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“Grave Disorder”, released in August 2001, is The Damned’s first new studio album for umpteen years, there have been numerous live and best of compilations in the intervening years but very little fresh material. Before getting hold of this album I was a little dubious – were they flogging ... Read review
At the beginning of the Damned's Grave Disorder, "I suspend the sitting, grave disorder ... more
having broken out", is barked by the admonished voice of then Speaker of The House Of Commons, Bernard Weatherill, before chunky fuzzed-up guitars and power drums j...
Postage & Packaging: Free! Availability: Usually dispatched within 24 hours...
At the beginning of the Damned'sGrave Disorder, "I suspend the sitting, grave disorder ... more
having broken out", is barked by the admonished voice of then Speaker of The House Of Commons, Bernard Weatherill, before chunky fuzzed-up guitars and power drums jump-start a frantic poppy rant about revolution changing nothing and voting changing even less. Ah, the mirth and the mayhem. And--come to think of it--the melody and the macabre. The Damned are back and--thank hell--all their faculties are intact. Superannuated punks, ceaselessly providing live music for Britain's gnarly pallbearers to pogo to,Grave Disorderis only the Damned's fourth studio album in 16 years and, remarkably, the first to feature bereted loonball Captain Sensible since October 1982. Rat Scabies has gone, to be replaced by ex-English Dogs tubthumper Pinch, Monty Oxy Moron is in on keyboards and Dave Vanian--he of the one-time gothic Dickie Davies hairstyle--remains at the vocal helm. Vanian even gets to sing a manly-voiced love song to missus and bassist Patricia Morrison (formerly of Sisters Of Mercy) which humorously robs Chris Isaak's "Wicked Game" of a few chords. Vanian, actually, is at the top of his game: "Absinthe" , his tribute to the hallucinogenic washing-up liquid of Fin De Siecle Paris is a wonder; "Amen", a grimly insurgent anti-religion rocker with clanging church bell samples is hilarious; and the Andrew Lloyd-Webber treatment on the brilliant "Beauty of the Beast" (Vanian's tribute to the flesh-crawling artfulness of the vintage black and white horror flick) only makes you mad that the Damned never got around to doing a gothic version ofPhantom of the Operain their 1980s heyday. Even so--from the spiky, surfed-up ode to Internet addiction on "Song.com" to the political wryness of "W" (surely pronounced "Dubya")--this is neat, neat, neat all the way and probably the finest album the Damned have ever made.--Kevin Maidment
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Advantages: Fantastic "comeback", instantly appealing Disadvantages: The price of CDs!
<sigh> Two opinions in a row with no alcohol content but be comforted, I’m drinking a large glass of Rose D’Anjou as I write!
On to the important stuff – as many of you will know I love THE DAMNED with a passion lasting over 20 years now so this opinion is going to be favourably biased. I also saw them play live again for the thirty-somethingth time just before Christmas and they seemed so tight, together and fresh, especially ... ...seeing them for the first time again.
“Grave Disorder”, released in August 2001, is The Damned’s first new studio album for umpteen years, there have been numerous live and best of compilations in the intervening years but very little fresh material. Before getting hold of this album I was a little dubious – were they flogging a dead horse? Have they strayed too far from their roots? Will they be too poppy? Too obscure? I need not ... more
<sigh> Two opinions in a row with no alcohol content but be comforted, I’m drinking a large glass of Rose D’Anjou as I write!
On to the important stuff – as many of you will know I love THE DAMNED with a passion lasting over 20 years now so this opinion is going to be favourably biased. I also saw them play live again for the thirty-somethingth time just before Christmas and they seemed so tight, together and fresh, especially with this new material on the set-list, it was like seeing them for the first time again.
“Grave Disorder”, released in August 2001, is The Damned’s first new studio album for umpteen years, there have been numerous live and best of compilations in the intervening years but very little fresh material. Before getting hold of this album I was a little dubious – were they flogging a dead horse? Have they strayed too far from their roots? Will they be too poppy? Too obscure? I need not have worried!
The band have changed their line-up more times than I can count since their punk beginnings in 1976 with bassists coming and going a plenty, Captain Sensible leaving and joining again at least twice and, more recently, the departure of their original drummer, Rat Scabies. The line-up for this album consist of Dave Vanian (the only one!) on vocals, Captain Sensible on guitar, Patricia Morrison (also Vanian’s wife) on bass, Pinch (formerly of punk band English Dogs) on drums and Monty Oxy Moron on keyboards.
The tracklisting for this album runs: Democracy Song.com Thrill Kill She Lookin for Action Would You be so Hot (if you weren’t Dead?) Absinthe Amen Neverland Til The End of Time Obscene W Beauty of the Beast
I am not going to analyse every track given that this opinion will become far too long if I do plus the fact that (gulp) this is an unpaid category to write in and I am mercenary!
As soon as the album kicks off with the storming “Democracy” you know The Damned haven’t lost it – heavy musicianship with a stonking good tune, Vanian’s glorious clear vocals urging you to sing along – it’s great stuff. There is very little of this album that I find disappointing – I think maybe the least memorable and immediate tracks are probably “She” and “Absinthe” but they are well redeemed by the rest of this marvellous rocking album!
If you have any doubt of Dave Vanian’s silken and glorious vocal style and capabilities the mournful “Til the End of Time” should put paid to that – shivers up the spine stuff!
On the whole the rocking pace is kept up throughout, as it was live, with just a couple of slower tracks but they are by no means out of place and do not disappoint. The lyrics don’t belong in the past either – they sing about the internet(“Song.com”), organised religion (“Amen”) and Michael Jackson (Neverland) too!
