The Damned: Machine Gun Etiquette [CHISWICK]

Why you'll love it

This Chiswick reissue comes with an illustrated printed inner sleeve carrying the lyrics. The album reached No. 31 in the UK and is often cited as a proto-hardcore record.

This edition

• Illustrated printed inner sleeve
• Lyrics included

About the album

The voice at the very start of this record belongs to actor Jack Howarth, lifted from an album of Lancashire monologues, which is not how most punk albums begin. It was the band's first after reforming: Dave Vanian on vocals, Captain Sensible switched to lead guitar, Rat Scabies on drums, and newcomer Algy Ward from Australian punks The Saints on bass.

They threw everything into the mix: hard rock and heavy metal, psychedelia, a tinge of prog and classic 60s R&B, a blend that journalists and fans summed up as the Beach Boys meeting Motörhead. "Love Song" and the title track tear along at full pelt, "I Just Can't Be Happy Today" and "Melody Lee" show off the band's pop smarts, "Plan 9 Channel 7" goes gothic, and the two parts of "Smash It Up" close things in style. Joe Strummer and Paul Simonon of the Clash both turn up, and Roger Armstrong produced with the band.

Classic Rock called it the sound of a band coming into its own, and AllMusic praised its variety and wit. The cover was shot on Seventh Avenue in New York, which for such a resolutely British record is a nice bit of mischief.

Also at Kops: more The Damned on vinyl · browse Punk

Tracklist

Listen

On Chiswick / Ace (cat# WIKD 333), a reissue of the 1979 album.