Well, that makes perfect sense to me. Like yourself I think highly of JJ as a musician and (when he's on form) as a songwriter. I mean, he was one quarter of The Stranglers (the classic line-up, I mean) who were one of the best bands ever and the reason why I'm posting on this forum to begin with, so naturally I would think highly of him. He's one of the originals.
As for Baz, I noticed someone uploaded a video of "Tank" from one of the recent French shows. My first thought was "is he still singing that lyric about blowing a man's cock off at the count of three?" so I checked the video out and the answer (of course) was sadly, yes. Otherwise - personally, I don't see the point of listening to Baz's renditions of the classics sung by Hugh when I can just listen to a recording of Hugh singing them instead.
I believe Dr. Feelgood perform on the live circuit with, check - not one original member, so that nightmare vision of Baz Wayne’s Stranglers may not even in a parallel world become a reality.
It’s very odd to see a band called the stranglers on stage with just one original member playing. I haven’t seen Straighten Out in the flesh, but the guy performing Hugh’s songs from what I have seen on YouTube nails the Cornwell numbers in a more convincing way. I’m not saying for a minute that Baz should sing just like Hugh, but I haven’t heard one rendition of a Hugh era song that sounds better than Straighten Out do them
That’s very silly “blow a mans cock off”, juvenile statement that doesn’t pass for good humour at all. I mean ok saying it once, but to repeat it night after night is tiresome.
I'm a big fan of Baz but yes it's just rather pathetic that, blow a man's cock off line. Lt Kudu.
I'm going off thread a bit here, I really like Baz but sometimes he comes across as a bit arrogant, of course Hugh was but it was endearing, and I don't think Baz is a better guitar player than Hugh, he must have been a bit ungig Fit as the solo to Heroes on the first date of French tour was very poor, I guess it was first night nerves? As this tour is a big deal for the band, first tour without Dave. Carry on Cruising, if I won the lottery I would probably go? Or maybe not? Lt Cmdr Kudu.
Greatkudu wrote:I'm going off thread a bit here, I really like Baz but sometimes he comes across as a bit arrogant, of course Hugh was but it was endearing, and I don't think Baz is a better guitar player than Hugh, he must have been a bit ungig Fit as the solo to Heroes on the first date of French tour was very poor, I guess it was first night nerves? As this tour is a big deal for the band, first tour without Dave. Carry on Cruising, if I won the lottery I would probably go? Or maybe not? Lt Cmdr Kudu.
Welcome to 2021 Kudu. Glad you (eventually) joined us
Jim
Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk
"I bathed in sun and walked in rain
It taught me how to laugh again"
Greatkudu wrote:I'm going off thread a bit here, I really like Baz but sometimes he comes across as a bit arrogant, of course Hugh was but it was endearing, and I don't think Baz is a better guitar player than Hugh, he must have been a bit ungig Fit as the solo to Heroes on the first date of French tour was very poor, I guess it was first night nerves? As this tour is a big deal for the band, first tour without Dave. Carry on Cruising, if I won the lottery I would probably go? Or maybe not? Lt Cmdr Kudu.
Welcome to 2021 Kudu. Glad you (eventually) joined us
Jim
Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk
Jim well I've just listened to the new live CD and he cocks up the Heroes Solo again, and I feel bad for saying this but his voice on some tracks is sonically hard to listen to, I mainly bought it for Daves last recorded gig, a great version of the Raven but his vocals on GB and As just don't suit his voice, makes me realise how good Hugh was, of course Hugh still is but his vocals are not what they used to be. Lt Kudu.
Yeah, Baz does indeed come across as somewhat arrogant at times, especially when you compare and contrast what he was like in interviews when he first joined the band in comparison to how he sometimes conducts himself in interviews these days. It's a misplaced arrogance too, as the name and brand was established long before Baz joined the group, and creatively he hasn't been involved in anything that could be considered to be on the level of The Stranglers at their finest.
