The Damned: Albums Ranked (w/ Martin Popoff)

[@OFR]

Glad someone mentioned In Dulce Decorum, absolutely one of their best written songs. Brilliant.

[@TheChadTI]

It's SO good.

[@awrogers3013]

Was born in 1960. This band and the stranglers are the two bands I’ve grown in leaps and bounds for understanding..many years after Thanks Martin for always recognizing greatness. Great melodic tunes. MGE never gets old for me

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Great album

[@dominicseanmccann6300]

Loads of good bands' then but the stranglers & damned ? Melody & spite....

[@FromaTwistedMind]

Yay! Same here... my 2 Favourite bands - The Stranglers & The Damned HUGELY influenced me (& the band I formed). Imho, no other bands come near them.

[@FromaTwistedMind]

MGE is my number 1 album too.

[@fdevlin5932]

Don’t Bother Me is the captain on vocals

[@Richie53rd]

Exactly what I was going to say, glad someone else picked up on it.

[@reedl2353]

Probably your best show so far, Peter. I've not heard a single song from The Damned, so I can't comment on the music. However, I have always loved what I consider to be Martin's realism in his music fandom - he can have a band that's one of his all time favorites and yet there are many of their songs that he doesn't really like. It's the ability to distinguish relative quality that makes someone "discerning", or critical. If I hear a commentator say, "There's no such thing as a bad ___ song" it immediately turns me off, because I know that person has no concept of relative value.

[@tikitorturedmf]

I HIGHLY advise you to listen to the Damned. They are absolutely brilliant! Martin’s list is WAY off though, so pay no attention to that. I suggest you get a best of comp as a starting point and then take a deeper dive after you fall in love with them!

[@fdevlin5932]

Great band, great guest, great show

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Thanks for watching! (and agree great band)

[@KowankoMusic]

Great conversation, gents! I absolutely love this band and had the great fortune to play a few shows with them this month. Captain's unfortunately not with them (his antivax stance precluded entry to the US) but Troy from QOTSA is subbing and really killing it. Also, Paul Grey is back. Such a charismatic presence onstage. One thing I could never understand is how widely loathed the Damned were by their punk contemporaries in the late 70s. In oral history books like Lydon's No Black No Irish No Dogs, virtually every contributor disparages them. I don't get it. To me they have so much more to offer than most of their peers. Anyway, loved watching this, thanks!

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Thank you!...Paul’s bass playing is sublime isn’t? I think jealousy may be a big factor in the (fear and) loathing from their peers because they were too damn good...they got booted off a package tour with the Pistols..why?....They were and are the real deal...

[@Shikta-poobah67]

I wasn’t actually there, so I can’t really say from a firsthand perspective why they were frowned upon by so many of their UK peers at the time, but my best educated guess is that a lot of it had to do with the fact that they (the Damned) didn’t give a single shit about ‘solidarity’, and didn’t really form any real allegiances with other bands. Also, they turned down Malcolm MacLaren when he offered to manage them (smart move), therefore getting on his bad side. Then there was the talent factor. Unlike most other UK punk bands at the time, the Damned was made up of members who knew how to play their instruments, and play them well… and even garnered some praise from members of Led Zeppelin for being talented musicians… which surely didn’t sit very well with many of their punk peers I would have to think. And then there also must have been some jealousy at play. They were the first UK punk band to release a single, the first to release an album, the first to play in America, and if I’m not mistaken, one of the first to play in mainland Europe. The Pistols may have been the first to play on home turf, but the Damned were always a step or two ahead of the Pistols in every other way. Anyway, add up these factors and I do believe it had a lot to do with why so many other UK punk bands didn’t like the Damned. Just a guess.

[@lucasroche8639]

The first five Damned LP's were all perfect punk rock records that anyone can appreciate because of the width of the genre sonically (to those who say Strawberries and Black album aren't punk I respond by pointing out that as a band that were an important part of creating the punk sound and, showing us how wide ranging and unlimited punk can be, they showed us what punk can be).

