Hugh Cornwell about "Toiler on the Sea": "This had a very similar genesis to "Down in the sewer" in the sense that John had these bass-runs and riffs. He also had a melody, which he sang to me and I turned it into the guitar solo, which is what happened on "Sewer". I grew up with Cliff Richard and The Shadows and "Apache", with their lovely guitar melodies. "Toiler" was my opportunity to recreate that. Its title came from a novel by the French writer Victor Hugo. I read this book at school and it stayed with me." The other thing that inspired Hugh to write this song were various misadventures during a trip to Morocco at the end of ‘77. "I think we'd started the music before I left for Morocco and when I came back I said, "The song is called "Toiler on the Sea" and these are the lyrics." "Live, we used to play around and extend it. I used to play a lot of lead guitar on it and we'd all play a great jam at the end. It was like a Doors number. The end was very ad libbed. It was our "Riders on the Storm."
😳.. if you read my comment you’ll see why I find your comment not only interesting but confirms what I’ve been speculating for the last 3 days .. phookin Spooky ! Glad I seen your comment btw 👏 👍🏴
One of my favourite songs by them, just brilliant musicianship and great story telling in the delivery of Hughs voice and lyrically. Interestingly, The 80s pop band A Flock Of Seagulls who were fans of the band got their name from this songs lyric.
This was the first album where these guys had to actually write a lot of new material which is traditionally where many bands start to falter - which makes songs as magnificent as this all the more incredible.
I agree, you could look at Rattus and No More Heroes, both released in 1977, as almost 2 parts of a double album as most of those songs had been part of their live repertoire for some time, they'd been active since 1974. There is no real musical shift between those two albums, it was Black and White which first really signalled a musical shift and The Raven took that even further and is still my favourite Stranglers album.
Just found your channel and I'm loving it. You're doing reviews that others aren't. I saw The Stranglers back in 1981 in NYC. It was amazing. This is my favorite album from them and "Tank" is my favorite song from the album, if you haven't reviewed it yet. Another great album is "The Raven". Check out "Duchess".
The perfect segway to "A Flock of Seagulls" the band who named themselves from this track. Their "I Ran" is probably their best known hit, but that entire album was great, with award winning instrumental "DNA", and some fabulously atmospheric use of the infinite sustain eBow gadget on tracks like "Modern Love Is Automatic" !
You've caused me to re-evaluate this album 🙂I always put it well behind the first 2, but listening to it here track-by-track years later I can see why fans consider it up there with their other releases 🙂
Still remember the buzz of buying this album as a 14 year old on the day it came out. Loved it then and still do but wish I could go back and hear it for the 1st time again! The best prog rock punk band ever!
This is a great song but until this listen, i couldn't have told you why - I can now. There's at least half a dozen catchy, interesting, tuneful riffs playing against each other but meshing to produce a mini-epic (almost prog in it's complexity) that evokes the toiler on the sea magnificently. Watch out for that flock of seagulls.
Another great track off this brill album...how good is this track...album Justin. They were such a talented band imho. Everything sounds amazing. Guitar, keyboards bass..and that drum track.... awesome, just awesome music . Another track I'll have on repeat today Justin ❤❤❤
I walked past these guys when they were flopped outside their bus after a gig. Nobody else around, i just glanced at them and kept walking. Even though i was a big fan. Because i was in my Ice Man phase. Those were stupid times.
This is spooky as fk.. I bought Black and White in 1978 and love it .. adore it .. still check out the tracks from time to time on TH-cam - last Friday I seen a vid which mentioned in the passing The Toilers of The Sea , a novel by Victor Hugo ( yeah , THAT one ) and I thought “ I bet that’s where they got the title “.. and here we are 3 days later after not thinking about the track for 40 odd years you have it on your channel … that’s some spooky shit right there ! That’s Scooby Doo and the abandoned fairground territory .. 😳 …. As for the track itself , I phookin adore it ! I know you are now familiar with Black and White Justin , it’s a seminal album in that like a lot of Stranglers fans I see a definite break in their journey ie : I prefer the 1st 3 albums inc B + W but my interest tapers right off once The Raven comes out.. lots of sadness about that but hey .. I have the 1st 3 to drool over ! 👍🏴
7 Artists that sing the same song everytime: Stranglers A Flock of Seagulls Randy Newman Foghat / Status Quo Everything Everything and The Housemartins yet they still offer something quite good or remarkably excellent at times. This? Oh it was OK.
