Like ’em or loath them, one thing is for sure: the title is spot on. The Damned have been a constant pretty much throughout my music listening life, and as they reach the twilight of a glittering career, they’ve lost another of their own, and this one hurt big time. Brian James shaped my youth from The Damned through The Lords and his solo output right through the first reunion dates that ended in tears to the triumphant second coming and a much more harmonious band that seemed to have reached some semblance of maturity and adulthood (god forbid) and returned to the stage as the original four piece whilst they still had time and nailed a series of shows that had the fire and fury of the early years as well as a much older and wiser beast they did it and came out far better and bigger than they went into it. Sadly, that was the last time they would play as a four-piece as Brian passed away last year, which motivated the remaining three, plus the long-time Paul Gray to turn in a set of covers that Brian was inspired by to put together The Damned as we knew it.

With Rat back in the seat for the last couple of years its wonderful to see and hear the Damned from The Black Album and Strawberries knock it out of the park time after time and show the youth exactly how it’s done. Forward we move to the here and now, and this here tribute to the tunes of their youth that inspired Mr Brian James and a mixed bag it is. Sure, you’ll have your stalwarts and gatekeepers protesting and professing to not touching this with a barge pole, but The Damned have form for this with the awesome ‘Give Daddy The Knife Cindy,’ which was a pretty awesome covers album, albeit without the name The Damned. Fast forward a few decades, and we’re here paying respects to Brian in a way he’d appreciate. Ten tracks from various continents, there are the ones we would all have guessed, which are done to perfection for one reason or another, like ‘Gimme Danger’, but it’s tracks like the title track that suit Vanian’s vocals, and he manages to hit the notes to perfection, serving up a rousing rendition.

Rats drumming is so recognisable, and his long hiatuses from the fold missed his swagger and formidable rolls, even Monty’s keyboard wheeze on songs like ‘Heart Full Of Soul’ nails it. The big takeaway I got from this record is how bloody good Paul Grey is and how he plays the songs for what they are, driving the tunes like a finely tuned Rolls-Royce. Of course, I love Captain’s off-the-cuff style where he sounds like he’s winging it (which he’s not, of course, but it’s always added excitement), just take ‘You Must Be A Witch’ which had me raising an eyebrow to mr Vanians high notes (well done, sir).

Of course, there are a few lulls here and there, but let’s not get carried away here. This is The Damned paying their respects to Brian James and playing the guts out of some left of centre (at times) songs, of course it’s not ‘Neat Neat Neat’ or ‘New Rose’, but for some unearthly inexplicable reason this is what got us those songs. The inclusion of ‘last Time’ gives me goose bumps, and like Captain says Without Brian, etc., etc..

The message on the inner sleeve is heartfelt and touching – long live Brian James and long live The Damned, the greatest band to ever walk the planet bar none. Another case of hit and miss, but I’ll take it because they’re not like anyone else and the likes of which we’ll never see again.

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Author: Dom Daley