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Agree with you 100%

[@koont666]

Same 🇬🇧

[@lucasroche8639]

@@koont666 nice to know I'm not alone

[@lucasroche8639]

@@RockDaydreamNation as I said below, it's nice to know I'm not alone.

[@wernermoritz882]

So glad I discovered this channel! I was watching SoT a lot but they cover just a small piece of my taste. Great video, Great channel! 👍

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Awesome Werner! Thank you!...plenty more to come...all different type of rock

[@wernermoritz882]

@@RockDaydreamNation I think I have seen you before in the Contrarians.

[@RockDaydreamNation]

@@wernermoritz882 👍i am on the Contrarians frequently

[@alfietomkins7829]

Really enjoyed this, I also have The Damned in my top 5 of all time bands, seen them dozens of times, met them, always charming and nice guys. One of the very best groups to come out of Britain In the late 70's and still going strong, love the Damned, MGE is probably their best for me, followed by The Black album and Grave Disorder, but all are great

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Thanks for watching..they are one of my all time favs

[@Taylor-kd6lr]

Excellent presentation here Peter. Great points made from you and Martin. As a huge fan of The Damned, I thoroughly enjoyed this one!!

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Thanks Taylor!

[@Drinckx2]

Great conversation this, reminding me of many of the things I love about this band. Excellent stuff!

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Thanks Paul...they are one of my all time favorites out of the many different genres of bands I truly like

[@stevenimeson902]

I met Martin preshow for the damned may27,2024 Awesome guy was super nice, you can tell this man loves rock n roll , purchased his book lively arts highly recommended! Strawberries is one of their best albums!

[@RockDaydreamNation]

He is an awesome guy for sure! Glad to meet another Strawberries fan!

[@LEEFORDJAGG]

Great to have the Australian & Canadian view points. I confess to just buying Damned compilations but I will scoop up the all their albums I enjoyed their covers of ‘Citadel’ & ‘White Rabbit’. A friend of mine did some mix tapes for me too.

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Thanks and appreciate your feedback...👍👍please subscribe as I have guests from around the world..and more to come....various genres

[@thomaswery3087]

Great show Peter. I have no idea what the Damned sound like but your discussions are great.Very enjoyable

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Thanks for watching and your feedback Thomas!

[@JohntheMusicNut]

Great show Martin and Peter! I picked up Smash It Up: The Anthology 1976-1987 a few years ago and I love it. Ok, this is it. I have to get those early albums, especially Machine Gun Etiquette and the Black Album. "Curtain Call" is another one of those very long songs that takes you in and doesn't feel like 17 minutes.

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Thanks John...those early albums are essential...you won’t be disappointed

[@psychedelicpunkster6840]

WOW!!! How the hell I miss this....

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Thanks for catching. Appreciate your subscribe as plenty of other punk content on the channel soon!

[@psychedelicpunkster6840]

@@RockDaydreamNation Swell will Do

[@marcraygun6290]

Have you ever noticed thanks for the night and ignite are the same riff in different Key?

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Thanks...They are very similar 🤔

[@Drinckx2]

I have the Uk version of The Black Album on vinyl and it's completely black (like your Japanese import but without the banner in Japanese), with 'The Damned' embossed on the front.

[@senorfunball]

The back half of Phantasmagoria , from Is It a Dream on kicks ass, the guitar break on Is It a Dream is so good, I love a short great guitar solo 🤘🤠👍

[@RockDaydreamNation]

I love the whole album..but im biased!

[@TheChadTI]

14:50 Yep. It still haunts them.

[@roberthardin2133]

in recent years I've reassessed the Damned, and they're now one of my favorite bands of all time. I think their 1st 5 are stone cold classics. when I was younger, I couldn't get past the 1st 2 (I've always loved Music for Pleasure as much as the debut). but now that I've gone back and re-listened, the Black Album is my favorite. and I absolutely adore Machine Gun Etiquette and Strawberries. got to see them live in NYC in 2000 with Pat Bag on bass, and they put on a great live show! Rat Scabies is one of my favorite drummers ever. I once described his style as Keith Moon crossed with Animal from the Muppets.

