I was today years old when I realised the opening line to the Stranglers' first single 'Grip' was "Didn't have no money 'round to buy a Morry Thou". From that day to this I had absolutely no knowledge*.
That the Stranglers were too old to be punks barely mattered back then, even less now (all the Mk. 1 punks are old now). In January 1977 I just remember Grip being an absolute barnstormer. Even with the sax all over it. And Dave Greenfield's ill-advised tash. Also, when their debut album came out shortly thereafter it was nowhere near the best track on it. Not even close; such was the sheer brilliance of Rattus Norvegicus - don't @ me.
The fact that it works in a lounge format tells you just how great a song it is.
Nouvelle Vague - Get a Grip (2019)
* Even in 2013 when I last wrote about this very song. (And yes, I'd totally forgotten writing that piece over ten years ago.)
Oh, you've hit the spot with this one, John! 'Rattus...' was only the second album I ever bought (how I had to save and save that pocket money!) - I concur with all you say about it. Neither had I clue about that lyric so there's a revelation for me as too. Oh and I adore Nouvelle Vague. What a great post for a chilly windy Tuesday, thanks.
ReplyDeleteExcellent, C! The purists (and/or the revisionists) will cite 'Bollocks', 'London Calling' and, maybe, 'Pink Flag' as being the defining punk albums; whatever that means - there we go again - one word which tells us nothing: 'defining'.
DeleteMe, I'd go with 'Crossing the Red Sea with the Adverts', 'Rattus' and 'Generation X's debut. OK, and the Buzzcocks' 'Another Music'.