The Stranglers - European Female (Epic)

Lilting melodic stuff given soft but firm propulsion by a foursome who've always shown scant regard for females of any nationality. They've somehow mastered the subtle art of appearing all sweetness and light while somehow remaining distinctly untrustworthy. A hit? I fear not. (Ian Birch, Smash Hits, January 6, 1983)

The Stranglers - Let Me Down Easy (Epic)

The days of sexism and chauvinism are long gone and a more mature, mellower sounding bunch of musical murderers take to the turntable. This is another track from the excellent 'Aural Sculpture' LP and well worth lending an ear to. Ironically, with a name like theirs, Hugh is asking for a peaceful and painless end when his number is finally called. And to add sympathy to his emotive plea, he's wearing a plaster over his left eye on the cover pic - a late contribution to the Band Aid venture? (Diane Cross, Record Mirror, February 9, 1985)

After the shifting, whispering moods of "Skin Deep", this is a glaring disappointment. Doesn't actually sound like The Stranglers at all, more like some hit offering from some continental group no-one's ever heard of. Very weedy and on the cover, Hugh Cornwell is wearing sticky plaster above his left eye. What on earth is the meaning of this? (Tom Hibbert, Smash Hits, February 14, 1985)

If you're not a Stranglers fan already then this song certainly isn't going to persuade you. And if you're a Doors fan, one listen will probably have you after Hugh Cornwell's blood! This is a drab and draggy affair with the worst keyboards break I've heard in a long time. Take it away, boys . . . far away. (Ursula Kenny, No 1, February 9, 1985)

The Stranglers - Nice In Nice (Epic)

A rags to riches tale that bobs along with an alarming lack of dignity. The lads have had their moments of glittering glory - this ain't another to add to the roster. Either a piss-take or twee in the extreme. Return to suntanned senders and assign cold showers at random. (Lesley O'Toole, Record Mirror, August 16, 1986)

'Nice', as in pleasant, opposite to nasty or horrid; 'Nice' as in v. chic city on the Cote D'Azur in the South of France. Clever, eh? This is quite a good song about a spoilt girl who's 'got diamond rings from her Dad.' I like Hugh Cornwell because he hisses when he sings and I'll always have a soft spot for The Stranglers because they once did a song, "Go Buddy Go", which went "Boooooooogie!" (Simon Hills, Smash Hits, August 13, 1986)

Oh dear. Another rich-girl-who's-going-to-break-all-the-boys-hearts saga. In the old days if some tarty rich girl had tried to break one of the Men in Black's hearts they would have broken her jaw and kicked her in the shins for good measure. These days they just sit there and take it. Oh, how the mighty have fallen. A dirge. 2/5 (Pat Thomas, No 1, August 16, 1986)

The Stranglers - Strange Little Girl (Liberty)

Dear me, "Golden Brown" and now this. Even the nasty rough Stranglers have gone all mellow and soft in the middle. They're much better this way, actually, even though this one sounds suspiciously psychedelic. A hit, probably. (Dave Rimmer, Smash Hits, July 22, 1982)