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Thanks for the comment....I agree with you...those early albums are sublime...and their live shows now are consistently good (they play so well!)

[@marcraygun6290]

Loves eloise when it came out when I was 10 then at 16 heard my friends copy of Damned Damned Damned and fell in love , saw them for third time Friday and loved it

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Good Stuff...I'm seeing them in July (Sydney)...really looking forward to it...

[@murreygellmann7708]

My fave UK punk band by a large measure

[@RockDaydreamNation]

What you said! 👍

[@robertneil620]

Just got my copy of Lively Arts today. Really looking for to reading it.

[@RockDaydreamNation]

I got my copy a week ago. Starting to read it. It looks like a cracker of a book!

[@mummyd1990]

Love this and The Damned are one of my all time fave bands of all time,never cared much for the LP anything thought MCA ruined the damned sadly but now they are back on form.

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Thank you! Appreciate your feedback (check out the Damned Mix tape show I did with Andee Blacksugar on this channel...that was fun!)

[@TheChadTI]

1:05 same here! Martin is always right.

[@FromaTwistedMind]

Hey guys! You 2 ever do an album rating on The Stranglers? 🤔

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Not on this channel...but never say never👍

[@sspbrazil]

Yay Martin! The Damned are one of my favorite bands and no Martin doesn’t get to talk about them often. I agree with Martin about their last full album, Visconti didn’t capture their energy, it sounds too safe, I think their latest EP is actually better!

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Was fantastic to have Martin...doing some more Punk orientated stuff on the channel next week with Mr Popoff..watch this space..

[@sspbrazil]

@@RockDaydreamNation sure is, I will!

[@tonyajm8289]

Strawberries is also one of my fave albums of all time. The Damned is my favourite band of all time. Even if I haven't really be into what they have done after 'Thanks for the night' albiet some cracking tracks.

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Thanks Tony..it would be in my top 20 albums of all time at least..love it...if not already sub to the channel as there is plenty of similar shows/all different genres coming up👍

[@ronnorry1592]

Totally agree with your top 2 and I have a hard time choosing between them. It often depends on my mood for the day which one comes out on top. Curious where you would put the Naz Nomad album if you were to include it with their regular albums.

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Understand. I oscillate between both. Interesting question about Naz..Probably somewhere between 10-12

[@jonightingale]

Loved watching almost an hour of dedicated Damned discussion, and agreed with a lot of your perspectives. My ranking (today), probably closest to Peter's: STRAWBERRIES =MGE =TBA ANYTHING (also my entry point!) PHANTASMAGORIA DDD EVIL SPIRITS GD SWP MFP NOTE

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Great list...and thanks for watching!

[@robertneil620]

The first gig I ever went to was The Damned in Glasgow on The Strawberries tour. My elder brother was a fan from the very beginning. It was such a great night.

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Thanks for the comment...would have loved to have seen that tour...against my fav Damned album

[@robertneil620]

@@RockDaydreamNation I have seen them several times and they always put on a great show. Really looking forward to The Night Of A 1,000 Vampires CD/ Blu Ray release.

[@RockDaydreamNation]

@@robertneil620 Yes indeed..That is an essential purchase!

[@TheChadTI]

How. Did. I. MISS. THIS. Martin is my favorite rock journalist (along with Sleazegrinder) and The Damned is my favorite band. /subbed

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Welcome! and thanks...I have a Clash chat with Martin in a couple weeks time which should be a lot of fun!

[@TheChadTI]

@@RockDaydreamNation Nice! Ill tune in to that, thanks.

[@sspbrazil]

I would have included Damned But Not Forgotten in the ranking, though it’s a compilation of singles, alt versions and b-sides, I’ve always considered it a proper Damned album.

