The Raven (The Stranglers album)

The Raven
The Raven
Studio album by The Stranglers
Released	15 September 1979
Recorded	June 1979
Studio	Pathé Marconi Studios, Paris; AIR Studios, London
Genre	Post-punk, new wave
Length	41:11
Label	United Artists
Producer	Alan Winstanley and The Stranglers
The Stranglers chronology
Singles from The Raven
	"Duchess"; Released: 10 August 1979; "Nuclear Device (The Wizard of Aus)"; Released: 1979;

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[2]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music	^[3]
Record Collector	^[4]
Record Mirror	^[5]
Smash Hits	6½/10^[6]
Sounds	^[7]

The Stranglers – Dead Loss Angeles

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An excerpt from "Dead Loss Angeles"

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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.

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").^[8]

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.^[9]

The album was originally released with a limited-edition 3D cover. Another limited edition had to be 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.^[9] "Nuclear Device (The Wizard of Aus)" was the second single released; this reached No. 36 on the same chart.^[9] 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.^[9]

Track listing[]

All tracks are written by The Stranglers.

Side A
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Longships"	1:10
2.	"The Raven"	5:13
3.	"Dead Loss Angeles"	2:24
4.	"Ice"	3:26
5.	"Baroque Bordello"	3:50
6.	"Nuclear Device (The Wizard of Aus)"	3:32

Side B
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Shah Shah a Go Go"	4:50
2.	"(Don't Bring) Harry"	4:09
3.	"Duchess"	2:30
4.	"Meninblack"	4:48
5.	"Genetix"	5:16

2001 CD reissue bonus tracks
No.	Title	Length
12.	"Bear Cage"	2:50
13.	"Fools Rush Out"	2:09
14.	"N'Emmenes Pas Harry"	4:14
15.	"Yellowcake UF₆"	2:55

Personnel[]

The Stranglers

Hugh Cornwell – guitar, vocals, bass guitar ("Dead Loss Angeles"), production
Jean-Jacques Burnel – bass guitar, vocals, production
Dave Greenfield – keyboards, vocals, production
Jet Black – drums, production

Technical

Alan Winstanley – production, engineering, mixing
Steve Churchyard – mixing
Porky – mastering
BilBo – mastering
John Pasche – sleeve design
Shoot That Tiger! – sleeve design
Chris Ryan – sleeve photography
Toppan – sleeve photography
Paul Cox – sleeve photography
Allan Ballard – sleeve photography

^[10]

References[]

^ Twomey, Chris (1992). The Stranglers - The Men They Love To Hate. EMI Records Ltd. p. 82.
^ Cleary, David. "The Raven – The Stranglers". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
^ Larkin, Colin (2011). "Stranglers". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
^ Peacock, Tim (April 2018). "The Stranglers – Rattus Norvegicus, No More Heroes, Black And White, Live (X Cert), The Raven, The Gospel According To The Meninblack, La Folie". Record Collector. No. 478. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
^ Nicholls, Mike (15 September 1979). "Strangler Than Fiction". Record Mirror. p. 13.
^ Starr, Red (18–31 October 1979). "Albums". Smash Hits. Vol. 1 no. 23. p. 29.
^ McCullough, Dave (1979). "The Stranglers: The Raven". Sounds.
^ Marszalek, Julian (4 March 2014). "Mr Dojo Rising: JJ Burnel Of The Stranglers Interviewed". The Quietus. Retrieved 28 March 2021.
^ Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d "Stranglers". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
^ The Stranglers - Raven at Discogs - the inner sleeve lists all the credits

External links[]

The Raven at Discogs (list of releases)
The Raven information, including original sleeve art

[twomey-1] Twomey, Chris (1992). The Stranglers - The Men They Love To Hate. EMI Records Ltd. p. 82.

[allmusic-2] Cleary, David. "The Raven – The Stranglers". AllMusic. Retrieved 30 April 2013.

[larkin-3] Larkin, Colin (2011). "Stranglers". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.

