Punk was my first musical love. On childhood car journeys we'd always look forward to Jilted John coming around on our dad's 70s tape, culminating in me and my brother performing a cover version in a Haven Holidays version of The X Factor and scandalising the judges by forgetting to censor some of the rude words. Later came silly 90s punk and horror punk, but the limited horizons of the genre meant it fell by the wayside after a while, especially as I got more into antithetical things like prog.
So I was pretty happy to exhume The Damned a few years back, who at their best combine nostalgic punk fun with the gothic gloom that turned out to be more fitting to my personality all along. Here are my The Top 21 Damned Studio Albums & Etc.
Key:
The Damned
Naz Nomad and The Nightmares
Captain Sensible
Dave Vanian and the Phantom Chords
Rat Scabies
21. The Power of Love (1983)
Anyone expecting jaunty pub singalongs is going to be disappointed by the sophomore Sensible LP, which focuses entirely on soft, roomy rock. I don't know how successful this bland pop direction was, but his subsequent doubling down on more ambitious concept albums suggests it wasn't worth the artistic toll.
20. Women and Captains First (1982)
The Captain's characteristic debut shows a more melodic side than he was permitted to in the band, but a distinctive voice and quirky character can't carry it alone. It's as experimental as The Damned ever were, but with an eye to chart mediocrity rather than credibility among peers. It's all uphill from the opening rap, at least.
19. Anything (1986)
I have slightly more appreciation for this light and atmospheric take on The Damned than when it first disappointed me as the follow-up to Phantasmagoria. With hardly any memorable moments it's not something I'd listen to by choice, but less dull when forcing myself through than some of the others.
18. So, Who's Paranoid? (2008)
After proving they still had what it takes on their comeback, the band chills out with mid-tempo rock that's as non-descript as that cover art. There's nothing offensive about it, but I've listened a few times and nothing's really stood out. It might as well not exist.
17. Music for Pleasure (1977)
As punk's difficult second albums go, this isn't the baffling atrocity of Bad Religion's Into the Unknown, it's just really lacking and monotonous. What could have been an average if forgettable 1977 punk album is sabotaged by overly polished production and rubbish abstract cover art. Never mind, they'd sort it out.
16. Give Daddy The Knife Cindy (1984)
Points for novelty, but like Not of This Earth later, this is merely The Damned aping another style competenty without adding any of their own flavour. At least they had the courtesy to use a pretend band name, taken from the pretend soundtrack to a pretend film with pretend crowd appreciation.
15. Not of This Earth (a.k.a. I'm Alright Jack & The Beanstalk, 1995)
Barely The Damned by this point, and you wouldn't know it from the sound. If I wanted to listen to run-of-the-mill bluesy rock I'd listen to one of the many bands renowned for that style, not my favourite goth punks having a go. Title track's good though.
14. Revolution Now (1989)
This double album is presumably a lot more serious than it sounds, with a consistent melodic ambience even as the style characteristically revolves. But even packed in to full CD length, not much stood out to me on this first listen apart from the erratic finale.
13. The Universe of Geoffrey Brown (1993)
I was well up for this, being a fan of similarly silly-seeming sci-fi concept albums from the likes of Ayreon, but none of the songs really grabbed me. It's rockier and more wailing than his earlier pop-oriented works, which is all welcome.
12. Damned Damned Damned (1977)
More noteworthy for being the first British punk album than one for the ages, this is a decent collection of high-energy songs, but it could be any competent band. Brian James leads the early guitar-forward iteration of The Damned, but he's no Pete Townshend.
11. Grave Disorder (2001)
Signing to Nitro Records, I like to think that being around younger bands that likely idolised them pushed the reformed Damned to be more than just a safe tribute act. All the classic styles are represented, inevitably less classically, but there's an energy that hasn't been felt since the Captain was last on board. On the downside, there's not much essential here outside of scattered riffs and keyboard craziness.
10. Meathead (1995)
A gargantuan collection of pop, rock, quirky ditties and instrumentals, I'm sure I'd adore this if I was a hardcore Sensible fan, but it's too overwhelming without the edit. Making each half of the double album more distinctive would have made these tasty morsels easier to digest.
