Dark Matters - Second Thoughts

[8088]

I think one of the reasons that this song didn't get any real air play is because of Baz's vocals.

No its because the people who decide what is played on radio are a bunch of Le Tosseurs and I love the Bee Gees, see what I did their.? Lt Kudu.

Did you see the Clive Anderson interview with The Bee Gees? Classic

[Greatkudu]

I think one of the reasons that this song didn't get any real air play is because of Baz's vocals.

No its because the people who decide what is played on radio are a bunch of Le Tosseurs and I love the Bee Gees, see what I did their.? Lt Kudu.

Did you see the Clive Anderson interview with The Bee Gees? Classic

Yes of course I was stealing his joke, classic car crash TV, my fave TV moment along with Emu attacking Parky TV gold, I find it amusing that anyone would imply its because of Mr Warnes vocals, it's just because the great British public dislike a bit of aggression, and Baz has said in the past that he can be a bit volatile, he's Calmed down now, but his vocals sound convincing to me, it's just getting fucking tedious this slagging of Baz, he's in the band and we aren't, JJ is obviously happy with Baz and so is and was Jet, no wonder Baz avoids social Media its a toxic load of keyboard cowards. Baz saved this band when they were at a low ebb with Paul,people should remember that. I can't fault his vocals on the new album. Lt Kudu, but as they say or I say it's all opinions I'm not right all wrong, God forbid.

[StanInBlack]

I don't think Baz is a bad singer. However, sometimes he over does it. It's almost like trying to make the vocal "punk" or some weird version of what he thinks "The Stranglers" vocal should be.

Jim

I agree that he often overdoes it on the more "aggressive" numbers. He's better on the softer/poppier material, but only marginally. I mean, his vocals on "The Lines" and "Breathe" aren't particularly great either. His vocal work on Suite XVI was the best it ever got, and I think it's been downhill from there. JJ does a better job on the softer numbers he sings on Dark Matters than Baz does on the ones he sings, but on the whole I think the vocals in general have been to the detriment of the last couple of albums (as well as the obvious downturn in the quality of the songwriting) ...

[StanInBlack]

I find it amusing that anyone would imply its because of Mr Warnes vocals, it's just because the great British public dislike a bit of aggression

Nonsense. If the "great British public" dislike "a bit of aggression", then explain the popularity of punk in the '70s or the popularity of grunge and nu-metal in the '90s, all of which infiltrated the mainstream and, yes, got airplay. Still gets airplay.

[theraven1979]

I suppose in kicking Paul out they lost their singer. But y'know all is cool cos they're back to a four piece

Jim

I don't think Baz is a bad singer. However, sometimes he over does it. It's almost like trying to make the vocal "punk" or some weird version of what he thinks "The Stranglers" vocal should be.

Jim

I agree that he often overdoes it on the more "aggressive" numbers. He's better on the softer/poppier material, but only marginally. I mean, his vocals on "The Lines" and "Breathe" aren't particularly great either. His vocal work on Suite XVI was the best it ever got, and I think it's been downhill from there. JJ does a better job on the softer numbers he sings on Dark Matters than Baz does on the ones he sings, but on the whole I think the vocals in general have been to the detriment of the last couple of albums (as well as the obvious downturn in the quality of the songwriting) ...

[8088]

it's just because the great British public dislike a bit of aggression

Aggression still sells - my daughter listens to a lot of rap (for want of a better term) and emo stuff - and that's fairly tetchy.

As much as I enjoy Baz curling his lip and rasping through This Song, I suspect anyone under 30 wouldn't sense aggression but more likely a disgruntled "gammon" (and no, I don't endorse that word.)

The relevance of The Stranglers to the greater public now is nothing to do with the quality of their music - there's just too much competition/background noise to rise above and the promotion machine generally consists of a younger generation and that's where it's interests lie.

