Hugh Cornwell has announced that he’ll release his new album Monster later this year.
It’ll arrive on October 5 after the former Stranglers vocalist and guitarist signed a new record deal with Sony Music.
The record will feature 10 tracks that have been written about some of the 20th century’s “most remarkable and infamous people” both “heroes and villains” including animator Ray Harryhausen, Lou Reed, Mose Allison, Evel Knievel, Hedy Lamarr, Sgt Bilko star Phil Silvers, Benito Mussolini and Robert Mugabe.
Cornwell says: “These are people who have defied categorisation. I’ve spent my whole life trying to defy categorisation.
“If someone wants to put me into some sort of a box, I'll do my best to defy it. You could call it being obstreperous, but it’s also got something to do with being drawn to people who are dichotomous.”
The track La Grande Dame was inspired by Cornwell’s 98-year-old mother Winifred who is described as a hero to locals for swimming up to six times a day at Hampstead ponds. However, to Cornwell’s family she was “the villain who kept them all in check.”
The idea behind the whole album stemmed from this juxtaposition between the two perceptions of her.
Monster will come bundled with a disc of re-recorded acoustic Stranglers tracks titled Restoration, featuring songs including Outside Tokyo, Don’t Bring Harry and Let Me Down Easy.
Cornwell will head out on the road across there UK in November in support of the record. Find details below.
Hugh Cornwell - Monster
1. Pure Evel
2. La Grande Dame
3. The Most Beautiful Girl in Hollywood
4. Mosin’
5. Mr. Leather
6. Bilko
7. Robert
8. Monster
9. Attack of the Major Sevens
10. Duce Coochie Man
Restoration
1. Outside Tokyo
2. Let Me Down Easy
3. Souls
4. Don’t Bring Harry
5. Goodbye Toulouse
6. Ships That Pass In The Night
7. Never Say Goodbye
8. No More Heroes
9. Big in America
10. Always The Sun
Hugh Cornwell 2018 UK tour dates
Nov 01: Southend Chinnerys
Nov 02: Stoke Sugarmill
Nov 03: Manchester Club Academy
Nov 04: Oxford Academy 2
Nov 06: Islington Academy
Nov 07: Bristol Fleece
Nov 08: Chester Live Rooms
Nov 09: Kendal Brewery Arts
Nov 10: Clitheroe Grand
Nov 11: Stockton Georgian Theatre
Nov 13: Newcastle Cluny
Nov 14: Glasgow Oran Mor
Nov 15: Dundee Beat Generator
Nov 16: Dumfries The Venue
Nov 17: York Fibbers
Nov 18: Brighton Concorde 2