[recordcollector-4] Peacock, Tim (April 2018). "The Stranglers – Rattus Norvegicus, No More Heroes, Black And White, Live (X Cert), The Raven, The Gospel According To The Meninblack, La Folie". Record Collector. No. 478. Retrieved 2 November 2020.

[recordmirror-5] Nicholls, Mike (15 September 1979). "Strangler Than Fiction". Record Mirror. p. 13.

[smashhits-6] Starr, Red (18–31 October 1979). "Albums". Smash Hits. Vol. 1 no. 23. p. 29.

[sounds-7] McCullough, Dave (1979). "The Stranglers: The Raven". Sounds.

[quietus-8] Marszalek, Julian (4 March 2014). "Mr Dojo Rising: JJ Burnel Of The Stranglers Interviewed". The Quietus. Retrieved 28 March 2021.

[UK_charts-9] Jump up to: ^a ^b ^c ^d "Stranglers". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 2 November 2020.

[discogs-10] The Stranglers - Raven at Discogs - the inner sleeve lists all the credits

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hide v t The Stranglers
Jet Black Jean-Jacques Burnel Baz Warne Jim Macaulay Hugh Cornwell Dave Greenfield Paul Roberts John Ellis Hans Wärmling Ian Barnard
Studio albums	Rattus Norvegicus No More Heroes Black and White The Raven The Gospel According to the Meninblack La folie Feline Aural Sculpture Dreamtime 10 Stranglers in the Night About Time Written in Red Coup de Grace Norfolk Coast Suite XVI Giants Dark Matters
Live albums	Live at the Hope and Anchor Live (X Cert) All Live and All of the Night Saturday Night, Sunday Morning The Stranglers and Friends – Live in Concert Friday the Thirteenth Live at the Hammersmith Odeon '81 Live at the Apollo Apollo Revisited Coast to Coast: Live on Tour Live at the Apollo 2010 (DVD & CD)
Compilations	IV The Collection 1977–1982 Off the Beaten Track Rarities (1998) Singles (The UA Years) Greatest Hits 1977–1990 All Twelve Inches The Early Years '74 '75 '76 Rare Live and Unreleased Strangled from Birth and Beyond The Sessions The Hit Men Collection The Stranglers The Masters Lies and Deception Peaches: The Very Best of The Stranglers Rarities (2002) Out of the Black Sweet Smell of Success – Best of the Epic Years Live 'n' Sleazy Gold The Very Best of The Stranglers Decades Apart
Singles	"(Get A) Grip (On Yourself)" "Peaches" "Something Better Change" "No More Heroes" "5 Minutes" "Nice 'n' Sleazy" "Walk On By" "Duchess" "Nuclear Device (The Wizard of Aus)" "Bear Cage" "Who Wants the World?" "Thrown Away" "Just Like Nothing On Earth" "Let Me Introduce You to the Family" "Golden Brown" "La Folie" "Strange Little Girl" "European Female" "Midnight Summer Dream" "Paradise" "Skin Deep" "No Mercy" "Let Me Down Easy" "Nice in Nice" "Always the Sun" "Big in America" "Shakin' Like a Leaf" "All Day and All of the Night" "Grip '89" "96 Tears" "Sweet Smell of Success" "Always the Sun (Sunny Side Up Mix)" "Golden Brown" (Re-issue) "Heaven or Hell" "Sugar Bullets" "Lies and Deception" "In Heaven She Walks" "Big Thing Coming" "Long Black Veil" "Spectre of Love" "Retro Rockets" "Mercury Rising" "And If You Should See Dave" "If Something's Gonna Kill Me (It Might As Well Be Love)"
Other songs	"Tramp"
DVD releases	The Collection 1977–1982 Live At Alexandra Palace Friday the Thirteenth Euro Live On Stage on Screen Rattus at the Roundhouse Live at the Apollo 2010 (DVD & CD)
Related	Discography Soulsec Celia and the Mutations