Rattus Norvegicus

This album could have just as easily been called "A preview of Music in the '80s"

J'aime pas mal malgré leur ligne de pensée des fois nébuleuse. J'ai eu la chance de les voir en show en 2013.

On est dans une phase post-punk, je commence à être saturé. Je vais mettre 5 parce que j'ai aimé le son (surtout vers la fin). Même si je suis très saturé, je me dis bon, essayons d'y revenir plus tard.

Du punk excellent! Wow! Pourquoi on se souvient plus des Sex Pistoms au lieu des Stranglers?!?

The album was middle of the road for me, no takeaways no standouts. It was fine to listen to, but nothing crazy.

It’s a great album and wonderful as always to hear some of these classics. The layers on this are fascinating and the instruments that pop up seem unexpected, which is wonderful given the age of the album. Just a really good listen.

Somewhere between new wave and punk, a fun one with some attitude.

Fun. But the best part was the music that came after on Spotify.

This is the first time listening to this album, although I had heard "Get a grip on yourself" because of the Rhino punk comps released in the early 90's. This is a distinctively uneven record. It directly owes more to music from the 6o's than you usually hear from this era. The garage influences are not subtle and the opening track has more of a Doors feeling than I would have ever expected (not a criticism. it's a decent track). I think it's really the vocals that firmly place this within the context of punk. At its best, you're getting some pretty catchy punk inflected rock and roll, but a lot of this is kind of boring. There's enough here to make this three stars, particularly Get a Grip, but I'm not a massive fan.

A little up and down for me, this album. Strongish start, followed by mweh, then a better one, and that's how it continued.

This album has such an impeccable atmosphere to it. It has some real ominous nocturnal moments, it simply gives off great imagery. I suspect maybe it's the keyboard that delivers some of this flair (and the nocturnal parts) the album has. This album (and I suppose band) seems to be a bit more intelligent than most of their meathead peers banging their razor guitars together. They were like doing their own thing, which is punk as all hell. Forget the Clash, Pistols and the Damned, I ought to give these guys a chance. I believe this exemplifies my 3 star rating definition - which is indecisive/alright - I wish I could give it a 4 star, but I don't feel that's completely right with myself, so 3 star it is. I do want to revisit this album, because some of it has a real charm to it. (ESPECIALLY THE RAT SONG AT THE END.) Highlight Song/s: "Goodbye Toulouse" and "Peaches"

Strange that this is the same band that plays Golden Brown. It’s an interesting dichotomy for their look and a lot of their sound to be stressed. Strange and harsh gets out at home being normal. It’s Ally have to come to terms with not un entertaining, but also not quite ever getting there for me.

Мужчины: "Нахуй терапию" Любимая музыка мужчин: группа "Душители" с песнями "Я отпиздил свою бабу", "Я выебал журналистку" и "Я смотрю на жопы баб на пляже"

Lots of energy but it did not really triggered anything in me.

This might not reach the heights of the Clash, but it's pretty damn close. The music was great throughout. It was fun, clever, energetic, I have nothing negative to say about this one.

music to get strangled to (sexually)

"Peaches" is extremely good

There’s some cool stuff on here but then there’s some punk stuff that I like less so they both just balance each other out. I’m still more positive leaning on this album.

The organ is fun. Hanging Around and Go Buddy Go were great. The misogyny is laughable, although I did enjoy Peaches a lot too. I liked this record and I might listen again someday but the first 2 tracks felt excruciatingly slow. Overall it’s good though, you can tell they don’t give much of a fuck and I like that lots. Guitar solo in Go Buddy Go is Delectable too

The stranglers are a great singles band, and as expected the singles on here are good- Get a grip on yourself particularly is all muscular bass and swagger, the album tracks are a bit more pedestrian but the singles have done the heavy lifting

Name is as stupid as some Greek philosopher who invented crying. 5/5

3.5

idk its fine, nun crazy

Yea meh. Didn’t even really feel like punk. Nothing about this was that exciting. Some of the instrumental parts were fun but even that was mids. I wish we had an album by the clash instead of this

Good I guess.

Love this even tho they were British. Sometimes it felt like they meandered away from the song which tended to make it a little bit of a drag. Also the organ added so much, but sometimes made it too proggy. But only complaints. Very very glad to have heard these guys. Awesome!

Did not care for it and also did not pay attention to it while it was on

Very 70s, but nothing new or particularly interesting

I like 2 songd

This wasn’t the worst. But I can’t see why anyone has to listen to it before they die. It wasn’t good.

An odd combination - lyrics and keyboards reminiscent of The Doors, the punk sensibility of the Sex Pistols, with a hint of new wave pop to get people dancing. I'm terrified and intrigued.

The instrumentation had some solid moments, but those lyrics suck. Im unsure if it was a bit or not, but Wikipedia says otherwise, so fuck it.

This was interesting, then annoying and the aggravating... The lyrics are also kinda shit...

A fun and driving punk album. I like the prolonged simple grooves with the attitude over the top.

Im a punk guy but this just didnt do all that much for me. Its more early proto punk vibes to me. Its doesn't some interesting stuff but there really was one complete song I was into, being London lady. Otherwise it was just OK. Nothign to write home about but good enough I guess

Me gustó, lo sentí un poco repetitivo, pero muy alternativo, ósea padre, relajado, solo que solo me gustaron como 3, las demás las sentí repetitivas, a lo mejor me falta ver que dice la letra.

Two "punk" albums in a row. Both with a degree of musicianship. The first song I was a bit worried this was gunna drag and bore me but by the end I can honestly say I didn't mind it. A bit one dimensional, but hey, it's punk. Although, it's also a bit mid-tempo. But that's OK. It didn't wake me up but it didn't put me to sleep and sits firmly in my 3-star region.

Where the hell are you finding these albums?

This one was interesting. You don’t see a whole lot of punk bands with a full-time keyboardist, and that immediately gives them a different sound than most of the other bands from that era. Sometimes it sounds like punk, sometimes garage rock, then the organ comes crashing in and it starts wandering somewhere else entirely. That keyboard is probably what I liked most about it. It adds this weird, slightly sinister feel underneath the guitars and bass, and at least keeps the album from sounding like another interchangeable late 70s punk record. There’s some good energy here too, but I wasn’t especially attached to any of the songs.

Really good drummer and keyboardist, but too bad everything else sucks, especially the singer. I can’t believe this is defined as punk, though. That’s really funny. Lyrics are also very unimaginative.

