(I'm) Stranded

(I'm) Stranded is the debut album by Australian punk rock group The Saints which was released by EMI on 21 February 1977. Their debut single, "(I'm) Stranded", was issued ahead of the album in September 1976, which Sounds magazine's reviewer, Jonh Ingham, declared was the "Single of this and every week". "Erotic Neurotic" was the second single, which was released in May 1977 and the group relocated to the United Kingdom. In June, bass guitarist Algy Ward replaced Bradshaw and the group issued a single, "This Perfect Day" in July, which peaked in the Top 40 on the UK Singles Chart.

(I'm) Stranded
Studio album by
The Saints
Released21 February 1977
RecordedJune, December 1976
StudioWindow Studios, Brisbane
GenrePunk rock
Length34:33
LabelEMI (Australia)
Harvest (original UK release)
Sire (original US release)
Captain Oi! (1999 UK CD release)
4 Men with Beards (2003 US LP reissue)
ProducerMark Moffatt, Rod Coe
The Saints chronology
(I'm) Stranded
(1977)		 Eternally Yours
(1978)
Singles from (I'm) Stranded
  1. "(I'm) Stranded"
    Released: September 1976
  2. "Erotic Neurotic"
    Released: May 1977

In May 2001, Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) celebrated its 75th anniversary and named "(I'm) Stranded" in its Top 30 Australian songs of all time. In 2007, 'I'm Stranded' was one of the first 20 songs added to the National Film and Sound Archive's Sounds of Australia registry. Their debut album was listed at No. 20 in the book, 100 Best Australian Albums, in October 2010.

Background

The Saints formed in Brisbane in 1973 with original members Chris Bailey (singer-songwriter, later guitarist), Ed Kuepper (guitarist-songwriter), and Ivor Hay (drummer).[1][2] In 1975, Kym Bradshaw joined on bass guitar.[1] Contemporaneous with Ramones, the group were employing the fast tempos, raucous vocals and "buzz saw" guitar that characterised early punk rock. Kuepper explained that they played faster and faster as they were nervous in front of audiences.[3] According to Australian rock historian, Ian McFarlane, they had developed their "own distinctive sound as defined by Kuepper's frenetic, whirlwind guitar style and Bailey's arrogant snarl".[1]

In June 1976, The Saints recorded two tracks, "(I'm) Stranded" and "No Time" with Mark Moffatt producing.[2][4] Unable to find an interested label, they formed Fatal Records and independently released the two tracks as their debut single in September 1976.[4] Their self-owned Eternal Promotions sent discs to radio stations and magazines both in Australia – with little local interest – and the United Kingdom.[1] In the UK, a small label, Power Exchange, issued the single.[4] Sounds magazine's reviewer Jonh Ingham declared it, "Single of this and every week".[5][6] EMI head office in London contacted the Sydney branch and directed that they be signed to a three-album contract.[6]

Over two days in December, the group recorded their first LP album, (I'm) Stranded (21 February 1977), with Rod Coe producing.[1][2] Kuepper said later that the album was "basically our live set and were also the oldest songs. And in particularly with 'Nights In Venice' and 'Messin' With The Kid', they were the first two songs we ever did."[7] It included a cover version of The Missing Links' track "Wild About You".[8] On the single tracks "(I'm) Stranded" and "No Time", Kuepper's guitar was tuned up a semitone, to emulate Bo Diddley. The other eight tracks were recorded over a weekend in December 1976. Kuepper used Mark Moffatt's 1960 Fender Super amp with no effect pedals on (I'm) Stranded and No Time. On the remainder of the album he used a vocal PA as his guitar amp, after his live amp had "blown up", and an MXR Distortion Plus pedal. The band recorded the tracks live, though with the guitar amp in the corridor to avoid spill.[7]

The band supported AC/DC in late December 1976 and, early in 1977, relocated to Sydney.[1]

EMI re-issued the single "(I'm) Stranded" in February 1977 and it reached the Kent Music Report Top 100 Singles Chart.[9] In May 1977, the band released their second single, "Erotic Neurotic" and then moved to the UK, where they differed with their label over how they should be marketed.[1][3] EMI planned to promote them as a typical punk band, complete with ripped clothes and spiky hair – The Saints insisted on maintaining a more downbeat image.[1][10]

In 2007, (I'm) Stranded was reissued as a CD with bonus tracks including the EP One Two Three Four and the single version of "This Perfect Day".

