THE DAMNED READING SUB 89

[sewer rat]

SWP is a fkn prog album, let's get the cards on the table here. I'm a life-long damned fan since love song came out so I'm not having a cheap dig here. has everyone forgot about the travesty that was ANYTHING. that album was a fkn joke...I mean that video for gigolo...Christ almighty. it was bad enough hearing the song then to see that piece of cringeworthy shit. I genuinely thought it was all over by then....maybe it should've been. I went to see them on that tour and, to be fair, they were still great live but that album ???????????????? fast forward to SWP...perhaps they've just run out of ideas. the group's intentions were always to try something different each record to keep the fans and band interested. ok, fair enough, but it's got monty n sensible all over that album and they're both heavily into prog. yeah, sure, if DV showed up to more rehearsals we might hear a different sound.......who knows eh. I reckon that if they do get a record out this year, it'll most probably be their last. I'd like to see them release more 'archive' live shows....77-81

[pigeon]

I like Dave Vanian,he is a great singer. But he is a very odd Character and strange to work out. Sometimes he doesnt even turn up for gigs or signing sessions However Captains the best part about the band, whenever he is in it they are at their best if you ask me. Here is a picture of Me and Captain at Londons Islington Academy taken last year when i met him for the first time.

I just bought "Anything" yesterday on Ebay as it was the last album i needed to complete my Damned collection Was it worth £5.99?

[mickinblack]

SWP is a fkn prog album, let's get the cards on the table here. I'm a life-long damned fan since love song came out so I'm not having a cheap dig here. has everyone forgot about the travesty that was ANYTHING. that album was a fkn joke...I mean that video for gigolo...Christ almighty. it was bad enough hearing the song then to see that piece of cringeworthy shit. I genuinely thought it was all over by then....maybe it should've been. I went to see them on that tour and, to be fair, they were still great live but that album ???????????????? fast forward to SWP...perhaps they've just run out of ideas. the group's intentions were always to try something different each record to keep the fans and band interested. ok, fair enough, but it's got monty n sensible all over that album and they're both heavily into prog. yeah, sure, if DV showed up to more rehearsals we might hear a different sound.......who knows eh. I reckon that if they do get a record out this year, it'll most probably be their last. I'd like to see them release more 'archive' live shows....77-81

I get what your saying.
Still a great live band excellent in fact.
Trouble is there aint many if any doing good new stuff compared to there old stuff.
The is across all styles of music. You just have to enjoy the live gigs.

[vanian]

I like Dave Vanian,he is a great singer. But he is a very odd Character and strange to work out. Sometimes he doesnt even turn up for gigs or signing sessions However Captains the best part about the band, whenever he is in it they are at their best if you ask me. Here is a picture of Me and Captain at Londons Islington Academy taken last year when i met him for the first time.

I just bought "Anything" yesterday on Ebay as it was the last album i needed to complete my Damned collection Was it worth £5.99?

in dulce decorum is the best track on anything and would have fitted on the Black album imo - there are prob three good tracks ( dulce ,anything & psychomania ) the rest are just throw aways and in interviews they always said that they weren't ready to record but were pushed into it by MCA after the success of phantasmagoria

[Rockula]

I like Dave Vanian,he is a great singer. But he is a very odd Character and strange to work out. Sometimes he doesnt even turn up for gigs or signing sessions However Captains the best part about the band, whenever he is in it they are at their best if you ask me. Here is a picture of Me and Captain at Londons Islington Academy taken last year when i met him for the first time.

I just bought "Anything" yesterday on Ebay as it was the last album i needed to complete my Damned collection Was it worth £5.99?

in dulce decorum is the best track on anything and would have fitted on the Black album imo - there are prob three good tracks ( dulce ,anything & psychomania ) the rest are just throw aways and in interviews they always said that they weren't ready to record but were pushed into it by MCA after the success of phantasmagoria

