(I'm) Stranded

Background

(I'm) Stranded is the debut album by The Saints which had formed in Brisbane in 1974 with original members Chris Bailey (singer-songwriter, later guitarist), Ed Kuepper (guitarist-songwriter), and Ivor Hay (drummer). In 1975, Kym Bradshaw joined on bass guitar. Contemporaneous with Ramones, the group were employing the fast tempos, raucous vocals and "buzz saw" guitar that characterised early punk rock. Kuepper explained that they played faster and faster as they were nervous in front of audiences. According to Australian rock historian, Ian McFarlane, they had developed their "own distinctive sound as defined by Kuepper's frenetic, whirlwind guitar style and Bailey's arrogant snarl".

In June 1976, The Saints recorded two tracks, "(I'm) Stranded" and "No Time" with Mark Moffatt producing. Unable to find any interested label, they formed Fatal Records and independently released their debut single in September. Their self-owned Eternal Promotions sent discs to radio stations and magazines both in Australia – with little local interest – and United Kingdom. In the UK, a small label, Power Exchange, issued the single. Sounds magazine's reviewer Jonh Ingham declared it, "Single of this and every week". EMI head office in London contacted the Sydney branch and directed that they be signed to a three-album contract. Over two days in December, the group recorded their first LP album, (I'm) Stranded (21 February 1977), with Rod Coe producing. It included a cover version of The Missing Links' track "Wild About You". They supported AC/DC in late December 1976 and, early in 1977, relocated to Sydney.

EMI re-issued the single, "(I'm) Stranded" in February and it reached the Kent Music Report Top 100 Singles Chart. In May, the band released their second single, "Erotic Neurotic" and then moved to UK, where they differed with their label over how they should be marketed. EMI planned to promote them as a typical punk band, complete with ripped clothes and spiky hair – The Saints insisted on maintaining a more downbeat image.

In June, bass guitarist Alasdair "Algy" Ward replaced Bradshaw. Their next single "This Perfect Day" (July) peaked at No. 34 in the UK but further improvement was frustrated by EMI's failure to press enough copies to satisfy demand. The song later appeared on their 1978 album, Eternally Yours. In September 1977, The Saints released One Two Three Four as a 7" EP which contained two covers and two re-recorded versions of tracks from their debut album. It was originally issued in the UK as both a single disc EP and a double 7" with a gate-fold sleeve.

In 2007, (I'm) Stranded was reissued as a CD with bonus tracks including the EP One Two Three Four and the single version of "This Perfect Day".

Professional reviews

In his review of (I'm) Stranded, Jack Rabid of AllMusic declared that "[T]he Saints sparked the Far East punk rock movement with a blasting, blistering, scorching sound no one had heard before". Although eight of the tracks showed a "heavy, buzzing racket ... borders on unintelligible, they're so cheaply recorded". McFarlane described it as "full of rough, exhilarating rock'n'roll noise, and it remains one of the greatest debut albums of the era". Consumer Guide's Robert Christgau, "intermittent hooks, droning feedback, shouted vocals, and oldie about incest, this album from Australia achieves the great mean of punk style". John Ballon of MustHear writes the album is "a devastating listen, loaded with the same irresistible power ... [and] has all the intense purity of a band hell bent on making a racket, regardless of its commercial viability".

Accolades

In May 2001, Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) celebrated its 75th anniversary and named "(I'm) Stranded" in its Top 30 Australian songs of all time. In 2007, "I'm Stranded" was one of the first 20 songs stored on the National Film and Sound Archive's Sounds of Australia registry. Their debut album was listed at No. 20 in the book 100 Best Australian Albums in October 2010.

Track listing

All tracks written by Chris Bailey and Ed Kuepper except where shown.