Rattus Norvegicus

Pretty good but way too long for a punk album. Go Buddy Go was great.

Peaches is a creepy classic, the rest just ok

I had trouble at first distinguishing this album from several other 70s albums of similar genre I've listened to in this project. I felt it might suffer from being past my point of tolerance for "not my favorite" music that I've already spent a lot of time with. A second, closer listen revealed some things I really enjoyed: the keyboards were a pretty cool mix of future and retro. I better heard some of the proto-new-wave sound that foreshadowed the 80s. I also followed the lyrics more closely, and must say there were more than a few WTF moments in there. This isn't going to go on my own list, but I get why it's on this one.

I liked it more than I thought that I would at first glance. Kind of a cool sound, but not something that I am really interested in hearing again.

Vähän menevämpää rockia kuin tuo alempi levy. Siistit synat ja urkusoolot

Floating round 3.5 but didn’t quite vibe enough for a 4. Peaches best song.

Quite enjoyed it, again recognised a few of the tracks but never knew the names. Fave track - Peaches

I’d say a 3.5 over a 3 just because it’s a bit of a good twist on British punk with the weird keyboards.

Castlevania-like music, second half of the lost my interest, plus some vocals were just weird

Has a bit more humor than other punk albums of the time. Some of it verges on pop almost. I don't think it's quite as misogynistic as some of the reviews I read.

The first song sounds like the Doors. Lots of sexism in the lyrics. Maybe they are doing some commentary? But if not it’s concerning. This was fine and I could have been fine never having heard it.

Patchy

eh, it wasn't shit but not much better

Was pretty fun but got a bit boring after a while

Had trouble getting into this today.... Grandkids were helping

Some pretty awesome songs, but also some terrible ones... inconsistent album.

De meeste nummers waren maar zozo. Hun hitje Peaches blijft wel leuk

Good!

Enjoyed this. Close to a 4. Hanging Around is the best song on the album.

Another new wave album... I've probably listened to more new wave since I started using this site ~500 songs ago than I have in my whole life, and I was alive in the 80s. That said, I wasn't completely annoyed by this. The album is probably a little better than I am giving it credit for, but I'm just tired of this style. I really liked "Hanging Around" but the rest of it was just ok. 3.5 stars

The music is a great mix of new wave and punk aesthetics. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to get past the misogynistic lyrics on a number of the tracks.

neat

I thought I would like this more than I did. Still enjoyed it but thought it was lyrically a bit silly!

Enjoyable!

Ok

Good album but not great. Production still sounds really fresh and the bass is very driving. Listened to this twice and it was great to jog to this morn. However it is a bit repetitive and the best of the songs are much better than the rest. "Peaches" is a great earworm but has quite creepy lyrics!

3.5 rounded down for now, it could use another listen though. Definitely a couple good songs here.

Je trouve ça extrêmement suspect que Rattus Norvegicus soit généré juste après Suede... Robert ?

Ratus le rat vert viens ici nous apprendre - sous couvert de différentes méthodes plus ou moins convaincantes - l'art de la lecture. Sa gueguerre avec Victor le chien est toujours aussi succulente, et ravira petits et grands.

Decent. I like the organ type sound throughout. Didn’t realises Peaches was on here which is always going down well. Opening song is sound too

notes - Debut album by the stranglers - Post punk with some psych elements - Sounds like the doors taking themselves less seriously - Deals with some heavy lyrical themes - The vocals have a low, crooner quality to them that adds to the unsettling spookiness of their sound - I really like the way the keys add - I don’t like the lead guitar in most songs - multiple times its just a scale melody going up and down note by note - fav - hangin around - Love the bass in this song, and the chorus call and response least fav - princess of the streets - Doesn’t really go anywhere, the solo does the scale thing that I mentioned - 3.5/5

Eh

I enjoyed it, it's catchy and fun, but it also sounds like the roving antics of adolescents. Which they were not, they were like 28 when this was released. Seems like something that could grow on me though. I don't know.

Very good, just not my cup of tea

Chippy British new wave punk. Fun and somewhat dark at times lyrics. Unconventional sound.

I didn't listen to much of The Stranglers. I own the Live album, but I pretty much only listened to their cover of All Day and All Night and Skin Deep. Much like that experience, not a lot else sticks with me. I get that they're the more modern version of something like Question Mark and the Mysterians. It never quite landed for me. I also never saw them as punk, outside of their name. It's not bad, but far from definitive.

Not bad...not familiar...enjoyed it. Peaches was good, but really lliked Sometimes, Goodbye Toulouse and Down in the Sewers...weirdness and fun...but not high on my revisit list.

