La Folie

by

The Stranglers

Edit

OH YEAH. I have this one on vinyl too. Haven't listened in years. But just ordered it and put the headphones on.

WOW!

What a treat! I remember their other records as great. But this one seemed kind of too pop, you know, with "Golden Brown." Boy was I wrong.

On second listen now I know why they called the next one Aural Sculpture. The sound here really IS sculpture. This is SOUND on the RAZOR's EDGE. All these guys have intelligence to spare, and one wonders if it was Hugh or all of them but whatever it was... it sure clicked. Especially the original cuts. The extras are OK and historically instructing, but the first 7 are amazing examples of how simple rock forms can become works of the best kind of intelligent art sound.

The choices of timbre, harmony, mix and structure are unexpected, impeccable and swing like mad. There are no fillers and no clichés. All instruments are used sparely to create one coherent sound. All are excellent. I can think of no better bass player and I own thousands of records. The sound he gets is incredible, vicious even. Usually the bass is a supporting instrument, but here its part of the whole contributing to the shape of the sound. The others are just as good. I was never impressed by Hugh's guitar, but now I'm smarter and I hear just how carefully considered Hugh's timbres are. He and Dave simultaneously contrast and complement each other as each player weaves the net.

The lyrics are a little difficult to make out but they are interesting too. No clichés here either. No clear cut meanings but definitely wry comments on philosophy and modern life.

Strong 5 stars from a band inexplicably less famous than most of the standardized punk bands. Unfair of course but that seems to be the way. Challenging listening, not for the background. My only lament is there are not more of these to buy.

"La Folie" is just a tale about some Japanese student that practiced cannibalism. That's it. The ACT and the GUY was sick, but the album isn't just about cannibalism. It's witty, melodic and quite poetic. The classic "Golden Brown" is what sets the tone on this album. "Let Me Introduce You to the Family", is a romping, rhythmic sarcastic view of the dynamics of a family. My favorite song on this album. The new addition, "Cruel Garden", is a wonderful tribute to the music of Django Reinhardt, the great jazz guitarist. The keyboards, bass, Hugh Cornwall's (edited because facts are friends!) haunting and beautiful voice are the real stars. Buy this CD and ignore all the hype.