The album ends on a beautiful piano tickling note with “Beauty of the Beast” – again a slower number displaying Vanian’s fantastic voice with light backing, chiefly tinkling piano, as the track charts the history of the band.
I love this album to bits, one of those rare albums that hooks you in on the first play with tunes that pop into your head inadvertently during the day and make you want to pop it in the CD player and crank up the volume!
Advantages: Return to form of a great band Disadvantages: You may hate punk/rock
...to their this effort - GRAVE DISORDER. Well, what can I say, The Damned are undead, long live The Damned! Aficionados of the band’s
work will be familiar with stuff done during their pomp. Grave Disorder takes a fly by some of it including the immortal: "The Black Album"; "Strawberries"; "Phantasmagoria" and draws on the energy of "Machine Gun Etiquette" in parts. This is The D taking advantage of their extensive experience and musical know-how ... ...of ALL TIME. Grave Disorder is available through HMV.com and retails at £15.99.
*Anti Nowhere League were about to make it big by appearing on TOTP with a single called Third World War (I think it was called that...may have been World War III...anyway, the plug was pulled at the last minute and their career fizzled out from that point. The thin line between success and failure?)
Editor’s note ~ I never was a punk rocker although I loved the music. ...
Marandina 03.02.2004
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful Review of Grave Disorder - Damned (The)
Advantages: Modern, relevant, original Disadvantages: Distribution
...leads to the album.
Grave Disorder takes a lot of the raw energy of the early albums, and mixes them with the technical ability and songwriting maturity of albums like Strawberries. Lyrically, it's as clever as anything they have done before - and songs like DEMOCRACY?, the opening track, prove that they are still relevant, and are not the aging punk rock dinosaurs that some may believe them to be.
The band also have retained their cheeky humour, ... ...to poke fun at the more commercially successful acts; NEVERLAND is a playful mickey-take of Michael Jackson, and the wonderful WOULD YOU BE SO HOT (IF YOU WEREN'T DEAD)? is a less than subtle dig at the hypocrisy of John Lennon.
Atmospherics play heavily throughout the album, with the inclusion of several B-movie dialog snippets, and some songs are not afraid to show the dark side of human nature, namely THRILL KILL and the awesome Vanian penned ...
chaosmongers 08.06.2005 (11.06.2005)
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Grave Disorder - Damned (The)
Advantages: A damned return to form Disadvantages: none
Grave Disorder! Wow, I heard democracy and instantly thought I cannot wait to hear this album. This is the best album The Damned have done since Strawberries (although i do like the others in between).
This really is a return to form. I have been a Damned fan since 1982 and this was the best present I had in years from any band. It is almost a Black Album part 2.
It starts with the mind blowing fury of democracy and continues with songs like Amen ... ...if you weren't dead (slagging off past rock stars who gained critical acclaim through death), and Absinthe from the gothic mind of Dave Vanian.
With Captain Sensible back on the team, and Patricia Morrison (now vanian) from Gun Cub/ later Sisters of mercy and Pinch from English dogs,and the captains old Keybord Player Monty Oxymoron , this is a delightful addition to any psychedelic punk collection. ...
edinblack 25.03.2008
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Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful Review of Grave Disorder - Damned (The)
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Advantages: Originality, tunes and character Disadvantages: Sadly underrated!
chronological order) "DamnedDamnedDamned", "Music for Pleasure", "Machine Gun Etiquette", "The Black album", "Strawberries", "Phantasmagoria", "Anything" and "GraveDisorder". As well as these there are also too many "Best of" compilations to mention as well as the numerous live albums. Indeed The Damned have changed record labels so many times it can be somewhat hard to keep a track of all the compilations and live albums be they official or otherwise!
My favourite album is "Machine Gun Etiquette" (1979) featuring some of their better known songs such as "Smash it up", "Love Song" and "I just can't be Happy Today" - a true classic album of the punk genre. Going back to the subject of "Best of" albums the aforementioned tracks feature heavily in most of the quality compilations as well as there later, less punky work from the mid 1980s onwards ...
Product Information for "Grave Disorder - Damned (The)" »
Product details
Title
Grave Disorder
Performer
Damned (The)
Genre
Rock & Pop
Sub Genre
Punk Rock
Release Date
20/08/2001
Recomended Retail Price
15.99 GBP
Original Release Year
2001
Label / Distributor
Nitro / Plastic Head
Producer
David Bianco
Pieces in Set
1
Studio / Live
Studio
Stereo
Stereo
Format
Performer
EAN
794171584420
Catalogue Number
158442
Additional notes
Album Notes
The Damned: Dave Vanian (vocals, theremin); Captain Sensible (guitar, background vocals); Monty Oxy Moron (keyboards, background vocals); Patricia Morrison (bass, background vocals); Pinch (drums, background vocals). Recorded at Mad Dog Studios, Burbank, California.
Album Reviews
Alternative Press (11/01, p.104) - Included in AP's "10 Essential Goth Albums" - "...Bone-shaking business as usual..." Alternative Press (11/01, pp.79,82) - 8 out of 10 - "...A very good album..." Magnet (12-1/02, p.81) - "...A goth/punk opus chock full of dark, dramatic vocals, poppy melodies and a flamethrower axe attack recalling the raw Damned of 1977..." Uncut (11/01, p.106) - 3 1/2 stars out of 5 - "...[They] impressively revisit the thrashing, smashing three-chord chaos of their inception..."
Titles on disc 1
1.
Democracy
2.
Song.com
3.
Thrill Kill
4.
She
5.
Lookin' For Action
6.
Would You Be So Hot (If You Weren't Dead)
7.
Absinthe
8.
Amen
9.
Neverland
10.
End Of Time
11.
Obscene
12.
W
13.
Beauty Of The Beast
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02/01/2002
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