ThinkTank wrote: ↑03 Aug 2023, 22:21
toilerinblack wrote: ↑03 Aug 2023, 20:28
Greatkudu wrote: ↑03 Aug 2023, 20:00
Oh it's the Baz Warne fan club Secretary
A little harsh,he was making a living out of music before the Stranglers,and he wrote quite a few songs on the NC album which projected the band to a situation where more people wanted to see and hear them again.Major Kudu.
The thing is with me I get more confused by the day with the post Hugh vocalists stuff lol
Both Paul and Baz both sung the same Hugh songs so was it all ok when Paul sung them live or was it not? As it is for Baz in general..... like I say I wouldn't know.
Myself only I find it hard to listen to any vocalist doing Hugh's songs and I don't think one did it ok but the other doesn't ....for me there can only be one Hugh so I do get confused on the post Hugh vocalists.
From my perspective Paul could sing and Baz cant. Pauls voice is quite unique as well to be fair although i cant really say he suited the songs he tried to replicate of The Stranglers. The band should have tried to go there own way on their own merits back then when Paul joined.
Both are no good for me as i have made my points quite clear why i think Baz is not suitable and i have also made it very clear why Paul isn't. The real issue for me is that the lead singer is not Hugh and i doubt any replacement for me would be good enough unless they were to start a new, under a different persona and leave the Stranglers legacy behind them. Hugh's vocals were far to important to the sound with out even taking his writing ability in to account.
Hugh really added so much more to the original Stranglers more than was obvious until he left. I think the mistakes that JJ makes since Hugh has gone hi-lights this.
The Stranglers were unique and very special but one of the most important things of all was Hugh's Voice. The vocals are the most unique instrument that any band can have you cant replicate that. If you buy a Fender Stratocaster you can replicate a sound of the bands guitar but the Hugh vocals you cant get that unique sound anywhere for all the money in the world.
JJ writing ability has been affected for the worse since Hugh isn't about for support or maybe advice. Whereas you can still see Hugh writing is just as good and effective as when he was in the band even though he's writing very different songs now.
I have said this before and i will say it again any Singer / Songwriter worth their salt would never join another band to sing and play someone else's songs unless it was for charity , Tribute , or to help out for a temporary time period. It really is that simple. When you listen to what The Stranglers were to what they are now its quite a ridiculous situation for a band like The Stranglers to become. The continuing of the band to just keep going regardless of the music quality regardless of who is replaced in the band is very sad to observe and something that would never have happened if Hugh was there.
If Baz or Paul had anything that special about them they would have made it on their own merit with out the Stranglers and if they believed in themselves they wouldn't even consider another band like the Stranglers they would have their own path mapped out with their own sound and style in their own band.
I have never been able to understand when you have experienced the original line up and how good they were with Live performances and written songs how a step down to what they have become without Hugh is so acceptable . I understand more for the new fans and why they may Like the current line up as they have nothing to compare but its something i could never just accept.
Intresting read your post I agree with a lot of what you have said and where your coming from.
If you go back to 1990 where Hugh unexpectedly left the day after a London gig what do they do moving forwards? either carry on with the brand name or a completely different type of band with a completely different type of singer in their own right.
So then the many might say ok start a completely different named band and music style which is all good enough but when Hugh left it still left 3 of the 4 original members all still together with what they had all built up over the last 16 years,so apart from the vocalist who had gone who for many still was the main man of the band but they must of thought the three of us are still here in a band they still liked being in together in still with it's massive following still packing out a gig too so what do you do for the best?
I think they tried to do bit of both carry on as the Stranglers but with a completely different type of vocalist and styled guitarist too sounding very different,new and fresh now fronting it's fans and audience as the Stranglers and it's rat lol and that's for me only that didn't work the massive change still dojng the old but that's only my one fans view after all it's their band overall to do what they wished with.
So overnight the Stranglers kind of weren't the Stranglers anymore but was in name still even though you could say 3 of the 4 were still there who were also the heart of their distinctive sound of before so why shouldn't they carry on they might ask?
I think they should of either completely ended the band and started a new one still with Paul doing their own thing away from anything over the previous 16 years as they were to distinctive alone in what they did and should of been left as that in my opinion only,but there's always a but if they had gone under a new name how big would their gig audiences of been and their pockets not as the Stranglers with a living to think of too as the brand name sells tickets,puts bums on seats and earns them still a good living.
It's always easy to look back and say they should of done this or that and eventually they did find their way and right stlye once again as the Stanglers but with their own stamp on the songs which all started with NC for me only that got me back into them again which I felt was so right for Paul himself with that albums songs,the sound and everything away from anything successfully previous to do with Hugh's distinction it's just a shame it wasn't to last after finally getting there with something really good together that worked.
So the choice of a new band away from the Stranglers in '90 would of been easier for the die hard Hugh fans who probably would of liked and followed them stilll anyway but not with the pain of hearing the old Hugh songs which is a tough one on the ear for me anyway.
They did a bit of both stayed with the name but was so different to when Hugh was there and singing his ex songs so that is a tough way they went really,but credit to them they carried on with what they believed in and next year they reach their 50th and for me only I would never of thought that would ever of happend especially in '90 when I thought well that's it then the end of my greatest ever band so credit to them all like or loathe what they have done or doing it's an incredible achievement overall for the entity.
As for song writing I think both Hugh and JJ can both still write a bloody good song but for me only Hugh is still in a league of his own who hasn't produced one bad solo album yet to date in just my opinion where as the Stranglers hasn't been as consistent.
At the end of the day for me I still like both which is good.