Toast Be Damned – Part 3

Dave Vanian- the Damned’s Mick Jagger- is the face and voice of the band, and- through nearly a half century of never-ending line up changes- has remained the one constant member of the group. It was Vanian who steered the Damned more and more into so-called Goth territory and while this may have alienated them from their punk fans, for me it made for much more interesting music. Listening to The Light at the End of the Tunnel alone in my bedroom as a teenager included lots of new sounds for me- sounds that conjured up melancholy images involving gray, haunted landscapes, loneliness, undying love, and things that go bump in the night. You can hear for yourself why Gothic literature and monster movies fans love this stuff- and it doesn’t hurt that Vanian still dresses like a vampire on stage.

But the Damned were always too restless and creative to ever be content with being a one-trick pony. Whether it’s piano, saxophone, organ, harpsichord, or strings- not too mention Spanish guitar flourishes- the Damned’s music is always filled with little surprises and to call them punk or Goth seems too limited. Dave Vanian and Captain Sensible are the right and left eye of the Damned- they are stuck with each other- and with them in the band and writing songs it’s like you’re getting two bands for the price of one. Vanian writes a haunting tribute to horror movie icons; and Sensible balances that with a funny song about the King of Pop. The pair also team up to write a song about web surfing. This is the Damned. Here are some more of my favorites. Enjoy!

01. The Damned – “Billy Bad Breaks” (1981)
02. The Damned – “The Shadow of Love” (1985)
03. The Damned – “Street of Dreams” (1985)
04. The Damned – “Plan 9 Channel 7” (1979)
05. The Damned – “Absinthe” (2001)
06. The Damned – “Dozen Girls” (1982)
07. The Damned – “The Missing Link” (1982)
08. The Damned – “song.com” (2001)
09. The Damned – “Beauty of the Beast” (2001)
10. The Damned – “Neverland” (2001)

Listen to the playlist on Spotify...

Recommended Links:

The Damned: Don't You Wish That We Were Dead (Official Trailer)