Customer Reviews

Not of This Earth

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

then you will like this album. The line up here is with Vanian of course and Scabies. The guitarist and bassist only were with the band for this album. This is probably the forgotten Damned album, that you don't see mentioned much when you read up on the band in reviews, message boards, interviews, etc. But I have to say it is one of the best. The songs will get you singing and you can't stop. Some of my faves are Running Man, Shadow to Fall, Talespin and more. Guessing by it's order at Amazon, it's probably not a big seller on here (for Damned albums). Fans who are looking for a Damned album will be rewarded. The album has a sort of rockabilly singability thrown into a thick mix of guitars and brown keyboards. I hope someday they come somewhere semi close so i can see them. They were close when they released Grave but I didn't go. Stupid, yes I know. I highly recommend this album.

Smoooth . . . the Damned are lik the Doors meet NOFX . . . crazzy!!! Cool tunes mixed with deep meaning, metaphors, tragic endings and a fist full of fun. favorites tracks would be Testify, My Desire, Never Could Be, and Shadow of Fall. Classic album

Not of this earth although originaly thrown together by the original drummer, Rat Scabbies, with left over recordings from many sessions is seminal Damned music....blistering and fun, cocky and subversive........

Contrary to the other reviewers, I like this album. For some background, I've been listening to The Damned for more than 18 years, starting in high school when I used borrow my older brother's extensive collection of rare/imported damned records (many of which still have not been put on CD). At a CD store the other day, I found a cut-out of the Cleopatra pressing of "Not Of This Earth" for about a buck in a clearance bin. I couldn't pass that up, so I bought it, and I haven't stopped listening to it since. Sure, the album is a little bit of a mess, and you can read a detailed history of the recording on wikipedia if you desire. But I didn't know any of that when I first put this in my CD player. Regardless of whether or not this is considered an official Damned album, you have Rat Scabies on the drums and Dave Vanian on the vocals. That's good enough for me.

I actually like the production on this album. One thing that has always annoyed was that the CDs for "Phantasmagoria", "Strawberries", and even "The Black Album", had Vanians vocals way in the back. Personally, I think he sounds great here, even if his performance doesn't have 100% of his heart in it. The other thing I like about this CD is that Rat Scabies is on fire. The drumming is amazing, and a lot of the songs have an energy that I haven't heard since "Music for Pleasure" or "Machine Gun Etiquette". Songs like "Not of this Earth", "My Desire", and "Shut it" have a great beat that maintains through the whole album. The only time they slow it down isn't for some long dramatic moping vampire dirge. It's for the songs like "Never Believe" or "Tail Spin". "Tail Spin" plays like a 90's update of "Feel the Pain". It even sounds like the same chord progression during the verse. As much as I like the Damned's "goth" period, I love how this is a finally the return to a "rocking" album from start to finish. Honestly, I really don't think it is as bad as people are saying.

First off, this is the CD that got Rat Scabies (Drummer/founding member) kicked out of the band. Dave Vanian (Vocals) didn't want this CD released as The Damned, but Rat went behind his back and released it. This version of The Damned broke up only a few months after the release. Now The Damned are back with Dave Vanian and Captain Sensible and no Rat. This CD, if it was released as a side project like "Naz Nomad" or "Phantom Chords" would be a great CD. The fact that it's a Damned CD makes some fans angry because it's a different sound. I like it. Excellent guitar, and Vanians vocals are top notch. Remember, this is a band that changes direction every other CD. The first two were three chord punk, "Machine Gun" was punk/metal, "Black Album" & "Strawberries" were modern goth-punk, "Phantasmagoria" & "Anything" were pop-goth, and now this CD, whick is a cross between "Anything" and "Strawberries". I like Captain's guitar playing and harmonies, and this CD is missing that just like "Phantasmagoria" & "Anything" does. The next CD is supposed to be back to an earlier sound, at least when they play the new songs live they have sounded that way - and Captain's back. I highly recommend Captain Sensible's solo CD's more than The Damned's stuff without him. Captain Sensible's "Live At The Milky Way" (with Paul Grey on Bass) is brilliant.

