GRAPTHAR'S SONG OF THE DAY: THE SAINTS "(I'M) STRANDED"

grapthar (74)in #music • 6 years ago

The Saints - (I'm) Stranded

The Saints are a really cool band,

formed in Brisbane, Australia in the mid/late '70s, and are known for their amazing debut album, with the same title as this song. It was recorded in 1976, and released in 1977. I feel like in the US, this album doesn't get the same credit as it does around the world. It was HUGE in England and Australia, and is considered one of the seminal punk rock records of that era. I actually hadn't discovered this album until this year, which is odd, because looking back at the band, I've realized just how important they were, and how much they influenced the punk bands of England in the late '70s.

Listen to (I'm) Stranded by The Saints here.

The whole debut album

is incredible, but I think this song may be the best, despite it being "the single" and that not being very "punk". It is super high energy, and reminds me a lot of the Buzzcocks, with the use of sort of catchy harmonies and a fast beat. I love how much '50s rock influences show up in punk bands from this era, they took something old (but tried and true) and modernized it, making it a little edgier and darker. The vocals here also have a grimy, grungy sort of quality about them, which I love, and is one of the defining features of the early punk bands. They showed an entire generation of young people (particularly in America), that you don't have to be a professional musician to have fun and make an impact.