No More Heroes (album)
No More Heroes | ||||
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Studio album by the Stranglers | ||||
Released | 23 September 1977 | |||
Recorded | January–February 1977, June–July 1977[1][2] | |||
Studio | T.W. Studios (Fulham) | |||
Genre |
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Length | 38:01 | |||
Label | United Artists (UK) A&M (US) | |||
Producer | Martin Rushent | |||
the Stranglers chronology | ||||
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Singles from No More Heroes | ||||
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No More Heroes is the second studio album by English new wave band the Stranglers. It was released on 23 September 1977,[3] through record label United Artists in most of the world and A&M in the United States, five months after their debut album, Rattus Norvegicus.
Background
No More Heroes was produced by Martin Rushent. The album consists of new material with four songs left over from the Rattus Norvegicus sessions ("Something Better Change", "Bitching", "Peasant in the Big Shitty" and "School Mam").[4]
The album cover features a photo of a wreath placed on a coffin with the tails of several rats (the Stranglers' trademark). The brass plaque on the album cover was engraved by Steven Stapleton of Nurse with Wound.[5]
Two singles were released from the album: "No More Heroes", and a double A-side of "Something Better Change" and the non-album track "Straighten Out".
Critical reception
Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Encyclopedia of Popular Music | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Great Rock Discography | 7/10[8] |
Record Collector | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Rolling Stone Album Guide | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
The Oakland Tribune likened the band to "Capt. Beefheart backed by the Ramones."[11] The Guardian noted that "a good organ sound and distinctive vocal tricks [keep] off the encroaching monotony."[12]
AllMusic called No More Heroes "faster, nastier and better [than Rattus Norvegicus]. "At this point the Stranglers were on top of their game, and the ferocity and anger that suffuses this record would never be repeated."[6] Trouser Press wrote that No More Heroes "continues in the same vein [as Rattus Norvegicus], but drops whatever hint of restraint may have been in force the first time around. Rude words and adult themes abound, with no punches pulled, from the blatant sexism of "Bring on the Nubiles" to the sarcastic attack on racism ("I Feel Like a Wog") to the suicide of a friend ("Dagenham Dave"). Despite the increased virulence, the music is even better than on the debut, introducing pop stylings that would later become a more common aspect of the Stranglers' character," finishing the review with "No More Heroes is easily [the Stranglers'] best album."[13]
In 2000 it was voted number 427 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums.[14]
Track listing
All tracks are written by the Stranglers (Hugh Cornwell, Jean-Jacques Burnel, Dave Greenfield, Jet Black)
No. | Title | Lead vocals | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "I Feel Like a Wog" | Hugh Cornwell | 3:16 |
2. | "Bitching" | Jean-Jacques Burnel | 4:25 |
3. | "Dead Ringer" | Dave Greenfield | 2:46 |
4. | "Dagenham Dave" | Burnel | 3:18 |
5. | "Bring on the Nubiles" | Cornwell | 2:15 |
6. | "Something Better Change" | Burnel | 3:35 |
No. | Title | Lead vocals | Length |
---|---|---|---|
7. | "No More Heroes" | Cornwell | 3:27 |
8. | "Peasant in the Big Shitty" | Greenfield | 3:25 |
9. | "Burning Up Time" | Burnel | 2:25 |
10. | "English Towns" | Cornwell | 2:13 |
11. | "School Mam" | Cornwell | 6:52 |
Total length: | 38:01 |
- 1987 CD reissue bonus track (EMI)
No. | Title | Lead vocals | Length |
---|---|---|---|
12. | "5 Minutes" (Non-album single, 1978) | Burnel | 3:18 |
Total length: | 41:19 |
- 1996 CD reissue bonus disc (EMI)
- Disc one as per original album
No. | Title | Lead vocals | Length |
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1. | "Straighten Out" (Double A-side with "Something Better Change") | Cornwell | 2:46 |
2. | "5 Minutes" | 3:18 | |
3. | "Rok It to the Moon" (B-side to "5 Minutes") | Cornwell | 2:47 |
Total length: | 8:51 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
12. | "Straighten Out" | 2:46 |
13. | "5 Minutes" | 3:18 |
14. | "Rok It to the Moon" | 2:47 |
Total length: | 47:09 |
- 2018 CD reissue bonus tracks (Parlophone)
No. | Title | Lead vocals | Length |
---|---|---|---|
12. | "Straighten Out" | 2:46 | |
13. | "In the Shadows" (B-side to "No More Heroes") | Cornwell | 4:37 |
14. | "5 Minutes" | 3:17 | |
15. | "Rok It to the Moon" | 2:47 | |
16. | "No More Heroes" (Promo single edit) | 2:56 | |
Total length: | 54:52 |
Charts and certifications
Weekly charts
Chart | Peak Position | Certifications (sales thresholds) |
---|---|---|
UK Albums Chart[15] | 2 | UK: Gold[16] |
Australian Charts | 79 | |
Dutch Charts[17] | 20 |
Year-end charts
Chart (1977) | Position |
---|---|
UK Albums (OCC)[18] | 32 |
Singles
Single | Chart | Peak Position |
---|---|---|
"Something Better Change" | UK Singles Chart[19] | 9 |
Irish Charts | 29 | |
"No More Heroes" | UK Singles Chart | 8 |
Dutch Charts[20] | 25 |
Personnel
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In popular culture
The popular hack and slash video game series No More Heroes by Grasshopper Manufacture got its name from the album.[21]
References
- ^ Robert Endeacott (1 July 2014). Peaches: A Chronicle Of The Stranglers 1974-1990. Soundcheck Books. pp. 19, 32–33. ISBN 978-0-9575700-4-7.
