The Stranglers IV

Throughout the \'70s and early \'80s, it wasn\'t uncommon for British bands—particularly those aligned with punk or new wave—to find their albums either not released in North America or issued in bastardized versions. (Never mind The Beatles; The Clash\'s history-making debut album was held up for years.) *IV* is a North American–only release, with the first five tracks coming from *The Raven*, which hadn\'t been released in the States. The other five tracks were singles and oddities ranging from the 1978 U.K. singles \"5 Minutes\" and \"Rok It to the Moon\" to \"G.m.B.H.\" (an extended version of the 1980 U.K. single \"Bear Cage\") and the then-unreleased \"Vietnamerica,\" which eventually became a b-side for a 1981 single. Considering that *The Raven* was a concept album, it\'s a tad perverse to have the songs jumbled like this. But the rarer nature of the final tracks makes this a necessary addition to any serious Stranglers fan\'s collection.