The Damned

Damned Damned Damned (1977)

TheDoodlyMan

This is the first Damned album, and is as classic as the first Clash or Sex Pistols LPs. It holds up just as well too. To mainstream audiences they were not taken with the same seriousness as some "more respected" punk bands of 1977. The reason might have been that the Damned were unaffected enough to show their sense of humor. Given the power on display all the way through, this had great songs and not a mediocre track on it.

"Damned Damned Damned," along with having one of the coolest album covers of all time, is also bundled with Brian James' best work. Captain Sensible claimed that "after the second album I thought that Brian must have stolen all of the songs and killed whoever wrote them, because he never wrote anything that great again. Not even close." The energy is astonishing

The lyrics are funny, the music is fast and vehement, with impressive playing by all members. The Captain was extraordinarily melodic, James went between rhythm lead parts like a champ and Dave Vanian used a vocal style that stood apart from the rest of the '70s punk rock groups.

If you consider yourself part of the punk scene, this record needs to at least be heard. If you're getting into the Damned, this definitely should be your starting point. Because this is undoubtedly a great introduction to one of the truly great and often overlooked groups of the '70s punk era, or any era for that matter.