fallfan

This album is really great. It reminds me of their great early 80's LP's like "Black Album" and Strawberries. Captain Sensible's guitar playing is phenomenal. Right now, its only available for download off their site officialdamned.com for $9.99. The physical cd is released Nov 17 in the UK and Dec 12th in North America.

Tracklisting:
1. A Nation Fit For Heroes
2. Under The Wheels
3. Dr. Woofenstein
4. Diamonds
5. Since I Met You
6. Danger To Yourself
7. Maid For Pleasure
8. Perfect Sunday
9. Nature's Dark Passion
10. Little Miss Disaster
11. Just Hangin'
12. Nothing
13. Dark Asteroid

dvduser6

Thanks for the heads-up. One of my favorite bands from that era. They came up amongst the other punk bands of the day, but really knew how to write some great music.

nodeerforamonth

Don't The Damned get credit for releasing the very first punk rock single?

dvduser6

I think that's true (based on everything that I read).

atlantamoi

Thanks for the heads up. I've enjoyed these guys through different phases in their career. Captain Sensible is the bees knees.

slop101

And that's my favorite album of theirs, so I'm pretty excited. Yeah, thanks for the heads up, I had no idea they were back together or had recorded an album.

clckworang

Yep, they are given credit for that. Their first single was "New Rose."

I always felt like The Damned never got the amount of attention they deserved. They were a great act, but other bands have always been far more visible. Good to hear about a new album.

cultshock

Me neither, I've always been a fan of the band, so am looking forward to hearing this.

The Damned are credited as being the first UK punk band to release a single ("New Rose"), an LP ("Damned Damned Damned") and first to tour the US.

zombeaner

I love the Damned and their last album was killer. I saw them on one of their last tours here about 6 years ago and they were great live as well! I'm very curious about the record but not sure I'm going to pay to download it, I'd rather have the physical CD and I don't want to buy it twice. Why so long between the download and the physical release I wonder.

dom56

I like that song Shadow of Love that I saw on MTV years ago, pretty cool video and close to Halloween.

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Sean O'Hara

In Britain. If you include the US, you have to address the sticky issue of when punk started. Patti Smith or one of the other bands at CBGBs in the early '70s? The MC5? The Velvet Underground? One of the garage rock bands of the early '60s?

There's an argument to be made that this single is the forerunner of punk:

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atlantamoi

I adore the Phantasmagoria album. It's much cleaner sounding than their first few albums, but it's still great stuff.

nodeerforamonth

Yeah, was going to mention that last night, but I'm trying to stay away from computers when drunk!

I would say the Ramones.

cultshock

Yeah, the true birth of punk is always a subject of debate. That's why I just said "UK" punk band in my post.

Vanian

The new album is right up there with their Strawberries album. It's that good.

Vanian

Here's a little something I wrote on another forum.

The Damned have released there newest album. "SO, WHO'S PARANOID" for download for $9.99. It's available on their website, OfficialDamned.com - The Damned official website. The CD will be out soon as well as a double album.

I've been a Damned fan since the 80's, from the very first time I saw them on the Young Ones performing the song "Nasty". For those unfamilar with the Damned, their albums range anywhere from Punk and Gothe,to psychedelic and even a little bit of Broadway musical. This new album is a mix of all of these and ranks up there dare I say with the "Strawberries" album.

For a band that has been at it for 32 years, The Damned still manages to produce a rocking album that doesn't let up. The Damned lineup has almost always been a revolving one but the current one is David Vaniad (Vocals), Captain Sensible (Guitar), Stu West (Bass), Pinch (Drums) and Monty Oxymoron (Keyboards). Rat Scabies, original drummer and founding member hasn't played with the band in about 10 years. His last outing with the band was when he and Dave Vanian released the Damned album "Not of this Earth" or "I'm allright, Jack and the Beanstalk" depeninding on where it was released. I don't think that was conceived as a Damned album and it does seem a little out of place amongst the band's other albums. Pinch is not only a 'replacement' drummer but an asset to the band.

"SO, WHO'S PARANOID" features "Little Miss Disaster" that was released as a single a little while back. It's the same version on the album. The song "Perfect Sunday" for some reason reminds me of what could be a haunting, heavy version of Johnny Cash's "Sunday Morning" song. "Shallow Diamonds" is so catchy that the somewhat silly lyrics aren't a bother. That is the beauty of the Damned though. "Since I met You" sounds like it would be right at home on a broadway stage. I really couldn't call any of the songs filler.

For those not yet aquainted at all with the Damned, check out the Best of CD. It's the one with Jet Boy, Jet Girl on it. If you are looking for more, Light at the end of the Tunnel is a 2 CD set with everything that is on the Best of but I don't think "Jet Boy, Jet Girl" is. The only other song missing from Light at the end of the Tunnel that should be there is "Beat Girl". It's the instrumental from the movie but with the Damned playing it and Dave Vanian crooning lyrics. This is only available on the Singles A + B sides CD which may be hard to get now. It was released as a very limited single a long time ago. For the new stuff, "SO, WHO'S PARANOID" is a must. Grave Disorder was good but this new one is even better. The Vanian/Scabies colaboration mentioned previously is good as a novelty. Be warned, there are a million Damned compilations. If you were to just buy one compilation, it's Light at the end of the Tunnel.

Even with all the lineup changes, there is a very distinct Damned sound and the new album continues in that vein. I can't wait to see them at the Stone Pony in January and hear these new songs live as well as the classics.

atlantamoi

I didn't realize they had released an album in 2001 and just listened to it. It's okay. The first two songs made me think I was about to experience a real dog, but then it got better. Not as good as their older music, but interesting at times.