The Damned: The Black Album (IRS Records/1980)

The Black Album is fourth album by The Damned. Released by Chiswick Records in October of 1980 (just in time for Halloween), it was a double album set that obviously references The Beatles' White Album. However when it was released by their US label I.R.S. Records it was trimmed down to just a single disc. Which is fine because what was omitted (a side of live versions of past hits) and a seventeen-minute composition (“Curtain Call”) are both on the skippable side. 

The album contains a few Damned classics “Wait For The Blackout”, “Hit Or Miss”, “Dr. Jeckle & Mr Hyde” and the stand-out “Drinking About My Baby”.Musically there's a subtle change in direction from the full-throttle punk rock of their first few albums. There are elements of jangle pop, power pop and goth rock. Some of the songs aren't that successful, while others certainly are. It's definitely one of the Damned's last great albums and worthy of at least a listen or three.

Here is the video review:

Social Distortion: Demo '81 7" EP (Bootleg/2011)

Social Distortion is one of few bands from the late 70's/early 80's Los Angeles punk scene that is still actively releasing new music and touring. Their debut album Mommy's Little Monster and their early compilation album Mainliner (Wreckage From The Past) are two of my favorite albums punk rock albums to come out of Los Angeles. Both of those are jam-packed with riff-driven emotionally-alive material. Lead singer and guitarist Mike Ness's sneering vocals have always resonated with me.

So it should come as no surprise that I really like this bootleg 7" EP artlessly titled Demo '81. It features material to later appear on early compilation albums Hell Comes To Your House  and Someone Got Their Head Kicked In. In fact, it's basically the recordings that later appeared legitimately on the Mainliner (Wreckage From The Past) compilation in 33 1/3 RPM on a seven-inch single. The sound quality is fairly good and I'd highly recommended fans of this band's early material so seek it out. My personal favorites are "Moral Threat", "All The Answers" and their blazing cover of The Rolling Stones' "Under My Thumb"(which later appeared as the B-Side to their "1945" single).

Here's The Video Review:

The Time: Ice Cream Castle (Warner Brothers/1984)

Minneapolis' The Time are known to the layman for their appearances in the films Purple Rain and Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back. They are also known for their two top forty hits “Jungle Love” and “The Bird”. They are also a tight r&b combo that have released four albums are still touring to this day. Ice Cream Castle is their third album which was released in tandem with Prince & The Revolution's Purple Rain and the Apollonia 6 self-titled album in the Summer of 1984.

While an enjoyable album, the album only has six songs. Three of which are basically, for all intents and purposes, filler. The three non-filler songs (“Jungle Love”, “The Bird” and “Ice Cream Castles”) were all released as singles and are all excellent 80's R&B dance tracks. All tracks except for “The Bird” were basically performed by Prince, all by his lonesome. Multi-tracking all the instruments, himself, with a few select contributions from members of The Time. All of the other Time albums (The Time, What Time Is It? And Pandemonium) are far better albums, but this one has the well-known hits.

Here's the video review:

Roxy Music: Manifesto (Atco/Polydor/1979)

On Roxy Music's sixth album Manifesto – their first album since 1976's live Viva album and their first studio album since 1975's Siren, the band has refined their sound. The rough, more-experimental edges have been smoothed-over and Bryan Ferry's lyrical concerns are now a smidge more direct. They actually sounds more like the bands that would later emulate them (Duran Duran, Japan, the entire new romantic movement) on this album. The songwriting is slightly more inconsistent than on previous releases, however there are also more subtleties as well to be enjoyed. Manifesto boasts three excellent singles; the lamenting “Dance Away”, the resigned “Angel Eyes” and arty new-wavey “Trash”.

The album tracks “My Little Girl”, “Still Falls The Rain”, “Spin Me Round” and the title track are all fine additions to the Roxy Music catalog. Guitarist Phil Manzanera and saxophonist Andy MacKay are given a few moments here and there, but this is definitely the first Roxy Music album where Bryan Ferry leads the band as his own. By no means a bad album, Roxy Music made far better albums than this. Half of this album is great, half of it is not. Not a great starting place (for that I'd recommend Country Life, Avalon and For Your Pleasure) but not bad once you've heard their best work either.

Here's the video review: