Is it even possible to dislike a band like The Damned? I can see people hating Radiohead or Arcade Fire, but The Damned to me seems anti-hate proof, in that its purpose is to entertain and treat the world in a comic book vision, where one lives in a world of punk. But the punk here is not one type of individual because The Damned represents unique individuals who are members of The Damned. Rat Scabies is basically a Keith Moon, Algy Ward is the journeyman Punk rocker, Captain Sensible is the punk clown with color, and Dave Vanian is the goth king, but not on the goth planet, but the punk planet. Clearly, on paper at the very least, a perfect band.
The first two Damned albums had Brian James in the band, and he wrote all their material. Similar to Syd Barrett who was the chief writer for Pink Floyd, - when James left the group, the thought of the time was, 'there's no band without Brian James (or Syd). Alas, the other musicians come up to the bat and somehow became even more successful than the original lineup. "Machine Gun Etiquette" is very much the 'great' rock album. One would say 'punk, ' but I feel that the music on this album goes beyond the punk, but at the same time, that aesthetic is very much the foundation for the record. The fact that they had Nick Mason (they wanted Syd, but ...) produce their second album says a lot about their outlook and their presence in their own world, and how they look beyond the island of punk.
Captain Sensible (proper name) as a guitarist has a robust approach to pop melody, and "Machine Gun Etiquette" is full of catchy and beautiful melodies. The piano beginning of "Melody Lee" is one of my favorite pieces of music. I can listen to a much longer version of that work, even if it lasts for one hour. That is just an introduction when the song turns to the volume of 11, and while keeping the melody intact, it is like having a hyperactive child on one's lap. The album is chaos, but it works from that format into a pop symphony of sorts.
As I listened to it recently, it reminds me very much of The Who during their "A Quick One" and "The Who Sell Out" era. Lots of thrashing with beautiful melodies, but also a sneaking ambition in song concept and projection. At times, I even think of "Machine Gun Etiquette" as the great lost John Entwistle album. Or for sure, if The Damned was just a touch younger, Kit Lambert would have surely signed them to Track Records, and produce their recordings. Then again, perhaps that's my overactive imagination at work. Nevertheless, "Machine Gun Etiquette" is an album that never ages. A beautiful piece of work.