Super surprised I had never heard of this band before. A+ album title and overall a pretty solid album. 3/5

pretty good - never heard of the band, love the album name

Eh

would i listen to this again? probably not. was it a particularly bad experience? nah, not really. 2.5/5 stars

Enjoyed a lot but was a bit meh after a while

Good but had enough by the end

British new wave punk style music. Would have maybe liked it a bit more if it weren’t for so much organ music thrown in there. I just typically don’t like organ or piano in my rock music.

Bizarre but not off-putting surprisingly. I actually quite thoroughly enjoyed the sound of it. Favorite: Peaches

A solid album. Timeless rock, punchy mood, swaggering but a bit one-noted.

I’m familiar with a different record of theirs but only that. This was a good listen but removed from its context it felt unremarkable.

Good band. There is nice songs.

This album hits with a mix of punk, new wave, and a surprising hint of psychedelic -- something that listens as being akin to The Doors. Honestly, this was one of the more unique punk-labelled inclusions that I have received on this project thus far. This is something that is fairly obscure and niche; it is something I would otherwise not find on my own and is a perfect example of what I like to hear on this project!

Probably the first punk album I bought on Vinyl (in the 80s though) I know they were just a bit of a pub rock band that got caught up in the scene. The keyboards made them different. A punk Doors with ugly lyrics. "Sometime I'm gonna smack your face" Enjoyable punky pub rock. 3

Middle of the pack

like bedre golden brown

Greit å få utvida postpunk-referansane mine

Ok album. I probably wouldn't listen again.

It's fine, but another one I don't understand

A consistently fun album to listen to, although all of the lyrics didn't appeal to me. Favourite songs from the album: (Get A) Grip [on Yourself] Go Buddy Go

I quite liked the vibe and attitude, but it's not really for me, or an album I'd revisit.

Reminds me of The Jam, and a bit of The Cars. Vocalist somehow sounded like Thin Lizzy’s occasionally I liked the keyboard work Some songs bored me but some songs I liked quite a bit. Oat first I thought I wasn’t gonna care for it but I liked it more as it went on. Stuck between 3 and 4.

Decent listen by a excellent band.

I dig it, not typically a type of music I would choose to listen too but I am not disappointed. Really enjoying the music, vocals are ok.

It's not bad, early pop-punkish right there with the likes of Buzzcocks. The singer's voice, to someone who is usually good at not being "annoyed" by singing styles, can get a little irritating due to how "snotty" it is. I like it when he gets pretty guttural on "Ugly". Also, they typically find one chord progression and beat it to the ground. It caused me to zone out a bit. None of this is offensive, and I like the multi-part closing track, but none of this is... super memorable. "Peaches" is a weird track, too. A punk-rock ass-anthem. Strange. Favorite tracks: "Princess of the Pack", "London Lady", "Down In the Sewer"

Zany Captain Beefheart style shenanigans with an Elvis Costello impersonator

Pretty good punk album, but not a "must-listen to" album. Forgettable.

Rattus Norvegicus aka The Stranglers IV is the debut album by the English punk rock band the Stranglers. This album was one of the best-selling albums during Britain's punk era, and it was certified platinum in the UK. The music on this album is well produced and fun; it was a collection of the band's live set list at the time. This is a great punk rock album and it does a great job of showcasing the British punk scene from the 70's.

Great album! I never listened to it before despite this band having another song that is a ~top 200 song of all time for me (Golden Brown). I like the arrangements, the performances (very cool synth leads on the first track!), the attitude, and the production. I'm also enjoying how diverse some of the tracks sound compared to the rest of the album - it's very diverse and they don't come across as a formulaic type of band one bit. One standout on a lot of tracks it the bass. The parts are written well, performed well, and mixed very well. I'll be adding a good amount of these tracks to some rotations.

I’ve heard this one before and it’s really good and gets better each time I listen to it. 3.5/5. Standouts: Get a Grip On Yourself, Peaches, Hanging Around, Goodbye Toulouse

I was introduced to the stranglers in a bizarre way. This was just as strange on a tropical coast setting.

Plenty of energy and fun being had. I could probably do with a bit more Stranglers in my life.

Meh, not a huge fan 3*

Never heard of them. Good album though.

5/10. Long and meh

First time listening to a Stranglers album and I was a bit surprised by their sound. I was expecting maybe a faster, harder punk sound, but instead it was quite tame, which is a good thing. I can hear why this debut was a success, nice sound and good songs. I don't think this will convince me to be a fan, but I will make an effort to listen to more Stranglers' albums.

Still some fresh sounds in here, Peaches is a kicker.

first listen quirky and energetic

Nice and hippie, not too bad

Ikkje lika bra som golden brown

The album looks like your car broke, you are lost, and the only people that can help you live in this weird mansion close to you but away from anything else. These weird guys invite you in and some kind of private party is going on inside. Everyone looks at you, checking you out as you are taken to a hot cup of tea and a landline. Next thing you know you are all sweety, smelling like smoke and cuddling with a taxidermized animal that looks oddly familiar.

