New album confirmed (edit: or is it?)

[Ruby]

Can't be arsed with long quote replies.

[markorbit]

Whilst even DG 'brought back' elements of the classic Stranglers sound on NC nobody including Dave ventured again near the synths introduced on Raven/MiB. That's the type of thing I'd like to hear on newer stuff.

There's the argument for no, 'keep moving forward' (which can be a get out clause for mediocrity) but people still want JJ's bass to sound like it did :-)

[ThinkTank]

Well I don't really understand what you mean cause I never suggested that JJs and / or other members current song writing is anywhere near as good as the original 4 used to be.

Nor that Toby is a brilliant keyboardist.
And yes I think I understand the difference between a good musician who can play well and copy stuff, and a creative force like the 4 original Stranglers all were.

My only point is that we don't really know anything about Toby's creative talents - if any - and we won't know until they make some new songs with him.

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Aah ok that's my error then i was reading too much in to your post that wasn't there. It was probably my enthusiasm to point out that being a great musician or writing music that continues to be different is not the same thing to writing a good song .

Yes we will have to wait to see what Toby comes up with then lol poor fella he's only trying to help out with a tour and now i am expecting him to change the sound and quality of the Stranglers -- You better come up trumps Toby everyone is counting on you !!! lol

haha yeah the pressure is on come on Toby stop fucking around copying Dave and let's see what you've got lol !

I suppose any mention of a possible new album gives some hope that we'll at least hear something "fresh", but I'd like to think that my expectations are realistic and it's just stating the obvious again to say the best has long passed...

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pmsl @stop fucking around

Well 400 ideas is a hell of a lot even if it is just bits and pieces and an amount that would be more than a lifetime of work for other song writers . So JJ is definitely lifting the next one with lots of expectation to be their greatest work to date.
I think the problem i will always have is Baz singing so it could be a masterpiece but i wont be able to help myself from cringing. I can easily except Baz guitar playing , tobys keyboard and Jims drumming but the vocals are just the personality and sound of the song and just far too important to get my head around Baz doing the singing for me to be able to accept it.

[aldinblack]

Aah ok that's my error then i was reading too much in to your post that wasn't there. It was probably my enthusiasm to point out that being a great musician or writing music that continues to be different is not the same thing to writing a good song .

Yes we will have to wait to see what Toby comes up with then lol poor fella he's only trying to help out with a tour and now i am expecting him to change the sound and quality of the Stranglers -- You better come up trumps Toby everyone is counting on you !!! lol

haha yeah the pressure is on come on Toby stop fucking around copying Dave and let's see what you've got lol !

I suppose any mention of a possible new album gives some hope that we'll at least hear something "fresh", but I'd like to think that my expectations are realistic and it's just stating the obvious again to say the best has long passed...

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pmsl @stop fucking around

Well 400 ideas is a hell of a lot even if it is just bits and pieces and an amount that would be more than a lifetime of work for other song writers . So JJ is definitely lifting the next one with lots of expectation to be their greatest work to date.
I think the problem i will always have is Baz singing so it could be a masterpiece but i wont be able to help myself from cringing. I can easily except Baz guitar playing , tobys keyboard and Jims drumming but the vocals are just the personality and sound of the song and just far too important to get my head around Baz doing the singing for me to be able to accept it.

yeah I know I totally get you, the change of voice has always been a difficult one to swallow ever since Hugh left.
Even though PR is a very good singer (better than Baz technically?) I just couldn't accept the change back then and that together with the format change and other things meant I just couldn't take it lol.
Then with Baz and the 4 piece it resolved some of the other stuff for me and so the voice - though not ideal- was a compromise I was able to stomach.
I also cringe at times but what can you do its an old story init ..

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[Yanders]

It's not just his singing, i dont think baz has any experimental instincts. He seems to be able to mimic a strangler sound in a track, but not come up with left field ideas of his own. Its all soft rock.

He's what the stranglers need for good performances and fun time on tour, but not for a mind blowing album.

[parasiteinblack]

It's not just his singing, i dont think baz has any experimental instincts. He seems to be able to mimic a strangler sound in a track, but not come up with left field ideas of his own. Its all soft rock.

He's what the stranglers need for good performances and fun time on tour, but not for a mind blowing album.

Agreed.
Paul and John were actually much quirkier in their songwriting than Baz was imo.

[Josh]

It's not just his singing, i dont think baz has any experimental instincts. He seems to be able to mimic a strangler sound in a track, but not come up with left field ideas of his own. Its all soft rock.

He's what the stranglers need for good performances and fun time on tour, but not for a mind blowing album.

Agreed.
Paul and John were actually much quirkier in their songwriting than Baz was imo.

Yep, I would agree with all of this too.

[Greatkudu]

It's not just his singing, i dont think baz has any experimental instincts. He seems to be able to mimic a strangler sound in a track, but not come up with left field ideas of his own. Its all soft rock.

He's what the stranglers need for good performances and fun time on tour, but not for a mind blowing album.

Sir without slagging Baz I totally agree with you,hes really a very conventional musician and character,whilst Hugh and JJ were totally off the wall in so many ways,then you add Jet and Dave and that's why you had such great songs and music,even today Hugh is eccentric in his character etc,so it made the music more quirky,I really would rather they didn't bother making any new music,but fair play to them if they do,but as I have said many times,they are victims of how great those first 9 albums were and IMHO they never ever produced anything near to the quality of what came before.Major Smith.

[Bear Cage]

It's not just his singing, i dont think baz has any experimental instincts. He seems to be able to mimic a strangler sound in a track, but not come up with left field ideas of his own. Its all soft rock.

He's what the stranglers need for good performances and fun time on tour, but not for a mind blowing album.

Agreed.
Paul and John were actually much quirkier in their songwriting than Baz was imo.

Quirkier maybe, but I think the Baz albums are better than the preceding Paul and John albums.

[parasiteinblack]

It's not just his singing, i dont think baz has any experimental instincts. He seems to be able to mimic a strangler sound in a track, but not come up with left field ideas of his own. Its all soft rock.

He's what the stranglers need for good performances and fun time on tour, but not for a mind blowing album.

Agreed.
Paul and John were actually much quirkier in their songwriting than Baz was imo.

Quirkier maybe, but I think the Baz albums are better than the preceding Paul and John albums.

That's fair enough.
Of the 8 post-Hugh albums In The Night and Norfolk Coast are undoubtedly my top two. After that it's either Suite or About Time. Then probably Dark Matters, then probably WIR. Coup and Giants are kind of on par, with maybe Giants just edging it.
So yeah, in general the Baz ones are stronger, but there's not a lot in it and a lot of my favourite tracks are Paul and John ones.

[theraven1979]

Baz brings very little to the table though. The only thing Baz brought was a spark to JJ. List Paul songs and list Baz songs


Jim

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[jetblacksdad]

Maybe Baz isn't the greatest singer but he is a very good guitarist and recreates Hugh's parts very well. JE over embellished it and spoilt it for me, technically a superb guitarist but it didn't seem faithful to the Stranglers sound.

Baz, for me, completely revived the band and the output (even Giants) outshines the preceding era.
I'm not sure which are Baz songs, but I know he wrote Dutch Moon and that is superb.
Did he write Spectre of Love ? I know the lyrics are his.



Controversial question

How much of the keys on the album really are Dave? Maybe Toby already played on a Stranglers album...........