The Damned - "Machine Gun Etiquette" Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, 2016/1979 (Chiswick Records)

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. 

Pete Shelley - "Homosapien" Vinyl, LP, Album, 1981 (Arista)

One cannot ever underestimate the greatness of The Buzzcocks.  For one, Pete Shelley is one of the great songwriters of the Punk/New Wave era.  What gives Shelley that extra edge is his interest in not only rock n' roll, but also contemporary classical music and electronics.  When The Buzzcocks went to sleep for whatever reason, Shelley reinvented himself as a solo act that's focused on his songwriting, but also electronic pop.  It was nice that Shelley could express himself with the two guitars, bass, drums of The Buzzcocks, but also into the world of computer technology (at the time of 1981) and the so-called "modern pop.  

"Homosapien" is a great album, but the title song is a classic.  A piece of music that flirts with the idea of homosexuality in a song format, and under Shelley's brilliant skill as a lyricist.  I have the album version, but I also have the numerous remixes of this song, and it never fails in its dynamic getting out of the closet approach.  

The technique of Shelley both in The Buzzcocks and his solo material is that he often builds tension by just repeating the phrase or chorus till the breaking point.  There is also a circular motif in his work where it starts off but meets again in the end.  The listener feels like that they are surrounded by the song, and basically, you are trapped or motivated to go to the circle.   Besides Philip Glass, I can't think of another composer or songwriter who has this approach to their songwriting.  Songs like "Qu'est-Ce Que C'est Que Ca," "Guess I Must Have Been In Love With Myself," and " Don't Know What It Is" makes one feel that they are being pulled by a giant magnet to the song, and the lyrics are often mantras served as a lyric.  The songs are of heartbreak and love, but there is also a strong eastern philosophy or religious aspect as well. 

Pete Shelley is a very unique writer, and it bugs me that at least in the media, he is sort of this classic punk rock guy, but the fact is, he's much more than that.   He has a genius sense of having the perfect melody touch, as well as an emotional punch.   The Buzzcocks/Shelley rocks yes, but they also give the listener a feeling of bliss that for me, borders on meditation.  The Punk Era, both in the United States and in England, has produced a lot of great songwriters, but Shelley I feel should be on the top of the pile.  "Homosapien" is the essential listening experience. 

Sex Pistols - "Never Mind The Bollocks Here's The Sex Pistols" Vinyl, LP, Album, Reissue, 2008/1977 (Warner Brothers Records)

My first impression of when I first heard of the Sex Pistols is ho-hum.   At the time I was totally in love with the New York City Punk/No Wave scene.  The British side of the Punk world seemed to be more fashion orientated (which is laughable on my part, because clearly, NYC had that as well) and more bullshit media attention than anything else.   It wasn't till I bought the original single of "Anarchy in the U.K." that I went "oh my god."   For the reasons above I suspected that this song or recording would be so-so.  I didn't expect it to be a sonic masterpiece on a higher level.  Lyrically, theme wise, melody and just the production of this song became a huge wow for me.  Clearly up there with "My Generation,"  "Psychotic Breakdown" and "Talk Talk" of the 1960s.  Yet though the roots of the song were in those recordings, "Anarchy" is very much the sound of that moment or time.  There are a few records for me that yell out a moment and becomes a snapshot of life then.  

It's fun to know the story behind this album, and the relationship between band members and their manager. As well as the entire British music scene of the time - but I will also like to distance this album from that world, and listen to it as music.  Is that possible?  In my opinion, no.  It's very much of a product/artwork from 1977. 

Johnny Rotten's lyrics are like journalism.  He's reporting the world through his eyes, and his work is very unpoetic and straight forward.   In that sense, it is very much part of the social world of Punk, but not only is he making art here, but also reporting it at the same time.   Sex Pistols could have wrapped this album around a British newsprint, which would have made great sense.  It is also a work where you don't need a second album or further thought.  The band did all their work on that one disc, and there is no reason why there should be another album.   Them breaking up makes perfect sense in the Pistols world.  In my opinion Rotten's next adventure, Public Image Ltd. is a much better band (with Wobble and Levene) and vision.   Still, "Never Mind The Bollocks" is a great rock album.  A classic like the first Doors album.  And like that album, it fits perfectly in that year or decade, but the power doesn't last.  The music still sounds good, but it's not an essential sound in my life anymore.  Like a flower that blossoms, we love the instant second that happens.  A lovely memory of that flower, but once gone, it's gone. 

Buzzcocks (with Howard Devoto) "Spiral Scratch" Vinyl, 7" EP 45rpm Single, 1979 (New Hormones)

I first purchased this 7" EP at Bomp Records, and I believed in 1976.   It may have been the same shopping trip where I bought the Sneakers EP as well as the Devo single "Jacko Homo/"Mongoloid." History will tell that this was a great shopping day for me.   When I went to the record store, I don't think I have heard of the Buzzcocks.  Maybe in passing in a Brtish publication.  But I was struck by their image on the front of the sleeve, as well as reading the song titles on the back.  "Boredom," "Time's Up," "Breakdown," and "Friends of Mine."  At that time (and still) I'm attracted to the titles of songs.  I was reading a lot of poetry at the time, so the lyrics and even its title had meant a great deal to me.    The Punk Era, including what was happening in New York City as well as within the U.K., was a very literate time for me.  Not only in reading, but myself trying to write lyrics as well as getting into the songwriting and craft of Cole Porter and Noël Coward.  Which sounds odd, but I put Howard Devoto and Richard Hell into the same framework as these classic lyricists. 

This 7" is a perfect moment of its time, but even now, listening to it this morning, it's fresh air being pumped into a stale environment or room.  The sound of the instruments seemed simple, but almost bordering on an avant-garde level.  Minimalists who rock!  Howard Devoto's lyrics strike me as being very literary, profound, and smart.  This wasn't angry music against a system, but a reflection of what was happening around them.  Aggressive yes, but with wit and intelligence.  The Pete Shelley/Howard Devoto team couldn't possibly go wrong.  But then Devoto left the band.  For sure, I thought that would be the end of the Buzzcocks.  Boy, was I ever wrong!