Reviewed by:
ss311, on august 21, 2007
1 of 1 people found this review helpful
Sound: The accented downpicks of the introductory bass line of Neat Neat Neat act as a call to arms because by the time the dirtied up rock and roll lick comes in, the album has already mobilized for nuclear warfare. The Damned's sound is typical rock 'n' roll in the style of Chuck Berry. What sets The Damned apart from the rest of the '77 UK punk scene is the fact that the musicianship of their forefathers is there. The guitars are raw, but well played, the bass is definitely audible, driving the songs, and the drums are tight an aggressively struck. A microcosm of this album would have to be Born to Kill, which begins with a barre riff and the tap of the symbols, before the whole band comes into the fray until the track culminates in a climax of a wild, but accurate guitar solo in the outro. A hint at The Damned's future gothic rock sound would be track 6, Feel the Pain, with it's unearthly picked guitar introduction. All in all, a resplendent, original sound. // 9
Lyrics and Singing: The lyrics are brash an effervescently combustious. They often follow the rhythm set by the guitar, but that's just part of the charm. Vanian's punk rock croon remains indispensable to the genre and the lyrics, although pristine are a vital aspect of the band's sound. A stand out track, lyrically and musically is most cetainly See Her Tonite for it's sarcastic attempt to be a love song. // 8
Impression: The guitar playing is an homage to early rock 'n' roll acts. The use of double stops in the guitar solos makes the guitarwork, technically speaking, far more endearing than bands such as the Ramones who stuck with barr chords no matter the situation. Damned Damned Damned has recently been immortalised in a 30th Anniversary Expanded Edition and it indisputably deserves this recognition. It was the first album to be recorded by a UK punk artist and it set the benchmark. // 9
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