Audacious April.

[Sweder]

I'm still trying to figure out what the hell Nuclear Device is all about *. . .

*. . .I think the "nuclear device" in question was probably just wild-eyed speculation about the construction of a nuclear power plant. As far as I can see, B-P never stated a lust for nuclear weapons . . .

Not sure on the historical accurracy here . . . the Stranglers rarely allowed hard facts to get in the way of a good song, but the lyric

I sell desert stretches like a big rubber glove
To Japan for a Nuclear Device

indicates (to me at least) that we wasn't so much swapping land for a bomb, rather selling the land for the Japs to test on. The line

All the animals look so strange
All victims of a testing range

seems to support this theory.

Something I always liked about that track was the clever interaction of the chorus at the end. The boys sing in a 'round' - like we did in school with Frere Jacques - and at one point the words overlap beautifully -

Getting rid of Abos one by one and
Way down under Australia

combine to make it sound like

Getting rid of Stranglers one by one

They didn't just throw this stuff together you know

Go Buddy Go was my absolute favorite track for ages.
Then I bought Rattus Norvegicus - the first LP purchased with my own brass - and fell in love with London Lady, Princess of the Streets, Down In The Sewer and, of course, Ugly.

It's only the children of the f***in wealthy that turn out to be good-looking . . .

[SIZE="1"]Go Buddy Go was released as a single - double A side with Peaches - but also on a bonus CD with Rattus along with Choosy Suzie. Check out Celia and the Mutations and Celia and the Fabulous Mutations - the Stranglers were Celia's backing band. They did a mean cover of Mean To Me and perhaps the definitive version of Mony Mony, including a blood-curdling contribution from JJ Burnel on backing vocals. Great stuff.[/SIZE]