Rattus Norvegicus (album) - Composition

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Rattus Norvegicus (alternative title The Stranglers IV) is the debut studio album by the Stranglers, released on 15 April 1977.

Rattus Norvegicus

Studio album by

the Stranglers

Released

15 April 1977

Recorded

January–February 1977[1]

Studio

T.W. Studios, Fulham, England
Mixed at Olympic Studios, Barnes, London

Genre

Punk rock[2]
new wave[3]
pub rock[3]
art punk[2]

Length

40:05

Label

United Artists (UK)
A&M (US)

Producer

Martin Rushent

The Stranglers chronology

Rattus Norvegicus
(1977)

No More Heroes
(1977)

Singles from Rattus Norvegicus

"(Get A) Grip (On Yourself)"
Released: 28 January 1977
"Peaches"
Released: 21 May 1977

It was one of the highest-selling albums of the punk era in Britain, eventually achieving platinum record sales. Two of its tracks, "Peaches" and "(Get A) Grip (On Yourself)", were released as 7-inch singles in the UK.

Background

The album was originally going to be titled Dead on Arrival but it was changed at the last minute.[4] The Stranglers IV prefix was a deliberate attempt by the band to cause confusion.[5] The released title is the taxonomic name for the common brown rat. The album was produced in one week by Martin Rushent and was a snapshot of the band's live set at the time.

The first 10,000 copies of the original vinyl release included a free 7-inch single, containing "Peasant in the Big Shitty" (live) and "Choosey Susie".[6] The album launch party was held in the Water Rat pub on the King's Road, in the World's End district of Chelsea.[7]

Remastered versions of the album were reissued on CD in 1996, 2001 and 2018, and included additional tracks.

Lyrics

According to the book The Stranglers-Song by Song, "Sometimes" describes a violent argument with a girlfriend.[8] The same girlfriend is the subject of "Strange Little Girl" which was written earlier by Cornwell and Hans Wärmling.[9] "Goodbye Toulouse" describes the destruction of Toulouse predicted by Nostradamus.[10]

"London Lady" is loosely based on a contemporary female journalist,[11] and "Hanging Around" describes the characters found in the London pubs where the band performed.[12] In 1981, it was covered by Hazel O'Connor on her third album, Cover Plus, and released by her as a single that same year.

"(Get a) Grip (On Yourself)" is based on the band's life in their Chiddingfold squat. It features Eric Clarke, a Welsh coal miner friend of the band's manager Dai Davies, on saxophone.[13] "Ugly" mentions the poem Ozymandias.[14]

"Down in the Sewer" has four sections: "Falling", "Down in the Sewer", "Trying to Get Out Again", and "Rat's Rally". The 'sewer' refers to London.[15] Lyrically the song references an episode of the 1975 post-apocalyptic BBC TV drama Survivors titled "Lights of London", where the protagonists leave the safety of a farming community to head for the city, which they find can only be entered through a rat-infested sewer.

Reception and legacy

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[16]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[17]
The Great Rock Discography	8/10[18]
Mojo	[19]
Record Collector	[20]
Record Mirror	[21]
Sounds	[22]
The Village Voice	C[23]

Rattus Norvegicus was ranked at No. 10 among the top albums of the year for 1977 by NME, with "Peaches" ranked at No. 18 among the year's top tracks.[24] NME later ranked it at No. 196 on its 2014 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.[25] In 2000, Rattus Norvegicus was voted number 766 in Colin Larkin's All Time Top 1000 Albums.[26] It was also included in Robert Dimery's 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.[27]

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.[28]

Track listing

All tracks are written by the Stranglers (Hugh Cornwell, Jean-Jacques Burnel, Dave Greenfield, Jet Black).