Pretty good post punk 80s vibes

Not bad but not amazing, by any means. I wouldn't have necessarily even have called this a punk album if I hadn't looked up a bit of context on the album.

Pretty cool mix of punk and more classic rock sensibilities. Liked some of the synth work.

Oh hey, it's that band that did Golden Brown, that song kicks ass. Oh, but it it's not on here. The album is pretty good, though. Not great, but pretty good.

Siis ihan hyvä levy, avausraidan synahommat ainakin hauskoja ja muutenkin kirpeää menoa mutta vähän mietin onko taas brittibias. 2.5/5 pyöristyy ylöspäin.

This band recorded "Golden Brown"??? I kinda dig the marriage of punk and keyboards. Aggro and New Wave. Decent chops, especially for the bassist. And chord progressions longer than 3. Whimsical modulations and lyrics in Peaches. It's giving me a Cheap Trick feeling. And one of the vocalists sounds a lot like Nick Cave. Ugly should have been kicked off this island. The rest were a pleasant surprise. But seriously... six years later, "Golden Brown"??????

macht Spaß

Love punk and adding keys is great. This album is a lot of fun. Lyrically though it's definitely a bit uncomfortable at times, not in a cool punk way sadly.

29th March 2022 Listened mainly on the way in to the office then finished there. Met up with Lev in the evening and went to Busaba for aubergine curry. Riotous and engaging with a witty punch, not the stranglers you know from Golden Brown but raw and exciting. Classic punk.

Some intermittent drama, the occasional winning hook and very solid (even groovy textures with intricate instrumentation – cool keys here and there and strong, steady bassing), but there’s a one-note and droning quality that leaves me lukewarm – especially to the singing, which feels below average. The stiff vocals seem to befit the blocky structures. One hears the influence of “Peaches” and “Down in the Sewer” on The Fall. They were legendary live, weren’t they? This recordings may suffer in comparison. IMHO, they got better as they got poppier and more sophisticated, which represented a pretty big leap from the rougher early days heard here. The cheeky cover of “Walk on By” also rocks (in rather their original mode and maybe the best thing they ever did).

I've never listened to or even massively heard of the Stranglers. I guess that's a bit shocking since it sounds like they're a big deal. This has quite a cool sound. Can't say I love punk normally. But the sound of this album is pretty interesting and different I even actually find the guitar soothing as opposed to chaotic or stressful. I really like the drum rolls in their tracks and the drumming in general is pretty nice. The first time I listened I didn't pay much attention but I did feel good about having it in the background.

Pretty good stuff. Got some good classics on it but I'm not in love with it

yee

Album ok de new wave et early punk. S'écoute bien mais rien de fou.

Есть несколько интересных песен и гитарных риффов. Но в этом списке, имхо, не самый необходимый альбом.

dont really like the vocals. simple music. keyboard and guitar solos are very nice. Peaches is way better than the other songs.

Very British

Kreativ, die Jungs. Hat mir besser gefallen als gedacht.

It would seem that the 70s had a thing for organs in the higher register leading the melodies, and one should be grateful that this trend is no longer as prevalent. It certainly has its place, and one should hope it stays there. For a little bit, it seems that the keyboard prevalence was dialed down for "Princess of the Streets" but then during a bridge, it made a rather not-so-subtle return on what had been a mainly guitar-centric song. While the style is indicative of the decade, The Stranglers did manage to strike a difference from the more melodious tendencies of their contemporaries. Focusing on the groove, less on the repetitive choruses, The Stranglers perform their version of storytelling through song, much of it seemingly nonsensical or intended as some profound satire but for some listeners that could be the point because this is punk rock. Musically, keys notwithstanding, aggressive beats and adequate electric guitar inclusions keep the listener mostly engaged with minimal risk of losing them altogether. For this reviewer, the best punk rock is the kind that makes one feel as though they should be listening to it. While The Stranglers achieve that appeal on some songs, they do not on others, but that is purely an issue of preference. Objectively, this album has heart and it seems up front about being what it is, and there is respect to be had there.

Oh ! Je ne connaissais pas ça, mais j’ai eu beaucoup de plaisir. Un band qui semble indécis. Ça me donne l’impression que c’est un band de rock qui a mis un seul des 2 pieds dans le punk qui arrivait. C’est aussi l’époque ou le Reggae arrive plus fort. Ils se sont sentis obligés d’en faire une et ce n’est pas très réussi. C’est en fait rarement réussi à mon avis. Même de nos jours. Dans l’ensemble, c’est l’fun et hyper pas politiquement corect.

Musicalement c’est intéressant. J’aime beaucoup la basse sur cet album.

