No More Heroes 1977 Album

The Stranglers

Strange how in the year of punk the Stranglers put out 2 records and a lot of the music on them was definitely not restrained by the punk genre. A lot of people call this one better than the debut but not me, even though it's a worthy successor. Arguably, their signature song is here (the title track, which conjures both New Wave and the spirit of Ray Manzarek all at once), but there's plenty more. As usual, there's ruthless wide-ranging parodies abound, from current affairs ("Something Better Change"), sex ("Bring on the Nubiles"), education ("School Mam"). If anything, they often go too far, sacrificing taste for laughs or sneers, but this is The Stranglers you're hearing, not Richard Marx. Excellent record.