Music for Pleasure

The Damned: Dave Vanian (vocals); Brian James (guitar, background vocals);
Lu (guitar); Captain Sensible (bass, background vocals); Rat Scabies (drums).
Additional personnel: Lol Coxhill (saxophone).
Recorded at Britannia Row Studios, London, England. Includes liner notes by Kieran Tyler.
All tracks have been digitally remastered.
Produced, for numerous arcane reasons, by Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason, the second Damned album, Music for Pleasure, was considered a disaster at the time and led to their being dropped from Stiff and their first break-up. In retrospect, however, it's quite a respectable punk artifact, though the Damned themselves rejected it and never performed any of its songs again. More a historical document than a great LP, Music for Pleasure's highlights include "Politics," "Alone," "Your Eyes," and "Creep (You Can't Fool Me)." There's some great Lol Coxhill sax wailing on "You Know," and Beatles completists will be interested in the band's cover of "Help." Not essential, but a good solid album for collectors of '70s punk. ~ Rovi Staff