The Damned - The Black Album
Original Release Date
1980Release Information
UK 2xLP 1980 (Chiswick - CWK 3015)
A1 Wait For The Blackout 3:51
A2 Lively Arts 2:55
A3 Silly Kid's Games 2:15
A4 Drinking About My Baby 3:27
A5 Twisted Nerve 4:35
A6 Hit Or Miss 2:36
B1 Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde 4:31
B2 Sick Of This And That 1:47
B3 The History Of The World (Part 1) 3:52
B4 13th Floor Vendetta 5:04
B5 Therapy 6:11
C Curtain Call 17:12
D1 Love Song
D2 Second Time Around
D3 Smash It Up (Parts 1 And 2)
D4 New Rose
D5 I Just Can't Be Happy Today
D6 Plan 9 Channel 7
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US LP 1980 (IRS - SP-70012)
A1 Wait For The Blackout 3:51
A2 Lively Arts 2:55
A3 Silly Kid's Games 2:15
A4 Drinking About My Baby 3:27
A5 Twisted Nerve 4:35
A6 Hit Or Miss 2:36
B1 Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde 4:31
B2 Sick Of This And That 1:47
B3 The History Of The World (Part 1) 3:52
B4 13th Floor Vendetta 5:04
B5 Therapy 6:11
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UK 2xCD 2005 (Chiswick - CDWKM2 275). Deluxe Edition
Disc One
1 Wait For The Blackout 3:51
2 Lively Arts 2:55
3 Silly Kid's Games 2:15
4 Drinking About My Baby 3:27
5 Twisted Nerve 4:35
6 Hit Or Miss 2:36
7 Dr Jekyll And Mr Hyde 4:31
8 Sick Of This And That 1:47
9 The History Of The World (Part 1) 3:52
10 13th Floor Vendetta 5:04
11 Therapy 6:11
12 Curtain Call 17:12
Disc Two
1 Love Song (Live) 2:10
2 Second Time Around (Live) 1:46
3 Smash It Up Parts 1 & 2 (Live) 4:24
4 New Rose (Live) 1:50
5 I Just Can't Be Happy Today (Live) 3:55
6 Plan 9 Channel 7 (Live) 5:12
7 White Rabbit 3:00
8 Rabid (Over You) 3:43
9 Seagulls 2:36
10 The History Of The World (Part 1) (Single Version) 3:48
11 I Believe The Impossible 2:54
12 Sugar And Spite 1:30
13 There Ain't No Sanity Clause 2:27
14 Looking At You (Live) 5:51
15 White Rabbit (Extended Version) 5:22
CD2 7-9: White Rabbit 7"/12", 1980
CD2 10-12: History Of The World Part I 7", 1980
CD2 13-14: from There Ain't No Sanity Clause 7", 1980
CD2 15: White Rabbit 12", 1983
Chart Placings
UK Chart Hit: 29, 3 wksUK Indie Hit: 13, 7 wks (Big Beat reissue 1982)
Credits
The Damned are:
Captain Sensible - Guitars, Vocals, Keyboards and Solo Vocals on 'Silly Kid's Games'
Rat Scabies - Drums, Vocals and Guitar on 'Drinking About My Baby'
Paul Gray - Bass
Dave Vanian - Vocals
Recorded at Rockfield Studios
Engineered by Hugh Jones
All songs produced by the 'Kings of Reverb' - P. Gray, C. Millar, R. Burns, D. Vanian except 'History Of The World Pt 1' production and synthesizers by Hans Zimmer
Label credits: Produced by The Damned except 'History Of The World Pt 1' overproduced by Hans Zimmer
Reviews & Opinions
DEANNE PEARSON, SMASH HITS, 11TH DECEMBER 1980: A double album in which The Damned experiment with new ideas and arrangements. Some work, some don't. Much of it is more calculated and melodic than usual and has a bigger, fuller sound, but side three (one continuous track) is nothing but a tedious heavy rock thrash. The live side (including 'Smash It Up' and 'Love Song') shows The Damned in their best light, however - sheer unfettered enthusiasm and excitement and completely lacking in restraint! (7 out of 10).
TROUSER PRESS: The first two sides (the entire US release) are packed with melodic rock verging on power pop, using acoustic guitar, vocal harmonies, mellotron and synthesizers, as well as other seemingly inconceivable components. "Wait for the Blackout" and "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" indicate how far the debonair Damned had traveled; other tracks prove that they had not abandoned the roar'n'roll with which they began. But the last two sides are dead weird: one is a single composition, strung together by church organ, that doesn't work; the other a live best-of that's impressive but halfbaked.
RECORD COLLECTOR, 1990: After being written off as has-beens just months after the torch of punk had been lit, the Damned tried their best to branch out and embrace other musical styles to inform their essentially basic sound. [read full review here]
Additional Notes
None yet
Images
UK 2xLP 1980 (Chiswick - CWK 3015). Click here for more
US LP 1980 (IRS - SP-70012). Click here for more
UK 2xCD 2005 (Chiswick - CDWKM2 275). Deluxe Edition . Click here for more
