Battle of the Not Punks

[Ranking Ted]

Inspired by the assertion that the risible Boomtown Rats are better than these other acts - all of which have at the very least have a stellar greatest hits to their name - let’s have another BCB poll. Hell, it’s the day after Blue Monday, I’m sure other folk are knackered as well.

[clive gash]

Stranglers!

I’ve never bothered with the LPs but they had some fine singles from the early, nasty ones to the European, queasy psych ones in the early 80s.

[Snarfyguy]

So wait, why did The Boomtown Rats exist, again?

Last time I heard their hit it sounded worse than ever.

[sloopjohnc]

All of these groups have a lot of hit and miss for me as they got along in their careers. Still thinking about it, but will probably go Stranglers.

Costello and Squeeze got increasingly more boring. The Boomtown Rats got boring faster.

The Stranglers stayed more interesting for longer.

[TG]

I never got the appeal of the Boomtown Rats or the Stranglers. Nor have I done anything to try and counter that notion in decades. I do have a Squeeze hits package that I almost never play. Costello, it is.
I’m not a huge fan but I do have bunch of his stuff and have played it relatively recently.

[naughty boy]

The Stranglers for me too. Rattus Norvegicus is a long-time favourite. And ‘No More Heroes’ still thrills - one of the greatest 45s of that era.

[Mike Boom]

"This Years Model" is the best album by any of that lot by quite a margin

[The Modernist]

For me it goes:

The Stranglers
Squeeze
Costello



Boomtown Rats

[WG Kaspar]

Costello by a gazillion miles. Stranglers second but nowhere near close.

[The Modernist]

Stranglers!

I’ve never bothered with the LPs but they had some fine singles from the early, nasty ones to the European, queasy psych ones in the early 80s.

Exactly, and like you I think they work better in small doses.

[Mike Boom]

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2xo1f

"Get A Grip On Yourself" is brilliant of course, as is the video (can't find it on youtube for some reason)

[sloopjohnc]

"This Years Model" is the best album by any of that lot by quite a margin

I'd agree with that. I think he made three great albums: This Year's Model, My Aim is True and Armed Forces. I like King of America but all the others are hit and miss. I know others will think otherwise, especially with Get Happy, but it's just okay with me.

Squeeze, the same: Cool for Cats, Argy Bargy and Eastside Story. Very hit and miss after.

[Sneelock]

EC by a mile. Yeah he seems to peter out but then he comes back strong or in spurts.
Squeeze comes up somewhere behind. I liked the Stranglers at the time but I don't think they've held up all that well. I'd flip the coin between them and B.Rats - I do like both.

[Jimbly]

Stranglers easily, great live. Love Black and White

[Goat Boy]

The one who did Olivers Army

[ChrisB]

"This Years Model" is the best album by any of that lot by quite a margin

In my top 3 best albums ever made. Squeeze and Stranglers Best of albums have no fillers but their studio albums did. The Rats were just useless.

[trans-chigley express]

If I was given a greatest hits set by each of them The Stranglers is the one I'd play first, I enjoyed their singles the most including later ones like Golden Brown, Strange Little Girl and Skin Deep. The second one I'd play is probably Boomtown Rats as I did enjoy a clutch of their hits and for nostalgia reasons I'd be interested to revisit them to see how they've held up. Squeeze and Costello hit collections I'd probably enjoy too but I have less of a yearning to revisit them for some reason.

Having said that the only album I actually own by any of them is a Costello one.

[naughty boy]

The one who did Olivers Army

SUCH a great song


but he did this:



and this:




Always a mistake for musicians to revere Bob Dylan. Especially when he takes the place of ABBA.

[Hightea]

Elvis over Squeeze all based on early works.
then The Stranglers over the BR by a song.

[Charlie O.]

"This Years Model" is the best album by any of that lot by quite a margin

I'd agree with that. I think he made three great albums: This Year's Model, My Aim is True and Armed Forces. I like King of America but all the others are hit and miss.

I think Side 1 of Blood And Chocolate might be his best LP side, although Side 2 doesn't follow through. And I never really got with King Of America. But yeah, the first three (first two, especially), Imperial Bedroom, and other bits here and there... when he was good, he was very, very good.

I'll say -

EC

Squeeze



Stranglers








Rats