Album Review: The Saints – (I’m) Stranded Box Set

Accepted wisdom holds that punk rock came about circa 1976-’77, primarily in London and New York City. The truth is that the seeds of the style were sown much earlier, and in more places. Case in point is Brisbane, Australia’s Saints. Founded in 1973, the group made exciting music that bore all of the hallmarks of what would come to be known as punk. During two periods in 1976, the Saints recorded the songs that would appear on their debut LP, 1977’s (I’m) Stranded.

Released on industry giant EMI in most of the world, (I’m) Stranded eventually took its place among the great debuts in rock history; today it’s acknowledged as an important and influential release. Even though the Saints were plying their trade some 10,000 miles from Manhattan and Soho, their music bore a kinship to the sound of bands like the Ramones, Clash, Damned and Sex Pistols.

The somewhat lo-fi quality of the record’s production only adds to its immediacy. A modest commercial success, the ten-song, 35 minute LP did spawn a pair of singles, the title track and “Erotic Neurotic”; both were original tunes written by vocalist Chris Bailey and guitarist Ed Kuepper. Not every tune on the record was a buzzsaw punker; “Messin’ With the Kid” (an original, not the blues classic) has more in common with ‘70s Rolling Stones or Neil Young and Crazy Horse. But the album remains at the forefront of the era’s trend toward stripped-down rock.

A new box set brings together the original (I’m) Stranded album and three more vinyl discs of related material. Joining the remastered 1977 LP is a previously unreleased demo mix of the record. Featuring the same songs in the same order, it’s subtly different from the released version. The demo mix of “Erotic Neurotic,” for example, is stronger and more visceral than its official counterpart. The disc also includes one extra cut, “Untitled.” Though a bit ragged, it’s easily as good as anything on the official LP.

The third record in the set is a collection of singles and EP tracks from sessions in Sydney and London plus five songs from a 1977 live set in Sydney. The undoubted highlight of the studio tracks is a blazing stab at “River Deep, Mountain High,” originally a minor hit in 1966 for Ike & Tina Turner. The Saints’ take on the tune is a spiritual cousin to the Pistols’ reading of the Monkees’ “(I’m Not Your) Steppin’ Stone.” The live recording of “Erotic Neurotic” is pummeling in its intensity, suggesting what Detroit’s Stooges might have sounded like had they played much faster.

The fourth record in the (I’m) Stranded Box Set features the entirety of a 1977 live set at London’s Hope & Anchor. Like nearly all of the material beyond the original LP, its appearance in this box set marks its debut on vinyl. Featuring excellent fidelity, it may well serve as the definitive document of the Saints at their best. The band’s edge-of-mayhem, full-frontal sonic assault is showcased on this bracing, 14-song set.

The box includes a photo essay, a sticker and other ephemera, but it’s ultimately about the music. Taken as a whole, (I’m) Stranded Box Set represents the entirety of the Saints’ recorded output between 1976 and 1977. While they’d go on to more great things – including the 1978 landmark “Know Your Product” single that melded punk and a horn section(!) – (I’m) Stranded remains the place to start when approaching the work of this important band. And this new box set represents the best way to embark upon that endeavor.