Great album. Glad to be introduced to more than Golden Brown

OK. Bit odd, and not good odd, in places.

p377, 1977. 3.5 stars New wave/pub rock classic. A little bit dated, but still holds up well, with some absolute bangers - Hanging Around, Peaches, Get A Grip, Go Buddy Go, Peaches - with the last two making up possibly the greatest double A side ever. On the downside, some surprisingly out of place guitar wankage (Princess of the Streets, Down In The Sewer), Not strong enough for a 4, hence 3 stars.

It is an ok album nothing special about it I just felt it was quite average

fín

I believe that the beauty of this album resides in the fact that it sounds like the coolest 80's punk and new wave, but in 1977. I'm not sure if it could be considered the precursor of anything special, but for sure it influenced a lot of people that are much more famous for being precursors of this song style. In short, a very cool album with cool songs that sounds much more modern than 1977. This list is working like a charm for my objective of discovering new things that I barely knew that I want to discover.

It's alright...

Can't hate the rat

Mixed thoughts. Good early punk music, some good songs, some less interesting tracks.

Coolos. (Hanging Around banger)

j’écoute une track en boucle depuis que j’ai écouté mais je me souviens pas du reste

Great post punk rock n roll. I bet the shows were awesome.

Any album that opens with the line "Someday I'm gonna smack you in the face" is always going to stand up and demand attention. This is brash angry punk at its finest, I enjoyed it.

meh - I just can't get into most early british punk.

I kinda liked this one. It seems a little weirder than some other 70s stuff, I mean that in a good way. Favourite Songs: Hanging Around, (Get A) Grip [On Yourself}

12/22/2021 Today's Album: "Rattus Norvegicus" by The Stranglers - This album was pretty surprising for me. I went into it really not liking the vocals, and I will say the vocals are the biggest problem I have with this album. However, the instrumentation and performances really blew me away. Each instrument is on board to create this really solid groove on each track but are all ready to jump out of the mix for an outrageous solo or some cool embellishment. There's a ton of cool soundscapes explored on this record and each song feels super unique. I think I would have to only listen to this album as a complete piece because the vocals are almost too hard to get used to and just don't work in a "single" setting. Other than that, I just want to point out that Hanging Around is the second most popular song on this album and for good reason. It's nuts and deserves a listen from anyone who likes blues and jazz soloing. Overall, a really fun and interesting album but none of the songs are really able to be latched onto or enjoyed as a single track. Score: 6/10 Great effort and I would love to hear these instruments with different vocals. Highlights: Sometimes, Hanging Around, Peaches

Not entirely my cup of tea but still quite fun to listen to

Good one

Listening to these guys tells me so much about where bands like Rancid, Goldfinger, Screeching Weasel, etc. got their sound. These guys made organs punk rock staples.

I don't know what I was expecting, but this was much better than that. Fewer harpsichords, more attitude!

Moments of genius in plenty of filler. A rock band in a punk world.

I've never really felt the need to investigate The Stranglers because I don't enjoy feeling sordid while listening to music, a sensation this album elicited very effectively. Mission accomplished, I guess?

Svöl plata.

New to me, the band, this album, and their music, so I had no idea what to expect (always a great way to experience any art). The overall sound is very familiar to me, so they could be a mix of a real reflection of late 70s punk/new wave/pop and their influence on other bands at the time and later. I find these songs quite catchy and they keep my attention most of the time. They play very well ('Choosey Susie,' for example, has some excellent guitar work), sticking together solidly through some staccato and fast-moving harmonies, and I like that I can usually hear what the singer is singing because the lyrics are often intelligent and witty. I bet this band was fun to see live in a small club at the time. Good music to move around to (I'm not much of dancer, but I could totally see myself bopping around to 'London Lady,' for example) and even though it has some real layers and textures, it's not inaccessible and it's not a downer. Real good stuff here, and I will listen to more of their music.

Shitty pub punk, few good songs

Found some really nice songs to add to my rotation, but a lot of the other songs didnt do it for me

This was an alright english punk album. It’s nowhere near the Sex Pistols or anything but it sounds good at least. The lyrics on most of the songs certainly haven’t aged well. Fav songs: princess of the streets, peaches

The Stranglers burst onto the scene - "Some day I'm gonna smack your face". These droogs bring some more elaborate musicality to punk, with liberal usage of the organ

Nice one

Punk rock. Bastante melodía

Another good album I'd never heard of. Apparantly I need to pay more attention to bands from the 70s. I heard clear parallels to bands like Franz Ferdinand and the Strokes, but I also appreciated the differences. The band didn't hold strictly to 2 minute verse-chorus-verse and they allowed themselves to jam and explore. By and large I enjoyed the album and I'd point to Sometimes, London Lady, Peaches and (Get A) Grip [on Yourself] as good tracks to check out to get a feel for it. I could have done without the track Choosey Susie, to behonest, give the overt depictions of sexual violence.

