The Stranglers- Hanging Around (REACTION//DISCUSSION) 

Always loved the Stranglers. For me, they were always a "What If... the Doors had lasted until punk came along." Their musical output in just a few years is quite phenomenal. A bit of Stranglers trivia: During promotion of "The Head on the Door" in 1985, Robert Smith of the Cure cited "Rattus Norvegicus" as one of his five favourite albums. Great taste, Rob Smith.

Glad to see and hear you return to The Stranglers. I'm with you on the interplay between guitar and organ especially during the instrumental break, which is basically a musical "round" a la "Frere Jacques". The other element I appreciate is the dissonance between the catchy chord progression, which conveys a bit of pop sensibility, and the lyrics. To me the words express a sense of apathy and purposelessness (that's a word?) in the characters. IMO a powerful song. Thanks again!

The stranglers are simply fantastic. This album also fantastic,.

I saw them play in a Croydon pub in 77 to an audience of about 30 people. It was completely random, and I'd barely heard of them. Can't remember much about it except "Peaches" - and the beautiful girl I took home, who I discovered had a "lazy eye", which disconcertingly started wandering when we got down to it. Quite threw me off me game!

Very catchy and very late 70's. Great song to go with my coffee!!! Have a great day all!

That song has the teeth of the streets, the poetry of desperation and knife sharp wit, and brilliant musicianship all rolled into into one. The Stranglers are simply unparalleled!

My favourite band such great songwriters and musicians. Saw them live last month on their latest tour and they were as usual a brilliant live act. Sadly only JJ left as an original member but the new members fit in so well and they can still write great songs. Check out the last album released at the end of last year called Dark Matters

One of my favourites !! Well worth checking out their cover of "Walk on by"

Never been the biggest Stranglers fan, but this song is one of their best. You should also check out a later track, Nice and Sleazy.

The Stranglers "Walk On By",, "Skin Deep" & "Strange Little Girl"

There’s a lot of peak Stranglers and this is one of them.

According to Hugh Cornwell in the book, The Stranglers: Song by Song 1974-1990, "The genesis to "Hanging Around" started from a bass line that J.J. Burnel had and I added the lyrics. Many of the lyrics to this track come from playing in the Nashville (a London pub where the band used to play). There was a woman in red who was always getting drunk and passing out, which used to make us laugh. There are also references to a friend of ours who was always smiling, and a friend of his, who was 20 going on 40. I could never believe how old he looked. His whole manner and appearance was of a middle-agged man. We needed a fourth verse, but I ran out of ideas, so J.J. provided it. He was living round the Earl's Court Road and used to frequent a gay pub there called the Coleherne. He told me about the special language the regulars had constructed. If you wore a spotted handkerchief coming out of your right hand back pocket it meant one thing and if it was sticking out of your hand left pocket, it meant something else, that you were either a giver or taker." Hugh add: "I think "Hanging Around" was slotted in as a third single, but the new album No More Heroes came out six months after Rattus, so there was no time. It wouldn't have made marketing sense to release a single from one album, when a new album was coming out immediately afterwards."

Was never into punk. Aged 14, I was going through the Yes,Genesis,Zep,Floyd,Rush back catalogue..But always liked The Stranglers . Probably 'cos I was a musical snob at the time and The Stranglers could obviously play their instruments lol..They've got a great back catalogue...good one JP

loved these guys & this one of my favourite tracks .. happy days..❤

"Hanging Around" is a classic

If you love this in the interplay of organ and guitar, and then driving bass, then their version of Walk On By will knock you for six....

There is always the sun when my ears get aurally sculptured by the meninblack. J.J. does it does it every time.

Good to hear this. It's so familiar from that time I assumed it was a hit single. Swagger and a sneer like all the best Stranglers songs.

JJ Burnel, the most recognisable bass sound of the 1970's.

This is one of those bands that I missed, never heard of them until last year. I put a CD together in Oct. but didn't play it until last week, loved it. This week I'm exploring Vanilla Fudge's non-Best Of tracks, there aren't many. They were an interesting group that deserved better.

