The Stranglers
One of the most idiosyncratic bands of all time, The Stranglers are a British pop band, formed in 1973 in Guildford. One of the most important, if underrated bands of the punk/new wave era, they originally played a strain of progressive/pub rock with a harder and more sinister edge that made them obvious bedfellows for the UK punk movement when it started in 1976.
However, the four members of the group Hugh Cornwell, Jean Jacques Burnel, Dave Greenfield and Jet Black (real name: Brian Duffy) were not regarded as punks by their musical peers for the reason that they could actually play. They wrote a string of top ten hits, including No More Heroes and Peaches placed the band at the forefront of the New Wave movement - a branch one step removed from the spitting, snarling punks - not to mention that The Stranglers material was fiercely intellectual, while never pretentious or boring. The band has been quoted as saying that they did not consider themselves to be a "punk" band. It was their frequent run-ins with the law and their strong following amongst British street gangs like the Finchley Boys that gave them a menacing persona.
Their early albums are essential classics by most critic's standards. Although initially received with mixed reaction because of their supposedly "sexist" and "racist" innuendo, the Stranglers employed a sort of intelligent dog-humour in their lyrics that won over many music critics. These albums (Rattus Norvegicus, No More Heroes, Black and White) are gems. Their sense of melody and structure are free, their creativity never wanes, and with the spiraling keyboards of Dave Greenfield, the shredding guitar work of Hugh Cornwell, the rumbling bass of JJ Burnel, and the pulsating drum work of the amazing Jet Black, these albums built a fan following that exists in full force to this day.
If one were to listen to the songs (or at least some of them) on 'The Raven,' their 1979 album, one would clearly see the 'symptoms' of their separating from 'traditional' punk, and with that album they would lay the foundations for a musical foundation that to this day is emulated. Take one listen to the title track from the album -- even just the first minute -- and you'll be convinced. Two albums later the Stranglers released La Folie. This was both the beginning and the end of a musical era for the Stranglers, as their music took a much different turn in albums following that excellent album. This album and the albums before it are landmarks that never sound dated and even today earn critical praise.
The Stranglers went on to score hits with the ballad Golden Brown (1982) and Strange Little Girl the same year, and by 1990 had more British chart hits (28) than any other artist ever to reach the number one spot. Songs of creditable quality.
Who can also forget the rippling pipe organ on the best-known song from their 1984 album 'Aural Sculpture' - 'Skin Deep'? Their 1986 album, 'Dreamtime,' was also good, but reverted to softer, more soothing 'instrument work' and vocals that were clearly more subdued than 'Aural Sculpture' and most of their albums before it.
Founding member Cornwell left in August 1990 to pursue a solo career. The remaining members recruited two replacements and have continued to tour and release independent label records to little fanfare.
The Stranglers classic period 1977-1990 has secured them a respected place in British popular music history.
Interest in The Strangers resurfaced when, in 1999, their music was used in the soundtrack to the hit film Fight Club. Then, just one year later, singer Tori Amos covered their song Strange Little Girl and titled the album it was featured on "Strange Little Girls" and their song Golden Brown was also used in the hit film Snatch by film director Guy Ritchie.