Was once my favorite Stranglers album but it hasn't aged well. Still love Sometimes, Hanging Around and Get a Grip on Yourself, but the rest sounds dated and old. A 3.5 stars

Za ciosem kolejny pick wyspiarski, no i kolejny debiutancki material, tym razem the stranglers i ich szczurzy krazek, tytul plyty rattus norvegicus, to z laciny okreslenie na szczura brazowego lub ulicznego, co pasuje do konceptu, bo gatunkowo plyta ma sporo wspolnego z punkiem, a wiec kawalki o zyciu w miescie, a zwlaszcza zamykajacy orginalne wydanie down in the sewer pasuje idealnie do konceptu szczurowatego, orginalny krazek z 77 to 40 minut i 9 kawalkow, reedycja z 2k01 zostala wzbogacona o 3 dodatkowe piosenki, wszystkie pana J&J Burnela, przechodzac do skladu zespolu, to podczas nagrywania tej plyty liczyl on 4 osoby przy czym zarowno czlowiek od gitar Hugh Cornwell, jak i basista, wspominany juz J&J zajmowali sie pisaniem trakow, a dodatkowo dzielili sie czasem na wokalu, wiec polowa trakow, pozostali dwaj czlonkowie to oczywiscie perkusja pana Jeta Blacka i klawisze Dave Greenfielda, a to klawisze najbardziej stanowia o brzmieniu tego albumu, bo wykorzystuje on nie tylko klasyczne pianina i organy, ale takze synthy, bo jesli niekore kawalki sa mocno punkowe, tak inne brzmia jak cos z nowej fali brytyjskiej, czyli cos ala devo czy the police, tak wiec kawalki jak get a grip sa oparte wlasnie o synthowe brzmienia klawiszowe, cale szczescie ze plyta ma takze traki z bardziej tradycyjnym podejsciem do punka jak na jednym z moich hajlajtow czyli london lady, czyli jednym z kawalkow J&Ja, ktory ocieka punkowa energia duzego miasta, bedzie to jeden z plejkowych pickow, dodatkowo otwierajacy sometimes Cornwella, ktory wedlug mnie najblizej zbliza do syntezy puna i nowej fali, no i od strony lirycznej tez dobry trak, o tresowaniu baby, ktora pojawia sie jeszcze na jednym traku po tym jak juz byla przetresowana, co do kontentu lirycznego to jest on zroznicowany, a kawalki znaczaco sie od siebie roznia w zaleznosci od tego kto byl ich autorem, bardziej punkowe J&Ja, a z komercyjnym brzmieniem od Cornwella, wiec sa traki o squatowaniu, plazowaniu i podziwianiu brzoskwin, czy proroctwach nostradamusa, no i szczurach miejskich, bo zamykajacy down in the sewer tez laduje na plejke, najdluzszy utwor calej plyty, bo az 8 minut, plyta ma swoje momenty, ale jednak troche zbyt mocno synthowa w niektorych miejsach, a w polaczeniu z serowym wokalem glownego wokalu brzmi to jak cokolwiek z lat 70

neden listedeki tum albumler 2000ler romantik komedi film soundtracki gibi cildiricam cidden

3.5

This is quite a good album. And I just love the color of the cover. 3/5

6/10

Crunchy punk fun

Interesting group…. Enjoyed

A decent punk album. A few songs stuck with me, but a lot of this felt same-y to me. If you're a huge punk fan, that's a good thing. To me, it was sort of like a less edgy Clash. I'll return to a few songs, but not enough for me to dig this album as a whole. Favorite tracks: Peaches, London Lady, Choosey Susie (love that title). Album art: I really like this one. I assume it's a band photo, but it's very cinematic. Funny I mentioned the Clash because these two chaps in the foreground clash completely. Love the colors and framing here. 3/5

Sorpresa

Was once my favorite Stranglers album but it hasn't aged well. Still love Sometimes, Hanging Around and Get a Grip on Yourself, but the rest sounds dated and old. A 3.5 stars

At this point in this project I guess it’s established that classic era punk is not really my thing. Musically I found this kind of dull, the lyrics and vocal delivery typical of its genre and era. Is it really more than moderately dirtied up rock? Lou Reed just called it Rock and Roll and did it ten times better.

If you like the blues scale played up and down you‘re about to get lucky. Otherwise the solos could get a bit boring maybe even annoying, because without them the song could be quite good.

A grim and atmospheric ablum sound. The swinging organ theme (as well as its jazz solos) and demented chorus add something to the song Peaches. (6/10) Favourite Song: Sometimes, Peaches

Pretty listenable. Reminded me of the kooks

You know what you're getting with The Stranglers - upbeat post-wave punk. I just don't like the vocals. Hanging Around is a good song.

