The Stranglers - Giants And Gems: An Album Collection (11 CD, 2014)

 

In 2013, the great five-disc Stranglers box set The Old Testament: The U.A. Studio Recordings (1977-1982) from 1992 was reissued, featuring most of the group's best albums plus a bunch of drool-worthy bonuses (demos, B-sides, remixes, and other whatnot). This bulky 11-disc set was released just one year after -- the excuse being that the band's 40th anniversary must be honored -- but the differences are vast, with this one serving a purpose for the hardcore while Old Testament is the clear winner for the more casual listener. Believe that the band was a sham once lead singer Hugh Cornwell left in 1990 and Giants and Gems is a legacy-harming device, since two albums with Baz Warne on vocals (the OK Suite XVI from 2006 and the excellent Giants from 2012) are included. End-to-end fans who think that Baz is ace might still find this set revisionist history, as the band's middle period as a five-piece with the slinky singer Paul Roberts (who acted as if he were fronting INXS and not the scruffy band that recorded "Peaches") is missing, as are the late Hugh Cornwell albums, since classics like Aural Sculpture are owned by Sony. The Old Testament bonus tracks have also gone missing here, as Giants and Gems presents the albums just as they were issued on vinyl with no extras, but including the rarities compilation Off the Beaten Track in this set is a bonus in itself, as are getting the live albums Live (X-Cert) and Live at the Hope & Anchor. Those looking to go past the hits should buy Aural Sculpture and Feline separately, then consider The Old Testament if you want the complete lean and mean Stranglers, or add this one to the shelves for something more exhaustive and Bazzy.


CD01: The Stranglers - Rattus Norvegicus (Stranglers IV) (1977)

01. Sometimes 04:54
02. Goodbye Toulouse 03:16
03. London Lady 02:32
04. Princess Of The Streets 04:37
05. Hanging Around 04:27
06. Peaches 04:07
07. (Get A) Grip (On Yourself) 04:02
08. Ugly 04:07
09. Down In The Sewer 07:53
(a) Falling
(b) Down In The Sewer
(c) Trying To Get Out Again
(d) Rats Rally

CD02: The Stranglers - No More Heroes (1977)

01. I Feel Like A Wog 03:17
02. Bitching 04:26
03. Dead Ringer 02:46
04. Dagenham Dave 03:18
05. Bring On The Nubiles 02:16
06. Something Better Change 03:36
07. No More Heroes 03:27
08. Peasant In The Big Shitty 03;26
09. Burning Up Time 02:24
10. English Towns 02:13
11. School Mam 07:05

CD03: The Stranglers - Black And White (1978)

01. Tank 02:56
02. Nice 'N Sleazy 03:13
03. Outside Tokyo 02:09
04. Hey! (Rise Of The Robots) 02:50
05. Sweden (All Quiet On The Eastern Front) 02:15
06. Toiler On The Sea 05:28
07. Curfew 03:16
08. Threatened 03:34
09. In The Shadows 04:37
10. Do You Wanna 02:28
11. Death And Night And Blood (Yukio) 02:50
12. Enough Time 04:18

CD04: The Stranglers - Live (X Cert) (1979)

01. (Get A) Grip (On Yourself) 04:08
02. Dagenham Dave 03:29
03. Burning Up Time 03:26
04. Dead Ringer 03:03
05. Hanging Around 04:41
06. I Feel Like A Wog 03:31
07. Straighten Out 02:52
08. Curfew 03:47
09. Do You Wanna? Death And Night And Blood (Yukio) 05:38
10. 5 Minutes 04:32
11. Go Buddy Go 05:41

CD05: The Stranglers - The Raven (1979)

01. Longships 01:10
02. The Raven 05:13
03. Dead Loss Angeles 02:24
04. Ice 03;26
05. Baroque Bordello 03:50
06. Nuclear Device 03:32
07. Shah Shah A Go Go 04:50
08. Don't Bring Harry 04:09
09. Duchess 02:30
10. Meninblack 04:48
11. Genetix 05:16

CD06: The Stranglers - The Gospel According To The Meninblack (1981)

01. Waltzinblack 03:39
02. Just Like Nothing On Earth 03:54
03. Second Coming 04;21
04. Waiting For The Meninblack 03:44
05. Turn The Centuries, Turn 04:34
06. Two Sunspots 02:32
07. Four Horsemen 03:39
08. Thrown Away 03:30
09. Manna Machine 03:16
10. Hallow To Our Men 07:26

CD07: The Stranglers - La Folie (1981)

01. Non Stop 02:29
02. Everybody Loves You When You're Dead 02:42
03. Tramp 03:05
04. Let Me Introduce You To The Family 03:08
05. Ain't Nothin' To It 03:58
06. The Man They Love To Hate 04:26
07. Pin Up 02:49
08. It Only Takes Two To Tango 03:41
09. Golden Brown 03:30
10. How To Find True Love And Happiness In The Present Day 03:07
11. La Folie 06:08

CD08: The Stranglers - Live At The Hope And Anchor (1992)

01. Tits 05:38
02. Choosey Susie 03:01
03. Goodbye Toulouse 03:23
04. Bitching 04:15
05. Mean To Me 02:30
06. School Mam 05:53
07. Peasant In The Big Shitty 03:33
08. In The Shadows 04:31
09. Walk On By 05:36
10. Princess Of The Streets 04:52
11. Go Buddy Go 07:07
12. No More Heroes 03:37
13. Straighten Out 02:55
14. Peaches 03:42
15. Hanging Around 04:11
16. Dagenham Dave 03:15
17. Sometimes 04:56
18. Bring On The Nubiles 02:27
19. London Lady 02:22

Recorded 1977

CD09: The Stranglers - Off The Beaten Track (1986)

01. Go Buddy Go 03:57
02. Top Secret 03:27
03. Old Codger 02:51
04. Man In White 04:27
05. Rok It To The Moon 02:48
06. Love 30 03:57
07. Shut Up 01:07
08. Walk On By 06:21
09. Vietnamerica 04:05
10. Mean To Me 01:56
11. Cruel Garden 02:13
12. Yellowcake Uf 6 02:59
13. 5 Minutes 03:17

CD10: The Stranglers - Suite XVI (2006)

01. Unbroken 03:47
02. Spectre Of Love 03:34
03. She's Slipping Away 03:28
04. Summat Outanowt 02:14
05. Anything Can Happen 03:54
06. See Me Coming 03:55
07. Bless You (Save You, Spare You, Damn You) 05:34
08. A Soldier's Diary 02:19
09. Barbara (Shangri-La) 03:43
10. I Hate You 02:58
11. Relentless 05:01

CD11: The Stranglers - Giants (2012)

01. Another Camden Afternoon 04:03
02. Freedom Is Insane 06:09
03. Giants 03:41
04. Lowlands 03:14
05. Boom Boom 03:21
06. My Fickle Resolve 05:32
07. Time Was Once On My Side 03:30
08. Mercury Rising 03:36
09. Adios (Tango) 04:39
10. 15 Steps 04:57