The Stranglers “IV” 1980. US/Canada only compilation. New-wavey post punk/power pop with oodles of swirly synth, IV‘s A-side includes several tracks from The Stranglers 1979 LP The Raven which was not released in the US. Those include the two singles “Duchess” (#14 UK, its video banned by the BBC for “blasphemous content”) and one of my top tracks, “Nuclear Device” (#36 UK).  Side B is a collection of previously non-album singles and b-sides including the 1978 single-only “5 Minutes” (#11 UK) and its b-side “Rok It to the Moon,” “G.m.b.H” which is the extended version of the 1980 UK single “Bear Cage” (#36 UK) and another single from 1980 “Who Wants the World?” (#39 UK). Our copy is a 1980 original pressing which still has the free 7″ single containing the excellent “Choosey Susie” (from the 1977 UK single free with the Rattus Norvegicus album) and “Ode to Joy / Do The European,” a live Jean-Jacques Burnel (Strangler bassist/co-lead vocalist) solo track on Side A;  Side B has a cover of Cream’s “White Room,” which appeared on the 1979 album Nosferatu  by Strangler guitarist/vocalist Hugh Cornwell and drummer Robert Williams (Captain Beefheart, John Lyon, Pee Wee Herman Show) plus “Straighten Out” (the b-side to the 1977 single “Something Better Change“).