I like their first two albums and especially their first single “(It's Not Me) Talking”, but the rest doesn't interest me. They were far from being a crap band! I saw them live in 1983 opening for The Police and they were great!
@@Owlstretchingtime78 The ridiculous haircut is something I only discovered live as I only knew their music from the radio and had never seen the band members before. I admit it was a shock, but musically it held up so I ignored appearances!
Hugh Cornwell about "Toiler on the Sea":
"This had a very similar genesis to "Down in the sewer" in the sense that John had these bass-runs and riffs.
He also had a melody, which he sang to me and I turned it into the guitar solo, which is what happened on "Sewer".
I grew up with Cliff Richard and The Shadows and "Apache", with their lovely guitar melodies. "Toiler" was my opportunity to recreate that.
Its title came from a novel by the French writer Victor Hugo. I read this book at school and it stayed with me."
The other thing that inspired Hugh to write this song were various misadventures during a trip to Morocco at the end of ‘77.
"I think we'd started the music before I left for Morocco and when I came back I said, "The song is called "Toiler on the Sea" and these are the lyrics."
"Live, we used to play around and extend it. I used to play a lot of lead guitar on it and we'd all play a great jam at the end. It was like a Doors number. The end was very ad libbed. It was our "Riders on the Storm."
😳.. if you read my comment you’ll see why I find your comment not only interesting but confirms what I’ve been speculating for the last 3 days ..
phookin Spooky ! Glad I seen your comment btw 👏
👍🏴
@@jaymacgee_A_Bawbag_Blethering You see, my Hugh quotes aren't always useless after all!😉 Thank you for your appreciation.👍
@@a.k.1740 your very welcome 🙏
👍🏴
@@jaymacgee_A_Bawbag_Blethering Thanks!
One of my favourite songs by them, just brilliant musicianship and great story telling in the delivery of Hughs voice and lyrically. Interestingly, The 80s pop band A Flock Of Seagulls who were fans of the band got their name from this songs lyric.
One of my all time albums and bands, still going strong , saw them in March again at the Royal Albert Hall, Brilliant!
This was the first album where these guys had to actually write a lot of new material which is traditionally where many bands start to falter - which makes songs as magnificent as this all the more incredible.
I agree, you could look at Rattus and No More Heroes, both released in 1977, as almost 2 parts of a double album as most of those songs had been part of their live repertoire for some time, they'd been active since 1974. There is no real musical shift between those two albums, it was Black and White which first really signalled a musical shift and The Raven took that even further and is still my favourite Stranglers album.
Just found your channel and I'm loving it. You're doing reviews that others aren't. I saw The Stranglers back in 1981 in NYC. It was amazing. This is my favorite album from them and "Tank" is my favorite song from the album, if you haven't reviewed it yet. Another great album is "The Raven". Check out "Duchess".
Appreciate you watching Lorin!
In honor & memory of him,, The Stranglers "...And If You Should See Dave"...R.I.P. Dave Greenfield 🙏❤️
Dave had an insane amount of talent.
The perfect segway to "A Flock of Seagulls" the band who named themselves from this track. Their "I Ran" is probably their best known hit, but that entire album was great, with award winning instrumental "DNA", and some fabulously atmospheric use of the infinite sustain eBow gadget on tracks like "Modern Love Is Automatic" !
You've caused me to re-evaluate this album 🙂I always put it well behind the first 2, but listening to it here track-by-track years later I can see why fans consider it up there with their other releases 🙂
Still remember the buzz of buying this album as a 14 year old on the day it came out. Loved it then and still do but wish I could go back and hear it for the 1st time again! The best prog rock punk band ever!
This is a great song but until this listen, i couldn't have told you why - I can now. There's at least half a dozen catchy, interesting, tuneful riffs playing against each other but meshing to produce a mini-epic (almost prog in it's complexity) that evokes the toiler on the sea magnificently. Watch out for that flock of seagulls.
Another great track off this brill album...how good is this track...album Justin.
They were such a talented band imho.
Everything sounds amazing.
Guitar, keyboards bass..and that drum track.... awesome, just awesome music .
