine my disappointment (also on record here) when I went to see them a couple of months ago and JJB's sound was...gone. I'm hoping it was a one-night aberration (I've heard from elsewhere it was better on other nights), and they had switched to in-ears only for the tour, so that was probably it, but I was properly gutted...

I think you’re right about the sound being gone. In fact I don’t think it lasted much beyond the first three albums. I’ve seen them live many times and on many occasions the bass sounded like a muddy mess. Whether that’s to do with JJ’s rig or poor FOH understanding of how it should sound, I don’t know. 

[Beedster]

Damn, there was me thinking I was the first to notice......

 

https://m.facebook.com/prog/posts/2733705826668703/?comment_id=2734511009921518

[Muzz]

Well, JJ did change his sound over the years as the band's sound changed (there's a Shuker JJB Sig Artist bass that's basically a piezo/flats semi-acoustic), but I have seen/heard him get 90% of the way back to the first three album sound on a few occasions live (and sometimes not really get there, probably down, as you say, to FOH hoohah) with his Ashdown rig, but this was the worst yet, and there was no Ashdown rig to fall back on...

[Crusoe]

1 hour ago, T-Bay said:

This is my all time favourite music on tv moment. They wanted to play live but were told they couldn’t apparently so did this-

 

 

Iron Maiden did something similar on a German TV programme once, only they waited until the song had started before switching instruments part way through. 

[ricksterphil]

I'm sure I read somewhere a long while ago that when shopping for a precision (in London I assume) he tried out about 30 odd to find 'the one'

[Nail Soup]

2 hours ago, T-Bay said:

This is my all time favourite music on tv moment. They wanted to play live but were told they couldn’t apparently so did this-

 

 

I like how Dave, unlike the others, decides to make a pretty convincing job the the lead vocal miming.

[Beedster]

Really enjoying drilling down into RN. There's a lovely bit of sax in the chorus of Get a Grip that sounds just like Andy McKay in Roxy at the time.....

[Beedster]

1 hour ago, Nail Soup said:

I like how Dave, unlike the others, decides to make a pretty convincing job the the lead vocal miming.

 

He's in his own World isn't he 👍 

[spongebob]

Stranglers '77-'82.....faultless, IMHO. Afterwards,  the fall was pretty horrific.....that early period is one of my top 5 bands for sure. 

 

Caught them live twice...once with Jet (who was amazing), other time with their new guy. Baz up front both times. JJ sounded awesome first gig, second time, the bass tone was abysmal.  He played brilliantly,  but the sound guy was having a huge off night! 

 

I would have loved to have seen them with Hugh at their peak....Black & White their real hotspot for me, absolute classic record.

 

Great aspect of the band was that every element was vital - take one bit out, and it's just not the same. All secret weapons in the overall sound. I just lose interest when they smoothed out....and the songs just aren't as good. I appreciate their return to a classic sound, it's okay, but nothing anywhere near that initial, unbeatable run.

[Beedster]

1 hour ago, Beedster said:

Really enjoying drilling down into RN. There's a lovely bit of sax in the chorus of Get a Grip that sounds just like Andy McKay in Roxy at the time.....

 

So, wasn't a session player either, this about the Grip recording

 

 

From

 

 

[madshadows]

I saw them at Wembley Stadium when they were on the bill with The Who headlining, AC/DC also played, I remember buying the album that was out around that time as The Stranglers were fantastic, the walk home from Wembley to Kennington in SE London wasn't so fantastic !!  😛 

 

John 😎 

[Beedster]

1 hour ago, madshadows said:

I saw them at Wembley Stadium when they were on the bill with The Who headlining, AC/DC also played, I remember buying the album that was out around that time as The Stranglers were fantastic, the walk home from Wembley to Kennington in SE London wasn't so fantastic !!  😛 

 

John 😎 

 

I had to walk a similar distance one night in the 80's following a mate's band's gig in a West London club on account of Lemmy having signed the £10 note that was otherwise going to get me a taxi home 

[howdenspur]

Saw them in October '77 at the Top Rank, Cardiff. They were quite awesome as was the support, the Dictators. There was a comedian, Johnny Rubbish, sandwiched in between the two bands. He only managed one line: "I hear you Welsh can't play rugby..." before making a hasty and early exit.

