This past weekend, The Damned kicked off a tour to mark the 40th anniversary of Damned Damned Damned, originally released by Stiff Records on February 18, 1977. That classic debut LP, the first British punk album, was also just reissued in a special Art Of The Album deluxe edition, which features remastered audio and new sleeve notes within both the CD & LP formats recalling the story of the band’s conception and the album’s creation.
Comprehensively researched and written by legendary punk writer John Ingham, these new sleeve notes cover in-depth the story of the album and the period in which it was written and recorded, the key players in its creation, the craft and instrumentation, the impact upon release and its legacy.
Via exclusive interviews with original band members Dave Vanian, Captain Sensible, Brian James and Rat Scabies, John Ingham (best known for writing the first ever review of The Damned and the first ever interview with The Sex Pistols - both in UK music weekly ‘Sounds’ in 1976) is perfectly placed to recount the early hedonistic days of the band in this definitive release of one of the most influential albums of all time.
In the age of immediacy, accessibility, streaming and a la carte downloads, the concept of an album or long player has become somewhat lost. ‘The Art of The Album' is a new series looking to refocus the attention on the album as a format. With a collection of seminal and classic LPs, the Art of The Album series will celebrate albums that broke new ground in concept, production, song writing and genre, leaving a lasting legacy as a complete album work of art.
Talking today of the album’s recording, Captain Sensible reflects, “’Damned Damned Damned’ was almost ‘un-produced’ by our Stiff stablemate Nick Lowe, who managed to capture the energy of our live set spectacularly. Nick was known as ‘Basher’ as there was no messing about. It’s fairly manic, but also tuneful and, listened to now, still sounds pretty fresh to my ears…. The guitars don’t sound nice – they’re a raw, fuzzed-out thrash – that’s punk rock. Pathway was a rough and ready studio round the back of an Islington garage. It was so dark and dingy in there – you had to be careful or you’d knock your beer over. The sessions took two days, after which the tape was recycled for an Elvis Costello album so there’s no chance of a remix… Not that you’d want one – it’s perfect!”
The Damned lineup consists of founding members Dave Vanian and Captain Sensible, alongside Monty Oxymoron, Andrew 'Pinch' Pinching, and Stu West.
The first album in nearly a decade is tentatively slated for later this year. Fans can pre-order the CD, colored vinyl, as well as exclusive merch (and experiences) at PledgeMusic.
North American Tour dates:
April 11 - San Francisco, CA - The Fillmore ***
April 12 - Sacramento, CA - Ace Of Spades ***
April 14 - Portland, OR - Crystal Ballroom ***
April 15 - Vancouver, BC - The Commodore ***
April 16 - Seattle, WA - The Showbox ***
April 18 - Salt Lake City, U - The Depot ***
April 19 - Denver, CO - Summit Music Hall ***
April 21 - St. Louis, MO - Delmar Hall ***
April 22 - Minneapolis, MN - Fine Line ***
April 23 - Chicago, IL - House Of Blues ***
April 24 - Louisville, KY - Mercury Ballroom ***
April 26 – Indianapolis, IN - Deluxe at Old National Ctr. ***
April 27 - Cincinnati, OH - Bogart’s ***
April 28 - Cleveland, OH - House Of Blues ***
April 29 - Detroit, MI - St. Andrews Hall ^^^
April 30 - Toronto, ON - Phoenix Theatre ^^^
May 2 - Montreal, QC - Club Soda ^^^
May 4 - Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club ^^^
May 5 - Brooklyn, NY - Warsaw ^^^
May 6 - Asbury Park, NJ - Stone Pony ^^^
May 7 - Philadelphia, PA - TLA ^^^
May 9 - Baltimore, MD - Sound Stage ^^^
May 11 - Atlanta, GA - Masquerade/Heaven ^^^
May 12 - Lake Buena Vista, FL - House Of Blues ^^^
May 13 - St, Petersburg, FL – State Theater ^^^
May 14 - Fort Lauderdale, FL - Revolution ^^^
May 16 - New Orleans, LA - House Of Blues ^^^
May 17 - Houston, TX - House Of Blues ^^^
May 18 - Dallas, TX - House Of Blues ^^^
May 19 - Austin, TX - Mohawk Outdoors ^^^
May 21- Phoenix, AZ - Marquee Theater ^^^
*** w/ Bleached
^^^ w/ The BellRays
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