Il y a quelques très bonnes chansons, mais les mauvais sont très mauvaises.

Aussi générique que mon commentaire. 2.5 étoiles

Look I warmed up to it a little bit, but it's really just not my bag, man...this style of singing I think particularly put me off, it sounds like the lead vocalist is partway through yawning as he sing. And beyond that I feel pretty uninspired by the instrumentation and melodic content at large Fav Track: 5 - Hanging Around

Greit å få utvida postpunk-referansane mine

I was so happy to get a crumb of late-70s/early-80s New Wave/punk action, I didn't even mind that it was an album I'm not crazy about. There's a lot of posturing, aggro and sleaze on this one, sometimes in a fun way and sometimes not. Jean-Jacques Burnel's bass is great, the grimy jewel in the crown of their early albums. The twiddly organ tempers a bit of the album's dumb pugnacity and is an aspect of the Stranglers that I like for being a little unusual, along with Hugh Cornwell and JJB's sharing of lead vocal duties. It's a good album but they're better off getting out of their edgelord phase (which, to their credit, they do quickly).

Never classed them as a punk band at the time and still don't. They had elements of punk in their lyrics but too melodious for real punk. The singles are still good to hear on this album but better ones were to come like No More Heroes, Something Better Change and of course Golden Brown (punk!?!). Enjoyed it enough although the last couple of songs are weaker than the rest.

This bad record was the start of a bad day so it never really stood a chance.

I absolutely hate ‘Peaches’ so this record was actually a (relatively) pleasant surprise, as thats easily the worst song here. Having said that, this still isn’t very good, kinda dull aggro pub punk, with an organ on it. The lyrics often veer into some pretty grim misogyny, too (first track is about beating his girlfriend, right?). Either it’s poser nonsense or they’re just filth, either way I ain’t interested

Completely listenable. I imagine at least one of these songs raised some eyebrows back in the day

3.5. Kinda dug this.

I love how tame early punk sounds today. This was better than I expected.

3.25 - I liked this one way more than I expected. I could hear how it possibly influenced some other bands that I love like Parquet Courts.

Fucking rad punk album. Love the keys, they add so much fun to the album. Solid all the way through

Really solid punk album, surprised I’ve never heard of them but pretty solid.

Meh

Fine but nothing to come back to.

I did not mind listening to this album one bit, but also didn't really hear how it differed from any generic UK rock band from at the time.

Review - always liked this band but never listened to the full album. A banger. A few duff tracks here and there but that can be forgiven. The bass tone is crazy. The keys are great. They were making music that was so punky but also so proggy, I'm sure everyone at the time said they hated it but secretly loved it. Born to be a cult fave. Score - 8.5/10 Need to listen? YES

Another brand new band to me, another gem of a find. Was expecting punk, but it turned out to be less definable. Which I loved.

I'm 66 percent finished with this project, and I still don't have a consensus on Punk Rock music. It's really a mixed bag, and this time around, it's just okay. I'm obviously aware of origin, and sub-genre influences my ratings. the problem is, I'm still not sure which specific version of Punk I enjoy. Favorite Track: "Hanging Around".

I get the importance but man this kind of sucked. The worst thing about “Golden Brown” is that it totally misrepresents this band.

It was pretty ok!

No lo escuché ni odeaperodn

I have nothing of note to say about it. Was a solid listen.

Absolutely fire New Wave stuff. I think I need to preserve the sanctity of the 4, but also, I just really enjoyed this. Paired well with coffee and locking TF IN on some Asana timelines.

3/5 it’s ok

Very good

Well hello, this is fun. Organ polka pub punk was not the vibe I was expecting from a band called 'The Stranglers' but I'm having a great time.

Never been a fan. Peaches is still decent, but can't be bothered with the rest of it.

Mad that it's their debut but I contest thst its their best album.

I'm always surprised to find out how long New Wave has actually been a thing. I keep thinking it started with Devo in 1978 and then I remember that Talking Heads, Elvis Costello, and apparently these guys did it a year earlier. Not to mention Blondie predates all of them by another year. You go girl, show those boys whose boss. That's besides the point, as much as I love Blondie. That being said, the music is pretty fun and surprisingly full for a New Wave album from 1977. A lot of albums from bands like The Cars don't sound like they're filling the space they're playing in but these guys definitely don't have that issue.

More fun than the Sex Pistols and not quite as much fun as The Clash, but a surprisingly good time. Peaches is hilariously cheeky (haha see what I did there). Down in the Sewer nearly lost me, but Choosey Suzie won me right back.

Some cool sounds here, and I might revisit, but the vocalist doesn't quite get there for me. This is like 4 different punk movements in one.

This is pretty good overall. It sounds like a mashup of The Doors and Hot Hot Heat, which isn't a combination I ever expected to hear, but it works surprisingly well. "Hanging Around" was probably my favorite track, with "Sometimes," "Peaches," and "Grip" not far behind. The album has a gritty, swaggering sound that keeps it interesting, even when not every song is a standout. It's not an album I'll be coming back to much, if at all, but I enjoyed it more than I expected and can definitely see why it's on this list. 3.5/5

Not bad The baselines are the star of the show

The only thing keeping this from 1 star was that organ

here comes the largely forgotten new wave albums. weirdly it’s nicer than i thought! 3.5/5

really fun

What a discovery!

A pile of misogynistic garbage.

Hard to beat this one.

Вау, я влюбился в инструментал некоторых песен! Этот альбом отлично сохранился, всё такой же бодрый и приятный на слух. Он слабее остальных мною посталвенных 4, но и 3 для меня он не заслуживает, круто!

Randomly solved a years-long mystery. Really liked a song I had never heard on the radio years ago but had no idea who it was or what it was called. Today I learned it was (Get a) Grip [on Yourself] by The Stranglers. My advice, per usual: get rid of the cheesy synths and turn up that punk rock guitar.

Lou Reed's less talented younger brother?