[Musicman666]

two of the best live clips of the stranglers...enjoy!

 

 

 

[Nail Soup]

4 hours ago, Beedster said:

 

He's in his own World isn't he 👍 

One of the great unsung personalities of rock IMO.

[Beedster]

2 minutes ago, Nail Soup said:

One of the great unsung personalities of rock IMO.

There’s defo something about him in that clip 👍

[Nail Soup]

11 hours ago, Barking Spiders said:

Incidentally I've always considered Hugh Cornwell's guitar playing very overlooked. Many of their songs contain tasteful, melodic and pointful solos.

Absolutely, while his rhythm guitar did not feature high in the mix his solo and lead work was always really we thought out and mostly avoided pentatonic noodling and the like.

In any other band it would have got a lot more attention.

Not many could do sardonic and deadpan better than Hugh either.

[Beedster]

9 hours ago, Nail Soup said:

Absolutely, while his rhythm guitar did not feature high in the mix his solo and lead work was always really we thought out and mostly avoided pentatonic noodling and the like.

In any other band it would have got a lot more attention.

Not many could do sardonic and deadpan better than Hugh either.

 

And he had those keys and that bass to compete with, not always easy to weave subtle guitar part into that sonic maelstrom 

[MrSpace]

I'm a bit late to this thread. I just gave Rattus Norvegicus a listen. What an incredible album! I had no idea... Definitely prog punk IMHO. Thanks @Beedster 😊

[Marky L]

20 hours ago, Beedster said:

 

So, wasn't a session player either, this about the Grip recording

 

 

From

 

 

This is a fantastic book to read as you go through the albums and songs. Lends another colour to them  (.. and I've lost my copy).

[Marky L]

There certainly was a prog element in there. From concept style albums, leftfeild subject matter and some great odd time signatures.

In the middle section of Curfew on Black and White, which has a phrase repeated six times. The 2nd part of the fourth phrase has one extra beat in it.. why? WHY??

 

Oh and the drum pattern start of Peasant In The Big Sh*tty on a count of 9.

Also The Raven and The Gospel According To The Meninblack have some corking odd stuff going on. 

 

I guess it was another of those bands with four differing talents that clicked. Jet's drum rhythms are rarely straight. Hugh's edgy spiky guitar. Dave's extraordinary keys and of course JJ's bass. Love them!

Edited September 21, 2022 by Marky L

[Beedster]

23 minutes ago, MrSpace said:

I'm a bit late to this thread. I just gave Rattus Norvegicus a listen. What an incredible album! I had no idea... Definitely prog punk IMHO. Thanks @Beedster 😊

 

And of course while front cover was good....

 

 

The back cover is one of the most iconic in rock history

 

 

[Velarian]

2 minutes ago, Beedster said:

 

And of course while front cover was good....

 

 

The back cover is one of the most iconic in rock history

 

 

I always felt that the front cover was a bit odd and the back should have definitely been the front. 

[JellyKnees]

21 hours ago, spongebob said:

Stranglers '77-'82.....faultless, IMHO. Afterwards,  the fall was pretty horrific.....that early period is one of my top 5 bands for sure. 

 

Caught them live twice...once with Jet (who was amazing), other time with their new guy. Baz up front both times. JJ sounded awesome first gig, second time, the bass tone was abysmal.  He played brilliantly,  but the sound guy was having a huge off night! 

 

I would have loved to have seen them with Hugh at their peak....Black & White their real hotspot for me, absolute classic record.

 

Great aspect of the band was that every element was vital - take one bit out, and it's just not the same. All secret weapons in the overall sound. I just lose interest when they smoothed out....and the songs just aren't as good. I appreciate their return to a classic sound, it's okay, but nothing anywhere near that initial, unbeatable run.

 

Yeah, it all went to merde after La Folie sadly, which is apparently when Jet started using drum machines in the studio according to Hugh's book. I was very lucky to see them twice in Liverpool in the early 80s with Hugh. The Raven is their magnum opus IMO.

[Beedster]

16 minutes ago, Velarian said:

I always felt that the front cover was a bit odd and the back should have definitely been the front. 

 

I think at the time the front cover was quite shocking and therefore in keeping with the band and the music. But yes, today the back seems so much better