Search - Stranglers :: Black & White (Mlps)

An all time classic

skak1 | 03/10/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Stranglers' fans will usually see one of three albums as the group's best: Rattus Norvegicus, Black and White or the Raven. Each have their merits and each have their own claim to be the high point. On 'Black and White' the group have found their 'sound'. The album holds together extremely well as a whole. There is still the punk energy of the group's debut. There is also some of the superb musicianship of the Raven. What makes this such a classic is the way the instruments feed off each other and complement each other so well. The booming bass lines of Jean-Jacques Burnel are constantly interacting with the unusual guitar style of Hugh Cornwell and the exceptional talents of Dave Greenfield on keyboards. This is what the Doors were aspiring to be but never quite achieved. Contains two superb singles 'Nice n Sleazy' and as a bonus track 'Walk on By'. Paradoxically it was listening to this album that A flock of Seagulls came up with their name- thankfully this group is 100 times better than Mike Score's outfit ever could be. Definitely worth the money."

Virtuoso musicianship... on a punk album!

Mark Daniels | Anywhere, USA | 08/19/2003

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I love this album; I consider it the best punk album ever recorded. Despite my love for this album, I've never checked out any of the other Stranglers albums... perhaps I'm afraid I'd be disappointed when comparing them to this masterpiece. (This strange quirk of mine extends to the "bonus tracks" on the CD; I don't want to hear them for fear they'll turn a perfect album into an imperfect disc.) I can't imagine The Stranglers - or punk music - getting any better than the original "Black and White" album. I don't have a favorite track on this album; they're all gems.

What makes this record unique is its balance between traditional "punk" sounds and attitudes on the one hand and virtuoso musicianship on the other. Punk bands have never been known for talented instrumentalists; oftentimes, it's a person's ATTITUDE that gets him hired by a punk band, not his ability to play an instrument. As a result, most punk bands don't have very talented musicians. That's not the case here... the members of The Stranglers are all exceptional on their chosen instruments; they all have "chops" and play as though music theory matters. Bassist Jean-Jacques Burnel is perhaps the best in the band... his tone and basslines on songs like "Toiler on the Sea" and "Nice n' Sleazy" blow me away.Punk musicians with chops? Time and tempo changes in punk songs? It hardly seems possible, but it is. Prog Rock meets Punk? Prog Punk? What's next, will the members of Yes join the Clash?(The only complaint: the CD format robs the buyer of the art on the original album. The LP had a "marbled vinyl look" that was entertaining to stare at as it spun beneath the record needle.)"

Dark, threatening, controversial...not punk

M. Franco | Italy | 05/28/2006

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Black & White is the masterpiece of The Stranglers, a band which showcased a very aggressive sound (especially the bass of J.J.Burnel) with Doorsian influences (the keyboards), dark themes and very politically un-correct opinions in their lyrics.



They were contemporaries of the british punk movement of the second half of the 70's, but they were never a part of that scene and were always distinguishable for their use of keyboards and independent thought. I don't think they ever pressed the anti-establishment issue that was so prevalent in the punk scene, although they never refrained from taking an independent stand on controversial topics.



Therefore, I disagree with the label "punk" so often attached to them, included the previous users' reviews on this site. If you want to use a tag, then I think "darkwave" fits best.



The music in this album blends "dark" themes with psychedelia, poppish hooks ("Tank", "Sweden - All quiet on the eastern front") and even up-tempo waltz ("Outside Tokyo"). The drums - as the costume of the time imposed - were played in a quite rigid, cold style; the bass is an ever-threatening presence and along with the keyboards give the Stranglers music its distinctive sound.



After almost 30 years this is still great album to listen to; my impression is that fans of dark metal would also appreciate it."