Het is weer eens raak met de muziek van omstreeks 1980. Het lijkt wel alsof alles er expres naast zit, waarom toch? 'Alle artiesten vóór ons zongen zuiver, maakten boeiende teksten en konden hun instrument bij het juiste eind vasthouden, het wordt tijd dat wij het anders gaan doen.' Ik snap het niet, maar moet er wel naar luisteren. Af en toe klinkt het wel aardig, maar dan lijkt het zowat een imitatie van de Stones. En hee, ze hebben het zelfde zuurstokorgeltje als Klein Orkest. Poeh poeh. Zucht, het is weer eens een debuutalbum (ondanks de valse nummering 'IV' op de hoes, het lijkt Star Wars wel), de grotere hits, eigen stijl en naar ik aanneem betere nummers staan op de latere platen, die we niet te horen zullen krijgen. Het is overigens niet allemaal bagger deze keer, dus we houden het op een mager drietje. Tiende recensie van de dag trouwens, even een sprintje trekken op weg naar nummer 1001!

Het was al weer even terug dat ik de Back to Mine serie tipte. Dus wellicht kan het weer een keer. Ook The Stranglers ken ik van deze serie. Zowel Liam Howlett (van The Prodigy) als de Audio Bullys schotelden mij Peaches voor. Om eerlijk te zijn, dat is wel gelijk het meest pakkende nummer van dit album. Ik heb dus wat verwachtingen. Dan valt het eerste nummer me natuurlijk tegen. De punkstem die Someday I am gonna smack your face herhaalt, belooft mij niet veel goeds. Toch kom ik er na dit nummer wel in. Het is nog vrij creatief. Het heeft nog wel iets van de jaren '60 over gehouden. In elk geval met het orgeltje. Al wordt de zang me wel genoeg, dus ben ik op gegeven moment toch wel blij met een muzikaal deel. Uiteindelijk is dit niet het topstuk van de lijst, maar best geinig. Het zit iets boven de drie sterren. Dus maar de proef op de som: kan ik het nog eens luisteren? Ja. 3,5 Sterren dus.

Van the Stranglers krijgen we maar 1 album en dat is traditiegetrouw weer eens het debuut. Terwijl de hitjes No More Heroes en Gold'n Brown van andere albums komen. Overigens begint dit album gelijk met een soort No More Heroes sound-a-like, met een maf orgeltje en mellotronnerige deuntjes en de typische zang. Genoeg elementen om het best kut te vinden, maar ik kan dit dan toch aardig goed hebben. Wat ik wel goed vind ook, is dat ik na meer dan 1000 albums toch het gevoel heb dat ik wat nieuws aan het luisteren ben. The Stranglers combineren een aantal stijlen en instrumenten met elkaar, die we nog niet vaak samen gehoord hebben. Ze hebben best een eigen geluid. En dat valt des te meer op na 1000+ albums. Ik ga het niet elke dag opzetten, maar ik kan dit zeker nog wel een keer luisteren. Met enig plezier ook nog. Ik denk dat ik het in het vervolg van dit soort albums moet hebben, dus we delen maar weer eens een 4 uit voordat het niet meer kan.

This was good, there's variety and everything!

Intriguing album with very melodic and interesting lyrics from a disinterested front man. Not much joy amongst the sorrow here although peaches remains an excellent song.

Pretty decent. Fun baselines and organ.

This is a really interesting listen. I always put it aside for weeks now, but I’m really happy i listened. Mid/Low 4

Overriding thought while listening to this: what in the hell were they aiming for here? They were lumped in with the punkers, presumably because of who they opened for, but this sure isn’t punk. The crude vocal delivery and crude lyrics are an obvious attempt to punk this up, but mostly make them look like lunkheads, and not even clever lunkheads like the Ramones. That crudeness is very much at odds with the melodic bass lines and tinkly/swirling keyboards, and makes for a weird overall listening experience. At times this sounds like bad carnival music. At times it reminds me of barely OK new wave or power pop. Definitely an album where I could watch the grade fall steadily as I progressed through it. 2.5 stars, rounding down.

amazing album

Was nice to hear something decent after a few days of albums that weren't great

Equal parts The Doors and The Fall making it absolutely enthralling. Wild energy and unhinged instrumentals that make this a joy to listen to

За что мне это.

I like Peaches enough but the rest is just fine. This list kinda blows when finding albums.

This made almost no impression on me at all. It's some OK pop-rock stuff, but I struggle to define or even remember it beyond that. A lot of people saying punk, but that's not what I hear in the music alone. Get A Grip On Yourself held my interest, although I don't know what it was about this track in particular.

They have talent. It doesn't hit me though. It feels like I've heard better version of this. Yeah it's just a miss for me.

Punk is not for me

Fantastic surprise ... what this list is all about. I hadn't heard any of these tunes, and skipped none. Not sure I'll go looking for it again, but it was a great listen.

They can call this punk all they want to, but this is New Wave and it sucks. These guys are one of those Brian Eno bands that heard The Velvet Underground and then started a band. This is the first 80s music album...from 1977. (Get A) Grip [on Yourself], aside from have a stupid title, is I guess the best song on the album. Ending with an eight minute instrumental is not a good choice.

Kinda punky, kinda organ-rambly

I'm not usually a big Brit punk guy, but this wasn't too bad. Less edgy, and pretty upbeat.

The best crime they ever did was play some rock and roll

Maybe granpa was right, and the 70s was a cracking era for music. Peaches, etc.

Another one were I appreciate the vibe and how distinctly The Stranglers sound like The Stranglers. However wasn't grabbing me the as much as I wanted.

After great back to back albums I guess I’m back to my regularly scheduled whatever 😭

Day913 - not many highs but princess of the street is definitely a low. sheesh what a dumb song

No!! Didn't care for this at all.

Tolerable by UK punk/new wave standards.

I've been bouncing between 2 and 3 on this one. Hectic and nervous. Honestly didn't occur to me this would be classified as UK punk, but I suppose that jives with the frenetic sound. I'm landing on 3 with the thought that I'd love to experience this in a small club somewhere. Go Buddy Go was a high note.

I feel like I liked everything but the second to last song

Curious – the Cure's sound and Morrison's voice ... as.well as the Doors' organ

Yikes to some of the lyrics about women and Jews… unfortunately I liked this punk vibe more than I expected.

It's alright some nice bits. Wouldn't revisit though

351/1089 the opener set the vibe pretty well and i liked Goodbye Toulouse so if i hate the rest then at least that was good i just really don’t love the type of pompous nasally vocal a lot of male singers/band vocalists had in this era. it’s just so off-putting to me Peaches comes on and it’s like “AH this is the reason it was included on this list” overall idk this just wasn’t for me 30/100

I thought this was awesome, took a couple of tracks to get into it tho

When he was a teenager my stepdad once bunked off school with his mate and ended up having afternoon tea with The Stranglers. Excellent album.