- ^ Carne, Owen (3 January 2018). "40th anniversary of 1977 – part 2". thestranglers.co.uk. Retrieved 4 February 2022.
- ^ Robert Endeacott (1 July 2014). Peaches: A Chronicle Of The Stranglers 1974-1990. Soundcheck Books. p. 35. ISBN 978-0-9575700-4-7.
- ^ Robert Endeacott (1 July 2014). Peaches: A Chronicle Of The Stranglers 1974-1990. Soundcheck Books. p. 32. ISBN 978-0-9575700-4-7.
- ^ The Freakier Zone. 29 September 2012. BBC 6.
- ^ a b Dougan, John. "No More Heroes – The Stranglers". AllMusic. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2011). "Stranglers". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
- ^ Strong, Martin C. (2002). The Great Rock Discography (6th ed.). Edinburgh: Canongate Books. p. 1012. ISBN 1-84195-312-1.
- ^ 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 18 October 2020.
- ^ The Rolling Stone Album Guide. Random House. 1992. p. 677.
- ^ "Rock & Jazz". Oakland Tribune. 13 November 1977. p. 16E.
- ^ Denselow, Robin (11 October 1977). "New punk for old". The Guardian. p. 8.
- ^ Robbins, Ira. "Stranglers". Trouser Press. Retrieved 27 April 2013.
- ^ Larkin, Colin (2000). All Time Top 1000 Albums (3rd ed.). Virgin Books. p. 157. ISBN 0-7535-0493-6.
- ^ "Rattus Norvegicus". Official Charts. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
- ^ "Stranglers - No More Heroes". bpi. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
- ^ "The Stranglers". Dutch Charts. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
- ^ "Top Albums 1977" (PDF). Music Week. 24 December 1977. p. 14. Archived (PDF) from the original on 9 March 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2021 – via worldradiohistory.com.
- ^ "Stranglers". Official Charts. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
- ^ "The Stranglers". Dutch Charts. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
- ^ "What is No More Heroes based on?". Vintageisthenewold.com. 11 November 2023. Retrieved 13 June 2024.
External links
- No More Heroes at Discogs (list of releases)
- v
- t
- e
- Jean-Jacques Burnel
- Baz Warne
- Jim Macaulay
- Toby Hounsham
- Jet Black
- Hugh Cornwell
- Hans Wärmling
- Dave Greenfield
- John Ellis
- Paul Roberts
- 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 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)
- IV
- The Collection 1977–1982
- Off the Beaten Track
- Singles (The UA Years)
- Greatest Hits 1977–1990
- 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
- "(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"
- "Let Me Introduce You to the Family"
- "Golden Brown"
- "La Folie"
- "Strange Little Girl"
- "European Female"
- "Skin Deep"
- "No Mercy"
- "Always the Sun"
- "All Day and All of the Night"
- "96 Tears"
- "Always the Sun (Sunny Side Up Mix)"
- "Golden Brown" (Re-issue)
- "Lies and Deception"
- "Big Thing Coming"
- "Spectre of Love"
- "Goodbye Toulouse"
- "Hanging Around"
- "Tramp"