Uneven but not horrible

3/5

It was ok. Again, didn’t rock my world.

The bass on this one caught my attention from the very first moments. Really catchy lines that seem to carry the whole thing. Keyboards are cool in some parts and cheesy in others. A good listen but probably not something I’ll come back to a lot.

I am more familiar with No More Heroes than this record. That said, while I understand The Strangers' place in music history, there are hints of The Jam, The Clash, and many others on this record, but nothing on this record really does much for me to make it stand out above the output of The Jam or The Clash. It's not bad, but listening to it out of context, and well after I had done a good deep dive into UK punk rock, I'm left underwhelmed. 3*

Has some interesting moments but I wouldn't listen to it again

Meh

Odd band, plenty of misses. Preferred to see them live and this album does capture some of this.

gonna have to listen to more of their jams

okay punk sound...seemed similar to stuff from the era

Not a fan of the genre necessarily.

IrishPubPunk... Kannte ich nicht nicht, hat mir aber auch nicht wirklich gefehlt...

Bisschen zu wenig Punk bisschen zu viel Pop und ein bisschen zu britisch aber klug und das beste der bisherigen Alben

Unexpectedly like this one. Down on the beaches looking at the bitches rhymes though?

Accessible, Doors style organ.

Meh

Har inte riktigt nån åsikt, bryr mig inte riktigt om den liksom... 3/5

“Get a grip on yourself” has some great synth stuff. But this is definitely not what I was expecting. Doesn’t feel as punky as expected. Almost feels 60s ish rock. Maybe with extra synth. I’m giving this a 3 but I fully admit I didn’t pay enough attention. Sorry.

Liked this, not far off the doors

Production: 13/20 Songwriting: 12/20 Innovation: 13/20 Bangers: 10/20 Emotional response: 11/20 =59 Yeah these boys can make some noise. I like the grindyness

Some good tracks but not really my ting

Lekker, ik mag dit wel.

Decent

It was a good album! I really liked the music, and the overall vibe.

Psychedelic Punk würde man das wohl nennen, oder? Und damit natürlich auch direkt die Brücke zum Postpunk schlagen, in deren Fundament Stranglers sicher eine schöne Gedenkplatte für die Stranglers liegt. Insgesamt für mich: nett anzuhören, tatsächlich aber nicht aufregender als The Fall. 2,9.

synths are stinky, but they do be grooving. 6/10

Lyrics a bit violent, which was distracting

Reminded me of Talking Heads on some songs...

Classic Punk right here. I'm not in the mood to make a long review but I am in the mood to jam with these louts. This is music to commit crimes to.

Nice

Bon album de soft rock qui n'a pas eu beaucoup d'effet sur moi.

I didn’t know quite what to expect with this. I read that it was punk and it was but heavy use of keyboard gave it a different vibe. Actually reminded me of the Doors in a few spots. 3 stars.

Goth rock "back in the day". That organ, though.

It's decent. Not exactly what I would call punk. Very early punk I suppose. Enjoyable to listen to.

okay

3.5|Que álbum tan fuerte, la música es muy buena pero por las letras hoy serían linchados por grupos de feministas Fuera de ese tema tan delicado se me hace un muy buen disco

Muy curiosa mezcla de sonidos. Me gusto el mucho énfasis casi estilo Ray Manzarek de The Doors que tiene el teclado y los solos largos; la voz me sonó a Talking Heads o algo así y para llamarse a ellos mismos "punk" se me hace que tienen poco del sonido y estilo de esa era. Me sorprendió también lo larga que ha sido la vida activa de la banda, incluso ahora mismo haciendo un tour de despedida porque el tecladista murió de COVID.

3

Decent early 80s. Nothing stands out.

I didn’t think this was anything special

Thought some songs were really great with a crazy kind of energy. But found a few of the tracks fell flat. I dig it tho.

a little punkish

Spotify. Fave song; (Get a) Grip (On Yourself) - obviously. 3.5 stars solid listen

Interesting enough

1977: Peaches, Hanging Around

Two or three songs grabbed my attention to go "OH I like this". These songs were "(Get A) Grip [On yourself], Down in the sewer, and Go Buddy Go. The other's were all fine, but a little bit of just normal 80's punk.

I see the appeal

Nice

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

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

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 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.

Not for me

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.

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

2.5/5

boring

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

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

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

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.

Didn't really do anything for me.

2,4

este....

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".

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

Soso

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.

Meh late 70's punk.

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.

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.

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.

Doesn’t do much for me. 2.5/5

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.

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.

Mom, can we get the Clash? No sweetie, we have the Clash at home.

