I haven’t been a regular here since RobC was last a fixture. See he’s back tho. Rob: Licorice or Rose?
Anyway, during a regular bit of insomnia I started thinking about punk, and The Damned came to mind. Whenever, some clip-driven TV program brings up music in the late 70s, The Pistols and The Clash are pulled out, but no one seems to mention The Damned. Now, correct me if I am wrong, but at the time Rat Scabies and his boys were part of a triumvirate of bands and New Rose was even the first “official” punk single. Why are they relatively forgotten? Is it simply cos they were shite? Or are only two rival bands allowed to encapsulate an era (The HJHM VS The Stones, Oasis Vs Blur).
Just idle 3.00am speculation that’s all. Anyway, on the back of it I reminded myself of New Rose on YouTube. It is quite good innit?
One of the big three.
First single, first album, first US trip, first second album, first to split, first to re-form.
Truth is they were only a “punk” band in their original incarnation.
Machine Gun Ettiquette was a sublime mixture of pop, punk and psych (with a bit of prog chucked in).
The Black Album was an inventor of Goth, and they’ve dallied with other styles too.
Captain Sensible’s solo deal is one odd move – not sure how it happened, but good luck to him.
Their last album – Standing On The Edge Of Tomorrow- was as good as any before, and added a bit of Scott Walker-esque crooning into the mix.
Have they been written out of punk history? The 40th anniversary of New Rose the first UK punk single didn’t pass without mention. They certainly weren’t shite. They weren’t cool because they behaved like idiots but they made some really good singles. There isn’t very much footage of any of the early punk bands. The New Rose video and some OGWT appearances is about all there is for the Damned, there is even less of the Clash.
Yeah, but despite that, The Clash are icons aren’t they? My 50-something boss has a Clash poster framed over his office desk.
I think the Damned have endured with as much honour as, say, the Pretty Things to the Beatles/Stones mythologising over the Pistols and the Clash. I’d be happy with that.
The Clash were better and the Damned had no agenda whatsoever. Plus the Damned’s albums weren’t anywhere near as good as the Pistols, Clash, Ramones or the Stranglers 1977 releases which is important when the people deciding who are deciding who should be the punk icons are journalists from the rock monthlies. Back in the day it was a singles thing for teenagers. If band’s made great singles then that was enough.
I would guess, when it comes to punk, The Sex Pistols is THE story and The Clash have the body of work (and, notably, persuaded the U.S. in a way The Damned did not). But I would agree that pretty much everyone has them up on the podium in the bronze medal position – so, hardly forgotten..
The Sex Pistols were the definition of Punk. The Clash broadened their appeal beyond these shores by flirting with Reggae, Dub, Disco and, of course, Rock. The Damned seemed a pantomime act in comparison, yet, that first single and album are classics, arguably better than The Sex Pistols’ and The Clash’s. The drums, in particular, have never been bettered as the kind of racket that Punk demands!
My friend bought New Rose and Anarchy on EMI on the same day. We all preferred New Rose. He trousered a nice profit a few years later.
I agree that their debut album was a classic. Neat Neat Neat is especially fantastic. They had proper tunes. It was speeded up heavy metal like other Brit-punk but also pop. The Pistols made unremarkable glam plus Chuck Berry and other old influences, recorded very loud. What made the difference was the attitude and Lydon with his compelling performance and delivery. Without him they wouldn’t amount to much. Of course they had the story and drama, getting all the attention. The Clash? A little boring on record but had their moments. Best when dubby and dancey with the black music influences showing.
Is this a ‘Die young, stay pretty’ situation. The Clash split, the Pistols split, the Damned split …. but got back together and are still going…
I’ve never much cared for The Damned, admittedly having heard very little, but my old uni friends who are still very much into their meat ‘n’ potatoes guitar based punk rock really rate them. Their pecking order seems to be: Clash, Damned, Stranglers, Pistols, Jam, SLF – with Siouxie & The Banshees the somewhat unfairly forgotten great band of the era.
Anyway, wile I’m here, how stupendously brilliant is this? Topper Headon, what a great drummer:
The panto reputation obviously wasn’t helped by Sensible’s solo career, but they were always a good live experience: I saw them in 1980 at the Lyceum and then last year in Brighton for a 40 Years Of Machine Gun Etiquette anniversary thing. The repartee between Vanian, whose baritone is still bang on, and Sensible, whose psychedelic leanings are always given a good airing, is a delight.
I’ve always found the Clash a vastly overrated bore. Surely the Damned are much more (a) interesting (b) exciting (c) fun?
Nope.
Well, possibly (c)..
Could never really accuse The Clash of being Fun.
A very serious band, verging on po-faced.
“Vacuum cleaner sucks up budgie… ooh, bye-bye!”
no-hits “po-faced?” … nnnoooooooooo, not having that.
Oh, wait a minute, yeah.
