Strawberries (album)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- This article refers to the album by The Damned. For other uses see strawberry (disambiguation).
| Strawberries | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
|||||
| Studio album by The Damned | |||||
| Released | October, 1982 CWK3015 | ||||
| Recorded | Rockfield Studios (Monmouth, Wales) (summer 1982) |
||||
| Genre | Gothic rock Alternative rock |
||||
| Length | 48:12 | ||||
| Label | Bronze Records BRON 542 |
||||
| Producer | The Damned, Hugh Jones | ||||
| Professional reviews | |||||
| The Damned chronology | |||||
|
|||||
Strawberries is an album by The Damned released October 1982 on Bronze Records.
Limited editions included a strawberry scented lyric insert. Probably their 'less punk' album,[citation needed] it showcased songs that can be classified into goth, punk, and alternative in the usual pop sound of the band, while "Ignite" & "Dozen Girls" offer a pop-punk sound.[citation needed]
Horns can be heard on "Generals", a political song about the benefactors of war; "Bad Time For Bonzo" is a remark on US & UK political policy in the Ronald Reagan era; "Gun Fury" is also a political cut, placed as a balance to the album's piano-structured pieces, "The Dog" & "Under the Floor Again" and, to a more cinematic degree, "Pleasure and the Pain".[citation needed] Captain Sensible takes prominent backing vocals several times, and takes lead vocals on "Life Goes On" and "Don't Bother Me".
Captain Sensible’s solo number one 1982 single "Happy Talk" placed stress on the band at this time, with Sensible wanting more control of the band,[citation needed] which would lead to his exit from the band two years later.
Captain's solo project had caused tension,[citation needed] and often ribbing between members onstage, which can be heard on some bootlegs from this era. He now overshadowed the band and had less time for Damned gigs and rehearsals.[citation needed]
Paul Gray decided to call it quits in February 1983 and Bryn Merrick joined the band to replace Gray for their March 1983 club tour.
Captain left The Damned after the "Nun Tour" (named for David Vanian's sexy-goth Nun dressed back-up 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 August 4, 1984.
The Brockwell gig was a legendary performance as the band played almost a half-hour past the last scheduled encore. Roman Jugg took over Captains role on guitar & keyboards. Bronze Records, their label at the time, collapsed and released the band from their contract. The internal strain of the band at this time may have helped them because of the mix of sounds and melodies with various styles created a very diverse style of music. Roman Jugg entered the band at this time, and marked the start of the Jugg era, which also lead to further experiments with the band's sound, including loops and sampling.
On 7 January 2005, Castle Records re-released Strawberries in the United Kingdom on CD. In an Entertainment Weekly interview, Saturday Night Live comic Fred Armisen mentioned that the album was one of his favorite albums of all time.[citation needed]
[edit] Lineup
- Dave Vanian - Vocals
- Captain Sensible - Guitars & vocals
- Paul Gray - Bass
- Roman Jugg - Keyboard solos
- Rat Scabies - Drums
[edit] Track listing
- "Ignite" – 4:53
- "Generals" – 3:24
- "Stranger on the Town" – 5:14
- "Dozen Girls" – 4:34
- "The Dog" – 7:25
- "Gun Fury (Of Riot Forces)" – 2:57
- "Pleasure and the Pain" – 4:23
- "Life Goes On" – 4:09
- "Bad Time for Bonzo" – 3:29
- "Under the Floor Again" – 5:29
- "Don't Bother Me" – 2:10
|
|||||||||||
