La Folie (Expanded Edition)

Great UK Bands #4

     

Eternally uncool, and all the better for it, The Stanglers sang with a working intelligence that accurately portrays the 70's (and 80's / 90's) UK mindset. Often accused of being punk bandwagon-jumpers, they really were from a culture of hard-working pub-rock that happened to be pressganged into the punk movement, along with Ian Dury, Dr Feelgood and others. Truth be told, they brought a musicianship and originality to punk that was needed yet (inevitably) resented, and their songs are integral to understanding popular culture in the late 20th Century (regardless of current reactionary readings of their political or social stance). They were too old to be punks and therefore written off by the pretentious (perennial) art-pop journos of their time. But their musical influence has resounded much, much more than the Pistols and perhaps even The Clash. Still one of my favourite bands with a good song/bad song ratio of 5/1. And they were prolific. Which puts them up there with the best in my book.