Oh, yes! What a debut album. Too new wave for punk, too punk for new wave. The Stranglers are absolutely their own thing, and what a wonderful thing it is. 5

Love the freakin bass guitar on this record.

I was excited when I saw the two sentence description about this being one of the best selling punk albums but overall I was disappointed. The keys were too much, the songs weren't doing much of anything for me.

It's interesting to listen to a punk rock band that features keyboards as the primary instrument. But somehow it works.

First Listen: Didn't get a chance to write notes as I went! OVERALL: I ended up listening to this after The Doors, and I can't help feel like my point about Doors influenced bands being better than The Doors themselves. I love the dark keyboards, the surfy guitars, and the crunchy drums all over the record. While maybe considered a punk album, none of the politically charged nature of the genre seems to be here. In fact, the singer seems like a complete asshole. But its cool, this shit is fire. I don't fully know the historical context behind the album, but I can hear a ton of modern day artists they likely influenced. 8/10 T3: Peaches, Sometimes, Princess of the Streets

Listening to this album is reinforcing the fact that I seem to highly appreciate and enjoy excellent percussion and keyboard performances in any music that features them. British-punk tends to be either ass or not. No in-between for me. This is not ass. The album is filled with this upbeat and flowing energy that's consistent in all the tracks. If you don't fuck with Dave Greenfield's Organ performance than this album was doomed from the start. Lyrics...yeesh. Not the best and probably were "okay" back then. Shock-value I guess. Vocals were fine enough for me. It was the instrumental parts I've enjoyed the most. The highlights of this album is entirely on the performances brought from the percussion and keyboard and how they allow the guitar to really shine when it wants to. The vocals are there too just, on the side. My favourite track is a good example of my feelings of this album; Princess of the Streets has sick as fuck performances in all aspects except the vocals and especially the lyrics. In fact, my favourite tracks are the ones with lyrics I don't like at all. Damn. T3: Princess of the Streets, Peaches, London Lady

Some songs I liked more, some I liked less, but all in all, I liked it

I liked it! nice and rowdy

Another banger tbf, lots of songs i recognised

Fine album nothing special kinda troll. Very doors esque

This was really cool. Really varied. Cool songwriting, but also really cool elements in the songs. I liked the 7 minute melody at the end, I like how a lot of the songs kind of connect to an overall theme. I was shocked by Peaches. That was way hornier than I could have ever been prepared for. Good songwriting, good punk. This was great.

Not for me

I'm really grooving with this punk album. I was worried when I saw wikipedia had the new wave or art punk labels attached, but this doesn't strays far from actual punk. First track is awesome, second track groovy. Cool bluesy lead on third track. Later on there are some synths and keyboards, which I guess give it that potential new wave monitor, but this is solid all around. Will definitely go back. Finally another great album I've never heard before. 5/5

Huh. Never heard of this one. The keyboard playing kind of sounds like retro video game music in it being kinda pixelated and off tone, then with the droning organ in the back like the doors. I don’t really like the lead singer’s voice. They sound fun to headbob and smile at in a live setting but I don’t know that it belongs on this list. But I guess it’s cool to hear the theater kid goth throughlines from this to the cure to MCR. But I prefer the later iterations when the singers have pipes instead of the shouty pub vibes on this. Whether satirical or not, the lyrics eventually got to me (derogatory).

the organ was interesting to drink my morning coffee to. Hanging Around got old really fast, but then it became a vibe somehow.

Cool album name.

After a careful listen, I found this to be stupid, boring, tepid pablum. I think they are trying to be snotty and funny but they are just dumb. No bratty energy or interesting music, just the grating organ, grating voice, and just not great.

I was kind of into the proto-new wave, jaunty and still hard sound at the beginning. I don’t know if the songs in the second half were just worse or if the shtick wore thin, but I had had enough well before the end.

Are you one of the 3 people who think there isnt enough elvis costello on this list? Then you are in luck! Cause we have the strangers to satisfy your softer more thoughtful british punk and post punk hunger! Honestly, not that bad. Im just tired of this stuff.

Me gustó, aunque no creo qu como para 4.

I doubt Jim Morrison was cold before these blokes ripped that awful organ from the studio to make this

I was expecting a punk album, but got something with more funk in it. Loved the attitude coming through each song. The rhythms were always unexpected. Don’t think I’ve ever heard skewer rhymed with sewer before but first for everything.

This sounds as if a few drunk frat guys had stumbled out of the pub, broken into The Doors’ studio, and recorded an album as quickly as possible (pretty sure the album cover is them striking a pose upon entry). The playing is sloppy, the hooks pale in comparison to The Clash, and the lyrics are offensively bad. While I appreciate the grit, it’s gonna be a no from me, dawg.

"An ugly fart attracts a good looking chick, if he's got money / It's different for Jews somehow" ...are honest-to-god LINES on this album and the only reasons you need to listen to London Calling again and forget that The Stranglers ever crawled out of the afterbirth of the British punk scene. Oh wait, here are some more... "Is she tryin' to get outta that Clitares / Liberation for women / That's what I preach" Are they joking, horny, stupid, or all of the above? Zach—am I closer to theosis now?

music is love

Excelente. 4,65 quizá más en un buen día

It was alright. Felt no butterflies for it but the song Princess of the Streets was great!

I dont know how to sonically place this. Its all over the map but in a cohesive way rather than a chaotic way. It feels like no genre at all, but also feels like every rock genre. I wonderful discovery

There is a fine line between good and bad that this album manages to walk perfectly. I tend to like post-punk new wavey stuff so that helps. 3.5/5

Probably my favourite band of this style of music. Some big hits, unexpectedly great less well known songs but one or two fillers. Great album none the less.

Man, this was not very good. They are to the stooges what the dictators are to the ramones except instead of being jewish theyre racist

didn't enjoy his voice

This was surprisingly good. Not throughout, but in parts.

fun! bit silly lol

If someone put this on cold with no background info, I’m not sure I would be able to guess the year it was produced. I certainly wouldn’t have guessed 1977. So fun to be introduced to this band.

