Happy Birthday, 'Damned Damned Damned'
48 years young from The Damned
It came to my attention today, via TikTok, I mean where else does anyone learn anything?, that today marks 48 years since The Damned released their breakthrough album Damned Damned Damned. So many great things about this album, first of all it's older than me (barely), secondly it was the first UK punk album to release in America even beating the Sex Pistols, and lastly for me it represents my genesis into punk.
Unfortunately, Damned Damned Damned, was not the first album that introduced me to punk but one of their songs was part of my gateway. In fall of 1993, Guns N' Roses released an album of covers entitled, The Spaghetti Incident. This was a landmark release for me personally. With tracks from New York Dolls, Misfits, Iggy and the Stooges and of course The Damned's 'New Rose' I was immediately hooked.
Being the music nerd I used to be, still kinda am, I started searching for tapes from these artists. This was several years before and the internet and still a few before everything was remastered on vinyl and CD. The first two I found were Damned Damned Damned and a U.K. subs collection titled, Down on the Farm (A Collection of The Less Obvious). Quick side note here while searching for the correct U.K. Subs album I coincidentally ran into a result that popular country singer Tim McGraw also has a song titled 'Down on the Farm', Something tells me it's not a U.K. Subs cover.
From these two albums I was introduced to a whole new world, which has led to my life long love of punk music. Fast forward 20+ years later, in 2016, I would actually get to see The Damned live. I was living in Germany at the time and they were playing a small hovel of a place in Munich. It was such a full circle moment for me that I will never forget, well kinda. Unfortunately I was still in my alcoholic era at the time. So I don't remember too much. This was usually the case for shows for about 30 years of my life. On the good side that is all behind me now, being sober for almost 3 years.
As I sit here listening to the album while writing this, I am just amazed at how ahead of their time they were. The songwriting, and the lyrics are superb and timeless, especially the aforementioned 'New Rose' which could easily be credited as the first truly Emo song. Just amazing.
Excellent bands, one and all.
My favorite UK Subs memory was seeing them live in '85. Being just a wee teen (ok, maybe not so wee), I was amazed by the old guys there. You know the type. Those that were in their mid- to late-20s. Ancient. A few of them even had their young kids on their shoulders. That blew my mind. I made sure to carry on that tradition with my son.
That tour produced a great double album - UK Subs In Action (Tenth Anniversary). It has been on frequent rotation since I picked up my copy soon after that show. It's on Spotfify. That's the version of UK Subs that I always hear in my head.
Welcome to the 'Stack, Wes, and more specifically, what we lovingly call #MusicStack! Great rememberies on The Damned! In February 1977, I was 21, and had just finished two years on-air for two commercial FM rockers (KLOL/Houston and WFMF/Baton Rouge, LA), and was brand new at Houston's (my hometown) largest vinyl retailer, Cactus Records.
With The Ramones having already released at least one album, domestically, I was all over the rock rags of the day, and knew precisely when this new Damned album would be released...just not in the States! We had an import section, so I made sure our import buyer was on top of ordering this one, and I literally remember the day it came in! I didn't particularly care for it (which is apropos of nothing), but I had to add it to my collection, 'cause I was all over this punk'n'new wave stuff, and fascinated how the records and artists were merging with the rock press, and how it all came together, and ended up in, always, two places: Radio (which I had had 4 years experience in, already, counting two years at the college level) and retail!
Wes, I'd love to invite you to a round of Tune Tag, if you've a mind ta! We'll have fun, I think, communicating through a variety of songs! Check 'em out on our site to get the feel and flow, and DM me if you're game! I'll follow with how it all goes down! Thanks, Wes, and again, welcome!-Brad