Strawberries (album)
| Strawberries | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by The Damned | ||||
| Released | October 1982 | |||
| Recorded | Mid-1982 | |||
| Studio | Rockfield Studios, Monmouth, Wales | |||
| Genre | Punk rock, gothic rock, psychedelic pop | |||
| Length | 48:12 | |||
| Label | Bronze | |||
| Producer |
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| The Damned chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Strawberries | ||||
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Strawberries, originally titled Strawberries for Pigs, is the fifth studio album by English punk rock band the Damned. It was released in October 1982 by record label Bronze.
Background
Captain Sensible was featured prominently on backing vocals several times, as well as performing lead vocals on "Life Goes On" and "Don't Bother Me".
Bassist Paul Gray decided to call it quits in February 1983 (later that year, he replaced Billy Sheehan in UFO), and Bryn Merrick joined the band to replace Gray for their March 1983 club tour.
Sensible left the Damned after the Nun Tour (named after Dave Vanian's nun-dressed backup singers on the tour) for Strawberries and played a "last gig" (until the Damned's 10th Anniversary gig at Finsbury Park in 1986) at Brockwell Park on 4 August 1984. Roman Jugg took over Sensible's role on guitar and keyboards. Bronze Records, their label at the time, collapsed and released the band from their contract. Jugg's entrance led to further experiments with the band's sound, including loops and sampling.
Describing the album, Trouser Press wrote: "Eclectic and inconsistent but well-produced [...] and boasting some fine tunes [...], [Strawberries] shows Sensible's increasing pop prominence [...] and Vanian's willingness to explore a stylistic pallette with no debt to punk."[1] Other critics have noted the album's embrace of psychedelic pop,[2][3] as well as gothic rock.[4][5][6][7]
Release
Strawberries was released in October 1982. Limited editions included a strawberry-scented lyric insert.
Reception
| Professional ratings | |
|---|---|
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |    [8] |
In a negative contemporary review, NME called Strawberries "a miserable (w)retch of a record, spewing fourth enough nauseous 'nostalgia' to fill a book entitled 'Why The Damned Never Made It', without once touching any spirit. It seems they're doomed to regurgitating their history 'til the aftertaste becomes too bad to bear."[9] The review specifically noted uninspired lyrics and themes of their songs as low points on the album.[9]
AllMusic's retrospective review was favourable: "Recuperating a bit from The Black Album's uneven impact while still aiming to try whatever they want in studio, [...] [Strawberries is] by turns sprightly and cheerful, dark and dramatic, energetic and snarling, or all that and more at once, [...] [and] defies usual expectations to be yet another good rock album from the band."[8]
Reissue
On 7 January 2005, Castle Records re-released Strawberries in the United Kingdom on CD.
Track listing
All tracks written by Dave Vanian, Captain Sensible, Paul Gray and Rat Scabies, except as noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Ignite" | 4:53 | |
| 2. | "Generals" | 3:24 | |
| 3. | "Stranger on the Town" | Ray Burns, Gray, Scabies, Vanian | 5:14 |
| 4. | "Dozen Girls" | 4:34 | |
| 5. | "The Dog" | 7:25 | |
| 6. | "Gun Fury (Of Riot Forces)" | 2:57 | |
| 7. | "Pleasure and the Pain" | Gray | 4:23 |
| 8. | "Life Goes On" | 4:09 | |
| 9. | "Bad Time for Bonzo" | 3:29 | |
| 10. | "Under the Floor Again" | Burns, Scabies, Vanian | 5:29 |
| 11. | "Don't Bother Me" | 2:10 |
| Deluxe Edition CD bonus tracks | ||
|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Length |
| 12. | "The Missing Link" | 0:30 |
| 13. | "Lovely Money (Extended Version)" | 6:56 |
| 14. | "I Think I'm Wonderful" | 2:55 |
| 15. | "Take That" | 2:47 |
| 16. | "Mine's a Large One Landlord" | 1:16 |
| 17. | "Torture Me" | 1:24 |
| 18. | "Disguise" | 3:28 |
| 19. | "Rat vs. The Omni" | 0:45 |
| 20. | "Citadel Zombies" | 1:58 |
| 21. | "Bimbo Jingle" | 0:08 |
Personnel
- The Damned
- Dave Vanian – lead vocals (1-7, 9, 10), album cover design, production
- Captain Sensible – guitar, backing and lead (8, 11) vocals, keyboards, production
- Paul Gray – bass, production
- Roman Jugg – keyboard solos, production
- Rat Scabies – drums, synthesizer, production
- Additional personnel
- Simon Lloyd – brass (2)
- Rachel Bor – cello (7)
- Technical
- Hugh Jones – production
- Linda Roast – album cover design
- Martin Poole – album cover design
- Nigel Greerson – sleeve photography
References
- ↑ Robbins, Ira; Pattyn, Jay. "trouserpress.com :: Damned". trouserpress.com. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
- ↑ Rabid, Jack. "The Damned - Grave Disorder". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 July 2015.
- ↑ "The Damned: Strawberries". www.avclub.com. 2007-05-31. Retrieved 2016-05-21.
- ↑ "Strawberries - The Damned | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved 2016-05-21.
- ↑ "The Damned - Strawberries". Discogs. Retrieved 2016-05-21.
- ↑ "TheMusic.Today - Music album Strawberries by The Damned". themusic.today. Retrieved 2016-05-21.
- ↑ Bogdanov, Vladimir; Woodstra, Chris; Erlewine, Stephen Thomas (2002-01-01). All Music Guide to Rock: The Definitive Guide to Rock, Pop, and Soul. Hal Leonard Corporation. ISBN 9780879306533.
- 1 2 Raggett, Ned. "Strawberries – The Damned : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. AllRovi. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
- 1 2 Sanai, Leyla (September 1982). "The Damned: Strawberries (Polydor)". NME. Retrieved 1 November 2016. (subscription required (help)).
External links
- Strawberries at Discogs (list of releases)