Exclusive Japanese Limited Edition reissue of this 1979 album packaged in a miniature LP sleeve featuring bonus tracks. Virgin. 2006.
CD Reviews
An absolute masterpiece
skak1 | 03/11/2002
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Stranglers' fans usually view one of three albums as the group's best- Rattus, Black and White or the Raven. Each have their merits. Rattus was the group's aggressive debut, which sounds a bit dated today. Black and White was the most coherent Stranglers' offering- they had developed a very distinctive Doors-inspired punk sound by then. The Raven marked the beginning of a new musical direction. It is very diverse ranging from a soft ballad to powerful anthems. The Stranglers were always a cut above in terms of the subject matter of their songs- no time wasted on silly love songs. Cannibalism, extra-terrestrials, nuclear testing, Japanese forms of suicide, Vikings, Iranian politics and Genetic Engineering all feature here. Ironically so too does a song denouncing heroin (guitarist Hugh Cornwell was arrested for possession of the drug shortly afterwards). The group's musicianship never reached a higher level than here. With the bass, guitar and keyboards all vying to be lead instrument it is amazing how well they end up complementing each other. This is an absolute must for anyone interested in the group."
Interesting Times
skak1 | 09/22/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"The Stranglers always had something of a mixed reputation, both intellectual and menacing, with the latter perhaps being more appealing to their fan base, this album was the first to showcase their intellectual side. Of course in popular music intellectual refers to occasionally reading a newspaper, but in 1979 there were lots of interesting things in the papers and few other punk bands had an ex-scientist as lead singer. Musically they lowered the bass in the mix to less than speaker destroying volume and Hugh lets loose his guilty secret, he may be able to really sing. At the very least evocative of an era, there were more important things happening in 1979 than your (my) tawdry memories of teenage trysts, the album holds up well. Buy it for your children."
One of the best albums ever.
Elaine Ellerton | austin, tx | 07/26/2006
(5 out of 5 stars)
"If you like the Stranglers, then you probably already own it (if not, shame on you) and it is even probably your favourite Stranglers album. It has the heaviness and kick of previous albums (gotta love their basslines), but is much more polished as they have gotten a lot more synthesizer savy on this one. This is by far my favourite Stranglers album, although everything pre-Aural Sculpture is fantastic as well."
Flying straight with perfection
Mark Tall | Hermosa beach, Ca | 05/08/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This album is the Stranglers finest hour. Following the fascinating 'Black & White' which highlighted two distinct and developing sides to the Stranglers music - the lighter, faster,melody flooded White side with the darker, slower, spikier more challenging Black, this LP kind of mixed the both into a wonderful collection of intelligent songs that still entrance, intrigue and envelop you 22 years later. Gone are the naive, 'notice me' brutal lyrics of the early songs, seceded by an international theme born of tours beyond bristol, bolton and birmingham. Here each of the four players dance with and around each other in musical games - each offering different parts that somehow complement to add to a gorgeous whole on tracks like Genetix, Baroque Bordello and Ice. Many of the songs feature very strong, very intelligent opening instrumental passages that never over stay their welcome but transform into a seemingly separate song in an instant - 'shah shah a go-go' is a perfect example. The drum patterns are very inventive too and add to the layered, textured feel of a lot of the tracks. And then there is " the Raven' - the title track and 5 minutes and 12 seconds of perfection. The sectional approach to the song, the bleak romanticism of the lyrics, the interplay of keyboard and guitar, the driving bass and the final ethereal, swirling last minute of synthesizer magic evoking the flight of 'the Raven' is just breathtaking at loud volume. This is The Stranglers' masterpiece."
Good bad trip
Frank Gorshin | Missouri | 05/26/2010
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Take viking raids, extraterrestrials, genetic experiments, homemade nuclear weapons, and what do you get? The best concept album of all time! The Stranglers were mean-spirited misanthropes, but they knew how to have fun. There have been plenty of "haters," but the Stranglers always hated just a little bit more. Plus, their musical chops could silence just about all the naysayers. "Dead Loss Angeles" is one of the greatest songs ever!"
Track Listings (15) - Disc #1