Hello, music lovers! šµ
On #threetunestuesday, I go back to listening to music growing up and absorbing the music I had access to. And believe me, there wasn't even that little of it :)
I always draw my music from punk rock because it emerged at just the right time in terms of rebellion against the established social norms. And punk, with its two or three chords and its musically articulated anger, was precisely what I was looking for as a seventeen-year-old.
But also, from my current perspective - I've been recording concert events for many years - I see that most young bands always start with anger and rebellion. Only later, when they get some "mileage, or coherence - if they survive as a band, of course," do they make more complex creations. But that's how it has always been in history and always will be.
Well, let's return to the band in the title, which immediately caught my attention when I heard it and is still one of my favorites.
For those who are not (yet) familiar with #threetunetuesday or #ttt - these are tags you need to set when you post.
It's a music initiative started by @ablaze, and with his words, the jist is as follows:
Every Tuesday I'm going to share 3 songs that I like to listen to and I invite your feedback in the comments below. Better still, why not have a blast of your own Three Tune Tuesday and mention me in the post and I'll come and find the post and upvote it. If you could also use #threetunetuesday tag that would be great, as that is what I use when sifting through all the entries every Wednesday. It'll be a sweet way for us all to discover new music. You'll also be given a chance of winning the reward.
The Stranglers are an example of a band that emerged from the punk milieu, mainly because they emerged during the rise of that movement. But even then, their lyrics had an intellectual and cynical edge and a specific sound backed by a Hammond organ, which was not the case with other punk bands. Later, as they became more popular, they moved further and further away from that genre. In a career spanning more than 50 years, they have released 18 studio albums.
I won't go on; it's all very well documented online.
Some songs I've listened to a lot (and still listen to now and then).
The Stranglers - No More Heroes
This is the first song I heard by them, and I was immediately taken by it. It's from their second album of the same name, released in 1977.
I decided to post this clip of them playing on playback and making fun of the TopPop show. TV didn't want to play that, but they didn't care. It was recorded in 1978, and only later, in 2016, was the recording published.
The Stranglers - Walk On By
This song was arranged by Burt Bacharach and Hal David for Dione Warwick in 1963. The Stranglers' cover was released as a bonus single with the third Black and White album in 1978.
Even here, it was clear that The Stranglers' ambitions were much higher than just three punk chords. The chopping bass, the playful keyboards reminiscent of The Doors, and the superb guitar solo hinted at an interesting musical path into the future.
The Stranglers - Golden Brown
This is the band's most famous song. It was released on the 1981 album La Folie. The lyrics are mysterious and ambiguous, contrasting the beauty of pleasure and the pain of destruction. Some interpret it as a song about falling in love, and others as an ode to heroin.
However, Hugh Cornwell, the guitarist and singer who composed this song, had a heroin problem. He left The Stranglers in 1990 to pursue a solo career.
And now a bonus.
The Stranglers - Spectre Of Love
The song is from the album Suite XVI, released in 2006. On this album they return to the harder sound of the 70s, with vocals and guitar from Baz Warne (Toy Dolls), who replaced Hugh Cornwell and still plays with the band today.
That's all for today, thank you for your attention.
This is my 67th post for #threetunetuesday, which @ablaze started. I hope what I'm sharing is enjoyable for others, too, because then it makes sense.
If you're curious about the fresh music, follow me on
Seckorama's #newtunes
or take a look at my lo-fi recordings at 3speak channel - video, or Seckorama's Music Podcast - audio.
If you like jazz, I recommend
Jazz-Matinee
@w74's regular Sunday blog.
Here is also a @commentrewarder with rewards for your comments.
The front image is mine, created in Night Cafe Studio and edited in Photoshop.
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