Side A
No.	Title	Lead vocals	Length
1.	"Sometimes"	Hugh Cornwell	4:56
2.	"Goodbye Toulouse"	Cornwell	3:12
3.	"London Lady"	Jean-Jacques Burnel	2:25
4.	"Princess of the Streets"	Burnel	4:34
5.	"Hanging Around"	Cornwell	4:25

Side B
No.	Title	Lead vocals	Length
6.	"Peaches"	Cornwell	4:03
7.	"(Get A) Grip (On Yourself)"	Cornwell	3:55
8.	"Ugly"	Burnel	4:03
9.	"Down in the Sewer" a. "Falling" b. "Down in the Sewer" c. "Trying to Get Out Again" d. "Rats Rally"	Cornwell	7:30
Total length:			40:05

Free single

No.	Title	Lead vocals	Length
1.	"Peasant in the Big Shitty" (live^a)	Dave Greenfield	3:42
2.	"Choosey Susie"	Burnel	3:14
Total length:			6:56

1996 CD reissue bonus disc (EMI)

Disc one as per original album

Disc two
No.	Title	Lead vocals	Length
1.	"Choosey Susie"		3:14
2.	"Go Buddy Go" (B-side to "Peaches")	Burnel	3:58
3.	"Peasant in the Big Shitty" (live)		3:42
Total length:			10:54

2001 CD bonus tracks

No.	Title	Length
10.	"Choosey Susie"	3:14
11.	"Go Buddy Go"	3:58
12.	"Peasant in the Big Shitty" (live)	3:42
Total length:		50:59

2018 CD reissue bonus tracks (Parlophone)

(Associated recordings)
No.	Title	Length
10.	"Choosey Susie"	3:13
11.	"Peasant in the Big Shitty" (live)	3:39
12.	"Go Buddy Go"	3:58
13.	"Peaches" (Airplay version)	4:07
14.	"Grip '89 (Get A) Grip (On Yourself)" (1989 single remix)	4:01
15.	"Grip '89" (12" Grippin' Stuff Mix)	5:38
Total length:		64:42

^a Live at The Nashville pub in West Kensington, 10 Dec 1976[29]

Charts and certifications

Weekly charts

Chart	Peak Position	Certifications (sales thresholds)
UK Albums Chart[30]	4	UK: Platinum[31]
Australian Charts	82	UK: Platinum[31]

Year-end charts

Chart (1977)	Position
UK Albums (OCC)[32]	21

Singles

Single	Chart	Peak Position	Certifications (sales thresholds)
"(Get a) Grip (On Yourself)"	UK Singles Chart[33]	44
"(Get a) Grip (On Yourself)"	New Zealand Chart	35
"Peaches"	UK Singles Chart	8	UK: Silver[34]
"Peaches"	Australian Chart	54	UK: Silver[34]

Personnel

Credits adapted from the album liner notes.[35]

The Stranglers

Hugh Cornwell – guitars, lead and backing vocals
Jean-Jacques Burnel – bass guitar, lead and backing vocals
Dave Greenfield – keyboards (Hammond L100 Organ, Hohner Cembalet electric piano, Minimoog synthesizer), backing and lead vocals
Jet Black – drums, percussion

Additional musicians

Eric Clarke – tenor saxophone ("(Get A) Grip (On Yourself)")

Technical

Martin Rushent – production
Alan Winstanley – engineering
Doug Bennett – mixing engineering
Benny King – mixing engineering assistance
Vic Maile (with the Island Mobile) – engineering ("Peasant in the Big Shitty")[36]
Barry Cooder – remixing ("Grip '89")[37]
Taff B. Dylan – remixing ("Grip '89")[37]
Trevor Rogers – sleeve photography
Paul Henry – sleeve design, art direction

