Music for Pleasure (The Damned album)

Music for Pleasure was produced by Nick Mason of Pink Floyd. The Damned originally sought out former member Syd Barrett, but were unsuccessful due to his reclusive lifestyle. The album featured new member Lu Edmunds on guitar alongside original guitarist Brian James, as well as guest saxophonist Lol Coxhill.

The album was the last album-length studio release to feature James, who would rejoin the band in the late '80s and early '90s for a live album and studio single. It was also the group's final album release on Stiff. On this album, the band moved into more complex song structures, while maintaining the punk sound of their debut album.

The sleeve was designed by Barney Bubbles (including the cover painting).

Release

Released on 18 November 1977, Music for Pleasure failed to make the UK Top 100 album chart.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]

At the time of its release, the album was dismissed by critics as a poor misstep.^[1] In a contemporary review, Sounds compared the album to the second albums by the Jam and the Stranglers, where the formula was to "repeat the first album with a few minor modifications, more considered production but almost inevitably with less freshness of impact." Sounds also noted that "mostly they have really extended on the four-piece Wall of Sound style of their first album. And it's not just that they've added a sax player on one track and a second guitarist in the form of the monosyllabic Lu."^[2] Sounds responded to negative reception of the album, noting that "they've already been written off by many who should know better but like Mr. Vanian shouts on 'Don't Cry Wolf': 'Don't cry wolf, don't be a fool.'"^[2]

AllMusic's brief retrospective review said simply, "Music for Pleasure is not quite as bad as the Nick Mason production would indicate – though close."^[1] Trouser Press opined: "With added guitarist Lu Edmonds and no audible stylistic plan, the attack sounds blunted, and there aren't as many great songs as on the first LP. [...] Music for Pleasure doesn't live up to the title."^[3]

Track listing

All tracks written by Brian James, except as noted.

Side A
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Problem Child"	James, Rat Scabies	2:13
2.	"Don't Cry Wolf"		3:15
3.	"One Way Love"		3:44
4.	"Politics"		2:26
5.	"Stretcher Case"	James, Scabies	1:52
6.	"Idiot Box"	Captain Sensible, Scabies	5:00

Side B
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"You Take My Money"		2:04
2.	"Alone"		3:37
3.	"Your Eyes"	James, Dave Vanian	2:53
4.	"Creep (You Can't Fool Me)"		2:12
5.	"You Know"		5:05

CD reissue bonus tracks
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
12.	"Help" (Beatles cover)	John Lennon, Paul McCartney	1:43
13.	"Sick of Being Sick"		2:30
14.	"Singalong a Scabies"	Scabies	1:01

Personnel

The Damned

Dave Vanian – vocals
Brian James – lead guitar, backing vocals
Lu Edmunds – rhythm guitar
Captain Sensible – bass, backing vocals, slide guitar ("One Way Love")
Rat Scabies – drums

Additional personnel

Lol Coxhill – saxophone on "You Know"

Technical

Nick Mason – production
Nick Griffiths – engineering

References

1 2 3 Woodstra, Chris. "Music for Pleasure – The Damned : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
1 2 Silverton, Peter (November 26, 1977). "The Damned: Music For Pleasure". Sounds. Retrieved November 1, 2016. (subscription required (help)).
↑ Robbins, Ira; Pattyn, Jay. "trouserpress.com :: Damned". trouserpress.com. Retrieved 3 June 2013.

External links

Music for Pleasure at Discogs (list of releases)

The Damned

Dave Vanian Captain Sensible Monty Oxymoron Pinch Stu West Brian James Rat Scabies Lu Edmonds Dave Berk Henry Badowski Jon Moss Lemmy Algy Ward Gary Holton Paul Gray Roman Jugg Bryn Merrick Paul Shepley Kris Dollimore Alan Lee Shaw Moose Harris Garrie Dreadful Patricia Morrison Spike Smith

Studio albums	Damned Damned Damned Music for Pleasure Machine Gun Etiquette The Black Album Strawberries Phantasmagoria Anything Not of This Earth Grave Disorder So, Who's Paranoid?

Live albums	Live Shepperton 1980 Live at Newcastle The Captain's Birthday Party Not the Captain's Birthday Party? Final Damnation Ballroom Blitz – Live at the Lyceum Molten Lager Live at the 100 Club

Compilation albums	Light at the End of the Tunnel The Radio One Sessions Smash It Up: The Anthology 1976–1987

EPs	Friday 13th EP Testify

Singles	"New Rose" "Neat Neat Neat" "Stretcher Case Baby" "Problem Child" "Don't Cry Wolf" "Love Song" "Smash It Up" "I Just Can't Be Happy Today" "White Rabbit" "The History of the World (Part 1)" "There Ain't No Sanity Clause" "Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde" "Wait for the Blackout" "Lovely Money" "Dozen Girls" "Lively Arts" "Generals" "Thanks for the Night" "Grimly Fiendish" "The Shadow of Love" "Is It a Dream?" "Eloise" "Gigolo" "Anything" "Alone Again Or" "In Dulce Decorum" "Fun Factory" "Prokofiev" "Shut It" "Little Miss Disaster"

Associated acts	Masters of the Backside London SS The Lords of the New Church Dave Vanian and the Phantom Chords Naz Nomad and the Nightmares

Related articles	Discography "Nasty" The Damned: Don't You Wish That We Were Dead

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 11/7/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.