Machine Gun Etiquette

The Damned reformed for its third album without guitarist and chief songwriter Brian James, moving Captain Sensible to guitar (and keyboards) and bringing in The Saints' Algy Ward on bass; he lasted for just this record. Despite being disheveled, the group put together one of the finest albums of its career. The opening track, "Love Song," is largely considered among the band's best, packing both an indelible hook and hilarious mockeries of generic love songs. The title track continues the punk barrage with an under-two-minute classic. "I Just Can't Be Happy Today," with additional keyboards from the Captain, expands the band's approach into unforeseen psychedelic-pop areas with a masterful performance and production. "Melody Lee" opens with a piano intro before swirling in its own psych-punk mix. The yin-yang continues throughout the album, with "Noise, Noise, Noise," "Liar," and a cover of The MC5's "Looking at You" playing toward the hard edge and "Plan 9 Channel 7" turning in a great garage-psych performance that the band (well, singer Dave Vanian and drummer Rat Scabies) would one day explore more thoroughly as Naz Nomad & The Nightmares.