All this reached it's logical conclusion when Brian James wrote Neat Neat Neat.

Or maybe New Rose, or I Fall.

Actually listening to it right now, it's easily the best of the school of 76.

Still sounds a bit vital, Never Mind the Bollocks sounds a bit like Van Halen these days. The Damned one's still a fantastic racket.

So, New Rose or Neat Neat Neat?

As far as I'm concerned, New Rose but only after a stewards' inquiry.

In a world of wrongness this statement is flashing like a huge Belisha beacon on top of a very high mountain with naked dwarves dancing around it.
Damned x 3 isn't even the Damned's best album.

Morning Revereend, morning everyone.

The one with Love Song on it's all right. Occasional OTF visitor Uke Punk does a decent version.

Guten tag, Wilhelm.

That's the one, Machine Gun Etiquette.
Three years of anarchy chaos and destruction, it's still funny.
Anti-Pope, Melody Lee, Just Can't be Happy etc, blinding record.
Anytime I've seen the Damned they've usually done New Rose first to get it the fuck out of the way because the idiots who don't know anything else kept shouting for it.
The problem with that is latecomers will still keep shouting for it .

Calvert wrote:


My thoughts as well. Damned Damned Damned is easily their most energetic album and has great songs (best album cover too), but Nick Lowe's apparent production is tinny and trebly. Nick Mason produced Music for Pleasure and that ain't any better. Machine Gun Etiquette and The Black Album are far superior sounding albums.

But the songs, the songs.

Plan 9 Channel 7's maybe their best mind.

I recently got DDD plus MGE (I have never got on with Music For Pleasure) and was blown away by the songwriting on both albums. I was going to post something on Facebook at the time along the lines of young musicians should just listen to both the albums for all they need to know about songwriting. Especially impressive considering the melee punk bands were supposed to be producing according to popular perceptions at the time.

The playing as also brilliant, especially on the latter, but, as has been pointed out, I would love to hear better produced versions. Better than "Never Mind..." though? I can't honestly see it.

Yeah, I know what Rob's saying but albums are memorable for a combination of great songs AND production.
For example The first Clash album has way too many tracks, some of which are superb, but let down badly by piss-weak production and bad choice of cover/s.
compare and contrast with London Calling - loads of tracks but great production.
Sandinista was just awful all round.

I don't think Sandinista was that bad, just that all the decent tracks would have made one good single album.

I think you'd be hard pressed to get 8 good tracks from Sandinista.
Combat Rock was set for another 6-sided mogodonathon until CBS stepped in and said 'enough'.

Calvert - I concede.
After looking at the track listings on my copy of the album, I have revised my original statement and found 6 tracks that I still listen to - 6 out of 36 is not a great success rate.

A good EP from side 4 maybe?

Cost Of Living EP was beezer, the production is quite good too.

Sandinista is a bit like Zenyatta Mondatta, both albums came out in 1980 after what were the bands' best albums, which they had released the year before (London Calling and Regatta de Blanc respectively). I remember buying those former two albums in 1980 and listening repeatedly to them, trying (in vain) to find some quality... I guess it was the end of the 70s rock era.

From a page of Iggy, to the Damned, onto the Clash...let's move on to the Stranglers - a very well-produced band...

I too, could easily whittle Sandinista to about 5-6 songs. Combat Rock to about 5. Wouldn't remove anything from first two albums - ok, not crazy about Julie's Been Working for the Drug Squad, but it has grown on me.

That's torn it.
Expect Gangster Octopus anytime soon frothing at the mouth.

Great - I'll just be hanging around...

(Get a) Grip (On Yourself)