My god you have an epic to react to with the last track ,down in the sewer ,exceptionally great. And peaches to come too ,can't wait.

The greatest bass sound in punk. I saw them last month and still have it.

Yup, hits a delightful spot for me quite nicely.

RIP Dave.

The Christ reference is a pun on the crucifixion. He's literally imagining Christ himself telling his mother that he's OK, he's just hanging around. It's a provocative way of adding intensity to the song and its title. I've always heard anger in the song, or disappointment, as everywhere the singer goes, he finds people just hanging around, pretending not to care, or perhaps truly lost. It's not hanging around in a good sense; it's social critique or an expression of disconnection, kind of like S&G's ‘The Sound of Silence’.

You’ve got to do Walk On By off black and white era (1978) it’s a great song one of their best albums. KEEP DOING STRANGLERS. Wait till you get to Peaches which is next. And a Great TRIBUTE To Dave Greenfield

This was released as a single (cover) by Hazel O'Connor, who was dating Hugh Cornwell at the time, a couple of years later - I like the original and her version pretty much equally

Punk was my thing. I was there from the beginning. Love how you realise that The Stranglers were the punk Doors, bang on

The finest bass intro ever.

Oh yes, yes, yes! The Stranglers forever. Did you notice the rushed half-beats in the song, JP? That's a recognisable Stranglers trait, jumping just a little early, not quite letting a phrase sonically resolve.

It was a great intro, one of the best they did in a very "accessible" track, highly regarded at the time but without being really "pop-oriented"

I love my synth stuff (and vintage Gordon Giltrap, which I'm glad you loved too!) and The Stranglers are bloody great. This track is fab. Their USP of the synth makes it for me.

Excellent track. I have the album Live Xcerts (live recordings), and the whole album has this track and a pile of other bangers with a very good raw energy and sound to them.

Loving your reviews of the Stranglers songs , as a lifelong fan this is really refreshing .Your knowledge and feel for the music is a breath of fresh air .Please review Walk on by , Down in the sewer by them .ps Welcome to the band this is just the tip of an enormous iceberg 😎👍🎶🐀

I thought this was a single too. Hit plenty of airplay as I remember hearing it as a kid. Side two the epic down in the sewer looking forward to that!

Love this song

Oh man this takes back to the days of college radio. Brilliant stuff. Great reaction.

The 'Court Road' is Earls Court Road. Earls Court used to be the Australian part of London (nicknamed Kangaroo Valley) until it became the gay pat of London. The Aussies moved down to Fulham or up to Bayswater. The Colherne, is famous a gay bar catering specifically for the 'leathermen'. It's on Old Brompton Road, at the south end of Earls Court Road.

perfection

I'm a lifelong Stranglers fan, this is probably their best song ever (IMHO). But have a listen to some of their 80's work too, very different but verry good.

Another great Stranglers track.

Great band brilliant song 👌

Great band I saw them live a few weeks ago still sound amazing

The song was earmarked as a single and many people assume it was as it is one of their best known tracks. As far as I know there is a test pressing 7inch that was subsequently deleted as the 2nd album No More Heroes was comimg out a mere 6 months after Rattus, so it made more sense to release a single from it.

Oh sweet! I used to busk this number, I always got a few quid from crusty old punks passing by.

Magnificent

Great! More please.

Top

The first time I heard this song it was a cover version by Hazel O'Connor (1983 I think). Hazel aced it and I've loved this song ever since.

I play bass and my brother plays keyboards. This was a favourite of ours to play because I could really lean into the heavy bassline and he could show off by copying all of Greenfield's keyboard runs.

Seen them many times, twice with Hugh, in 1979 and 1990, on his final tour. I was a fan as soon as Rattus Norvegicus came out, Go Buddy Go is a great rock song, although it never made it onto the album.

Saw them live in a very small venue. Loved it.