For the title track 'Anything' I actually prefer the remixes including the instrumental which are available on the 2-CD re-release. And the track is just basically 'Five Foot One' by Iggy Pop with different lyrics.
'Alone Again Or' is just an adequate cover version of the Love original and is, strangely, about the only song from this album the band play live; and Captain wasn't even on the studio version 'cause it was Roman Jugg on guitar at the time.
'The Portrait' is a pleasant enough instrumental but there's a better, longer version put out as a 'B' side and it should have stayed there.
'Restless' is a nice atmospheric track but sounds like it was intended for a 'Phantom Chords' album.
I agree about 'In Dulce Decorum' being excellent. It's one of my favourite Damned songs of any era of the band and just happens to come from my least favourite Damned album. It kind of redeems the album for me.
'Gigolo' splits fans. I like it as a throwaway 'pop' song. But the album intro is just 'Gigolo Aunt' by Syd Barrett. There's a limited remix 7" that was better than the album release or the official single but for some reason it was left off the re-release CD.
'The Girl Goes Down' sounds like 'Planet Claire' by The B52's. In fact, with a minor change of BPM, they actually transpose almost exactly when transposed. I know 'cause I did it. It also sounds like it was intended to be a 'Phantom Chords' song.
'Tightrope Walk' is atmospheric but hardly a classic.
'Psychomania' is a belter live and quite a fun way to end the album.

The 2-CD re-release I mentioned adds 'Eloise'. I'm not a fan of the track but it's 'B' side, 'Temptation', is probably my 2nd favourite track of the whole MCA period and why it was left off the album is a mystery to me.
The other 'Eloise' B' side was the cover of John Barry's 'Beat Girl' which is also fun.
And there's Dub and Instrumental versions of 'In Dulce Decorum' which are my favourite bits.

[gjinblack]

Great post Rockula.
I love reading stuff like that.

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

[vanian]

I like Dave Vanian,he is a great singer. But he is a very odd Character and strange to work out. Sometimes he doesnt even turn up for gigs or signing sessions However Captains the best part about the band, whenever he is in it they are at their best if you ask me. Here is a picture of Me and Captain at Londons Islington Academy taken last year when i met him for the first time.

I just bought "Anything" yesterday on Ebay as it was the last album i needed to complete my Damned collection Was it worth £5.99?

in dulce decorum is the best track on anything and would have fitted on the Black album imo - there are prob three good tracks ( dulce ,anything & psychomania ) the rest are just throw aways and in interviews they always said that they weren't ready to record but were pushed into it by MCA after the success of phantasmagoria

For the title track 'Anything' I actually prefer the remixes including the instrumental which are available on the 2-CD re-release. And the track is just basically 'Five Foot One' by Iggy Pop with different lyrics.
'Alone Again Or' is just an adequate cover version of the Love original and is, strangely, about the only song from this album the band play live; and Captain wasn't even on the studio version 'cause it was Roman Jugg on guitar at the time.
'The Portrait' is a pleasant enough instrumental but there's a better, longer version put out as a 'B' side and it should have stayed there.
'Restless' is a nice atmospheric track but sounds like it was intended for a 'Phantom Chords' album.
I agree about 'In Dulce Decorum' being excellent. It's one of my favourite Damned songs of any era of the band and just happens to come from my least favourite Damned album. It kind of redeems the album for me.
'Gigolo' splits fans. I like it as a throwaway 'pop' song. But the album intro is just 'Gigolo Aunt' by Syd Barrett. There's a limited remix 7" that was better than the album release or the official single but for some reason it was left off the re-release CD.
'The Girl Goes Down' sounds like 'Planet Claire' by The B52's. In fact, with a minor change of BPM, they actually transpose almost exactly when transposed. I know 'cause I did it. It also sounds like it was intended to be a 'Phantom Chords' song.
'Tightrope Walk' is atmospheric but hardly a classic.
'Psychomania' is a belter live and quite a fun way to end the album.

The 2-CD re-release I mentioned adds 'Eloise'. I'm not a fan of the track but it's 'B' side, 'Temptation', is probably my 2nd favourite track of the whole MCA period and why it was left off the album is a mystery to me.
The other 'Eloise' B' side was the cover of John Barry's 'Beat Girl' which is also fun.
And there's Dub and Instrumental versions of 'In Dulce Decorum' which are my favourite bits.

i agree that the extended versions of some of the tracks are way better and live some took on a totally different life -

i think i remember rat saying that Dulce was the only track that they had ready before going into the studio - hence all the similar styles to other songs by other bands as they had little choice but to cobble together the album - i also remember an article that i think rat or DV thought that Roman had written 'alone again' himself

[jetblacksdad]

I remember being a bit disappointed with Anything when it came out.
I think it has weathered quite well, but it was a flat offering after the success of Phantasmagoria.
MCA era Damned just weren't quite right. I think they suffered from Capt leaving though the chart placings didn't.

