How is this possible? A punk band from 1977 that I've never heard of? And they made albums for decades? This is right in my wheelhouse! This is their debut album, and in most cases for a punk band, that would mean a rough and tumble affair, but the Stranglers seem ready to go right out of the box. I found they pulled from other punk acts to a certain degree, but their main progenitors seem to be The Doors and David Bowie. The vocal delivery and lyrics are hilarious; quintessential first-wave British punk. Some of the lyrics are so good it makes you wonder if the truly dumb ones are intentional or not; certainly the attitude is sardonic. The only real complaint I have here is that some of the riffs get repeated a few too many times, but overall, this is a fun stroll down the sewer. Highlights include "Goodbye Toulouse," one of the weirdest songs I've ever heard from a punk band; "Ugly" which is the funniest song on a very funny album, and "(Get a) Grip (On Yourself)," a Bowie-referencing rocker. It rocks, it drools, it sneers, it makes you laugh. FOUR STARS.