6/10

2.5/5

I was hazy on the provenance of The Stranglers. Knew the name, but mixed together with The Dictators and maybe another mid-1970s punk type band. This album got better and better. Nearly gave it three full listens, because it grooves in a unique way. The bass playing is fabulous, both accenting and leading the beat. It does not flash like John Entwistle, just propels songs forward. The keyboards were also original. Not sure what was used, but the sound differed from garage rock’s Vox and Hammond organs. Nor did I hear Fender Rhodes or synth qualities. At times it reminded me of Magazine’s post-punk/pre-1980s creations. Whatever was used, the style fit the songs not quite garage, pub or punk as the entire group had a level of musicianship that seemed a step higher than those more primitive genres. While the vocals were not memorable, they did not descend the schtick that many punk lead singers utilized. The quality and new to me aspect led me to search Discogs for vinyl copies. I might part with $48 plus shipping for this one.

Just as a was listening to this, the legendary Jonny Wurster posted a classic #rockandrollweirdness about them. Anyway, this record slaps.

A solid album held up by the good/great songs (Sometimes, Hanging Around, Peaches, Ugly, Go Buddy Go) but there are some horrid/boring clunkers (London Lady, Princess Of The Streets, Grip, Down In The Sewer, Choosey Susie). I'd imagine that live in a pub I'd be dancing.... Still the great songs are classic tunes. 3 "I'd be bored in that pub" stars.

70s new wave punk rock. Really good punk.

Didnt care for lyrics but loved the vocals and instrumentals! Super good!

Something about this older British punk that I find so interesting, not 100 sure what it is but it rocks nonetheless

The Stranglers was the collective noun for Len Houmous’ wives 15-18. 3.3 6/12 Peaches

Nothing about this was good.

Love the dirtiness and rawness of the album. I was 6 when this came out so it passed me by really. I caught up with the Stranglers later in life due to girlfriend who had the greatest hits album so it was good to hear stuff away from some of those. Enjoyed it yes.

This was fucking rad

Bit of a mixed bag. Some of the performances come of as a bit sloppy, I don't always like the vocals either. The energy is mostly there and there are a bunch of songs I would describe as fun, but it's far from my favorite punk record.

400th review! Didn't really like this album, but didn't hate it either. Peaches was gross, which I'm sure was the point. I liked Go Buddy Go.

🎧This bumps. I think I only knew Golden Brown prior to hearing this album, it’s just the kind of weird melodic punk I like.

Distinctive, raw, exciting, a great listen, exactly the kind of thing I’m looking for on this list

I quite liked this. Supposedly punk, but has a lot more musicality than I usually associate with early punk.

This is a slightly gothy and more fun version of The Doors, I love it.

A rare enjoyable british punk album

Never heard of these guys until now. But man I love the use of the organ in so many of the songs.

It was interesting at least?

boring

There's nothing really wrong with this album, but the constant clash between punky and classic rock soundscapes is just unappealing to me most of the time, at least in this example. I get that it sets them apart from the rest of their contemporaries, but that doesn't really win me over. There are a couple of great tracks here, though, and they are spread out in a way that at least kept me entertained throughout. Favourite track: (Get A) Grip [on Yourself]

Буквально пару місяців тому вперше послухав цей альбом. Мені сподобалася ця варіація нью-вейву, де основою все-таки залишається панк-рок. Hanging Around відмітив, що тоді, що зараз. 3.5.

This album had a great energy and was really fun to listen to

Too new wave for me

lyrics are shockingly bad, and that bloody 3 note keyboard never shut up. Pretty dreadful

The first song had me really excited to hear the rest of this but unfortunately it was pretty hit and (mostly) miss from there. Nothing was outright terrible though. 3/5

Occasionally rises above generic lyricism and musicianship, but too much of it is less exciting and less memorable than their peers fifty years later. It’s good though with a couple inspired gems.

Strange

I enjoyed this

Sama sebi sam dosadila pišući za skoro svaki album tu da je užasno dosadan, ali šta drugo reći kad je tako. Doslovce mi ništa ne radi ovo. 2/5, 3/10

This album is saved by the organ. Seriously. Not bad musically all around, but the singing and the lyrics are mid.

Gear: ZMF Auteur Classic LTD Shedua Artwork: 💄🦁💡 Production (1996 Remaster): 🎧🙂‍↕️👌 Music: 🎹🔥👻 Rating: 🐀🐀🐀(🐀)/5

Just watched a video an hour ago about the 10 most underrated bands ever and the Stranglers were on the list. I gotta agree

Sonically it’s cool but I don’t like the brashness of the singing.

This sounds like it could be from a local punk band. But it's from the 70s. I'm obsessed with the instrumentation, just really driving and catchy.

I liked this quite a bit. So different than what I knew from The Stranglers, which was only the song Golden Brown. Very psychedelic, awesome organ sounds, and production wise, this seems ahead of its time for 1977. Still, nothing in particular really stood out to me above the rest and the album did drag a bit towards the end for me, which is weird considering it is not that long.

- 1977 ...... -

I dig it

Initial few tracks really drove me nuts. Thought I was going to hate this album. Have to say, though, it grew on me. "Peaches" and "(Get A) Grip (On Yourself)" are proper bangers. By the end I'd say I was thoroughly whelmed. Could've done with less organ, though.

Another on the list of albums nobody ever has to listen to.

Сара 3 Марко 3,5

Good amount of variety for a 70's punk rock brit album. First i had heard of the band and I enjoy more of the songs than not which is helped by the keyboard quite a but and upbeat sections of songs. Vocals have that classic 70's leading into early 80's sound and it all comes together well.

Braced myself as I was expecting to absolutely hate this album but ... it was so much better than expected. I didn't like all of it, and I generally didn't hugely vibe with the vocals, but it was funny, catchy, and musically surprisingly interesting for a punk album. Slightly generous 4.

Good jams, good vibes, good progression. Enjoyable album but nothing special High 3

Pretty boppin

This fun. I can only imagine watching the guy on that organ ...

I must admit, I'm not familiar with the Stranglers. I can't say that breaks my heart. I'll likely never seek them out again.

Mediocre

Super average.

It's like The Doors if The Doors were a bunch of sickos. I generally like the songs, but I think it could have been recorded and produced better. The bass, in particular, is often distractingly distorted. The guitar sometimes sounds thin. The vocals are pretty rough. I get that these aspects are DIY/punk hallmarks, but I don't find them aesthetically pleasing.

Didn't really do anything for me.

Right on the line between Punk and New Wave. I liked it!

Good fun. Borderline 3-4.

Otro álbum intrascendente, esta lista está lleno de ellos. Un 3 de manual

They sound a bit like The Doors, but not quite as good.

