The Stranglers are a British rock music group, formed on September 11, 1974 in Guildford.They began as a sinister sounding, hard-edge pub rock group, and beginning in 1976, were tangentially assocated with punk rock, due in part to their opening for The Ramones' first British tour. The Stranglers were also associated with new wave music, but their idiosyncratic approach never fit completely within any musical genre. This reflected the diverse musical histories of the group --singer/guitarist Hugh Cornwell had been a blues musician prior to forming the band, and bassist Jean Jacques Burnel had been a classical guitarist who had performed with symphony orchestras - as well as their considerable influence from pre-punk psychedelic rock bands, especially The Doors.However, the four members of the group - Hugh Cornwell, Jean Jacques Burnel, keyboardist Dave Greenfield and drummer Jet Black (real name: Brian Duffy) - were not regarded as punks by their musical peers. They wrote a string of top ten hits, including "No More Heroes" and "Peaches", which placed the band at the forefront of the New Wave movement - a branch one step removed from the more confrontational punks - not to mention that The Stranglers' material was fiercely intellectual. The band has been quoted as saying that they did not consider themselves to be a "punk" band. It was their frequent run-ins with the law and their strong following amongst British street gangs like the Finchley Boys that gave them a menacing persona.Their early albums are critically acclaimed. Although initially received with mixed reaction because of their supposedly "sexist" and "racist" innuendo, the Stranglers employed a sort of intelligent dog-humour in their lyrics that won over many music critics. These albums (Rattus Norvegicus, No More Heroes, Black and White) built a strong fan-following.
The picture cover of the March 1980 Bear Cage single - a double-A side with Shah Shah A Go GoThe Raven, their 1979 album, clearly illustrates the band's separation from 'traditional' punk and a transition towards a more melodic, less aggressive sound. The songs are multi-layered and complicated and deal with such subjects as the Vikings, genetic engineering, and more contemporary political events in Iran and Australia.The following album, The Gospel According to The Meninblack, a concept album exploring religion and the supposed connection between religious phenomena and extra-terrestrial visitors, was widely considered a critical and commercial failure in 1980.The Stranglers recovered their commercial and critical status with La Folie (1981) (including the hit "Golden Brown") and "Strange Little Girl" (1982). La Folie was another concept album, this time exploring the subject of love. By 1990 The Stranglers had had more British chart hits (28) than any other artist never to reach the number one spot. "Golden Brown" demonstrated just how much the group had changed; it features a lilting harpsichord and organ riff throughout.The keyboards were memorable on "Skin Deep", the best-known song from their 1984 album Aural Sculpture.Their 1986 album, Dreamtime, concerned itself with environmental issues, and contained the memorable "Always the Sun". Dreamtime was also the only Stranglers album to chart in the USA.In August 1990, founding member Cornwell left the band, and has since continued to pursue a solo career. In his autobiography, Cornwell states that he felt the band was a spent force creatively, and cited various examples of his increasingly acrimonious relationship with his fellow band-members, particularly Burnel. The remaining members recruited two replacements and have continued to tour and release independent label records to little fanfare.Interest in The Stranglers resurfaced when, in 2003, singer Tori Amos covered their song "Strange Little Girl" and titled the album it was featured on Strange Little Girls. "Golden Brown" was also used in the hit film Snatch by film director Guy Ritchie and extensively in the Australian film He Died With A Felafel In His Hand. Their hit "No More Heroes" was covered by Violent Femmes and used for the film Mystery Men. "Peaches", finally, also appears prominently in another British movie, Sexy Beast by director Jonathan Glazer.The Stranglers had a critical and popular renaissance in 2004 (together with their first top 40 hit for 14 years - "Big Thing Coming") with the highly acclaimed Norfolk Coast album and a subsequent sell-out tour. They are currently preparing a follow-up album for release in early 2006.
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