Stranglers IV (Rattus Norvegicus)
by The Stranglers

From dihansse 11/25/2015 17:13 | #153448 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

This album is one my top 100 albums you can check out here.
I think the Stranglers were the first punk band we heard of in Belgium, not because we heard the music but because there were a lot of scandal press messages that songs of the Stranglers were banned from the BBC, of course with "Peaches" at the top of that (later on the intro of "Peaches" became the intro of a famous Belgian sports program on national television).
I think the first time, the Stranglers were actually played on the Belgian radio was "Something Better Change" and "No More Heroes", both from their second album which I bought in an earlier stage than their first album.
But in a way I like "Rattus Norvegicus" better with one important reason: "Down in the Sewer", a sort of screwed up mini-opera but an incredibly good song. And there are many other good ones like "London Lady", "Hanging Around" and of course "Peaches" on this album.
Then there came a period when I didn't like them as much with their slower songs like "Golden Brown" and "Always the Sun" but recently they again issued some very good albums like "Norfolk Coast" and "Suite XVI".
Recently I saw them live on the Reorock festival in Roeselare Belgium (together with the Undertones) and they still rocked and most importantly: the pumping bass played by JJ Burnell you can recognize from a mile away was still there. (Edited)

The debut album from The Stranglers is still their best in my opinion. Rattus norvegicus, is a superb record full of vitriolic wit, and off course great songs. Like The Clash, The Stranglers could never really be considered true punk, and I mean that in a good way, but they still weren't a standard rock band either. Some fine songs here; peaches, and, get a grip on yourself, are classic Stranglers songs and the rest are pretty damn good too. Fine album from a fine band. (Edited)

This must be one of the best albums on this site to have zero comments...Really good album (Edited)

From Brad1770 TOP 100 COMMENTER 02/13/2022 11:17 | #281242 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

Never mind the bollocks its the iconic ‘Rattus Norvegicus’ the non punk album by the band that was more punk than most. Love Greenfields keys here especially on the legendary 8 minute “Down In The Sewer”. It was their debut release and they never released a better one in a stellar long career

From Goliath 05/12/2019 16:36 | #236178 | TOP COMMENT Vote up your preferred comments and the comments with the most votes will be flagged.

One of my favourites, number 27 on my greatest albums list. One of the best debuts of all time, one of the few bands with a totally unique sound and this is their best.