Wonderful keyboard playing here, and “Peaches” is some kind of depraved classic. The rest are just kind of depraved, and catchy, and not necessarily classic, but at least the aforementioned keyboard playing makes it all distinctive. Best track: “Peaches”

3.5

3.0

Decent punk effort. The vocals stand out. Favorite track: Goodbye Toulouse

This is a weird one. I remember it (and owned it) when it first came out. Even then, you knew these guys were older than you’d expect for a punk/new wave band. And their music reflects that. It’s sort of psychedelia influenced. Yet it has a drive and tone that’s very ‘punk’. So, basically, I never really trusted them as punks…bit this is a really good album and still sounds good now.

Me, at the start of this record: ah fuck yeah! Me, at the end of this record: I never want to listen to that again. Average it out you get a 3, baby. That's just math.

Yeah this woulda been proper jokes back then

2,4

Sounds like The Doors but less interesting

A great album. Felt different to the other punk albums at the time, and still sounds good.

This is pretty epic. The mix of genres in combination with the lyrics is fantastic.

MUY bueno este album!! me recontra sorprendió. No los conozco en absoluto. Son buenísimos. Muchísima influencia de The Doors. Hacen cosas muy similares pero bueno, 10 años dsp... Me lo anoto para seguir escuchando

Every song the Stranglers make just seems to be enjoyable. I find it hard to really call them Punk, but they are a sort of proto New Wave / Art rock band with some Punk elements to it. They just make really nice songs, not too long or too short. They all sound different from one another while still being somewhat similar.

Overall: 8/10 Honestly, I would have rated this higher if the lyrics hadn't aged so poorly. The music itself is so fun and kinda gothic in a lot of ways. Glad to have listened to this. Fav Song: London Lady

Nice but nothing special

Enjoyed the album as a whole. Some of it was great and some not so much. It's difficult to rate it as a fantastic album.

Better tyan Coldplay

Great album name but the music is just kinda meh

I would have given it 4 stars if I hadn't known that they went on to record some WAY better albums. On this one, they have already found their unique sound (with the dominant organ and the wonderfully distorted bass taking over the role of a lead instrument), but the concise songwriting and the abundance of hits of their later years are sorely lacking.

It's punk rock that is mostly fine but occasionally annoying (e.g. the last track: Peasant in the Big Shitty). Altogether it's kind of a low 3 for me.

Waffled on this. Do I like it fine, or really like it. And, even within songs I'd be like "this is cool" one moment and "meh" the next.

Given how much I love 'Get a Grip on Yourself,' I had high hopes for this one. & oddly enough, much of the music sounds similar to that well-known hit - but somehow none of it hits as hard. Maybe with more than 2 listens, things would get catchier - but leaving this as a passable 3 given no one's got time for that.

Correcto

Not half bad!

Another very average album. 3 stars or C-.

i don’t care

este....

Doors influenced punk

These guys are awesome.

I liked how rhythmic the whole album was. It had some cool ideas, but I couldn’t connect with it on a deeper level in any way. Aside from the melodies, I don’t think it does anything particularly interesting. I don’t even have much to say about it, as I didn’t actively dislike it. The vocal delivery got boring pretty quickly, and the latter part of the album didn’t really land for me. Instrumentally, though, it had some solid jams. I enjoyed "Sometimes" and "Princess of the Streets".

Despite the vocal mumbling, I enjoyed this. The instrumentals were fun to listen to, and stayed dynamic for different and enjoyable sounds the whole way through.

Welcome! Come on in. So what do we have here… Ah. Yeah—no. We don’t allow that kind of language in this house. …sigh… fine. Just keep it loud and don’t touch anything.

This seems like it should have stood out to me but did not.

I am completely indifferent to this album.

Soso

some tracks are iconic, while others are nice hidden gems that are worth listening too.

Cool album, but not my style.

The only thing I really liked about this art punk / new wave album is the bass. Loved how chunky it sounds and the lines it plays are really good too. The rest of the instrumentation I think it is decent. The other notable aspect, along with the bass, is that It has a very progressive rock sounding keyboard that adds a bit of uniqueness to the album. But in general, I think the melodies they play aren't that memorable or catchy. The rhythm section is also sometimes inspired by punk and has just a bit of energy, like in "Goodby Toulouse" and "London Lady", but nothing reaches the point of frenetic sound from its roots. What I found to be bad and obnoxious about this album are the singing and lyrics. The band keeps switching between two lead vocalists, Hugh Cornwell and Jean-Jacques Burnel, but I couldn't tell the difference until I looked it up and I though it was always the same guy. Either way, I didn't like their performances in the songs "Princess of the Street", "Peaches", "Ugly" and "Down In the Sewer" where the voice is super accentuated and I find to be irritating. When it comes to the lyrics, I think are questionable or directly bad. "Sometimes" makes me wonder if the singer talks about beating up his girlfriend, "Peaches" basically describes how he likes to go the beach and look to women breasts and "Ugly" is just a different beast of bad lyrics. Maybe I'm missing the point? Probably, but these are my interpretations. If it wasn't for the voices, I would just say it is a middle of the road album, but I do not like some of the vocal performances at all.

# Album Name: Rattus Norvegicus # Artist: The Stranglers # Rating: 4/5 # Comments: Quality album. Love the vocals and organ. Some banging tunes. # Top Tunes: Toulouse / Princess of the streets / hanging around / peaches / get a grip # Would I listen to it again? Yup

Class. Very fun and I love the swirly synth noises and the filthiness of it. Brill stuff.

4/16/26. Cool punk rock sound! I hear a lot of Doors influence, specifically from Light My Fire. Liked the incorporation of jams and the solos playing with rhythm.

sure, why not

This is probably one of the better British punk albums I've listened to. I enjoyed the variety of instrumentation here, and there are some evocative (and provocative) lyrics in here. I do think, however, it could've been a bit more unique or maybe abrasive? I'm not sure. It's unfortunate that London Calling was only a few days ago, because I definitely enjoyed that more compared to this album, but this was still decently good. Favorites: Peaches, Down in the Sewer (Medley), Choosey Susie

Never gave The Strangers much of a listen outside of the "hits" (of which Peaches is one, shout out SEXY BEAST)... this is definitely more new wave than punk. Maybe even just regular ol' classic rock. Good bass lines, keyboards reminded me of The Doors. Goofy, more than a little kitschy, and fun. Good bar music, decent record.

