Widely regarded as
the Stranglers' turkey, there is indeed much to snigger about on this overblown concept album. The delightful "Waltzinblack," much beloved of TV chef Keith Floyd (who later used it on his TV series), is worth salvaging, as are the two singles -- the scat jazz-inspired "Just Like Nothing on Earth" and "Thrown Away." Elsewhere, the group seems unfocused and unconvinced as while ploughing through some esoteric lyrics concerning the imminent arrival of men in black suits from another planet who are going to whisk us away. Several thousand
Stranglers fans did indeed go missing after the release of this album, though that can be attributed to listening tastes rather than anything that would interest Mulder and Scully. ~ Alex Ogg