Bit weird for me

At first, I thought this was another band to add to my Arctic Strokes Monkey Killers bunch and was pleasantly surprised that it was not. A much more venerable outfit. Alas, not my thing. Especially when I heard the lyric "we're going to make love until you bleed...". Yuck.

No son uno de mis grupos que más me gusten, de su época prefiero (The Clash, The Undertones o The Jam al margen) a los Buzzcoks, pero hay que reconocerles su valía para distinguirse del Punk ramplón, su larga trayectoria y sobre todo su apertura de miras. Ya incluir teclados les hacía diferentes. Sabían tocar y componer, ademásde tener una base sólida, lo que les permitió sobrevivir. Este debut contiene algunos temas como (Get a) Grip (on yourself), pero otros como Down On The Sewer se me hacen demasiado largos. No está Golden Brown, su canción más conocida, incluida en La Folie de 1981.

1: Get a Grip On Yourself 2: London Lady 3: Ugly

The Stranglers were *everybody's favourite punk band. Because they weren't really punk. They could play! They could sing! They were a proper band! But a bit edgy! Still, because Rattus Norvegicus is by all intents a "punk" album, it suffers the same fate as every "punk" album - trapped in its time with zero longevity. In other words, it's one for the fans. *By "everybody", I mean everybody outside of punk, of course.

Like an annoying version of the Talking Heads

This is pretty dreadful. Let's get the elephant in the room out of the way first: the lyrics. No, they don't hold up in 2026. Are they satire? I'm not sure. Does it matter? Maybe... but even if they *are* satire, it's pretty weak satire. Now onto the music: There are a couple of songs on here that are okay. Most of them are pretty grating, and not in a good way or even an interesting way. The few decent songs on here elevate this album from a 1 to a 2 for me. I've definitely heard worse, but it's not good.

You can’t convince me these guys aren’t serial killers. Anyways terrible voice, god awful lyrics. The only reason it’s not getting a 1 is because the music itself wasn’t bad.

This has got it's own feel to it, slightly grimy. It never really expands on the sound and stays in the same grove for pretty much every track, going from slightly dangerous sounding to safe and comfortable due to the lack of gear change.

This is a peculiar missing link between punk and I guess whatever the opposite of punk is. Obviously a lot more instruments. Didn't annoy me as much as a lot of punk is, but it also didn't give the punk energy. Can't say I would come back to any of this. Weird that this band is still around but good on anyone who can keep doing something for over 50 years.

Completely forgettable, I concede

Sub par. Like a worse Duran Duran

Purtroppo mio secondo approccio deludente ai The stranglers: dopo aver sentito quella chicca mainstream di Golden Brown come una qualunque vrenzola con velleità artistico letterarie su tik tok avevo sperato di rimanere colpita dall'intero album ma non ho trovato proprio niente di quel suono barocco e un po' whimsical. Questo album qua poi non c'entra un cazzo. Purtroppo not my cup of tea

Nothing that exciting. Didn't feel much while listening. A couple decent songs but nothing that crazy stood out to me.

It was fine, but it blends in with ever other album from this genre

Ei oikein jatkoon, lähti ihan vahvasti mutta rupes rönsyilemään pitkin genrejä ku levy jatku. Ei herättänyt juuri ihmeellisiä tunteita, paikoitellen ärsyttävä, paikoitellen ihan menevä.

This is a weird one for me, because I generally like the vocals and what I paid attention to in the lyrics, just the music seemed incredibly cheap and dated. Like it belonged as a soundtrack to an 80's/early 90's video game. It would have worked great there (honestly reminded me of TMNT: Turtles in Time, haha). But as an actual album, it doesn't work for me.

Meah

More punk, not a genre for me.

Better than most punk.

I mean. There was some cool stuff, but really just sounds like generic 70s brit-punk.

A generic rock record that reminded me a little bit of Spinal Tap.

I didnt rate this particularly. I can see how its at the pop end of punk and has a bit more depth to the sound, but it meant it didnt really grab me. It needed to be faster and and angrier, or it needed to have a better singer and some better hooks. And the themes have not aged well

It was okay. I knew one of the songs, you know which one it is.

punk, 1977 -> 2

Really good album, enjoyed it a lot more than I was expecting to, amazing blend of genres and styles, fantastic lyricism, I can see why it’s so well regarded

It all sounded the same tbh

This seemed full of unnecessary self importance. It felt like the band felt like the were making something really special and this really was meh at best. It kind of made me angry listening for that reason.

There was not a single track on this album that I actually enjoyed. It never got bad enough that I had to turn it off either. This is a prime example of a 2 star album using my own crude rating method.

Förväntade mig mer faktiskt utifrån att bara ha hört golden Brown innan.. besviken

Very repetitive within each song, featuring a lot of spoke singing.

