The Raven (Expanded Edition)

The ExPEriMeNt Album

     

Like no other Strangers album or era, this is when they flung themselves off the deep end and were at their most experimental. I recall it being a bit of a shock after their first three outright brilliant albums. This makes for fairly uneven and initially difficult listening. But paying attention and repeated playing pays off. Each tune has to be considered on its own, rather than as part of a whole. There are crazy pieces tossed in with terse songs of commentary tossed in with some serious Stranglers classics. I'm not sure there is any better song in their catalog than 'The Raven' which I still find to be thoroughly addictive. Kewl rhythms abound among the tracks as well as some wild keyboard riffs. To my ears there is a dog or two in the collection. I never did appreciate 'Don't Bring Harry'. On the other hand, few people comprehend that 'Dead Loss Angeles' is a gem of satire with a great beat. In all, this was possibly the most fascinating era of Stranglers music, well worth taking the time to appreciate in contrast to their more directly pop accessible albums.