A surprisingly sophisticated opus of psychedelic post-punk and goth
I loved The Damned so much, but they weren’t exactly consistent. Their second album Music For Pleasure (1977) was rushed, and would have better if they took more time with it. But they were too busy fighting and breaking up. Of course they reunited and came out with the career peak Machine Gun Etiquette (1979), and followed up with The Black Album (1980) that experimented with power pop, psych and even prog. They couldn’t possibly have three good albums in a row, which is why it took me a while to come around to Strawberries. It actually might be even better and more consistent than the previous album, pretty much every song a success. Especially “Ignite,” “Stranger on the Town,” “The Dog,” and the amazing “Life Goes On,” one of their all-time best. Fans of The Stranglers albums from that period should take note.
The deluxe edition from 2005 adds eight bonus tracks, including the single “Lovely Money” and “I Think I’m Wonderful.” It seemed like a missed opportunity that they didn’t release anything for another three years, a window where they could have increased their audience the same way The Cure did. Phantasmagoria (1985) saw Dave Vanian going overboard with the suave vampire schtick, embracing the goth scene with a fun record, but one few could take very seriously. But that’s part of the charm of The Damned — their chaotic humor was disarming, then you get suckerpunched by a devastatingly powerful song.