StanInBlack wrote: ↑04 Dec 2021, 19:04
Yeah, Baz does indeed come across as somewhat arrogant at times, especially when you compare and contrast what he was like in interviews when he first joined the band in comparison to how he sometimes conducts himself in interviews these days. It's a misplaced arrogance too, as the name and brand was established long before Baz joined the group, and creatively he hasn't been involved in anything that could be considered to be on the level of The Stranglers at their finest.
Stan i have to agree with you. What really irritated me a few years ago, is when he said he was a better guitar player than Hugh,its just not the case,he seems to be struggling with the Heroes solo on current tour.The only solo he does better than Hugh is the GB solo and I still prefer the way Hugh did it. Baz is a nice bloke but has got a bit arrogant in last few years.Lt Kudu.
Greatkudu wrote: ↑04 Dec 2021, 17:19
I'm going off thread a bit here, I really like Baz but sometimes he comes across as a bit arrogant, of course Hugh was but it was endearing, and I don't think Baz is a better guitar player than Hugh, he must have been a bit ungig Fit as the solo to Heroes on the first date of French tour was very poor, I guess it was first night nerves? As this tour is a big deal for the band, first tour without Dave. Carry on Cruising, if I won the lottery I would probably go? Or maybe not? Lt Cmdr Kudu.
I’m not sure what to make of the guy, other than I’m not a fan of the way he “sings” Hugh’s era material. He’s definitely not the better guitar player either, I guess if he was he wouldn’t have a career that a good 80 percent of the time he’s playing songs he wasn’t a party to writing.
I’m sure he’s an alright bloke unless you are a member of the band “The Horrors”, they might say otherwise.
I’m with the guy who said the cruise thing sounds like their idea of hell. Cruise holidays in general are not very enticing, and I would have said there are more interesting cruises one could go on. I don’t think the authorities are going to confidently say that Covid is under control by the time of this cruise next year. Then any British passport holder attending will have some kind of Brexit bureaucracy to contend with. To think those who voted for Brexit apparently voted for less bureaucracy and red tape, you really couldn’t make it up.
Having seen both live there is no question Baz is on another level to Hugh guitar wise, saying that, Hugh came up with most of the parts hes playing...
Skindeep81 wrote:Having seen both live there is no question Baz is on another level to Hugh guitar wise, saying that, Hugh came up with most of the parts hes playing...
But Hugh is shambolic live these days
Good old argument with yourself there
Jim
Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk
"I bathed in sun and walked in rain
It taught me how to laugh again"
Skindeep81 wrote: ↑04 Dec 2021, 21:30
Having seen both live there is no question Baz is on another level to Hugh guitar wise, saying that, Hugh came up with most of the parts hes playing...
But Hugh is shambolic live these days
Hugh always had the ability to make simple things look difficult and that was the charm for me. I'd rather watch Hugh over any other Stranglers guitar player. So inventive too.
Skindeep81 wrote: ↑04 Dec 2021, 21:30
Having seen both live there is no question Baz is on another level to Hugh guitar wise, saying that, Hugh came up with most of the parts hes playing...
But Hugh is shambolic live these days
Hugh always had the ability to make simple things look difficult and that was the charm for me. I'd rather watch Hugh over any other Stranglers guitar player. So inventive too.
I like the fact Hugh’s guitar work with the stranglers was quite understated. Baz bringing in a hard rock vibe isn’t really for me. I find a lot of Baz’s work quite cliche ridden; Water and Camden for example, sound like very run of the mill bluesy rock to me. Hugh on the other hand just sounds still to this day very quirky and off the wall. So what Baz claims to have in ability, Hugh more than makes up for in inventiveness, and I would include a lot of his Post stranglers material in that. Hugh has also reinvented the wheel with some of his live takes on stranglers material, the version of Sewer he was playing on the HooverDam tour for example, whilst not as great as the original version on Rattus is still one of the best versions I’ve heard
