Norwich University 14th November 1981

 

I love the 'La Folie' era of the band. I have said it before, but in my opinion 'La Folie' is one of the most overlooked and undervalued of the band's albums. Like a bag of 'Revels' there is real variety here... but without the horrible coffee ones! And it's clever, a concept album built around the theme of love. Love, but not of the boy meets girl kind of way. 'La Folie' takes on those aspects of love that are not immediately apparent. The devotion of a nun to her Holy Order and her God, the familial love that exists within the Mafia that leads to unquestioning acts of violence and a love so intensely twisted that it results in an act of cannibalism! It's hardly Barry White material.

Here are the band on the first leg of the tour that straddled Christmas and the New Year. The band did not know it at this point but a decision by the band to release the very atypical 'Golden Brown' was about to change the band's fortunes for many years to come. This radio friendly waltz (so long as you didn't dwell too long on the subject matter) opened doors that had been closed to the band since the heady days of '77 when the band delighted in annoying all and sundry. Prime time and kid's TV programs were queuing up to have The Stranglers appear. OK, so perhaps not content with this new found acceptability the band attempted a manner of commercial suicide with the release of the album's title track 'La Folie'! A superb album track, a highlight from the album no less, but a choice that would have made cash eager executives within Manchester Square choke on their cappuccinos! As a follow up to their biggest ever hit, 'Tramp' may have kept up the momentum but who would want to change history?

Music aside by 1981, all of the elements that collectively are the essence of The Stranglers were in place... that whole Meninblack thing. As I said I love this period.

WAV: https://we.tl/t-96gvbvofnr

Artwork: https://we.tl/t-EhKI3NDgWe

01. Non Stop

02. Just Like Nothing On Earth

03. Second Coming

04. Meninblack

05. Threatened

06. Who Wants The World?

07. Baroque Bordello

08. Golden Brown

09. Pin Up

10. Thrown Away

11. Tank

12. I Feel Like A Wog

13. The Man They Love To Hate

14. Let Me Introduce You To The Family

15. Tramp

16. Nubiles (Cocktail Version)

17. Bring On The Nubiles

18. Nuclear Device

19. Genetix

20. La Folie