9. The Black Album (1980)
Seemingly tailor-made to showcase all sides of the band's emerging eclecticism (but with an emphasis on Vanian's voice), this ends up being master of none and is short on classics. Its expansion into a double album borders on insulting, the second half comprising one extended dirge and some live recordings.
8. P.H.D. (Prison, Hospital, Debt) (2018)
Inevitably compared to the album released by his former bandmates the same year, Rat Scabies' debut album 40 years in gestation harks back to a more authentic punk sound not heard since those early years, but the old timer's not stuck in his ways. This is a jumble of styles even by The Damned's standards, some digressions more entertaining than others.
7. Mad Cows and Englishmen (1996)
The Captain's last album is the one I'd been waiting for all along, picking up where the merry psychedelia of Strawberries left off, if you feel like a little more. All of Sensible's solo work was new to me, outside of the Big Break theme, but this was the only real keeper.
6. David Vanian and the Phantom Chords (1995)
Led by Vanian and Jugg with a recruited rhythm section, this is the continuity between The Damned's last 80s album and their 90s revival that greatly surpasses both tired efforts and is the worthier follow-up to Phantasmagoria. Its crooning gothic rockabilly would have been an off-putting departure to some long-time fans, but no more than the next Damned album proved to be anyway, and more worth listening to.
5. Friday 13th EP (1981)
I have a lot of appreciation for the strong punk EP as a format, favouring quality over quantity without worrying about contractual padding. This is one of those that gets more plays than many of the full-lengths, nailing the punk-goth dichotomy better than The Black Album at 1/5 the length.
4. Evil Spirits (2018)
I don't know if this technically counts as a comeback or if the previous comeback was still going on, but this is the first 21st-century Damned record to touch the classics. Older, wiser and slower without being boring this time, this runs the gamut as ever from spooky country to ballads and deceptively jolly punk, most memorable from the first listen.
3. Phantasmagoria (1985)
With the Captain abandoning ship, this could have been the beginning of the end for the band, and maybe it was. But by leaning more into their atmospheric gothic side, led by Vanian's vocals supported by Roman Jugg on guitar and keys, this sets the stage for a third classic era that sadly wouldn't last beyond the album.
2. Machine Gun Etiquette (1979)
Losing their principal songwriter did wonders for The Damned. Nearly every song here – angry or whimsical – is memorable right from the first listen, adding up to one of the all-time punk classics. It's not got the stylistic variety of their later releases, but they're already mucking around with exotic instruments, structures and sound effects to great effect.
1. Strawberries (1982)
Probably not as solid as Machine Gun Etiquette, this is the more listenable and listened-to album that showcases different sides of The Damned better than The Black Album's committee approach did. While the band's descent to the gothic was inevitable, this was a surprising detour via feel-good psychedelic pop.
The Damned
Naz Nomad and The Nightmares
Captain Sensible
Dave Vanian and the Phantom Chords
Rat Scabies
Anyone expecting jaunty pub singalongs is going to be disappointed by the sophomore Sensible LP, which focuses entirely on soft, roomy rock. I don't know how successful this bland pop direction was, but his subsequent doubling down on more ambitious concept albums suggests it wasn't worth the artistic toll.
The Captain's characteristic debut shows a more melodic side than he was permitted to in the band, but a distinctive voice and quirky character can't carry it alone. It's as experimental as The Damned ever were, but with an eye to chart mediocrity rather than credibility among peers. It's all uphill from the opening rap, at least.
I have slightly more appreciation for this light and atmospheric take on The Damned than when it first disappointed me as the follow-up to Phantasmagoria. With hardly any memorable moments it's not something I'd listen to by choice, but less dull when forcing myself through than some of the others.
After proving they still had what it takes on their comeback, the band chills out with mid-tempo rock that's as non-descript as that cover art. There's nothing offensive about it, but I've listened a few times and nothing's really stood out. It might as well not exist.
As punk's difficult second albums go, this isn't the baffling atrocity of Bad Religion's Into the Unknown, it's just really lacking and monotonous. What could have been an average if forgettable 1977 punk album is sabotaged by overly polished production and rubbish abstract cover art. Never mind, they'd sort it out.
