The Damned : Smash It Up (Pt 2)
In November of 1979 The Damned released Machine Gun Etiquette, a rebound from that most slumpish of sophomore albums, the uninspired Music For Pleasure. With the departure of guitarist Brian James and the addition of Saints bassist Algy Ward, the band reformed ( with original members Captain Sensible, Rat Scabies and Dave Vanian) and sounded excited to be back in the studio.
The result may be their best album of all.
"Love Song" hit #20 on the UK singles chart. Their appearance on Top of the Pops is a classic moment, especially with Captain Sensible's furry suit. "Smash It Up", which would become The Damned's theme song, made the Top 40.
Mean? I don't know. Despite the band's name and its goth lead singer, The Damned has always struck me as the punk band with the best sense of humor. Note the performance below and how it ends.
"Noise, Noise, Noise" features vocal assistance from Joe Strummer whose bad was recording London Calling next door. There's an MC5 cover ("Looking At You") , the melodic instrumental "Smash It Up (pt 1)" and "Plan 9 Channel 7", dedicated to actress Vampira and her role in Ed Wood's Plan 9 From Outer Space.
Once thought dead, The Damned were just getting going.
No comments:
Post a Comment