Saturday, October 31, 2015

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:



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