Smash It Up: The Anthology 1976-1987 [Original recording remastered]

Damned | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 22, 2002)
• Original Release Date: 1976
• Number of Discs: 2
• Format: Original recording remastered
• Label: Sbme Castle Us
• ASIN: B00006LI2E
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #287,823 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. NEW ROSE

2. HELP

3. NEAT NEAT NEAT

4. SEE HER TONITE

5. FAN CLUB

6. I FALL

7. I FEEL ALRIGHT

8. FEEL THE PAIN

9. STRETCHER CASE

10. PROBLEM CHILD

See all 21 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. THE HISTORY OF THE WORLD (PART 1)

2. WAIT FOR THE BLACKOUT

3. DRINKING ABOUT MY BABY

4. SILLY KIDS GAMES

5. CURTAIN CALL

6. LOVELY MONEY

7. DOZEN GIRLS

8. LIFE GOES ON

9. UNDER THE FLOOR AGAIN

10. GENERALS

See all 14 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finally, a decent Damned anthology!, May 7, 2003

By 

punkviper (Pittsburgh, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Smash It Up: The Anthology 1976-1987 (Audio CD)

The world needs another compilation of Damned material like it needs another collective hole in the head. BUT the world certainly could use a definitive collection of their best, and now we finally have it. This isn't just a selection of early Chiswick tunes, it isn't a mishmash of live tracks, and not another remix conflagration of their late 80's/90's goth period. It's the best from 76 to 86, spread fairly evenly and representing all of their albums in that time period. Though as a footnote, there were ~6,000 editions pressed with 2 versions of Smash It Up Pt.2 instead of including both Pt.1 and Pt.2

The first disc has 21 tracks, 7 tracks from each of their 1st 3 albums: Damned Damned Damned, Music For Pleasure, and Machine Gun Etiquette. One might want more from DDD and MGE, seeing as how MFP was never that popular, but give them credit for anthologizing everything. Most of the classic punk tunes that everyone recognizes are found on this 1st disc. Residing on the 2nd disc is when The Damned's sound turned toward more of a goth approach. 5 tracks from The Black Album, 4 tracks from Strawberries, 1 from Phantasmagoria, and 2 from Anything. Along with those are 2 singles, Lovely Money and Eloise. This disc seems weighted properly, as the last 2 albums are properly underrepresented. The only glaring misstep on this one is the inclusion of the SEVENTEEN minute Curtain Call. Yes, that's right, all SEVENTEEN minutes worth of it. There is a single version available that clocks in at just over 4 minutes, but YOU get the entire SEVENTEEN minutes in all its glory. Not sure why this was done, as you could easily fit another 3 songs in if it weren't for including the 17 minute Curtain Call (which was always an unsuitably strange choice to begin with.)

So this really does a great job at setting out to do what it claims in its title: anthologize The Damned. So often with Damned compilations you get prattle and excess and perhaps a few worthy tracks. This rounds up all the usual suspects at a very reasonable price. If you don't care for their more goth material, you might do well with just Damned Damned Damned and Machine Gun Etiquette, but for a complete overview you can't go wrong with this. Neat, neat, neat!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great little comp of the Damned, September 3, 2007

By 

Gogol (England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Smash It Up: The Anthology 1976-1987 (Audio CD)

Yeh I know this may leave out the odd classic or two but it does include the usaul, new rose, neat neat, neat, love song, smash it up etc. Guess for me I am just a sucker for anything I can find of the Damned and this is a pretty good comp of their work.

The packaging is good (CDs come in a jewel case) and the sound quailty of both CDs are exellent.

2 CDs and for anyone wanting a good overview of the Damned's history this would probably be the best place to start.

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very good, worth getting for any Damned fan, September 6, 2004

By 

Eloise Fiendish "Eloise" (London, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Smash It Up: The Anthology 1976-1987 (Audio CD)

This is a great CD, as it picks some of the best songs from all their albums over the years (Damned Damned Damned, Music for Pleasure, The Black Album, Machine Gun Etiquette, Strawberries, Phantasmagoria). The first CD is their earlier stuff, with stuff like New Rose and Problem Child, while the second CD has some of their later songs like Eloise (some Damned fans may hate it, but I love it!) and Grimly Fiendish. Someone else who reviewed this CD said that they hated the fact that they put all seventeen minutes of Curtain Call. The reason for all seventeen minutes is that it's a psycadelic masterpiece, and I love the song so much I want it played at my funeral, which hopefully won't be for a long time!