Dark Matters has it stood the test of time?

[toilerinblack]

Each to their own on DM being a of mixtured bit & pieces album stuck together maybe on say 2-3 songs but overall I don't think the album is at all but maybe i'm in a minority on that one.
Moving on it will be intresting eventually to hear in what new direction they will be moving with material wise if they do start to record with material and ideas they say they have through this winter hopefully for another new album that could potentially be a good timing release if one is released next year what with all the extra publicity they will be getting in their 50th formation year.
I'm hoping for more imput on new materail fromToby who brings his own experinace and ideas to the band which I feel can only be a plus for the band nowday's and it's fans moving forwards.
I'm hoping that they will continue on in the studio with new direction and difference but still keeping with the bands tradition and distinctional style,sound and manor their liked and known for.
I feel new songs like White Stallion has brought the band more up to date with newness even if the many felt it was an over worked and produced track which I don't for one tbh and obviously fans like the new stlyed song as it's become a new firm favourite with the audience which is all good.
I think they are going in the right direction but must overhaul the set list,the songs are there for the taking to freshern up a gig for the paying public as there has been to much of the same and complacency for to long now I feel only apart from the 4-5 DM tracks they are doing live.

[Greatkudu]

If he doesn't have any manna then the next album will just be more of the same or worse so either way it will still be lame. The issue is the replacements for all the band members are just session musicians/Tribute acts so i don't hold out for anything special at all from any of them. The best you can hope for it will have to all come from JJ and i think hes lost the ability without Hugh.
Like the other replacements if Toby did have anything special or was that talented with any worth he would have already done it by now for himself. All of them have been in the music business all their lives and their biggest lucky career breaks is with the post Stranglers set up.

To answer your question Toiler they could have stopped strangling and start a fresh as a new identity all of there own but they never did for the last 30 odd years so they may as well keep trudging on like they have always done relying heavily on all those songs that Hugh was involved with.
The very sad untimely death of Dave Greenfield produced in a very bitter sweet way typically gave Dark Matters the success that it found . Everybody Loves you when your dead ? even i have listened to that album more times than it deserved because of Dave.

A tad harsh.Major Kudu.

Before your post i did wonder was i being too harsh so i had a listen again to the album which i got bored very quickly and turned it off.

To be more constructive in my criticism this is what makes the album so under par.

None of the songs sounds like its been crafted as one song. Each song sounds like JJ has taken bits of ideas and thrown them together in a way that suggests he will use this as introduction and then use this for the chorus and ill use this for the verse and maybe this will work as a middle 8. This then leaves each song being very dis-jointed. So many songs have chord progressions that lead no where. I have flashes where i think this song may well have promise and then they go a different tangent that i think no this is not for me at all.

The worst thing of all about this album is the vocals spoilt entirely by Baz over emphasizing his Geordie accent in a desperate way to put his mark on the album and promote his Geordie presence. Its nothing against Baz being Geordie but its done on that album in a very gimmicky and cheap way that i would be just as cringing if Hugh had put a London cockney accent on his work with a bit of "ere cor blimey govenor stick it in ya family al-bum"

Juvenile Lyrics that have an amateur feel about the songs i really think that Baz is an obstacle to JJ's writing ability and stopping him from producing something of quality.

Its not only Baz when JJ and Baz are harmonising together its cringe cringe cringe.

There is nothing of interest to this album at all for me and it just annoys me that Baz pats himself on the back about this effort under the name of the Stranglers.

I hope this isn't too harsh for you Kudu but for me the name The Stranglers with Hugh represents so much infinitely more than what this album offers i find it terrible that it leaves such a nasty ink blot all over the fantastic work the band did pre 1990

If they were to come up with anything worth praising i will do that but at the moment the bar was set far to high from Hugh for the likes of Baz, Toby , or Jim to ever achieve in there wildest dreams.

Don't hold back,wow

[theraven1979]

ThinkTank slowly morphing into Stan

Jim

[Greatkudu]

ThinkTank slowly morphing into Stan

Jim

Ah no there is only one Stan,ThinkTank has been well mentored.Major Kudu.

[markorbit]

I'm Spartacus. No, I'm Spartacus.

I think Baz is a Mackem.

[ThinkTank]

oh god no i have never copied or had my opinions and beliefs changed by anyone. I know what i like and don't like and i know what is good and what is crap. I am very much my own person.

I do think Stan puts his point across very well and much better than i can do and we share very similar opinions on this current line up but we definitely don't see eye to eye in as far as Paul Roberts era is concerned

[ThinkTank]

Was she dumped because she was becoming too popular and putting Hugh in the shade ?

Nice play on words but i cant see Hugh being that shallow. I reckon if you are a Musical artist that wants to express yourself you can only go so far with Hugh as he works Solo in his writing and very individual he doesnt write as a band at all. So i would imagine Caz probably felt more of a glorified session bass player and moved on as she wanted to write her own songs or contribute more as a band member. Just my take on it

Allow me to be a bit shallow for a few minutes
Visually Caz worked very well, as well as being great on the bass.
With The Stranglers it was always JJ's presence that got the attention from all the girls..
Now at last we could get our own back with Caz
But she's a lot younger and probably just wanted to move on to other things. If The Stranglers do continue once JJ retires then....

Sent from my moto g62 5G using Tapatalk

I really did like the irony in your post it amused me anyway. Yes i did notice that Caz got her fair share of attention

With The Stranglers it was always JJ's presence that got the attention from all the girls..

Which that story has of course been repeatedly told by you know who but the one and only JJ himself lol

If The Stranglers do continue once JJ retires then....

Surely that should be When not If

[Homer]

Listened to the album today in the car .... I'm afraid it was a 'Skip' ... 'Skip' 'Skip' kind of listen. The last 3 tracks are the best for me, LMOTM being the best of the 3.

[theraven1979]

Listened to the album today in the car .... I'm afraid it was a 'Skip' ... 'Skip' 'Skip' kind of listen. The last 3 tracks are the best for me, LMOTM being the best of the 3.

That's quite the shift from when you first heard it


Jim

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

[Greatkudu]

Was she dumped because she was becoming too popular and putting Hugh in the shade ?

Nice play on words but i cant see Hugh being that shallow. I reckon if you are a Musical artist that wants to express yourself you can only go so far with Hugh as he works Solo in his writing and very individual he doesnt write as a band at all. So i would imagine Caz probably felt more of a glorified session bass player and moved on as she wanted to write her own songs or contribute more as a band member. Just my take on it

Allow me to be a bit shallow for a few minutes
Visually Caz worked very well, as well as being great on the bass.
With The Stranglers it was always JJ's presence that got the attention from all the girls..
Now at last we could get our own back with Caz
But she's a lot younger and probably just wanted to move on to other things. If The Stranglers do continue once JJ retires then....

Sent from my moto g62 5G using Tapatalk

Stop being sexist

[Greatkudu]

Back on thread,I will have to Listen again.Major Bunter.

[Homer]

Listened to the album today in the car .... I'm afraid it was a 'Skip' ... 'Skip' 'Skip' kind of listen. The last 3 tracks are the best for me, LMOTM being the best of the 3.

That's quite the shift from when you first heard it


Jim

Sent from my Pixel 6 using Tapatalk

Yeah s'pose .... hardly listen to any Strangs related stuff these days tbh.