Another track I'll have on repeat today Justin ❤❤❤
This album is my favourite by them. Been a fan since Rattus when I was 11. The SOS message on this album is so prophetic
My absolute favourite Stranglers song, I got to see them play this live in the limelight, Belfast a couple of years ago.
As someone who spent 31 years at sea,this has always been my favourite Stranglers song,along with Baroque Bordello
"Baroque Bordello" is really great! Hugh Cornwell has said it's one of his favourite songs he's ever written. I couldn't agree more!😉
Love this almost progressive track by Stranglers. Never thought about this being a metaphor for a relationship. Enjoyed your interpretation JP thx
Oh that bass❤
Possibly my favourite Stranglers song!
Great song great review thank you thank you.
These guys were just one of those singular bands. Nothin' like 'em - Just Like Nothing on Earth. 😉
Surely you mean just like nothing on urth
I will be interested in what you make of the Black side, quite different from the white side, White side was Hugh, black side is JJ, fabulous album
The better side. I prefer it when they get all sinister and claustrophobic!
If i am listening to this song and the part "...a flock of seagulls" i ever think of Hitchcocks "Die Vögel" (The Birds).
I walked past these guys when they were flopped outside their bus after a gig. Nobody else around, i just glanced at them and kept walking. Even though i was a big fan. Because i was in my Ice Man phase. Those were stupid times.
Nice anecdote. I checked into a hotel at the same desk as the inimitable John Cooper Clarke once. I didn't even venture a 'Hey, John'.
Bro this is pure gold, I have some cassetes as man in black, this band is absolute stunt.
I've been enjoying exploring their music :D
so many riffs on this, love that dirty bass! A flock of seagulls!!
TRUST ME on this one my music lovin' brother,, The Stranglers "Strange Little Girl" (Which would be covered later by Tori Amos)
This is spooky as fk.. I bought Black and White in 1978 and love it .. adore it .. still check out the tracks from time to time on TH-cam - last Friday I seen a vid which mentioned in the passing The Toilers of The Sea , a novel by Victor Hugo ( yeah , THAT one ) and I thought “ I bet that’s where they got the title “.. and here we are 3 days later after not thinking about the track for 40 odd years you have it on your channel … that’s some spooky shit right there ! That’s Scooby Doo and the abandoned fairground territory .. 😳
…. As for the track itself , I phookin adore it ! I know you are now familiar with Black and White Justin , it’s a seminal album in that like a lot of Stranglers fans I see a definite break in their journey ie : I prefer the 1st 3 albums inc B + W but my interest tapers right off once The Raven comes out.. lots of sadness about that but hey .. I have the 1st 3 to drool over !
👍🏴
Still enjoying life as a Goonie? God forbid!
Are you reviewing the free 7inch single. Walk on by
Justin already listened to "Walk on By" a few months ago, but he didn't listen to "Old Codger" on the other side of the 7".
A Flock of Seagulls.
At first glance I thought it said "Toilet On The Sea."
Inspired by a disastrous holiday to Morocco with a girlfriend. Lots of double meanings in this.
Forgot how good this song is .
My favourite track off a great album.
One of the best songs in the album.
The beat is very krautrock-ish.
Great track. If this aint progressive rock I dunno what is. Wait til you hear the Black Side!
The Stranglers best 20+ minutes in their entire catalogue!
Cool!
7 Artists that sing the same song everytime:
Stranglers
A Flock of Seagulls
Randy Newman
Foghat / Status Quo
Everything Everything
and The Housemartins
yet they still offer something quite good or remarkably excellent at times.
This? Oh it was OK.
A Flock Of Seagulls took their name from this song. A crap band, but with obvious good taste!
I like their first two albums and especially their first single “(It's Not Me) Talking”, but the rest doesn't interest me.
They were far from being a crap band! I saw them live in 1983 opening for The Police and they were great!
@@a.k.1740 Just not for me 'bro.
@@Owlstretchingtime78 That's a better sentence than saying they were crap!😉
@@a.k.1740 How about i could never get past the barnet (haircut)?
@@Owlstretchingtime78 The ridiculous haircut is something I only discovered live as I only knew their music from the radio and had never seen the band members before. I admit it was a shock, but musically it held up so I ignored appearances!