1. sometimes 7/10 2. goodbye tolouse 6/10 3. london lady 6/10 4. princess of the streets 8.5/10 5. wow neta ya no pude esque es la misma csncion como 7 veces ajajja

Both vocalists work for me, but Cornwell is better. Brunel makes up for it with a great bass sound. Enjoyed this a great deal; very strong four.

Meh late 70's punk.

Interesting album Standout songs: Sometimes London Lady Get a grip on yourself

It was fun, and very British

Cool! cool! Down to the sewer! Rocks!

Kinda honk shooo thr guitar work is good in some places and the vocals ate really cool but other than that hoooooly is it boring, you can tell this was made in the 70s cuz that midi piano or whatever is soooo bad i legit can't take it seriously

Not a big fan of the lyrics, as much as they were tolerated by the time this was released. Some songs were decent, but the lyrics soured most of them.

Rats.

Yeah sorry y'all I have absolutely no idea anything about the significance of The Stranglers or their 1977 album Rattus Norvegicus other than this project is weird! This band brings a much more childish and playful feeling to the sound of New Wave that I think I've very much been missing from all the other New Wave projects I have checked out as part of the 1001 albums to hear before you die list. Everything from the dated synths to the very "Prog Rock-like" instrumentation makes this album such a product of its' time but also one that did make me think quite a bit throughout the entire runtime even if I wasn't huge all around. The incel anthem Ugly was by far the worst song here as it was laughably bad with its' very "nice guy" energy seen all across the 4 minute track. Other than that this album is an enjoyable and entertaining ride that does feel a bit poorly aged but also somewhat charming in a cheesy way. I am a bit split on this project but I also wouldn't be upset if I heard it again sometime in the future.

nice

Perhaps the most maybe a 2 or maybe a 3 album on this list

cool

Good time, fun listen

Pretty good listen, a lot of it sounds kind of the same bar Peaches which is the standout track I had heard of before

The organ certainly makes this different from other British punk albums. It's a weird combination of punk, The Doors, and early 80s New Wave. It's only half as annoying as most British punk too. 2.5

Very cool stuff! :) :)

3.75

I'm not sure how I feel about this. It's listed as 'punk', but it's like some early 80s new wave. It is too 'polite' to be punk. I don't hate it; I could like it. The energy is very "f*ck off, wanker!" -- even this vanilla, suburb boy can see that. However, it is not all that bad. Whoever is on the organ/keyboards is absolutely killing it. There's a polished grimmy-ness (I know that's some weird, Zen koan shit...) to it that is appealing. I could come back to this, but I have a busy day. (3/5) On the hopes that more listens will have this grow on me.

A hangover from a bad run of albums (and the misappropriated word "punk" as a descriptor) had my hackles up initially, but this one turned out better than I expected. Definitely heard more shades of The Rolling Stones, Steppenwolf, and Deep Purple than The Ramones or the Sex Pistols, and in the best way possible (though Spinal Tap DEFINITELY found some inspiration in this one). Some of the synth/keyboard on here was fantastic. Had the sound of a debut album (trying out different sounds to see what works; some of it doesn't), but definitely made me want to explore some of their later stuff. A 3.5/5 that I'm reluctant to round up.

Variety: 2 Adequacy: 4 Listenability: 5 Uniqueness: 2 Emotionality: 2 = 3.0 "It's all about sex supreme/ We likes to cream jeans" Love me some Stranglers, but a bit annoyed this was the album they chose as their sole representative. That being said, I always think of them as a great singles band, and hard to think of an album from them that completely works for me. I have not heard this one in a very long time though, so maybe that opinion has changed. THE TRACKS Side A "Sometimes" - Can't help comparing this to the Doors given the bluesy melodic drive of the keyboards. Hugh Cornwell is a bit rougher than Morrison though. Solid opening track and already musically ahead of most of their punk contemporaries. Or at least not afraid to court pop like most. Seems like they started with one foot firmly already in what would become "post-punk". "Goodbye Toulouse" - More hard leaning into that pop sound here with the vocal harmonies, though the chuggy guitar work tries hard to disguise it. This was ok. One thig the band is great at is getting in and out at the right time. "London Lady" - A bit closer to that generic punk sound, but they can't help throwing weird hooky bits in to stir things up. The combined vocal/ guitar line is the major hook here. Lacks the energy of similar stuff that The Damned were doing around the same time. "Princess of the Streets" - Some of that trademark Stranglers humor ( or is it?) on display here with Burnel delivering a parody of the dark crooner Jim Morrison type. Even a bit of "People are Strange" in the bass line melody at one point. Solid. "Hanging Around" - Starts strong and only gets better. More Question Mark and the Mysterions than The Doors on this one, and feels like an early stab at their later more radio-friendly stuff. A great showcase of most everything the band does well, and a good closer for side one. Side B "Peaches" - One of the all-time great bass lines. Sleazy, skeevy, just as intended. Not sure how anyone could see this as anything but parodic of the gross macho stereotype, but I guess that's always a danger. While not as baldly a piece of comedy as the stuff Tenacious D did, eve their fanbase eventually swelled with a certain type of guy that would also take this at face value and be ready with a "Hell yeah!" and a high five at the thought of celebrating exactly what these lyrics are poking fun at. Anyway... the music - supremely hooky and 100% deserves a spot on their greatest hits comp. "(Get A) Grip (On Yourself)" - Very good stuff here. Forward driving momentum after the languid, lazy sun-dolloped sludginess of "Peaches". The organ dances all over the place here but falls right in line with the core melodic line. "Ugly" - More roadhousey Doors stuff here, and maybe the most pub rock sounding thing on here. Not the biggest fan of Burnel vocals and while capable on the harder tracks especially, feel more or less the same here. "Down in the Sewer" - A band could do worse with their leftovers than this. Ultimately feels like a collection of lines they dropped from other songs but couldn't find the courage to toss away. Veer into Mark E. Smith talk-singing territory very briefly before descending into an extended jam. Not terrible by any means, but feels a bit listless until the end when it gallops at full speed to the finish line, and ( conceivably) makes it out of the sewer back into the welcoming arms of mother nature. HIGHLIGHTS - "Sometimes" - "Princess of the Streets" - "Hanging Around" - "Peaches" - "(Get A) Grip (On Yourself)" MIDLIGHTS - "Goodbye Toulouse" - "London Lady" - "Ugly" - "Down in the Sewer" LOWLIGHTS - Clean bill of health here FINAL THOUGHTS This will never be my favorite Stranglers album, but then do I even have one? Looking back at my old iPod playlists, what I have of the Stranglers seems to be a core of what is largely represented on their greatest hits compilation plus another 2-3 songs per album. Still, this was a more than solid outing and a fine debut. All the pieces were there from the beginning and their later stuff doesn't seem to cone out of nowhere. They just get more and more melodic as time goes by. Would say you are in pretty good hands with them at least all the way up through Dreamtime, which is the Hugh Cornwell's penultimate album with the band. I can't vouch for anything after that, but given that Cornwell was creative force behind their best songs, I'm guessing they limp on as a legacy band. PLAYLIST ALTERATIONS - All the highlights will remain FURTHER LISTENING - Damned Damned Damned by The Damned - Greatest Hits 1977–1990 - by The Stranglers - Down by the Jetty by Dr. Feelgood - Real Life by Magazine - Love Bites by Buzzcocks