Reception
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[11]
Christgau's Record GuideB+[12]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music[13]
MusicHound Rock[14]
Q[15]
Record Mirror[16]
Uncut[17]

Contemporary reviews

Kris Needs in ZigZag May 1977 called it a "rip-snorter of an album" and "one hell of an album, although it's a bit patchy."[18]

Robot A. Hull in Creem December 1977, reviewing the US edition released on Sire, said the Saints "easily match the savage revolt of bands like the Clash and the Jam" and called (I'm Stranded) "a pistol shot of an album worth getting stewed over."[19]

The Village Voice's Robert Christgau wrote, "intermittent hooks, droning feedback, shouted vocals, and oldie about incest, this album from Australia achieves the great mean of punk style".[20]

Retrospective reviews

In his review of (I'm) Stranded, Jack Rabid of AllMusic declared that "[T]he Saints sparked the Far East punk rock movement with a blasting, blistering, scorching sound no one had heard before". Although eight of the tracks showed a "heavy, buzzing racket ... borders on unintelligible, they're so cheaply recorded".[11]

McFarlane described it as "full of rough, exhilarating rock'n'roll noise, and it remains one of the greatest debut albums of the era".[1]

John Ballon of MustHear writes the album is "a devastating listen, loaded with the same irresistible power ... [and] has all the intense purity of a band hell bent on making a racket, regardless of its commercial viability".[21]

Accolades

In May 2001, Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) celebrated its 75th anniversary and named "(I'm) Stranded" in its Top 30 Australian songs of all time.[22] In 2007, "I'm Stranded" was one of the first 20 songs stored on the National Film and Sound Archive's Sounds of Australia registry.[23] Their debut album was listed at No. 20 in the book 100 Best Australian Albums in October 2010.[24] Fact ranked it the 20th best album of the 1970s in 2014, calling it "easily one of the best – and probably the noisiest – albums to emerge from punk’s first wave."[25]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Chris Bailey and Ed Kuepper except where shown[nb 1].

Side A
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."(I'm) Stranded" 3:33
2."One Way Street" 2:56
3."Wild About You"Andy James2:36
4."Messin' with the Kid" 5:55
5."Erotic Neurotic" 4:07
Side B
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."No Time" 2:48
2."Kissin' Cousins"Fred Wise, Randy Starr2:00
3."Story of Love"Kuepper3:12
4."Demolition Girl"Kuepper1:42
5."Nights in Venice"Kuepper5:41
Total length:34:33
1997 CD release bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Lipstick on Your Collar"George Goehring, Edna Lewis2:37
12."River Deep – Mountain High"Phil Spector, Jeff Barry, Ellie Greenwich3:55
Total length:41:04
2007 CD release bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
11."Untitled" (out-take) 2:56
12."This Perfect Day" (single version) 2:12
13."Lies" 2:05
14."Do the Robot"Kuepper2:44
15."Lipstick on Your Collar"Goehring, Lewis2:35
16."One Way Street" 2:52
17."Demolition Girl"Kuepper1:59
18."River Deep – Mountain High"Spector, Barry, Greenwich3:53
Total length:55:51

Personnel

Notes
  2. Credits according to album notes:
    • 1977 Australian version.[32]
    • 1997 CD version.[33]
    • 2007 CD version.[34]