Great till here these songs brings back so much memorys

Check out early live versions for a quicker vibrant sound

They have an excellent catalogue.You should do Just like Nothing on Earth.

Best punk ever

Crucifixion. Christ he told his mother Christ he told her not to bother Cos he's alright in the city Cos he's high above the ground He's just hanging around

Yeah it was a single 👍🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿

Hi JP this is just a great fun song it definitely got air play on the alternative radio shows ,that bass is bombastic and sounds great .peaches next please , 👍

Classic Stranglers! You might check out Walk on by, the man they love to hate, the raven, lots of great tunes to discover. They were a punk band that knew how to play their instruments! That bass, those drums, those keyboards…epic!

What's unique about JJ on bass and Dave on keyboards , is that they often break from playing harmonically and play the same melody , which from the bassists angle is no mean feat given the range of a keyboard . I guess it helps that JJ is also a classical guitarist . The unison between bass and keyboard gives the band a unique sound , which I believes defines them as a band ( not to mention the gruff bass tone) . Great musicianship, incisive lyrics and don't give a crap attitude has ensured their popularity and longevity .They have always acted on their own terms, stuck 2 fingers up to the industry and continue to draw crowds from all generations, with a faithful following for almost 50 years. Impressive.

I'm all choked up! Hanging Around with The Stranglers always leaves me gasping for air with a tightness in my throat & chest. Give them enough rope and a branch on the old Peach tree and just wait and see.Peace.

❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️👍

Other great songs great live music and a song you would to peaches 🍑 great

Love this band.

Great version of this by Hazel O'connor.

I thought this was a single. I remember hearing it a lot on the radio at the time. That bass note at the beginning is massive, only outdone by the closing bass note on Pink Floyd’s Dogs.

First heard something - dunno what - off this album on Toronto radio in '77. Liked it, thought it interesting. The punch, vocal style, minimalist aesthetic, which didn't extend to basic Chuck Berry only solos, matched the approach I'd take as a "new-waver" a couple years later after immersion in the nascent Vancouver punk scene, hearing the Ramones, Pistols, Television (another personal fave), Talking heads, Blondie, Damned and returning to T.O.

Please watch the filmed concert : Ratus live at the Roundhouse its as good as Stop making sense by the Talking Heads

Please review Nice "n" Sleazy.

Great track by The Stranglers. Another great English rock band that formed in the early 80's out of the post punk era is New Model Army. If you're looking or a new band to listen to I would suggest any of these tracks, Western Dreams Master Race Vagabonds Smalltown England Grandmothers Footsteps Family Leeds Road 3am Bad Old World

Awwww they fact you missed the whole Jesus being crucified angle. Thats kinda sweet....maybe I am just dour cos when I first heared it 25ish years ago. ( became a Fan back in 1996) yeah I thought the idea of the Christ figure on the cross saying to mary " naw its ok mum...dont worry...I am just hanging around" to be dark humour which never gets old.

It was earmarked to be the third single of the first album but they released the second album faster than they thought

Rattus Norvegicus: unfairly regarded as the culprit for the Black Death. That's fairly recent information though, so it's hard to tell whether The Stranglers would have known in 1977 that the Norwegian rat was not particularly responsible for the Black Death (it was Chinese fleas that moved across multiple warm-blooded vector species, including mice, voles and hamsters and, yes, rats. It's just that rats were bloody everywhere at the time so they carry the can to this day. I'm pretty certain, though, that The Stanglers would not have cared two shits about any of that information even if it were true. They were more of an "impact" band :)

What do you know somebody actually listened to more than Peaches or Golden Brown. You picked a good one even

As with a lot of Stranglers song, this one is predominantly about drugs. Dingwalls 1977 - fantastic.

I'm clutching my teddy bear, waiting to hear you react to "Waiting for the Men in Black", by The Stranglers. DOOO EEEET!!!!

