The Stranglers
The Gospel According to the Meninblack - Liberty - 1981
Tracks: Tracks:
1. Waltzinblack / 2. Just Like Nothing On Earth / 3. Second Coming / 4. Waiting For The Meninblack / 5. Turn The Centuries, Turn / 6. Two Sunspots / 7. Four Horsemen / 8. Thrown Away* / 9. Manna Machine* / 10. Hallow To Our Men* / 11. Top Secret* / 12. Maninwhite* / 13. Tomorrow Was Hereafter*
Comments:
This is probably the most bizarre Stranglers album; both musically and lyrically. Members of the group have stated that it is an artistic highlight and perhaps a groundbreaking album for the techno genre. It is obviously an ambitious album where the group scours new musical territories.
Personally, unfortunately, I feel it has a lack of really good numbers. Most of Stranglers albums are actually quite uneven, but usually there is a small handful of musical gems. I have a hard time finding them on "The Meninblack".
Not even the singles "Thrown Away" and "Just Like Nothing on Earth" can really excite. The former is solid enough and more classic Stranglers than most of the album, while "Just Like Nothing on Earth" is rather spacey and not a very logical choice for a single.
My favorites are "Waiting for the Meninblack", which is quite catchy with John Cale-like lead vocals; also the final track, "Hallow to Our Men", which has a really nice keyboard theme, but whose melody unfortunately does not live up to this and which feels a bit longwinded.
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