References
General
  • McFarlane, Ian (1999). "Whammo Homepage". Encyclopedia of Australian Rock and Pop. St Leonards, NSW: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86508-072-1. Archived from the original on 5 April 2004. Retrieved 9 April 2011. Note: Archived [on-line] copy has limited functionality.
  • Spencer, Chris; Zbig Nowara; Paul McHenry (2002) [1987]. The Who's Who of Australian Rock. Noble Park, Vic: Five Mile Press. ISBN 1-86503-891-1.[35]
Specific
  1. McFarlane, 'The Saints' entry. Archived from the original on 9 October 2004. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  2. Holmgren, Magnus. "The Saints". Australian Rock Database. Magnus Holmgren. Archived from the original on 17 October 2013. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
  3. Cockington, James (August 2001). "Sunshine Sounds". Long Way to the Top. Sydney, NSW: ABC Books (Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)). pp. 210–217. ISBN 0-7333-0750-7.
  4. Nimmervoll, Ed. "The Saints". Howlspace. White Room Electronic Publishing Pty Ltd. Archived from the original on 28 March 2001. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
  5. Stafford, Andrew (2006). Pig City: from The Saints to Savage Garden (2d rev. ed.). Brisbane: University of Queensland Press. pp. 57–76. ISBN 0-7022-3561-X.
  6. Jenkins, Jeff; Meldrum, Ian (2007). Molly Meldrum presents 50 years of rock in Australia. Melbourne: Wilkinson Publishing. pp. 252–253. ISBN 978-1-921332-11-1.
  7. Matera, Joe (2004). "I'm Stranded: Ed Kuepper on the Making of the Saints' Classic Debut". Australian Guitar.
  8. McFarlane, 'The Missing Links' entry. Archived from the original on 23 August 2004. Retrieved 10 April 2011.
  9. Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992. St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book Ltd. ISBN 0-646-11917-6. Note: Used for Australian Singles and Albums charting from 1974 until Australian Recording Industry Association (ARIA) created their own charts in mid-1988. In 1992, Kent back calculated chart positions for 1970–1974.
  10. "The Saints". J Files Page. Triple J (Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)). 30 November 2000. Archived from the original on 18 November 2008. Retrieved 9 April 2011.
  11. Rabid, Jack. "(I'm) Stranded – The Saints". AllMusic. Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  12. Christgau, Robert (1981). "The Saints: (I'm) Stranded". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor and Fields. ISBN 0-899-19026-X. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
  13. Larkin, Colin (2011). "Saints". The Encyclopedia of Popular Music (5th concise ed.). Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-0-85712-595-8.
  14. Gary Graff, ed. (1996). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide (1st ed.). London: Visible Ink Press. ISBN 978-0-7876-1037-1.
  15. "The Saints: (I'm) Stranded". Q. No. 171. London. December 2000. p. 151.
  16. Cain, Barry (12 March 1977). "St. Stranded". Record Mirror. London. p. 14.
  17. "The Saints: (I'm) Stranded". Uncut. No. 39. London. August 2000. p. 99.
  18. Needs, Kris (May 1977). "The Saints: I'm Stranded". ZigZag. London. Retrieved 3 April 2019 – via Rock's Backpages.
  19. Hull, Robot A. (December 1977). "The Saints: (I'm) Stranded (Sire)". Creem. Detroit. Retrieved 3 April 2019 – via Rock's Backpages.
  20. Christgau, Robert (31 October 1977). "Christgau's Consumer Guide". The Village Voice. New York. Retrieved 29 April 2013.
  21. Ballon, John (27 December 2008). "The Saints – (I'm) Stranded". MustHear. John Ballon. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
  22. Kruger, Debbie (2 May 2001). "The Songs That Resonate Through the Years". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Archived from the original on 1 April 2014. Retrieved 19 April 2011.
  23. "About the Registry". Sounds of Australia. National Film and Sound Archive. Archived from the original on 17 February 2011. Retrieved 16 January 2011.
  24. O'Donnell, John; Creswell, Toby; Mathieson, Craig (October 2010). 100 Best Australian Albums. Prahran, Vic: Hardie Grant Books. pp. 78–79, 124–125. ISBN 978-1-74066-955-9.
  25. "The 100 best albums of the 1970s". FACT Magazine. 14 July 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2020.
  26. "Works written by: Christopher James Mannix Bailey". ACE Title Search. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  27. "Works written by: Edmund Kuepper". ACE Title Search. American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP). Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  28. ""Wild About You" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  29. ""Kissin' Cousins" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  30. ""Lipstick on Your Collar" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  31. ""River Deep – Mountain High" at APRA search engine". Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA). Retrieved 23 April 2011.
  32. (I'm) Stranded (LP). The Saints. Australia: EMI. 1977. EMC 2570.CS1 maint: others (link)
  33. (I'm) Stranded (CD). The Saints. United States: Triple X Entertainment. 1997. 51243-2.CS1 maint: others (link)
  34. (I'm) Stranded (CD). The Saints. Australia: EMI. 2007. 00371.CS1 maint: others (link)
  35. "Who's who of Australian rock / compiled by Chris Spencer, Zbig Nowara & Paul McHenry". catalogue. National Library of Australia. Archived from the original on 14 June 2011. Retrieved 9 April 2011. Note: [on-line] version established at White Room Electronic Publishing Pty Ltd Archived 29 February 2012 at the Wayback Machine in 2007 and was expanded from the 2002 edition. As from September 2010, [on-line] version appears to have an Internal Service Error.
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