References

Twomey 1992, pp. 26–29.
Dougan, John. "No More Heroes - The Stranglers | Songs, Reviews, Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 18 April 2022.
Hughes, Rob (6 May 2020). "The Stranglers: a guide to their best albums". Classic Rock. Retrieved 5 June 2021.
Buckley 1997, p. 75.
Twomey 1992, p. 30.
Twomey 1992, p. 54.
Carne, Owen (12 February 2011). "Memorabilia-Rattus Norvegicus-Miscellaneous". thestranglers.co.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
Cornwell & Drury 2001, p. 15.
Cornwell 2004, pp. 98–99.
Cornwell & Drury 2001, p. 19.
Cornwell & Drury 2001, p. 22.
Cornwell & Drury 2001, p. 27.
Cornwell & Drury 2001, pp. 33–34.
Cornwell & Drury 2001, pp. 36–37.
Cornwell & Drury 2001, pp. 38–43.
Cleary, David. "Rattus Norvegicus – The Stranglers". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 October 2011.
Larkin 2011.
Strong, Martin C. (2002). The Great Rock Discography (6th ed.). Edinburgh: Canongate Books. p. 1012. ISBN 1-84195-312-1.
Cameron, Keith (November 2016). "Ages of Hugh". Mojo. No. 276. p. 47.
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 17 October 2020.
Cain, Barry (23 April 1977). "Gripping Stranglers". Record Mirror. p. 14.
de Whalley, Chas (16 April 1977). "The Stranglers: IV Rattus Norvegicus (United Artists)". Sounds. Retrieved 11 November 2020 – via Rock's Backpages.
Christgau, Robert (5 September 1977). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. Archived from the original on 18 June 2017. Retrieved 8 July 2017.
"1977 Best Albums And Tracks Of The Year". NME. 10 October 2016. Archived from the original on 20 December 2016. Retrieved 25 November 2016.
"The 500 Greatest Albums Of All Time: 200–101". NME. 25 October 2013. Archived from the original on 30 March 2017. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
Larkin 2000, p. 242.
Dimery 2006.
"The Cure on 4C+" Robert Smith interview. Canal plus. 11 December 1985. Retrieved 7 June 2015 on youtube.
Note: "The Nashville" was later renamed "The Three Kings" and is situated next door to the exit from West Kensington Tube Station
"Rattus Norvegicus". Official Charts. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
"Stranglers - Rattus Norvegicus". bpi. 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.
"Stranglers - Peaches". bpi. Retrieved 6 June 2019.
"IV Rattus Norvegicus (Parlophone, 2018)". Discogs. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
Carne, Owen (15 December 2011). "Live recording Nashville Rooms December 1976". thestranglers.co.uk. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
"Grip '89 (Get A) Grip (On Yourself)". Discogs. Retrieved 15 February 2022.

Bibliography

Buckley, David (1997). No Mercy: The Authorised and Uncensored Biography of The Stranglers. London: Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 0-340-68062-8.
Cornwell, Hugh (2004). A Multitude of Sins. London: HarperCollins Publishers. ISBN 0-00-719082-4.
Cornwell, Hugh; Drury, Jim (2001). The Stranglers: Song by Song. London: Sanctuary Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-86074-362-5.
Dimery, Robert, ed. (2006). 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die (revised and updated ed.). New York: Universe Publishing. ISBN 0-7893-1371-5.
Larkin, Colin (2000). All Time Top 1000 Albums (3rd ed.). London: Virgin Books. ISBN 0-7535-0493-6.
Larkin, Colin (2011). "Stranglers". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). London: Omnibus Press. ISBN 0-85712-595-8.
Twomey, Chris (1992). The Stranglers - The Men They Love To Hate. EMI Records Ltd. p. 105.

External links

v t e The Stranglers
Jean-Jacques Burnel Baz Warne Jim Macaulay Toby Hounsham Jet Black Hugh Cornwell Hans Wärmling Dave Greenfield John Ellis Paul Roberts
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 (1988) 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
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" "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"
Other songs	"Goodbye Toulouse" "Hanging Around" "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

На других языках

[de] Rattus Norvegicus (Album)

Rattus Norvegicus ist das Debütalbum der britischen Band The Stranglers. Das Album fiel in die Blütezeit des Punk in Großbritannien. Es wurde im April 1977 von United Artists veröffentlicht und erreichte Position 4 der britischen Albumcharts, was es zu einem der erfolgreichsten Alben der britischen Punk-Ära machte.

- [en] Rattus Norvegicus (album)

[ru] Rattus Norvegicus (альбом)

Rattus Norvegicus — дебютный студийный альбом британской рок-группы The Stranglers, записанный в двух студиях — T.W. Studios (Фулем) и Olympic Studios (Барнс)[1] — продюсером Мартином Рашентом и звукоинженером Аланом Уинстэнли и выпущенный 15 апреля 1977 года компанией United Artists. Первоначальное название, Dead on Arrival, было заменено в последний момент. Альбом поднялся до #4 в UK Albums Chart[2].

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