New Rat Chat out

[strangledinAuch]

I always find them interesting

Back in the day,you'd only ever see them on TOTPs

And really rely on interviews in the NME

Apart from the Strangled mags of course

[toilerinblack]

I always find them interesting

Back in the day,you'd only ever see them on TOTPs

And really rely on interviews in the NME

Apart from the Strangled mags of course

Exactly right that's how it was back in the day which kind of added a little more mystic and appreciating seeing them live so to speak in the flesh as in between there wasn't much not like today's social media watching them just chatting about anything and everything.I remember seeing them like you say with not much more in between than the odd NME interview which i think when you did see them live it made it all the more special than today in a way i could never see a gig today that came anywhere near my 80s ones for i couldn't keep watching live gigs everyday like nowday's if i wish that does take the edge off just seeing them once or twice a year in the early 80s with literally nothing else in between,i myself miss those days and today is just not the same and can't be for a number of reasons for me anyway but yes good point about NME.

[aldinblack]

Maybe I'm stuck in the past, but id rather have an album of the quality of the raven and no rat chats, than DM and a million chats.

But it is what it is.

I would say most of us are stuck in the past to a certain extent..

To have an album like The Raven, Rattus, or most of the other mk1 albums is completely unrealistic, from any band IMO.

DM is very good all things considered.
Hugh's recent albums are also very good, as I'm sure his next one will be.
As good as The Raven though? No chance!

[theraven1979]

Maybe I'm stuck in the past, but id rather have an album of the quality of the raven and no rat chats, than DM and a million chats.

But it is what it is.

I would say most of us are stuck in the past to a certain extent..

To have an album like The Raven, Rattus, or most of the other mk1 albums is completely unrealistic, from any band IMO.

DM is very good all things considered.
Hugh's recent albums are also very good, as I'm sure his next one will be.
As good as The Raven though? No chance!

Agreed. What I enjoy about Hugh's output though is that its matured accordingly to kinda fit my mood these days. If he tried to replicate that stuff now it would come across lame


Jim

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

[Greatkudu]

so for me they have all the ingredients then to be classed a great band and if their not then what would make them a good one? just a curious question because i'd like to be told what is missing from this current line that would make them a good one.

Relevance (which they've not had since MKI) and credibility (which they don't have post-Jet and Dave) ... I dug out my vinyl copy of The Raven last night and marvelled at how the quality of the packaging and presentation matched that of the music in the grooves, especially that excellent photo of the band on the back. Credible, relevant and magnificent. And not a Baz or a Jim in sight.

I would say even late M1 was no longer relevant , maybe from Aural onwards even .But when did The Stranglers actually care about being relevant ? If they did I reckon they could have become The Clash......I know which I prefer , it's why I am on this site and not a Clash one .

Sir I have to disagree with you on this point, i personally love Aural Sculpture and Laurie Latham gave them the sound of the day but it was still distinct Stranglers and Hughs voice sounds fantastic and JJ with one of his best songs IMHO. Lt Kudu.

[toilerinblack]

Maybe I'm stuck in the past, but id rather have an album of the quality of the raven and no rat chats, than DM and a million chats.

But it is what it is.

I would say most of us are stuck in the past to a certain extent..

To have an album like The Raven, Rattus, or most of the other mk1 albums is completely unrealistic, from any band IMO.

DM is very good all things considered.
Hugh's recent albums are also very good, as I'm sure his next one will be.
As good as The Raven though? No chance!

Well music has changed in itself for all bands and solo artists hasn't it? Hugh in 2022 is never going to rlease an album today like the Raven of 79 but that's just time and styles on for way back when with the the real old golden material days there gone forever so to speak.

[toilerinblack]

Maybe I'm stuck in the past, but id rather have an album of the quality of the raven and no rat chats, than DM and a million chats.

But it is what it is.

I would say most of us are stuck in the past to a certain extent..

To have an album like The Raven, Rattus, or most of the other mk1 albums is completely unrealistic, from any band IMO.

DM is very good all things considered.
Hugh's recent albums are also very good, as I'm sure his next one will be.
As good as The Raven though? No chance!

Well music has changed full stop in itself for all bands and solo artists hasn't it? Hugh in 2022 is never going to release an album today like the Raven of 79 but that's just time and styles on from way back when with the the real old golden material and gems from the past that have gone and can never be repeated again from history i think so to speak.

[toilerinblack]

Relevance (which they've not had since MKI) and credibility (which they don't have post-Jet and Dave) ... I dug out my vinyl copy of The Raven last night and marvelled at how the quality of the packaging and presentation matched that of the music in the grooves, especially that excellent photo of the band on the back. Credible, relevant and magnificent. And not a Baz or a Jim in sight.

I would say even late M1 was no longer relevant , maybe from Aural onwards even .But when did The Stranglers actually care about being relevant ? If they did I reckon they could have become The Clash......I know which I prefer , it's why I am on this site and not a Clash one .

Sir I have to disagree with you on this point, i personally love Aural Sculpture and Laurie Latham gave them the sound of the day but it was still distinct Stranglers and Hughs voice sounds fantastic and JJ with one of his best songs IMHO. Lt Kudu.

Agreed about MK1 but their time together for 16 odd years did vary and Aural Sculpture was no exception well it was one of my more weaker MK1 albums if i'm honest that's no Raven but they loved to experiment on every album being different as The Gospel also showed to be the case where on the commercial front was a flop but they were so in front of their time doing an album like that,but all their different sounding albums to '90 all had that distinctive Stranglers sound ...you knew it was them doing it i agree.

[StanInBlack]

Agreed. What I enjoy about Hugh's output though is that its matured accordingly to kinda fit my mood these days. If he tried to replicate that stuff now it would come across lame

Yeah, I agree with this. When I listen to whatever Hugh's doing these days I wouldn't actually want him to try and replicate his younger self and/or try to sound like The Stranglers circa 1979 or whatever. I already have those records, and I'm content to hear wherever Hugh's muse is taking him.

[Yanders]

Maybe I'm stuck in the past, but id rather have an album of the quality of the raven and no rat chats, than DM and a million chats.

But it is what it is.

I would say most of us are stuck in the past to a certain extent..

To have an album like The Raven, Rattus, or most of the other mk1 albums is completely unrealistic, from any band IMO.

DM is very good all things considered.
Hugh's recent albums are also very good, as I'm sure his next one will be.
As good as The Raven though? No chance!

Agreed. What I enjoy about Hugh's output
though is that its matured accordingly to kinda fit my mood these days. If he tried to replicate that stuff now it would come across lame


Jim

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

I did say the *quality* of the raven, not a replica.

[theraven1979]

I would say most of us are stuck in the past to a certain extent..

To have an album like The Raven, Rattus, or most of the other mk1 albums is completely unrealistic, from any band IMO.

DM is very good all things considered.
Hugh's recent albums are also very good, as I'm sure his next one will be.
As good as The Raven though? No chance!

Agreed. What I enjoy about Hugh's output
though is that its matured accordingly to kinda fit my mood these days. If he tried to replicate that stuff now it would come across lame


Jim

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

I did say the *quality* of the raven, not a replica.

That's going to be incredibly difficult without some interpretation of the themes and the band's sound at the time.


Jim

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

[Yanders]

Songwriting, production, vocals don't have anything to do with themes. And those are what's so much weaker in DM.