The Damned are doing fine. Bands are responsible for their own legacy. The Clash left behind a magnificent Greatest Hits collection which overshadows their sometimes ropey albums but they looked cool as fuck and will be remembered as they were in the late 70s (Cut The Crap will fade further into obscurity). The Damned soldiered on so inevitably they’ll never be as cool as The Clash but Machine Gun Etiquette matches any Clash album. I’ve seen them Live recently a couple of times and they’re a joy to behold. Vanian is a great frontman and the Captain is the perfect foil. I say, Fuck off rock snobs and boring punk purists and celebrate The Damned! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9zzqfjdF2Y
I’d say it’s The Stranglers that have been more or less written out, by the critics/snobs. Apparently due to JJ having a bit of a fisty cuff fracas with Jon Savage, according to the former. As for The Clash, I found all that revolutionary right on posturing in cowboy boots rather tedious.
ps: Neither.
Rob, agreed. I found that Sandinista stuff silly, when they were obviously in love with the USA. And you are right, The Stranglers were underrated. There first four albums still sound good.
Ps. Okay, Robin or Mike?
I don’t think The Clash made a consistently great album – London Calling is the closest they came – but every album has some killer tracks. Their willingness to experiment with rock, pop, reggae, dub, funk, ska, and rockabilly made them stand out from the punk crowd. For me Sandiniista! is the album I play most, but it should have been limited to the stunning double album contained therein.
London Calling is a consistently great album in my book, the debut is great too. The others are indeed patchy.
Aargh! Give em enough Rope is consistently good, and shiny rock n roll.
It starts off like the greatest album ever made, but cannot keep up that momentum.like a Neil Young concert I saw in Brixton once.
They recorded In Hammersmith Palais, The Prisoner, 1-2 Crush On You and Pressure Drop at the same sessions. Just putting a couple of those in should liven up side two.
@dai
That’s a very good point actually. The opening two songs are such a great way to start the album.
Make that 3 – Tommy Gun is no slouch and properly keeps the energy going
@rigid-digit
Another good point.
I have their ‘Old Testament’ cd set. Those four albums are very good indeed. Played them again over the past few weeks in honour of Dave Greenfield’s passing over.
ps: Neither. Maureen o’ Sullivan, Merle Oberon, Carolyn Jones and Kate Bush. In my wicker jacuzzi by moonlight.
Surely, Julie Newmar too?
The Damned deserve plaudits for Smash it Up alone.
Oh yes. I agree. Forgot that that was them. Good call.
They went Gothy and for a while and got popular. A no with the music nazis. This is still a good song.
They went from Stiff to Chiswick to Neat to Nems to Bronze – basically any smaller label that would have them.
And then they (somehow) signed to a major label with MCA – and 10 years after forming (and splitting and re-forming) they finally got (a) a hit, and (b) paid.
The big success came without the Captain, and when he re-joined they the split up (again).
Another reformation ended with Scabies leaving (never to return) and still they soldier on.
The DVD I Bet You Wish That We Were Dead is a thoroughly entertaining and informative doc about the band – do seek it out if you have an interest in how a band can survive so long whilst appearing to just sod about all the time
Year zero musical fundamentals, Jon savage, and having a laugh in public did for em
Music Nazis. Every time.
I’ve always preferred The Damned to the massively overrated Sex Pistols and the slightly overrated The Clash. The second album got panned but was it only because it wasn’t as good as their first?
A terrific piece of TV here from the mid-90s I think where a celebrity studio audience discuss punk. The Damned feature prominently with Rat Scabies and Glen Matlock making their case far more articulately than Jonathan King, who, as always, wins the audience over with his quiet humility.
An alarming costume is worn by Dave Vanian for the closing performance of Smash it Up but he is upstaged by the presenter, one Michael Aspel – whose attire shows that he is certainly a man that doesn’t have to try…too hard.
That was triffic. Including the performance.
Hey BC thanks for the link. Very entertaining. As to JK, not very often I agree with Jimmy Pursey, but his muggings while King talks pretty sums up my feelings. As an aside, his idea that the 1960s group were managed/manufactured by 1960s people is tosh, as anyone who has read Andrew Loog Oldham’s Stoned would know.
That was great! I’d forgotten how good Michael Aspel was as an interviewer. He asks a question, lets them answer, and doesn’t attempt to overshadow the guests.
No shouting over each other, or butting in; even Jimmy the Sham’s heckles are silent.
Even if they were thought of as shite at the time (They were) there’s no denying that they were there.
I think saying they’ve been written out is tosh. They are still there on the Podium Of Punk, in Bronze medal position.
They were overshadowed by the Pistols, who sensibly were very short-lived (and anyway, who could have outdone Rotten in his heyday?) and then because they didn’t get onto a major label quickly like The Clash did, they missed the promotional push that that would have entailed. Never managed to catch up.