Points for novelty, but like Not of This Earth later, this is merely The Damned aping another style competenty without adding any of their own flavour. At least they had the courtesy to use a pretend band name, taken from the pretend soundtrack to a pretend film with pretend crowd appreciation.
Barely The Damned by this point, and you wouldn't know it from the sound. If I wanted to listen to run-of-the-mill bluesy rock I'd listen to one of the many bands renowned for that style, not my favourite goth punks having a go. Title track's good though.
This double album is presumably a lot more serious than it sounds, with a consistent melodic ambience even as the style characteristically revolves. But even packed in to full CD length, not much stood out to me on this first listen apart from the erratic finale.
I was well up for this, being a fan of similarly silly-seeming sci-fi concept albums from the likes of Ayreon, but none of the songs really grabbed me. It's rockier and more wailing than his earlier pop-oriented works, which is all welcome.
More noteworthy for being the first British punk album than one for the ages, this is a decent collection of high-energy songs, but it could be any competent band. Brian James leads the early guitar-forward iteration of The Damned, but he's no Pete Townshend.
Signing to Nitro Records, I like to think that being around younger bands that likely idolised them pushed the reformed Damned to be more than just a safe tribute act. All the classic styles are represented, inevitably less classically, but there's an energy that hasn't been felt since the Captain was last on board. On the downside, there's not much essential here outside of scattered riffs and keyboard craziness.
A gargantuan collection of pop, rock, quirky ditties and instrumentals, I'm sure I'd adore this if I was a hardcore Sensible fan, but it's too overwhelming without the edit. Making each half of the double album more distinctive would have made these tasty morsels easier to digest.
Seemingly tailor-made to showcase all sides of the band's emerging eclecticism (but with an emphasis on Vanian's voice), this ends up being master of none and is short on classics. Its expansion into a double album borders on insulting, the second half comprising one extended dirge and some live recordings.
Inevitably compared to the album released by his former bandmates the same year, Rat Scabies' debut album 40 years in gestation harks back to a more authentic punk sound not heard since those early years, but the old timer's not stuck in his ways. This is a jumble of styles even by The Damned's standards, some digressions more entertaining than others.
The Captain's last album is the one I'd been waiting for all along, picking up where the merry psychedelia of Strawberries left off, if you feel like a little more. All of Sensible's solo work was new to me, outside of the Big Break theme, but this was the only real keeper.
Led by Vanian and Jugg with a recruited rhythm section, this is the continuity between The Damned's last 80s album and their 90s revival that greatly surpasses both tired efforts and is the worthier follow-up to Phantasmagoria. Its crooning gothic rockabilly would have been an off-putting departure to some long-time fans, but no more than the next Damned album proved to be anyway, and more worth listening to.
I have a lot of appreciation for the strong punk EP as a format, favouring quality over quantity without worrying about contractual padding. This is one of those that gets more plays than many of the full-lengths, nailing the punk-goth dichotomy better than The Black Album at 1/5 the length.
I don't know if this technically counts as a comeback or if the previous comeback was still going on, but this is the first 21st-century Damned record to touch the classics. Older, wiser and slower without being boring this time, this runs the gamut as ever from spooky country to ballads and deceptively jolly punk, most memorable from the first listen.
With the Captain abandoning ship, this could have been the beginning of the end for the band, and maybe it was. But by leaning more into their atmospheric gothic side, led by Vanian's vocals supported by Roman Jugg on guitar and keys, this sets the stage for a third classic era that sadly wouldn't last beyond the album.
Losing their principal songwriter did wonders for The Damned. Nearly every song here – angry or whimsical – is memorable right from the first listen, adding up to one of the all-time punk classics. It's not got the stylistic variety of their later releases, but they're already mucking around with exotic instruments, structures and sound effects to great effect.
Probably not as solid as Machine Gun Etiquette, this is the more listenable and listened-to album that showcases different sides of The Damned better than The Black Album's committee approach did. While the band's descent to the gothic was inevitable, this was a surprising detour via feel-good psychedelic pop.
