321) The Damned - Phantasmagoria

Damned Damned Damned was reviewed way back in April 2023 (https://www.albumsin200words.co.uk/post/73-the-damned-damned-damned-damned) where I stated I had no idea that Captain Sensible had been in the band but messing about on YouTube recently I came across them performing Nasty on The Young Ones and there he is on lead guitar so clearly, as we say in Scotland, I was talking mince as I have seen that clip many a time.

However, the first piece of music I ever bought by The Damned was Grimly Fiendish and Sensible was gone with original members Dave Vanian and Rat Scabies joined by Roman Jugg and Bryn Merrick.

Phantasmagoria was a commercial success and is the bands highest placed record reaching number eleven on release with the band on a major label and moving to a more commercial sound.

A lone saxophone leads us into the opener Street of Dreams and its nearly a minute before a guitar is heard, an excellent chorus, a Spanish guitar, then a guitar solo then the sax is back as the band almost fall over the line at the end, strong start.

Shadow Of Love, the second single, for me is a classic, Scabies is on the beat from the start, a shuffling bass and a haunting deep vocal from Vanian, should have been a top ten hit and then There’ll Come A Day which is catchy as hell and we have more guitar, can never have enough guitar.

Sanctum Sanctorum is over six minutes long with church organ, the patter of rain and then a power ballad, it has its moments but also makes you realise what a powerful voice Vanian has.

Is It A Dream was also a single, the third of this record so not as immediate as the first two but a good pop song no less and then the harpsichord dominates as we storm into Grimly Fiendish as Vanian deep vocal is pushed to the front and a glorious trumpet solo, a long way from Neat Neat Neat but I loved it when I purchased it and still do to this day.

Edward the Bear is okay, nothing more, Vanian passes lead vocals to Roman Jugg and it suffers for this alone but The Eight Day follows previous tracks as we are back on the goth trail with a driving rhythm from Scabies and Merrick and again the band make good use of keyboards and guitar, another highlight.  The instrumental Trojans takes us out which may have not been out of place on a prog record, but I do not mean that in a bad way.

Many punks may have seen the band selling out by now, but I bought this record and enjoyed it then and listening back now it is a very good commercial pop record and as they were only six months away from top three hit Eloise they were probably more than happy with the results.

8/10

GIVE IT A STREAM: Grimly Fiendish