Customer Reviews
Thirty Years Out of Date in A Good Way - By: jcmacc, 15 Aug 2007 
As many other reviews state, this album sounds like the Stranglers circa 1978in an authentic, not cheesily retro, way. JJ Burnel's bass is back to how it sounded when he played through a ripped amp speaker & Greenfield's keyboards roam around the songs just as they did on "No More Heroes".
To the old Stranglers fans who drifted away after Hugh Cornwell leftin 1990, now Amazon has dropped the price to £5.49 you've no excuse for not taking a risk on this CD. You'll love it.
Like a time warp - By: John (inblack), 09 Feb 2006 I used to listen to the Stranglers as a kid I lost interest once Hugh Cornwall departed & the strangler albums lost that grittyness. I got this album for christmas & on hearing the first track was transported back to 1977. JJ Burnel's thunder base is ever presant, the swirling keyboards of Dave Greenfield & the rolling drums of Jet Black. Their new singer is a good replacement for Hugh & the band as a whole mimic their first 4 albums of the 70's & 80's. The only part which differs are the lyrics. Hugh Cornwall developed a way of discribing somethingin a most bizzar way & that was one of the appeals of the origianl line up. This is a great album though, if you like the originals you will get on with this but your mothers & otherhalves will hate it & thats the appeal.
the bass is back - By: JOHN, 22 Jan 2005 After 14 years of ok albums the ultimate mark 2 album has arrived.Pop this shiny little beautyin yer CD player & check out the bassin the opening track,welcome back JJ.
Forget the ghost of Hugh,remember him him fondly but this is Pauls signature album & let us not forget Baz listen to his jaunty Cornwell like guitar work throughout.But word of mention has to go to Jet & Dave,Jets certainly putsin a shift on this album-for a man of his advancing years it is nothing short of remarkable,and perhaps a buspass.
To pick a standout song is indeed hard Big Thing Coming? who knows just buy it,and exorcise the ghost of Hugh once & for all. You can do it.
A Step In the Right Direction - By: Chris, 27 Dec 2004 
As a self-confessed fan of Mk1 Stranglers it was with trepidation that I listened to a friends copy of Norfolk Coast. Now as the owner of my own copy & after a few more plays I'm better placed to give my views on this latest offering by the 'Strangs'.
Previously I hadn't bought anything by The Stranglers beyond The Raven & would consider their best work to be the Black And White album with possibly The Raven a close second (it's a grower). For me it all started to go wrong for The Stranglers when they were releasing singles like Golden Brown, Always The Sun & Strange Little Girl, even Duchess didn't sit well with me at the time as a 14 year old teenager growing up around the punk scene. Whilst they are all good songsin their own right, for me The Stranglers sound was all about Jet's bass drum & JJ's grinding bass lines driving the song on with Dave & Hugh fillingin the gaps. Hugh had it just right, with less means more on guitar & Dave....well, the guy is peerless!
So...onto Norfolk Coast...reading other reviews, I'll agree there are a few recycled keyboard & guitar riffs amongst the songs but then after 30 years someone will always find similarities between one song & another, there's only so much original stuff you can come up with & thats not necessarily a bad thingin the case of The Stranglers. Norfolk Coast is a curious mix of styles to say the least switching between (loosely) jazz, Pink Floyd & Doors'esque sounds & an effort to rekindle the Stranglers sound of old. It would appear that JJ has become (seemingly) shyin his later years. Where are those ripping bass lines & vocals that we associate him with & served them so well on Black And White on such tracks as 'Tokyo' 'Sweden' 'Toiler' 'Nice n Sleazy' 'Death And Night And Blood' & 'Tank' for bass & 'Ugly' & 'London Lady' from Rattus Norvegicus for vocals. There are glimpses of it throughout the album but it's drowned out by the vocals & keyboard. Sometimes this album appears too fussy & is being lead by keyboards, guitar & vocals, almost the antithesis of what we've come to associate The Stranglers (of old) with. Fans of their later more commercial work will find some comfort here butin my view, the sooner Jet & JJ start leading from the front again the better. Even without Hugh The Stranglers could be great again (we mustn't forget that they still released some questionable stuff even while Hugh was still there!)with JJ & Dave on vocals & the Jet of old. Baz Warne does a great job but Paul Roberts, is he a closet Damned fan? He seems to want to morphin & out of being Dave Vanian with his affectations. My opinion is that he does neither very well & the sooner they go back to being a 4 piece band with JJ & Dave taking care of vocals the better. Paul's best work is when he just sings as on Dutch Moon for example.
Listening to Black And White album straight after Norfolk Coast I'm left shaking my head but whilst it's easy to critisize, this is a welcome offering & the best thing they have releasedin 20 years. A stepin the right direction boys, lets make the next one what this one should have been.
Taxi for Paul Roberts.............
Superb, totally Superb!!!!! - By: misterpunk, 14 Mar 2004 
First of all, let me say that this album is a masterpiece, a pure work of genius from the MeninBlack which should dispell any doubters still out there.....Anyhoo, for those Strangs fans who still keep going on about Huge Cornball, let me say that this album is far better than anything he's been involvedin recently, don't forget that JJ Burnel is a far better musician than Hugh ever was, ditto Dave Greenfield (check those keyboard runs!). With Jet Black still beating those drums like his life depended on it, you have the ingredients for a classic album & boy, they don't disappoint. Best tracks? well Norfolk Coast, Big Thing Coming & Lost Control are pure punk (but, note for any Sum 41 fans out there: the Strangs do it properly!), the new single Long Black Veil is catchy as anything & Into the Fire, Dutch Moon, Mine all Mine & I've Been Wild all have really strong melodies that will stickin your mind for weeks afterwards!! Ultimately, this is one of their best ever albums & I demand that you buy it! Then buy another one for yer gran, & more for yer pals, etc...oh, & catch them live on tour this year too, they ROCK!
