La folie (album)

La folie is the sixth studio album by English new wave band The Stranglers. It was released on 9 November 1981, through record label Liberty; their first album on the label.

Background

The Stranglers had initially been the most commercially successful band of the punk/new wave period in Britain, but by 1981, their success had waned noticeably. La folie was a conscious attempt to deliver a more commercial product. The band's record company, EMI, sent them into the studio with the record producer, Tony Visconti, giving him a brief to "produce each song as if it was a hit single".

The album's French language title literally translates to "madness". In various interviews, the band related that this referred to "The Madness of Love" and that conceptually, each of the songs on the album was intended to explore a different kind or aspect of "love".^[1] The title track is also said to be based upon the story of Issei Sagawa. Hugh Cornwell related in The Stranglers – Song by Song that the correct title of the album's opening track was "Non Stop Nun", and he apparently had been unaware that the record company had printed it as simply "Non Stop".^[2]

There has been much controversy surrounding the lyrics to "Golden Brown". In his 2001 book The Stranglers Song By Song, Hugh Cornwell clearly states "'Golden Brown' works on two levels. It's about heroin and also about a girl". Essentially, the lyrics describe how "both provided me with pleasurable times".^[3]

Track listing

All lyrics written by The Stranglers (Hugh Cornwell, Jean-Jacques Burnel, Dave Greenfield, Jet Black), except "Ain't Nothin' to It", by Milton Mezzro, all music composed by The Stranglers.

Side A
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Non Stop"	2:29
2.	"Everybody Loves You When You're Dead"	2:41
3.	"Tramp"	3:04
4.	"Let Me Introduce You to the Family"	3:07
5.	"Ain't Nothin' to It"	3:56
6.	"The Man They Love to Hate"	4:22

Side B
No.	Title	Length
7.	"Pin Up"	2:46
8.	"It Only Takes Two to Tango"	3:37
9.	"Golden Brown"	3:28
10.	"How to Find True Love and Happiness in the Present Day"	3:04
11.	"La folie"	6:04

2001 CD reissue bonus tracks
No.	Title	Length
12.	"Cruel Garden"	2:14
13.	"Cocktail Nubiles"	7:08
14.	"Vietnamerica"	4:01
15.	"Love 30"	3:55
16.	"You Hold the Key to My Love in Your Hands"	2:40
17.	"Strange Little Girl"	2:40

Release

La folie was preceded by the release of the album's first single, "Let Me Introduce You to the Family", released on 2 November 1981 and reaching No. 42 in the UK Singles Chart.^[4] La folie was released seven days later.

Upon its release, La folie looked set to be the band's lowest-charting album, but, buoyed by the success of the album's second single, "Golden Brown", released 10 January 1982 and reaching No. 2 in the singles chart,^[4] the album eventually peaked at No. 11 in the UK Albums Chart, spending eighteen weeks in the chart.^[4] The single would go on to become EMI's highest-selling single for many years. One more single was released from the album, the album's title track "La folie", on 20 April 1982, which reached No. 47.^[4]

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[5]
Rock 82	(favorable)^[6]

Trouser Press wrote of the album: "Subtle, effective, mature and energetic – but no outstanding songs."^[7]

Personnel

Hugh Cornwell - guitar, lead and backing vocals
Dave Greenfield - keyboards, backing vocals
Jean-Jacques Burnel - bass, backing and lead vocals
Jet Black - drums, percussion ^[8]

References

↑ Buckley, David (1997). No Mercy: The Authorised and Uncensored Biography of The Stranglers. London: Hodder & Stoughton. ISBN 978-0-340-68062-9.
↑ Cornwell, Hugh (2001). The Stranglers: Song by Song. London: Sanctuary. ISBN 978-1-86074-362-7.
↑ Cornwell, Hugh; Drury, Jim (2001). The Stranglers Song By Song. Sanctuary Publishing Ltd. ISBN 1-86074-362-5.
1 2 3 4 "Stranglers | Artist | Official Charts". officialcharts.com. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
↑ Cleary, David. "La folie – The Stranglers : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. AllRovi. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
↑ Vesić, Dušan. "La Folie, The Stranglers". Rock 82 (in Serbian) (Belgrade: NIP Politika) (13): 7.
↑ Robbins, Ira. "trouserpress.com :: Stranglers". trouserpress.com. Retrieved 30 April 2013.
↑ http://www.discogs.com/Stranglers-La-Folie/release/5444998

External links

La folie at Discogs (list of releases)

The Stranglers

Jet Black J. J. Burnel Dave Greenfield Baz Warne Hugh Cornwell Hans Wärmling Paul Roberts John Ellis

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

Live albums	Live at the Hope and Anchor Live (X Cert) All Live and All of the Night Saturday Night, Sunday Morning Access All Areas The Stranglers and Friends – Live in Concert Friday the Thirteenth Live at the Hammersmith Odeon '81 5 Live 01 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 The Best of the Epic Years The Collection Collection Hits 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 Miss You Gold The Very Best of The Stranglers Decades Apart

Singles	"(Get A) Grip (On Yourself)" "Choosey Susie" "Peaches" "Something Better Change" "No More Heroes" "5 Minutes" "Nice 'n' Sleazy" "Walk On By" "Duchess" "Nuclear Device (The Wizard of Aus)" "Don't Bring Harry" "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" "96 Tears" "Sweet Smell Of Sucess" "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"

Other songs	"Hanging Around" "Tramp"

Special projects	Clubbed to Death

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 Faith Band Soulsec Martin Rushent Celia and the Mutations

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