[@marcraygun6290]

My black album also all black I think it was second version in the uk

[@TheChadTI]

44:45 Agreed. Chiswick may be the answer. Strawberries had songs thats shoukd have hit too. Stranger on the Town would fit fine on most classic rock channels (same for Dozen Girls)

[@sspbrazil]

I enjoy Music For Pleasure.

[@lucasroche8639]

The original line up tour recently was bloody brilliant.

[@RockDaydreamNation]

I have the tour bootlegs and they sound great! if not already please sub to the channel as plenty of Damned and similar stuff coming soon!

[@Andy-m6j]

Awesome. Nasty is one of the cool b-sides too

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Cool song....Thanks for watching

[@h.m.7218]

Love the Damned. Can't wait for the book... Favorites : MGE ( best pop punk album ever ) and Strawberries Then, in no order : black album, Anything, Phantasmagoria, Evil Spirit Then, Grave desorder and Paranoïd Never cared for DDD and Music for pleasure Some of my favorite deep tracks : Song.com, Generals, Dr Jekyll and mister Hyde, Melody Lee, Procrastination, Dulce Decorum, Psychomania, Little Miss Disaster, Diamonds,

[@geraldhugley3618]

The cover of Music for Pleasure is a drawing by Barney Bubbles of each of the members faces.

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Didn’t know that...I’m going to revisit the album cover!

[@geraldhugley3618]

@@RockDaydreamNation Dave Vanian showed me when he was signing my album at a Meet and Greet. I also got to watch their soundcheck. I kept yelling out songs. And they kept playing them. Including Diamonds and Dark Asteroid. Which I’m sure they’ve never played before. Or since.

[@RockDaydreamNation]

@@geraldhugley3618 that’s awesome...

[@davidheafield1436]

I remember on the John Peel show , him saying that the Damned were contemplating an alternate title to MGE being “ Atom Heart Mugger” and that they should have done that …I agree with him and it’s still a great title waiting to be used by someone…

[@RockDaydreamNation]

interesting title!...maybe their next album?

[@IrishFootyVlogs]

Where did you get that T shirt Peter?

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Ebay UK...few sellers have the design...its a goodie

[@neilbower9052]

First awareness of the band, don't cry wolf pink vinyl, stiff 7" from the bargain punk singles box at my then local record shop. My Top 4. Music For Pleasure (my 'in to them' album) Machine Gun Etiquette Strawberries Black Album

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Those Stiff label pressings, if in good nick are worth $...Nice picks!

[@wernermoritz882]

What album or compilation would you recommend as a The Damned starting point, Peter?

[@RockDaydreamNation]

www.discogs.com/release/2424492-The-Damned-Smash-It-Up-The-Anthology-1976-1987/image/SW1hZ2U6MTI0NzcyNjk= This is a solid compilation and gives a good oversight of their work when they were on a major label...

[@wernermoritz882]

@@RockDaydreamNation thank you!

[@IrishFootyVlogs]

The Damned for me were the most diverse of the bands from the punk scene. Punk, Gothic, Rock, Pop, Brit Pop all in their Arsenal. A great band and musicians. The best from that era by a mile. Don’t really see the Stranglers vibe too them much though

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Agree with you!

[@Vinnieman70]

1,Damned Damned Damned 2,The Black Album 3,Not the Captains “Live” 4,Live at Shepperton 5,MFP.

[@RockDaydreamNation]

On the basis of including live albums...great picks!

[@OFR]

MCA label - was nicknamed Musician's Cemetery Association

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Ha..I heard the same but phrased as where musicians go to die

[@sspbrazil]

That’s Nick Cave’s wife Susie on the cover of Phantasmagoria.

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Thanks for that!..One of my all time favourite covers

[@JVonghost]

Anything was on Miami vice as well.

[@RockDaydreamNation]

True that...it was

[@geraldhugley3618]

Favorite Album - The Black Album.