This album is not really a Damned album. Yes, it features many of the original members of the Damned, but the music bears little to no resemblance to the band's classic sound. The only songs that resemble their older material are the energetic "My Desire" and the melancholy "No More Tears." Other than these two numbers, the rest of the album sounds like, to quote Patricia Morrison, a "bar band." The musical style of Not of This Earth is quite similar to Eric Clapton's later material, a pseudo-blues rock band with slick production. It is by no means the most horrible thing in the world to listen to, but it genuinely lacks the creativity that Vanian, Scabies, and the rest of the crew are capable of. Where are the psychedellic influences? the experimentation? the raw energy? the darkness? the sense of humor? These elements will not be found on Not of This Earth, an album strictly for completists.

Not of this Earth (1996) was the U.S. version of the English release of the Damned's I'm All right Jack and the Beanstalk. This disc has four versions floating around (The Japanese release is reshuffled with a hidden track and a the sounds of a laughing clown and a washing machine!)
the official release has a lot of multimedia options (three videos, scores of printable photos, lyrics and a game!) The U.S. version was titled Not of this Earth and it has none of these on it. A re-released version has several live tracks from this era.

The album was from the time period when The Damned made the rounds in pubs and small amphetheaters. David Vanian and Rat Scabies were the only original members left. They were augmented by Kris Dollimore, Allen Lee Shaw, Moose and David Allen. Allen Lee Shaw wrote all of the music (with drumming arrangements by Rat). According to David Vanian and others, the album was only meant to be a demo one and he refused to release it as The Damned (that's way David's vocals are very pedestrian. Allen Lee Shaw left the band during the "recording" of the tracks. Prokiev was a track that Brian James and Rat worked on when he briefly came back to the band. Glen Matlock plays bass on a couple of the tracks when Moose was "unavailible". Despite the lackluster vocals and music, David was unable to block the album's release and it hit the market (first in Japan then in Europe).

The U.S. release is a bare bones deal. Just the over produced songs with cheesy lyrics. They sound like a hard rocking pub band. This proved too much for Scabies and Vanian. The two split for good when Captain Sensible and Paul Gray rejoined The Damned.

Recommended for die hard Damned fans.

This an average album not my favorite at all this isn't the Damned from ages back I hardly recogize the group yes I know they had a line up change but this album is just bloody awful don't waste your cash on this instead buy the early stuff.

When we last left our plucky lads,they had released "ANYTHING",and wore the Goth/Punk crown with honor,followed by a barrage of "Best of","Live",and yet another collection of lame compilation albums. So after a LONG wait for new original material....this is what we got stuck with,a watered down attempt at being The Damned. New sound? No my friends,sadly this album sounds like a group of people trying very hard to be The Damned.The first notable difference on this album,is that Roman Jugg and Bryn Merrick are gone,a big loss. Also at this time,Captain Sensible was appearing sporatically at the live shows,but couldn't be talked on to this album. ( Wonder why? ). Dave Vanian basically sounds disinterested through out the album. The musicianship is equally lack luster,even with the appearance of Brian James on two tracks! (They also brought in Glen Matlock for crying out loud!) A big difference on this release,is that EVERY track is written or co-written by Rat Scabies.Previously Rat's non-group written songs have numbered two: "Stab Yor Back" and "Let There Be Rats". As a Damned fan from the get go,I was very dissapointed with this release.After too many live albums,I expected a decent studio album.....this is not it. If you want the best Damned,start with "Damned Damned Damned" and get everything up to "Anything" you won't go wrong. Another interesting note,this was the first Damned package to have a title and artwork change for U.S. release! Originally titled "I'm All Right Jack & The Beanstalk!",in the U.K.,it featured the image of the fairy being attacked by an overly phallic troll,on the front cover,intead of inside the jewel case.Put simply....give us the core Damned: Dave,Rat & Captain,or give us NOTHING! ( A little Bryn and Roman wouldn't hurt as well! )

'Not Of This Earth' is The Damned in name only. I didn't even realize until later that vocalist Dave Vanian wasn't on this CD. Two original members were, guitarist Brian James and drummer Rat Scabies.As for the tunes that I thought were so-so included "I Need A Life" (the theme song to WAY too many of us anymore), "Tail Spin" and maybe "Shadow To Fall". I haven't found one other fan that even remotely likes this release. I think it's fair. I saw the Damned out on tour like a year after 'Not Of This Earth' came out, however, the group's two OTHER original members were there, Vanian and bassist Captain Sensible. After the gig, I met up with the Captain and he told me that THIS disc should be avoided at all costs.