Black and White

The third studio album by British rock band The Stranglers, Black and White, was released in May 1988 (following the original 1978 release) on United Artists Records. The album is one of the band's darkest, heaviest and most radical works, fully reflecting the paranoid, cold and anxious atmosphere of the late 1970s.

The album was visually and thematically divided into two sides thematically linked by racial and social motifs ("White" and "Black"), and musically it was characterized by minimalist but extremely charged arrangements. The band's distinctive sound was shaped by the distorted bass guitar of J.J. Burnel, the piercing keyboards of Dave Greenfield, the harsh guitars of Hugh Cornwell and the relentless drums of Jet Black. The album features a number of notable tracks, including the hit single "Nice 'N' Sleazy", as well as songs such as "Tank", "Curfew", "Death and Night and Blood", "To House Me" and a cover of "Walk On By".

Produced by Martin Rushent, Black and White was critically acclaimed as a masterpiece of early post-punk and proto-goth rock. Due to its layered sound, uncompromising social commentary and unique sonic aesthetic, the album holds the status of a key release in The Stranglers' discography and the entire history of British alternative rock.