release date: Jan. 1983
format: vinyl (embossed cover) / cd (2001 remaster)
[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,86]
producer: The Stranglers, Steve Churchyard
label: Epic Records - nationality: England, UK
Track highlights: A) 1. "Midnight Summer Dream" (4 / 5) (single version) - 2. "It’s a Small World" - 3. "Ships That Pass in the Night" - 4. "European Female" (4,5 / 5) - - B) 1. "Let's Tango in Paris" - 2. "Paradise" - 3. "All Roads Lead to Rome"
7th studio album by The Stranglers is the band's first album on a major label is the continued blend of new wave and synthpop that the band explored on La folie (1981). By standards of 1982 / 83, the sound-production is in a league of better releases of the early '80s. The band has more obviously put away the experimental compositions and instead issued a collection of smooth-sounding new wave with a certain twist of art rock - of its very own kind. Not unlike their best charting single "Golden Brown" from La folie, several tracks are moulded with similar harmony-based choruses and a blend of acoustic and electronic instrumentation. Most notably, there's a distinct use of electronic drums and synthesizers.
I recall listening to "Midnight Summer Dream" and "European Female" on a national radio rock programme presenting new music in early '83 and hardly believing that these new songs was made by The Stranglers, who I still thought of as an original punk-rock band. It took me awhile to get accustomed to the this synthpop incarnation, but I also loved these dream-like fascinating compositions.
The album fared quite well - better than its predecessor - peaking at number #4 on the UK albums chart list and the first of three singles, "European Female" made it to number #9 on the singles chart list. Also tracks #A1 and #B2 were selected for single releases without being close to top-10 charts. The band showed its ever-present lust / need to do the unexpected by producing a B-side track to "Midnight Summer Dream" by the full title: "(The Strange Circumstances Which Lead To) Vladimir & Olga (Requesting Rehabilitation in a Siberian Health Resort as a Result of Stress in Furthering the People's Policies)". This track is included on the 2001 remaster, which feature 6 bonus tracks - amongst these are also the composition that was released with first UK issue of the original vinyl album as a one-sided 7'' bonus single titled "Aural Sculpture Manifesto".