We've only had two Damned albums in the last 20 years but they have been pretty solid offerings. SWP has a couple of tracks I always skip but on teh whole, they're good.

One of my favourite bands to see and had the pleasure of supporting them once when Patricia was on bass.

Check the Don't you wish that we were dead documentary.

[parasiteinblack]

I like Dave Vanian,he is a great singer. But he is a very odd Character and strange to work out. Sometimes he doesnt even turn up for gigs or signing sessions However Captains the best part about the band, whenever he is in it they are at their best if you ask me. Here is a picture of Me and Captain at Londons Islington Academy taken last year when i met him for the first time.

I just bought "Anything" yesterday on Ebay as it was the last album i needed to complete my Damned collection Was it worth £5.99?

in dulce decorum is the best track on anything and would have fitted on the Black album imo - there are prob three good tracks ( dulce ,anything & psychomania ) the rest are just throw aways and in interviews they always said that they weren't ready to record but were pushed into it by MCA after the success of phantasmagoria

For the title track 'Anything' I actually prefer the remixes including the instrumental which are available on the 2-CD re-release. And the track is just basically 'Five Foot One' by Iggy Pop with different lyrics.
'Alone Again Or' is just an adequate cover version of the Love original and is, strangely, about the only song from this album the band play live; and Captain wasn't even on the studio version 'cause it was Roman Jugg on guitar at the time.
'The Portrait' is a pleasant enough instrumental but there's a better, longer version put out as a 'B' side and it should have stayed there.
'Restless' is a nice atmospheric track but sounds like it was intended for a 'Phantom Chords' album.
I agree about 'In Dulce Decorum' being excellent. It's one of my favourite Damned songs of any era of the band and just happens to come from my least favourite Damned album. It kind of redeems the album for me.
'Gigolo' splits fans. I like it as a throwaway 'pop' song. But the album intro is just 'Gigolo Aunt' by Syd Barrett. There's a limited remix 7" that was better than the album release or the official single but for some reason it was left off the re-release CD.
'The Girl Goes Down' sounds like 'Planet Claire' by The B52's. In fact, with a minor change of BPM, they actually transpose almost exactly when transposed. I know 'cause I did it. It also sounds like it was intended to be a 'Phantom Chords' song.
'Tightrope Walk' is atmospheric but hardly a classic.
'Psychomania' is a belter live and quite a fun way to end the album.

The 2-CD re-release I mentioned adds 'Eloise'. I'm not a fan of the track but it's 'B' side, 'Temptation', is probably my 2nd favourite track of the whole MCA period and why it was left off the album is a mystery to me.
The other 'Eloise' B' side was the cover of John Barry's 'Beat Girl' which is also fun.
And there's Dub and Instrumental versions of 'In Dulce Decorum' which are my favourite bits.

Pretty much spot on, I'd say. I'm on the side of fandom that really likes Gigolo, that song always cheers me up :D

[theraven1979]

Anything is not bad really. Suffers from bad songwriting and OTT 80s production but there's 3 or 4 tracks that make it worthwhile

Jim

[pigeon]

I have just finished listening to "Anything" on my hifi. Its an album that sounds better when you listen to it this way than on Spotify say. I already knew the title song "Anything" and like that one. "Alone Again Or" was the first time i heard the studio version, i always heard it live, so at the Royal Albert Hall i was confussed why there was a trumpet player onstage,turns out theres a trumpet on the studio version and its very good. I dont know much about the band love apart from this song, and it's really good. Track 3 "The Potrait" is an instrumental. This album is really laid back and shows off Roman Juggs skills. I Like "Restless", and "in duluce Decorum" are musically adventrous on the album which sounds like they could of been apart of something else.

Heres where the album starts to go downhill for me i dont really like "Gigolo" Or "The girl Goes down". But ending with "tightrope" and "Psychomania" makes the album finish on a decentish note. Musically more spacious than its predisessor "Phantasmorgria" which is a much much better album than this, but this is not bad at all. 7/10

[Boody]

5 days to go Pidge - looking forward to it.