The Stranglers "Dreamtime" (1986)

Dreamtime
release date: Oct. 27, 1986
format: vinyl (EPC 26648) / digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,44]
producer: Mike Kemp and The Stranglers
label: Epic Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: A) 1. "Always the Sun" - 2. "Dreamtime" - 4. "You'll Always Reap What You Sow" - - B) 2. "Big in America"

9th studio album by The Stranglers following closely on the path laid out with Aural Sculpture (1984). The style is still pop / rock, and the album feature four single releases - none of which made it any higher than to #30 on the UK singles chart list. First single "Nice in Nice" is not really the best track, but the second single "Always the Sun" became a small singles hit outside Britain.
The album was met by luke-warm to negative reviews, which I find strange considering how much it resembles the sound of the predecessor, but from my perspective, sounds more original and is better produced. To me, this was more or less the end of my interest for the band. The last two albums were no near earlier edgy releases and I found that I tired quickly of their new songs. At the time, I do think I found this an even lesser album than the '84 album, but in retrospect, I actually prefer this one.

The Stranglers "Aural Sculpture" (1984)

Aural Sculpture
release date: Nov. 17, 1984
format: vinyl (EPC 26220) / digital
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,32]
producer: Laurie Latham, The Stranglers
label: Epic Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: A) 1. "Ice Queen" - 2. "Skin Deep" - 5. "North Winds"

8th studio album by The Stranglers following close to two years after Le Feline (Jan. '83) shows how the band has moved into the fold of mainstream pop / rock. There's hardly any evidence of new wave or an eager to shake the world of the established.
Regardless its bold pop-shape, I did really like the single "Skin Deep" upon its release, although, I quickly found it tiring, and the album just seemed too slick to my liking. Despite the less than two years separation, there's a huge cleft between Feline and this. Where the former had its unique sound of primary instrumentation and strong original sound, this is shaped via traditional pop / rock compositions with strings and multi-layered sounds that characterises the vast mainstream pool of '80s artists. Yes, critics liked it and it brought them a much bigger crowd of consumers, but it also made their music slightly more forgettable.

The Stranglers "Feline" (1983)

Feline
release date: Jan. 14, 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" with 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".

The Stranglers "Black and White" (1978)

l-r: JJ Burnel, Hugh Cornwell
Jet Black, Dave Greenfield

Black and White

release date: May 12, 1978

format: vinyl (Greek issue) / cd (2014 remaster)

[album rate: 4 / 5] [3,82]

producer: Martin Rushent

label: United Artists Records - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: A) 1. "Tank" - 2. "Nice 'N Sleazy" (TOTP appearance)- 3. "Outside Tokyo" - 4. "Sweden (All Quiet on the Eastern Front)" - 5. "Hey! (Rise of the Robots)" - 6. "Toiler on the Sea" - - B) 1. "Curfew" - 4. "Death and Night and Blood (Yukio)" - 5. "Enough Time"

3rd studio album by The Stranglers following 8 months after No More Heroes (Sep. 1977) is the band's third and final to be produced by Rushent.

This album is one of the first examples of a post-punk album. Some tracks are held in a 'traditional' Stranglers punk rock tone, whereas about half of the songs introduce a much more experimental approack to their usual song structures with experimental use of percussion and synths. The album opener "Tank" is a razor-sharp punk track but already "Nice'N'Sleazy" is something different with a epic bass-line and bold use of synths. This is followed by a melancholic ballad with off-beat drums, and then back to what appears as blazing punk rock on track #4 but half way through it turns into a new stylistic mix and then ending as it started. Also track #5 is both punk rock and then experimental - is it ska revival on steroids, or rock fusion, pub rock, or garage rock revival?? "Toiler on the Sea" is mostly punk rock with a twist, and then "Curfew" is like the strong second track a new addictive blend of their own. "Threatened" is experimental punk rock with strong bass and keyboard, and then "In the Shadows" is one of the strongest experimental tracks on this album with a new set of tones and what sounds like an influence from jazz. "Do You Wanna" is the other obvious almost improvisitional track, which leads directly on to one of the band's new staples: "Death and Night and Blood (Yukio)", which is a highly original compositions build on an easy-to-remember chorus-line and minimalist bass and drums, but again, with an addition of organ and guitar solos that can only be The Stranglers. The end-track "Enough Time": "Have You Got Enough Time, Have You Got Enough Time, Have You Got Enough Time, Have You Got Enough Time..." is both tight, dark and angry, and then it's also punk, synth-pop and jazz-influenced. The album is anything but a strong coherent whole but thanks to the band's original soundscape and their will to experiment and leave the safe spot of their fans' mindset, this is just one their better works, and an album to appreciate.

Highly recommended.

The Stranglers "IV (Rattus Norvegicus)" (1977)

IV (Rattus Norvegicus) [debut]
release date: Apr. 15, 1977
format: vinyl (1982 reissue - FA 3001) / digital (2001 remaster)
[album rate: 3,5 / 5] [3,68]
producer: Martin Rushent
label: Fame / Liberty - nationality: England, UK

Track highlights: A) 1. "Sometimes" - 2. "Goodbye Toulouse" - 3. "London Lady" - 5. "Hanging Around" - - B) 1. "Peaches" - 2. "(Get a) Grip (on Yourself)" - 4. "Down in the Sewer"

Studio album debut by The Stranglers originally released on United Artists Records. The 2001 remaster comes with three bonus tracks. The band was originally formed around 1974 as The Guilford Stranglers, and they here consists of (forming member) guitarist and vocalist Hugh Cornwell, (forming member) bassist and vocalist Jean-Jacques Burnel, keyboardist Dave Greenfield, and (forming member) drummer Jet Black (aka Brian John Duffy).
The album is the only by The Stranglers to be enlisted in "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die".