Music for Pleasure [Original recording remastered]

Damned | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (August 20, 2002)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Sbme Castle Us
• ASIN: B00006F84Q
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #603,276 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars what is everyone's problem, August 28, 2005

By 

destroy destroy (DC area, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Music for Pleasure (Audio CD)

for some reason, its trendy to say this album is disappointing, and that the band hates it themselves, but thats not true. the band has hard feelings about it only because it was a tense time period within the band.
the songs are good. good old stooges- and ramones-influenced punk rock. better than the other 1977 albums by the clash, sex pistols, and wire. up there with the ramones and the damned's debut. the production is fine. It's similar to the first album, except that there arent any slower creepy songs like feel the pain or fan club. but its not a different style. If you really like the debut, you'll really like this, simply because brian james wrote almost all the debut album, and he wrote almost all of this album. ignore the reviews that say this is a disappointment. because its not. This album's music has withstood the test of time unlike the pistols or the clash. you can hear where the offspring and other later punk bands were just ripping off ideas from this album. great album. buy it.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars bah and add a half star, October 24, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Music for Pleasure (Audio CD)

I dont see what the problem is besides maybe the lyrics of dont cry wolf and who got the production credit . Other than that nothing to be ashamed of. Worth it alone for the b-side cover of help and the bonus single sick of being sick

3.0 out of 5 stars A decent album after a false start. 70/100, September 12, 2010

By 

dfle3 (Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Music for Pleasure (Audio CD)

For me the false start comprises the first two songs of the album. After that the album gets more rock and sounds a bit like The Saints at times (that's the Australian punk pioneering band who were there right at the start of punk, along with the Ramones). Didn't get as much out of this album as their pub rock type debut album. No songs stood out on first listen but on second listen I did find a few songs to be ok. Here's the songs on the album:


Best songs...on second listen ">[.]":


Politics - an energetic song with a chorus like something The Saints could have come up with (I mean the sing-along parts)...same goes for the rhythm too. Has a punk guitar sound and thumping drums.

Stretcher case - punky song which sounds a bit Saintsy at times...like the guitar intro. Drums have a 'surf music' sound to them at times.

Idiot box - offers something different here...how can I describe it? Gothic western sound? A bassy, mid-tempo track with interesting drumming, especially at the end. Bass delicate at times.


">[.]?":


Alone - nice and bassy with coarse guitar sound. A sort of jammy track. Not bad...interesting.

You know - familiar boogie rock type of riff (sort of like AC/DC?). Interesting vocal vibe. Insistent bass line. Later it plays the rhythm guitar line. Has saxophone. Jazzy outro. This track could be worth consideration for my list of songs with good bass guitar.


The rest (in track order):


Problem child - the first track on the album. Sounds like it's from the soundtrack of a teen movie...manufactured. Pub rocky. Bassy at times. Vocals a bit distant.

Don't cry wolf - has a riff a bit like MTV's promo sting from some decades back...not sure, but maybe MTV got that riff from Gary Numan (think the song was "Bombers")...or maybe The Damned had it before him? Anyway, the lyrics are earnest here and sound manufactured, again, as if for a teen movie.

One way love - energetic with a sort of Hawaiian sounding lead guitar. The rhythm guitar is rocking and the drums are a thumping.

You take my money - not bad. Has some swearing on it.

Your eyes - medium slow riffing. Bassy. Not bad. Perhaps the most commercial sounding track on the album, maybe.

Creep (you can't fool me) - interesting drum texture at the start. Punky, but not like the first two songs.


The bonus tracks:


Help - a speed cover of The Beatles' song. Interesting drum texture...sort of surf music sound, again. Cymbals. Bass. Dual vocals. Punky vocals.

Sick of being sick - rock type song...with a hint of Led Zeppelin? (I'm thinking "Rock and roll", which The Damned have perhaps drawn on for some of the lyrical content, at least). Song has an odd tone to it...like they recorded it in a bunker or water tank.

Singalong a scabies - instrumental track. Has the Led Zeppelin fuzz tone sound. Drum orientated track, bass. Has riffing a la The Easybeats (Australian pop-rock group of the 1960s).


Recommendations -


The Damned - Damned damned damned. 4/5. Pub rock punk.

The Saints - (I'm) Stranded. 85/100. The genesis of punk. Eternally yours. 5/5. A little punk and a lot of post-punk material.

Stiff Little Fingers - Inflammable material. 5/5. Pure punk...but a little odd at times too.

The Clash - The Clash. 72.5/100.

The Stooges - Fun house. 72.5/100. If you like jammy/jazzy rock, this album will suit.