It’s just not my thing and that’s fine

This band have always been a complicated proposition for true fans of punk. Many of us wanted to applaud their resistance to the ‘stupidity for its own sake’ ethos while at the same time harbouring suspicions about the prog adjacent quality The Stranglers somehow projected. Maybe it was the over complex keyboards and the ever present hints of pretension in the lyrics. Whatever the reason, I just find there isn’t a track I really like on Rattus; none of it feels quite right, either as punk or as not-punk. It’s not that I hate the band - they tended to like people saying that - I’m more just, meh.

12/23/2025. Meh, grungy and glammy and not the fun kind. 4/10

This one was an easy listen but didn’t really do it for me.

It's OK. Some bangers, lots of filler, and the bass/keys combo gets grating after more than a few songs

Listening to the Strangler was like going into a time capsule. The weird part about it is it felt like it was more postpunk than actual pre-punk. The songs were longer, more organized, and more polished than you would find with the classic 1970s band like Sex Pistols or GenerationX, which focused on rare power. I kind of understand why they disappeared in the punk wave coming out of Great Britain. The album itself was a fun. Listen though I’m not sure how often I’d return to it. peaches was quiet risqué for the time, but I guess it was the Sexual Revolution and I thought is was funny that he promotes feminism just se he can get laid. Go Buddy Go was I think my favorite song because it had a punk-JerryLee Lewis feel. I can hear so many later bands in their music. This was definitely strong on historical influence.

No for me

Nothing to write home about

Heard it twice, but still can‘t really make sense of this. Reminds me of The Fall, The Doors and The New York Dolls (and others), but doesn‘t really fit together. Some interesting ideas, but by far not enough for a 50-minutes album.

Coming back to rate this a few days after listening and couldn't tell you anything about it,

Never checked out The Stranglers before. Only knew a few of their songs. Nothing on this record particularly stood out to me. Kinda run of the mill punk with nothing to drag me in. It’s fine

Good name for a band…music not so much.

there are better stranglers albums

Meh.

Why are all these bad albums on one list

I really enjoy the sound of this album so long as I ignored every single lyrics. As is, I feel stupider for having listened to it.

mid punk

Edgy punkish

C'était pas top top topitop quand même

Not really to my tastes. Neat keyboard/organ playing; reminds me of Gene from Bob's Burgers

A silly, quirky listen. I enjoyed the organ, synth organizer, and guitar throughout. The organ added a spooky feel at points, which paired with the album cover, may have been what they were looking for. This album lacked something for me though, I don't know if I would listen to it again.

Not punk enough.

Not bad for punk. But not for me! One song i know

It is fine. I get it could be inspirational for others but I found it hard to enjoy.

No more new wave/punk plz

I'm pretty up and down on this one. At times, I found myself drumming along and getting into the jams, but as the album wore on I found myself getting sort of worn down. Don't get me wrong, some of the songs are really fun: Princess of the Streets with its tasty virtuoso guitar work; Hanging Around with its thick bass; and Sometimes with its kooky 60s organ sounds. But at times even fun instrumentals couldn't make way for some pretty terrible lyrics. Looking at you Peaches (one of the hornier songs I've heard in a while) and Down in the Sewer (a weird ode to life in the sewer). By the end I find myself kind of glad for this one to be over. With that in mind, despite some solid instrumentals I can't see myself ever coming back. While its probably not a fair score, who cares. This falls in at a 2 for me.

Nope. Just nope.

The music is simplistic and the vocals are gruff / annoying. At least the dude on the cover looks like a very young Jemaine Clement!

Juvenile lyrics. From this vantage point, decades later, the sound often comes across as a bit . . . cartoonish. Like, literally, something sorta “punk” that would play under a cartoon. Did the album really sound fresh in 1977??? Hmm.

Really very few songs stood out here for me, except the one that was a single which sounded like a sea shanty. 2.4/5 - 2/5

Different which is nice but I don't like his voice.

Not bad, just not really my thing

Proto punk, not my jam but nice to have in the catalog for reference

Nope, not good.

This was almost entirely good, goofy, and grouchy. Star deducted for 70s circus organ

Nothing exciting or too terribly horrible

Did NOT know who the Stranglers were, but a couple of decent songs on this on.

Their debut album, containing several god tracks - notably ‘Peaches’. However, the album is very “samey” - one listen is enough. Two stars because its punk credentials.

A bit dated. And simple lyrics.

not my cup of tea punk

Punk rock polka at it's best and Art Rock at its worst. Unfortunately only a few decent songs.

I would call this punk. It's kind of boring rock with a slow something or other. It's not good though

Maybe the Punk album I didn't hate the most so far. Not a high bar.

Okay

I tried to like the Stranglers back in the 80s. Just not my vibe. Mostly just irritating.