I've been presenting you with music diaries that allow everyone a nice trip down memory lane, and that's what they've been supposed to do. Groups you know, curated by somebody with eccentric tastes. Well, tonight is going to be different. Unless you listened to certain types of radio stations during the late 1970s and through the 1980s, stations that played punk and New Wave artists (and maybe some Motown), you might not have heard this group, and I'm not playing the one song I KNEW I heard on that station, because that would give you the idea that they were misogynistic. No, we're being intentionally obscure tonight, with a group that started out punk and ended up doing some of the most interesting rock and roll anybody was doing. I give you the British mega-group, The Stranglers.
L to R: Jet Black (drums), Jean Jacques Burnel (bass, vocals), Dave Greenfield (keyboards) and Hugh Cornwell (guitar, vocals). Like the Doors, for the most part, this is about the vocals and the keyboards. Songs below the Great Orange platen.
After a word from our sponsor.
Top Comments recognizes the previous day's Top Mojo and strives to promote each day's outstanding comments through nominations made by Kossacks like you. Please send comments (before 9:30pm ET) by email to topcomments@gmail.com or by our KosMail message board. |
Punk. Mostly because they opened the British shows for the Ramones and for Patti Smith. Dave Thompson at allmusic.com explains:
The established pub rock scene was dying and promoters were willing to give any unknown band a break, simply to try and establish a new hierarchy. Thus it was that as the first stirrings of punk began to make their own presence felt on the same circuit, The Stranglers were on board the bandwagon from the beginning.
Opening act for the Ramones when they toured Britain. Punk by association. "Lyrical anger and organ-driven sleaze," says the BBC. Pranksters, really. Erudite, even, in places. Unfailingly, at least to my ears, interesting.
This is their first single, (Get a) Grip (on Yourself). The lyric is perfect sneeringpunk, but the keyboards . . . Some critics think they were influenced by the Doors, and, well, it's VERY possible. 1977. Reached #44 on the British charts.
No More Heroes (1977) - Live, on Dutch TV. #8 on the British charts. The BEST first line of any song, EVER, with reference to someone some people considered a hero. And the keyboards again.
Don't Bring Harry (1979) Their anti-heroin song, from their fourth album, The Raven. Not punk. Not, actually, a song you'd expect me to feature. But it's magnificent.
Golden Brown (1982). This reached #2 on the British charts. And yes, that's a harpsichord. It's not punk any more, it's a lot more new wave, but then, that's what the era demanded. And, since we're now in the age of music videos . . .
No Mercy (1984). From Album #6. #37 on the British Charts. A timing song. Again, not something you'd expect from me, but voila.
And tonight a sixth song, because I have this on my phone and I like listening to it. Instead of This (1990). From the tenth album. The singing. Just listen. Ravisihing. You'll be rewarded.
I know, this has been self-indulgent of me. I have a feeling ALL my May writing will be on LGBT issues, and mostly serious LGBT issues at that (except for the end of the month music diary, FINALLY on Led Zep, two hours and change before I leave for the airport for my annual trip to Louisville), so this is my fling. I hope you liked the songs. I do.
And now for the stuff that makes this Top Comments:
TOP COMMENTS, April 30, 2014: Thanks to tonight's Top Comments contributors! Let us hear from YOU when you find that proficient comment.
From Steveningen:
I found two excellent comments in ericlewis0's diary, Oklahoma Double Execution Botched - One Dead After Complications, 2nd Stayed. First up comes this justifiably outraged comment from ontheleftcoast. Further down in the comments, seanflynn zeroes in on the myth of the efficacy of capital punishment.
From your diarist,
Dave in Northridge:
FogCityJohn submits an excellent "shorter" in kos's diary about the effect a liberal friend had on an Obamacare refusenik.
TOP MOJO, April 29, 2014 (excluding Tip Jars and first comments):
1) Welcome to America's Future by fcvaguy — 148
2) LOVE IT! by lizzyh7 — 129
3) There are MANY people with rage issues. by MartyM — 120
4) Calling them hypocrites doesn't quite hit the mark by ExpatGirl — 109
5) I'll tip and rec any diary that exposes Scott by The grouch — 97
6) Medicare for all by whizdom — 95
7) Fuck you FOX by raptavio — 94
8) Isn't it great? She will lose quite a bit of her by Leslie Salzillo — 94
9) I think americans are getting wise to by blueoregon — 93
10) we have met the barbarian by Laurence Lewis — 89
11) Actually, it's not. I can anesthetize you, then by mumtaznepal — 86
12) Now that's a photo-op he couldn't Photo-shop. by ontheleftcoast — 84
13) Brooks wouldn't have the government spend by ontheleftcoast — 83
14) Well of course Trump would blame a young woman by doroma — 83
15) Can't wait for Charlie Crist to oust Rick Scott by skepticalcitizen — 83
16) NY Times reports that it was heart attack... by Mets102 — 82
17) As with terrorists and convicts of all kinds, by cai — 82
18) No, but it seems almost to a person by MrJayTee — 81
19) They called Winnie the Pooh but he was busy by DrTerwilliker — 81
20) What's the judge's cut? n/t by JeffW — 76
21) I'm in Ohio and I care a lot. by davidincleveland — 76
22) Rage issues and people with illusions of romantic by Pescadero Bill — 73
23) They're trying to provoke a confrontation by Cartoon Peril — 71
24) ...Yep, just go find something better.. by LOrion — 70
25) Yep. by One Pissed Off Liberal — 70
26) Imminent apology? by ontheleftcoast — 69
27) Was just going to post this so here's by Vita Brevis — 69
28) kind of surprised at some of the responses here by live1 — 69
29) Deluded assholes are sleeping in the dirt, by Floyd Blue — 69
30) And in other news... by LieparDestin — 68
31) as of this moment by Laurence Lewis — 68
For an explanation of How Top Mojo Works, see
mik's
FAQing Top Mojo
TOP PHOTOS, April 29, 2014: Enjoy jotter's wonderful PictureQuilt below. Just click on the picture and it will magically take you to the comment that features that photo. Have fun, Kossacks!