[@RockDaydreamNation]

It’s a good one that’s for sure!

[@TheChadTI]

19:07 I know this feel.🤣

[@davrowb]

My favorite Damned album is strawberries 🍓 magnificent classic ! The idea behind the album photograph is Damned fans will love it or hate it .. ( like giving Strawberries to pigs! ) 🤔😬👍

[@RockDaydreamNation]

I agree with you 100%..and thanks for letting me know about the album photo..I had a slighty different take on that....

[@JAY61ish]

Not forgetting the strawberry scent impregnated into it..😂😂

[@nasdkhan254]

Funny enough my favourite Damned albums come in chronological order . Music for Pleasure is seriously underrated. Idiot Box is superb Strawberries I would like remixed as its not as crisp I feel it should be. Admittedly I don't currently own anything beyond Phantomasgoria but have heard Jack & Beanstalk/Grave Disorder etc .

[@RockDaydreamNation]

thanks for watching and your picks..more Damned content in the no so distant future (so please sub if not already😉)

[@kingbolo4579]

So what do you think of Darkadelic, then, eh?

[@RockDaydreamNation]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/i4GcYZl9frF7ercsi=-7CSBslC6VhQcuDI Review of the album and ranking in this show

[@kingbolo4579]

@@RockDaydreamNation Ah, cool, thanks.

[@guessundheit6494]

"The beatless of punk"? Now there's an insult. The Damned set themselves apart not just by being one of the first punk songs and albums released, but also by being Very Good Musicians. They knew how to play, how to write melody. That's something that other DIY punk bands would take 2-3 albums to learn (e.g. Blondie, not until their fourth).

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Well, I guess if your not a fan of the fab 4 you could take it that way..it was intended as high praise in the context of the chat. Thanks for the comment!

[@TheodorusRex]

Grave Disorder is my favorite - unpopular, I know. I love the debut and Machine Gun Et.

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Good stuff

[@blackjockofmangertonpele]

Grave Disorder was and remains a huge fan favourite here in the UK, because it marked the return of Captain to recording with the band. And the accompanying tours here were simply fantastic, it was a toss up who was better around 2002, Buzzcocks or our old chums The Damned 😂🎉

[@SalMichael]

People keep calling Phantasmagoria a Goth record. Ever heard Goth? None of it is as Pop or commercial as this record , Besides the costumes i mean "is it a dream? Shadow of Love? Edward the bear? this is nothing like goth.Dark artwork doesn't make for dark melodies. Anyway's ,I've had the pleasure of opening for them 3 times ,Beautiful people... and my fave band forever. 1.Black Album 2.machin gun Etiquette 3.Friday the 13th E.P. 4.Damned Damned Damned 5.Strawberries 6.Final Damnation 7.Grave disorder 8.So who's paranoid

[@TheChadTI]

Unsolicited opinion: 1.MGE 2.Strawberries 3.The Black Album 4.Damned x3 5. Phantasmagoria 6. Music For Pleasure 7. Anything 8. Evil Spirits 9. Grave Disorder 10: So Who's Paranoid 11. Not of this Earth Also a Popoff Damned book?! Holy shit.

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Good Stuff...Not far out of our wheelhouse...Yep the book will be killer....

[@psychedelicpunkster6840]

I'm a huge DamneD Fan from the start. Was fortunate to see them whenever phantasmagoria tour unfortunately the captain wasn't touring with them at that time. I'm kind of disappointed I didn't get to see them on their monumental reunion tour.... Fortunate enough to have seen themover a dozen times here in the states I'm happy too ,Paul's back in the band... Seen them recently on the Blondie tour. Yeah Paul was there but.... They Gyped us with the Capt and gave us the guitarist from Queens of the Stone age. Great guitarist but not made for the DamneD.... ANYTING, SO WHO'S PARANOID, ROCK FIELD FILES, EVIL SPIRITS PHANTASMAGORIA, I'M ALRIGHT JACK AND THE BEANSTALK, GRAVE DISORDER, STRAWBERRIES, BLACK ALBUM, SELF-TITLED, MUSIC FOR PLEASURE, AND #1 MACHINE GUN ETIQUETTE

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Cool. I recently did a show with Andee Blacksugar who is the guitarist with Blondie and played on that tour. Our show on this channel is to make a Damned mix tape. Check it out!