[StanInBlack]

I suppose in kicking Paul out they lost their singer. But y'know all is cool cos they're back to a four piece

Jim

Indeed. Because of course when it comes to music the way a band looks is more important than how they sound

As much as I enjoy Baz curling his lip and rasping through This Song, I suspect anyone under 30 wouldn't sense aggression but more likely a disgruntled "gammon" (and no, I don't endorse that word.)

I'd put it more in terms of "anyone under 30 wouldn't sense aggression but a person several generations removed from them singing badly and/or making a sound that is unappealing to their ears"

[8088]

For context, I played This Song to my daughter and she loved it...though I doubt it was on her pre-gig playlist when she went to see Yungblud the other week

[Cells&Plasma]

I suppose in kicking Paul out they lost their singer. But y'know all is cool cos they're back to a four piece

Jim

Indeed. Because of course when it comes to music the way a band looks is more important than how they sound

As much as I enjoy Baz curling his lip and rasping through This Song, I suspect anyone under 30 wouldn't sense aggression but more likely a disgruntled "gammon" (and no, I don't endorse that word.)

I'd put it more in terms of "anyone under 30 wouldn't sense aggression but a person several generations removed from them singing badly and/or making a sound that is unappealing to their ears"

Could I ask the Date of your first Stranglers' Gig Stan?

Sent from my SM-G960F using Tapatalk

[Greatkudu]

I find it amusing that anyone would imply its because of Mr Warnes vocals, it's just because the great British public dislike a bit of aggression

Nonsense. If the "great British public" dislike "a bit of aggression", then explain the popularity of punk in the '70s or the popularity of grunge and nu-metal in the '90s, all of which infiltrated the mainstream and, yes, got airplay. Still gets airplay.

Yes but the 70s were an aggressive period in history Punk reflected that, the mainstream music is very tame now and has become middle of the road, my biggest piece of evidence in this conclusion has to be the incredibly tame and boring Ed Sheeran, loved by children and their parents, I took delight in the fact my parents hated the Stranglers In the 70s but was rather dismayed when my mum started liking a few songs around the GB period. Lt Kudu.

[StanInBlack]

Yes but the 70s were an aggressive period in history Punk reflected that, the mainstream music is very tame now and has become middle of the road, my biggest piece of evidence in this conclusion has to be the incredibly tame and boring Ed Sheeran, loved by children and their parents, I took delight in the fact my parents hated the Stranglers In the 70s but was rather dismayed when my mum started liking a few songs around the GB period. Lt Kudu.

The state of mainstream music at the moment has little to do with current affairs and more to do with the state of the music industry and the way the internet has affected that. Also, name me a period in history that wasn't aggressive. ABBA and Brotherhood of Man were hardly representative of the tensions and aggression of the '70s, were they? A lot of '80s pop was pure escapism. I didn't hear much slagging off of John Major's Conservatives in '90s Britpop, either.

[Greatkudu]

Yes but the 70s were an aggressive period in history Punk reflected that, the mainstream music is very tame now and has become middle of the road, my biggest piece of evidence in this conclusion has to be the incredibly tame and boring Ed Sheeran, loved by children and their parents, I took delight in the fact my parents hated the Stranglers In the 70s but was rather dismayed when my mum started liking a few songs around the GB period. Lt Kudu.

The state of mainstream music at the moment has little to do with current affairs and more to do with the state of the music industry and the way the internet has affected that. Also, name me a period in history that wasn't aggressive. ABBA and Brotherhood of Man were hardly representative of the tensions and aggression of the '70s, were they? A lot of '80s pop was pure escapism. I didn't hear much slagging off of John Major's Conservatives in '90s Britpop, either.

Stan yes I agree with you, I think the music wasn't that aggressive before Rock n Roll came along, there will never be so many outraged people after Elvis appeared on TV gyrating his hips, but of course he didn't invent the genre, artists like Jerry Lee and Little Richard were wilder, and of of course not forgetting the great Chuck Berry, it reminds me of the Punk movement as it only lasted a short time then the Beatles showed the Americans how to play Rock and Roll again. But of course they all owe a debt to Black Rythm and Blues. Lt Kudu.