Hey Justin, have you seen Jim Newstead's channel? He reacts to albums that he plays on his record player, just like you've started to do a little bit. I think you'd enjoy his channel. He's currently reacted to 10 YES albums and is now going in order. He just listened to Drama, and loved it. Also, he just recently bought U.K.'s first album, 'Turn of the Cards' by Renaissance, a band that he's never heard of, but we told him about them, ELP works volumes 1 & 2 and 'Albedo 0.39' by Vangelis. He's never heard anything by Vangelis either, or U.K.. Can't wait to see him react to those albums. You 2 should interview each other like you did with Daniel : ) He just reacted to side 1 of the U.K. album today : )

It's 'veg' as in vegetable, Justin. :-)

You know, I confess that I skip some of your videos when it's someone I don't recognize (my justification being that I'm here to se how you'll like or dislike music I love, and I'm not really looking for new music right now). I heard this one inadvertently because it played automatically after Peter Gabriel while I was cleaning up the kitchen. And now I know I'm probably not missing much, as this did nothing for me. No intent to offend, but 🥱. Of course, I know at least a handful would say the same thing about City Boy - if you ever get around to them again - but I think they're way better than the Stranglers (and I bet them's fightin' words, ain't they...). Carry on, sir!

When he talks bout Christ l think he's talking about Jesus , many of their lyrics had a different meaning to what you might think

If you haven't already, please check out The Stranglers "Golden Brown". Never a frown with Golden Brown.

Thanks. I'm sure I remember this being a single, in the UK at least. It was released on an EP sometime in '77, on pink vinyl, lol. maybe I'm getting mixed up with another song? It's been a long time. Great song either way though. 🤪

Any band that is into archeology is okay with me.

Been feelin Down recently jp u know The World vs Me so don’t been suprised When Ultimately this sub standard scribe decides2 Give Up The Ghost This almost Pushed me over The Edge but oh now i see Paul bono Hewson on yonder hill comin to save me October kingdoms rise kingdoms fall No More Heroes Wharever Anymore Hi! Again you’ll be glad to know I’ve shaken meself outta this woe is me and it’s struck me “Destiny’s Child are The Stranglers En Vogue are The Ruts” “The Sound were the Stranglers The Comsat Angels were Doll by Doll” An’ Another: “The Waterboys were The Stranglers The Levellers were New Model Army” I Don’t quite understand it yet but if anyone does letme know “Elton John was The Stranglers Randy Newman was Jilted John” Nah that’s gone an blown it How about “Peter Gabriel was the Stranglers Tom Waits was David Sylvian” “Sparks are TheStranglers Erasure are The Lotus Eaters” Or: “Van Halen are The Stranglers Riot are Stiff Little Fingers” Yes, I’m crossing genres while comparing barious factors such as success longevity poularity and class Thanks for that. Care to join in? Conditions are flexible and gratis quo vadis and possibly pie in the sky these days🔍 Time 4 tea. Something’s gonna change. Oh hang on U2 were The Stranglers The Passions were Zeitgeist” “Joni Mitchell was The Stranlers Janis Ian was Pentration” My brain has. Just imploded pLease enough Justin Terminate this account

Christ he told his mother Christ he told her not to bother Cos he's alright in the city Cos he's high above the ground He's just hanging around It's Jesus on the cross just hanging around Take most of their lyrics with a pinch of salt, they are taking the rip

Christ ... high above the ground ... just hanging around. Doesn't ring a bell? It's about the cruzifixion.

The popier side of the stranglers. It's not bad, but not great. All the usual suspect from a Stranglers tune, fantastic bass tone, and intricate little keys solo. Yeah, it's ok.

Sorry, still not getting into these dudes, sounds generic to me. Didn’t hear them at the time or till this channel, not clicking that’s all. To use another’s vernacular, sounds a bit samey. Count how many times Hanging Around is yelled… too many. Peace and just Music

This song has left you unable to speak properly, and the next two are going to blow your socks off. "Peaches" has the dirtiest bass riff you will ever hear, and "Grip" is even more catchy than "Hanging Around".

Not the most interesting lyrics.

Great fuckin musicians.....