This was exactly the type of album I look forward to on this project. A completely new to me experience that is good enough to think on for a bit. I didn’t bounce off of this at all, but at the same time it never really captured me. I liked songs on this album, but the overall experience failed to fully achieve lift off. Perhaps that is due to the slower paced methodical delivery of the vocals. The thick bluesy bass mixed together with that delivery of coarse lyrics gave the album a feel of walking through a dank and grimy apartment. Come for the superb guitar riffs, avoid standing under the water stain on the ceiling. I can see why The Stranglers accumulated such a reputation. And seriously, at nearly fifty years later, I’m not interested in debating punk or not punk. We are so far removed from that time and place that all of the distinctions have been too far smoothed over to tell. At least I think for anyone that didn’t live through it and I didn’t. To me they are a 1970s punk-ish British band. I might check some more of their stuff out. The Track Highlights Hanging Around (Get A) Grip [on Yourself] Ugly

Having a hard time describing this album without referencing the hundreds of British punk albums in this list. It’s a collection of punk and rock songs with bits of new wave. Sounds grimy. (3.5)

Strange album cover - I'm not sure what to expect from the music. The rustic backdrop makes my mind immediately go to folk, but the leather jackets throw me off. These guys don't look like they're from the deep end of rock, either. I'm hedging my bets on some tepid form of rock/metal. Here goes. Punk rock. New wave. Pub rock. I guess I wasn't wrong in my prediction, though I don't hear these genres. To me, this is some weird hodge podge of punk, hard rock and progressive rock. I wasn't moved by this, though there were some alright bits in here. I appreciate the organ and early synths. A rare organ victory considering that I don't usually like the instrument. It sounds decent here, especially with how it complements the synths. The vocals are a mixed bag with some successes. I liked the jocular spirit. The rest of this album is kind of a dead end, however. The musty, blown out guitars weren't all that inspiring and significantly dragged down the material. The run time is decent, but I'd be lying if I said my investment in this album didn't flat line during the second half. Overall, this was an unengaging, yet tolerable listen. Book time. Recorded in six days and was controversial for its sexist lyrics. Wikipedia says this album was one of the best-selling punk albums in Britain and the frontman of the Cure considers it one of his favourite albums. As far as chart performances go, it peaked at no. 4 in the UK and was the 21st best-selling album of the year. The only other place where the album charted was Australia, reaching no. 82 on the charts. I'm not sure about this pick. It charted well domestically and was liked by critics, but I'm not seeing much in the way of a legacy. I'm appreciative of its standing as a bit of a black sheep in punk, however. If this truly is one of the best-selling punk albums in the UK, then I suppose I'm content with letting this one through. I cosign this inclusion.

This tickled me (the lyrics!). In a good way.

The self consciously PUNK ones like Ugly and London Lady aren't great and neither is the letting their roots show, "hello, fellow young people", blues number (lame blues always comes as a number) Princess of the Streets. But I have a genuine soft spot for The Stranglers way with a smuggled Doors influence into the London punk scene. The extravagantly bracketed (Get A) Grip (On Yourself) is the real highlight. I'm also enjoying discovering the epic Down In The Sewer. My favourite fact about The Stranglers is that Hugh Cornwell went to school with Richard Thompson of Fairport Convention and they were in a relatively successful covers band together.

Better than the Sex Pistols, but damn that's kind of a low bar.

Doesn’t do much for me. 2.5/5

Enjoyed some of this one but not all of it

This surprised me, definitely a 5. Great music, will be revisiting this band.

Me gustó, no se si lo escucharia en la vida diaria pero para que esté de fondo o en el auto esta bueno. Siento que es un buen album para correr también porque estan como enojados🫰🏻

Cool sound. Like UK classic rock

Pretty kick-ass punk album

Some pretty atrocious lyrics, even for a punk band trying to be edgy. But I still kinda dig the sound, just not the snarl.

I like some Stranglers songs here and there but they remind me of a less funny Dictators. Essential in a historical way, not a band I throw on particularly often. Peaches is pretty great though and they inspired more than a few of my favorite bands. No More Heroes is the better album and then...I don't think I engaged with them past that.

never really got into the Stranglers but ok

A sensational debut from this first rate band

Growling springy bright angry ugly brilliant

Solid

I’m pretty sure I listened to this about five years ago, and listening today, it’s clear I’ll probably listen to it again in five more years and have a distant feeling that I might have listened to it five years before.

Surprised at how much I like this album. It was like The Doors meets Punk meets goth.

Solid.

Are these guys stupid?? I'm pretty sure peaches don't grow at the beach....

Certified banger. First listen to wny of these songs and it’s been on repeat for 24 hours +

Who even knows what the goal is here? Throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks I suppose. Is it "Pub Rock?" Is it The Fall? Is it Prog? Dudes aligned themselves with "Punk," but really it has little to do with punk. Maybe that's why The Stranglers piss me off, they're poseurs. Everything is marketing, though. The music isn't that great on this record, some incredibly fun riffs ("Peaches," "Get a Grip.."), and the organ/keyboard being the MAIN VOICE on this album is oh so great. Extra point for being unique. Minus a point for the shoddy fecking vocals. "The Stranglers are an English rock band formed in 1974. Scoring 23 UK top 40 singles and 20 UK top 40 albums to date in a career spanning five decades, the Stranglers are one of the longest-surviving bands to have originated in the UK punk scene." oof