Released 21 September 1979 Artist The Stranglers Producer Alan Winstanley Genres New wave, Post-punk | Length 41:11 Release date 21 September 1979 Label United Artists Records | |
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Recorded June 1979 at Pathe Marconi Studios, Paris; AIR Studios, London The Raven
(1979) The Gospel According to the Meninblack
(1981) Similar Rattus Norvegicus, La folie, Live (X Cert), Black and White, Aural Sculpture | ||
The Raven is the fourth studio album by English new wave band The Stranglers. It was released on 21 September 1979, through record label United Artists.
Contents
The stranglers the raven full album
Background
The first two songs, much of the artwork (the band is shown standing on the prow of a viking longship) and the album title refer to Norse mythology. The album deals with a variety of issues including Japanese ritual suicide ("Ice"), heroin use ("(Don't Bring) Harry"), the Iranian Revolution ("Shah Shah a Go Go") and Genetic engineering ("Genetix").
Release
The Raven was released on 21 September 1979. It reached No. 4 in the UK albums chart, remaining in the chart for eight weeks. However, it is believed it should have made No.1 but for an error in the chart. The Police hit No.1 despite their album not yet being released, leading to controversy that the Police album was mis-credited with sales of The Raven.
The album was originally released with a limited edition 3D cover. Another limited edition was inadvertently created when the band was forced to remove an image of Joh Bjelke-Petersen from the inner sleeve artwork. Bjelke-Petersen was the subject of the album's sixth track, "Nuclear Device (The Wizard of Aus)".
"Duchess" was the first and most successful single from the album, released on 10 August 1979 and reaching No. 14 on the UK singles chart. "Nuclear Device (The Wizard of Aus)" was the second single released, reaching No. 36 in the same chart. An EP, Don't Bring Harry, was released in November, consisting of the title track, "Wired" (credited to Hugh Cornwell and Robert Williams), "Crabs (Live)" (credited to J.J. Burnel) and "In the Shadows (Live)". It reached No. 41.
Track listing
- "Longships" – 1:10
- "The Raven" – 5:13
- "Dead Loss Angeles" – 2:24
- "Ice" – 3:26
- "Baroque Bordello" – 3:50
- "Nuclear Device (The Wizard of Aus)" – 3:32
- "Shah Shah a Go Go" – 4:50
- "(Don't Bring) Harry" – 4:09
- "Duchess" – 2:30
- "Meninblack" – 4:48
- "Genetix" – 5:16
Songs
1Longships1:11
2The Raven5:14
3Dead Loss Angeles2:24