Spin CDs is listing an early May 2013 release date for a reissued version of The Stranglers The Old Testament: The U.A. Studio Recordings (1977 - 1982). Basically it's all their studio recordings from IV Rattus Norvegicus through La Folie. The original came out in 1992 as a four disc set. This reissue includes a fifth disc of rarities. Hopefully there will be a remastering. Also, they really should include a reprinting of the originals Liner Notes booklet, The Men They Love To Hate by Chris Twomey. 112 pgs. long, chock full of information and illustrations, it's one of the best ever prepared for a box set. And, if that's not enough to entice you, the listed price is 15 pounds.

The debates about The Stranglers place in England's punk class of '77 have gone on for years. But love em or hate em, they were there at the start and the survive on to this day. And at under $30, this set should be hard to pass up.

At £14.99, this is a good deal:

http://www.spincds.com/coming-soon/the- ... -77-82-5cd

I paid a lot more than that for the original box set.

Me two.

As it stands, the original UA/EMI cds have the best masterings available. All the remasters, especially the last bunch, have been brickwalled and squashed to death, unfortunately. I'm not saying this new box will be remastered like that, but if I was a bettin' man.....

Folks will be dumping the original boxes now, so I'd grab one of those if it was me. I've already got mine and would never part with it.

All just my own opinion - you never know how these things will turn out. The last Be Bop Deluxe box was mastered very nicely, so fingers crossed for the Stranglers!