The Damned - Strawberries

Original Release Date

1982

Release Information

UK LP 1982 (Bronze - BRON 542)

A1 Ignite 4:52
A2 Generals 3:24
A3 Stranger On The Town 5:14
A4 Dozen Girls 4:26
A5 The Dog 7:34
B1 Gun Fury 2:57
B2 Pleasure And The Pain 3:51
B3 Life Goes On 4:10
B4 Bad Time For Bonzo 3:32
B5 Under The Floor Again 5:20
B6 Don't Bother Me 2:09

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UK 2xCD 2005 (Castle Music - CMQCD 1083). Deluxe Edition

1 Ignite 4:52
2 Generals 3:23
3 Stranger On The Town 5:14
4 Dozen Girls 4:33
5 The Dog 7:20
6 Gun Fury (Of Riot Forces) 2:56
7 Pleasure And The Pain 3:52
8 The Missing Link 0:30
9 Life Goes On 4:03
10 Bad Time For Bonzo 3:47
11 Under The Floor Again 5:03
12 Don't Bother Me 2:11
13 Lovely Money (Extended) 6:56
14 I Think I'm Wonderful 2:55
15 Take That 2:47
16 Mine's A Large One Landlord 1:15
17 Torture Me 1:24
18 Disguise 3:28
19 Rat Vs The Omni 0:45
20 Citadel Zombies 1:57
21 Bimbo Jingle 0:08

13-14: B-Side of Lovely Money 7", 1982
15-17: B-Side of Dozen Girls 7", 1982
18-21: B-Side of Generals 7, 1982 [19 and 21 are the intro and ending of 'Citadel Zombies']

Chart Placings

UK Chart Hit: 15, 4 wks


UK Indie Hit: 7, 6 wks

Credits

Rat Scabies: Drums
Dave Vanian: Vocals
Captain Sensible: Guitars/Keyboards (Vocals on Life Goes On and Don't Bother Me)
Paul Gray: (Draught) bass
Roman Jugg: Keyboard solos

Thanks to Rockfield Studios
Produced by The Damned
Co-Produced by Hugh Jones
This is a synth-free album.
Brass on Generals: Simon Lloyd
Cello on Pleasure And The Pain by Rachel
Special thanks to CASPER.

Reviews & Opinions

PUNKY GIBBON: Now a quintet with Roman Jugg playing keyboards, the album offers a less abrasive brand of punk (‘Stranger On The Town’), pure pop (‘Bad Time For Bonzo’, ‘Dozen Girls’, ‘Generals’), psychedelia (‘Under The Floor Again’ comes complete with sitar) and Goth (‘The Dog’) with success all the way. Sensible gets two numbers, one of which was later ripped off by both Killing Joke and Nirvana. An underrated record with humour, intelligence and a political conscience. It was unissued in the US until 1993, when Cleopatra helped it escape.

TROUSER PRESS: With a humorous porcine cover shot, Strawberries is something of a continuation of Machine Gun Etiquette. Eclectic and inconsistent but well-produced (by the band with Hugh Jones) and boasting some fine tunes (the baroque "Generals," the strutting "Stranger on the Town" and "Bad Time for Bonzo"), it shows Sensible's increasing pop prominence (his chart-happy solo career got under way around the same time) and Vanian's willingness to explore a stylistic palette with no debt to punk. Even the rewrtite of "Slow Death" called "Dozen Girls" is entertaining.

FRED DELLAR, SMASH HITS, 14TH OCTOBER 1982: The end of the world is nigh. Must be, when the Damned go totally melodic, offer harmony vocals, employ cellos, sitars and brass sections, and even remember to include a lyric sheet that actually reeks of freshly picked strawbs. Don't be misled by the porker on the front cover or 'Ignite', the opening grash which is merely there to act as a come-on for those who remember past rambles through the shambles. For this is the kind of pop album Paul McCartney would be pleased to have his moniker on. Pretty Damned. Pretty Damned good. (9 out of 10)

Additional Notes

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Images

UK LP 1982 (Bronze - BRON 542). Click here for more

UK 2xCD 2005 (Castle Music - CMQCD 1083). Deluxe Edition. Click here for more

 

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