[@tikitorturedmf]

I toured with the Damned for their Grave Disorder U.S. tour and I asked Captain what he thought of Phantasmagoria. His answer really surprised me. He said he didn’t like it much because it didn’t have strong Melodies and harmonies. He said that’s one thing about true Damned music is that it had to have those things. I totally disagree because I think Phantasmagoria has it in spades!

[@RockDaydreamNation]

@@tikitorturedmf Agree with you totally!

[@MsKalachakra]

Well, something like this won't be done in SOT with Pete for sure, so you could do all the big discographies of punk megabands like The Jam, The Clash, The Ramones, Black Flag/Rollins Band, Dead Kennedys, Husker Du, Bad Religion and Fugazi. Hell, I'll include Green Day and Sleater Kinney right up there too, can't care less about the haters and punk truthers.

[@RockDaydreamNation]

These bands are definitely in the Rock Daydream Nation wheelhouse...watch this space!

[@MsKalachakra]

@@RockDaydreamNation Great ! I will !

[@TheChadTI]

IMO Not of this earth is barely a Damned album. It's a collection of songs written by Alan Lee Shaw as a possible solo album or something, Rat knew him and pkayed dums on the tracks later drafting Dave in. Odd.

[@paulrous1670]

Ive never concidered it a true Damned album .. just a bit of a Damned spin off .....

[@DavyDredd14]

THE DAMNED Top 5 Albums : 5. Phantasmagoria (1985) 4. Damned Damned Damned (1977) 3. Strawberries (1982) 2. Machine Gun Etiquette (1979) 1. The Black Album (1980)

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Love the picks Davy....I have a Damned mix tape show with Andee Blacksugar of KMFDM and Blondie dropping within the week...check it out!

[@DavyDredd14]

@@RockDaydreamNation I'll be sure to check it out.. Thanks !

[@JAY61ish]

Born in 1961.. love the damned.. but I prefer their earlier albums.. machine gun etiquette. the black Album. Strawberries. .

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Those earlier albums are my sweet spot. Thanks for the comment!

[@psychedelicpunkster6840]

I Dig your Take on your number 1

[@psychedelicpunkster6840]

DamneD LP Strawberries, man you said it ... if you listen to it through and through it hits you emotionally. Put so well hanx.. Cheers

[@RockDaydreamNation]

thank you👍

[@FizzzieCat]

I don’t think there’s a bad Damned album. Anything is probably the weakest with a lack of material.

[@RockDaydreamNation]

I agree that there are no really bad Damned Albums....I have a soft spot for Anything...my first exposure to them live in 86'

[@TheChadTI]

Conspiracy take; So Who's Paranoid was a Captain solo album originally.

[@lucasroche8639]

You know your on to a bad start when a bloke says he doesn't really consider the Ramones to be punk then mentions Motorhead as one of the first punk bands he remembers, as great as Motorhead are they aren't punk. And the other bloke didn't know about them till Eloise? I mean, look how old he is?!? "They were Britpop before Britpop"... Oh blimey (Says the grumpy old punk rocker) lol.

[@RockDaydreamNation]

Thanks for watching

[@gmantramp404]

Ramones studio albums through 76-80 were partly punk tho 👍

[@FromaTwistedMind]

Totally disagree with "so who's paranoid now" LEAST Damned sounding album ever imho & the songs just don't work for me ( No Dave input)?? Number 10 for me.

[@gmantramp404]

😂😂😂😂 Didn't create Goth 😂😂😂