Machine Gun Etiquette
The Damned
1979
Album Summary
Machine Gun Etiquette is the third studio album by English punk rock band the Damned. It was released on 2 November 1979 by Chiswick Records.
WikipediaA joyful, fun, punky album that is light on anger and heavy on messin' around. Some good guitar work. As with all excellent albums it's way too short.
This is just about as good a punk album as you will ever hear. It’s ramshackle, rowdy and great fun to listen to, with plenty of tongue in cheek attitude to boot. Dave Vanian's proto-gothic vocal style is really rich and unique, elevating the songs quality-wise to a point where most other punk singers can’t compete. Stylistically, they're all over the place here, with some classic punk sounds laced with all manner of musical styles and a real pop sensibility as well. The band is more musically talented than a lot of their peers, with Captain Sensible in particular serving up some solid guitar work. Also, the band is clearly having fun and doesn’t take itself too seriously. You’ve got to admire that. Fave Songs: Plan 9 Channel 7, Love Song, Machine Gun Etiquette, I Just Can't Be Happy Today
This album is a microcosm of the history of punk to 1979. There are more traditional punk songs, as well as songs that are clearly incorporating post-punk and new wave sounds. I found this album to be accessible and interesting while providing that sonic link from punk to what it evolved into. The musicianship was much better than a typical British punk band while retaining the lyrical force that typifies that music.
Punk with enough psych, pop-ish hook, humor, and rhythm variety to keep this softy/punk-poseur on board for the entire 30 minutes. That was great. Whoever picked up the bass on Anti-Pope is great. No trace of whining. They even do a the British baroque carnival organ nightmare thing tolerably for a track. Tempted to give a 5 but I gave The Doors a 4 and now nothing is calibrated. A-
Omg. Best 2 days in a row ever. Very close to my favourite Damned record. Maybe even my favourite.
Hell yea. This is so good. Noise, Noise, Noise is a great tune. I love this landmark statement of British punk rock.
A masterpiece. I cannot describe what I feel while listening to "Love Song" - I'm not often so deeply moved by any song. Vanian's voice - absolutely exeptional.
I LOVE the Damned. That punk rumbling bass opener of "Love Song" crashing into the lo-fi hi-hat heavy drums! Even back in 1979 they have a synth/prgan and proto goth sound on "I just can't be happy today" "These Hands" - no one likes circus music Dave Vanian's voice is magic on "Plan 9 Channel 7" I prefer Damned Damned Damned - I just noticed that its not on this list... wonder why.
The third album of The Damned. Great and fast proto-hardcore punk influenced with some different musical genres and styles.
This album was a fun listen! “Love Song” was full of clever lyrics with a pretty nice, down to earth sentiment of love at the end. I love the retro keyboard sound in songs like “I Just Can’t Be Happy Today.” It contrasted with the lovely piano opening “Melody Lee,” which then erupts into a poppypunk guitar-driven confection that one might mosh to. \“Anti-Pope” takes down religion with some pretty direct criticism delivered in a surprising affable way. The carousel-driven “These Hands” is certainly a dark take on a circus clown. I need this for my halloween playlist… There’s a lot of talent in this group that elevates this music a bit, and they embrace variety which gives most of the songs a distinct sound while still cohering as a whole. Loved it!
It starts with a charming, "Ladies and Gentlemen. How do?" And then we quickly get all the volume and speed I expect from British punk rockers but with lots of unexpected and delightful moments throughout. Tuneful melodies are discernible from one song to the next. I Just Can't Be Happy Today has some incredible drum fills and ironically happy handclaps. Melody Lee starts with a piano introduction that could easily have come from an Elton John track. These Hands is one of those scary circus calliope deals. Lots of fun variety that is more than just Noise, Noise, Noise. Loved it!
5/5. A blast of a record. Very dynamic, ahead of the curve, and an interesting snapshot of a unique turning point of the band
Although they didn't have as much of an impact as either the Sex Pistols or the Clash, this album shows that the Damned should not be overlooked. On this album, they provide a lot of the building blocks that would soon be adopted by the US hardcore punk scene. There are some great tunes here. Not an out-and-out classic, in my opinion, but showed that there was life in the core punk sound when many of their peers were moving on to post-punk/new wave.
Pretty fucking good. Weird. Some psychedelic touches (particularly in the key parts) that give it an almost new wave/post punk flavour.
Honestly great guitar and bass work throughout, which combine with the high energy of most of the tracks to make for probably the best punk album I’ve heard. Still, it’s punk. The vocals and lyrics are pretty bad in spots and if it was any longer I’d probably have a headache. 8
Fun, quick, and funny punk album . Overall good but I found a few of the tracks grating 7/10
Riffs que van desde Motorhead a Extremoduro pasando por T-Rex. Punk setentero 2.0 donde las voces y sus armonías prevalecen sobre todo. Divertido.
The damned continues to cement themselves as my favorite band from the early punk scene. Surprisingly varied, this feels like a transitional album for me. So close to a 5, but a few duds just barely hold it back.
Yes, this is more like it. 1001 albums have really made me realise how much I love punk-rock and garage-rock and when you make a song named 'I Just Can't Be Happy Today', I can't be mad about it, at all. If I had been at a concert where they played and having a beer in my hand, I think I could be happy that day.
I like the blending of genres with early punk going on here. A few of the songs kinda sound like a punk rock Kinks which I dig. The last song kiinda sounds like early Smiths/R.E.M.
Pretty good early punk! More polished than Sex Pistols, some clear influence on bands like Bad Religion. Elements of The Doors with the keyboards and groove sections.
A real surprise. Never even heard of the Damned before, but i can hear how they influenced a lot of punk I love from later years.
Very fun and enjoyable. There were some songs that I wasn't crazy about and would even skip (These Hands), but most were great. I can definitely see myself listening to this again.
The Damned. Machine Gun Etiquette. A bunch of men in the middle of a road in New York City. These elements remind me of an American action film, perhaps by Tarantino. And the album itself is the soundtrack. Punk. Never liked the genre but damn this one is so good. It is perhaps because it is guitar driven. There are fast riffs and solos in many songs. The vocals are not that bad unlike other in punk songs. Gets repetitive after a while but still a super fun overall listen.
This is probably the first punk album on the list I've actually really enjoyed. It's heavy sounding while still being melodic and having good hooks, the vocals aren't obnoxious, it all just works
jaa niet slecht, daarna wel 'you can't put your arms around a memory' dat opkwam en damn dat is genieten haha
This was great! Seemed a lot more varied and inventive than yer average 70s punk album. Fave track - "Looking at You" is awesome, although apparently it's an MC5 cover. "Melody Lee" was lots of fun too...
Detta var fan kanon? Så mycket som jag lyssnar på som kommit så mycket senare som antagligen kan spåras direkt hit. Bra drag, solitt låtmakeri, goa hooks. Positivt överraskad!
Best we've had in a long time - 4/5. Bags of energy, witty lyrics. Still has enough of that rawness that keeps it edgy and punky, but is probably a bit more refined than others in the genre? Definitely preferred it to that early Clash album we had (which if memory serves was from the same year as this).
Machine Gun Etiquette is generally good stuff, some great punk elements, some stuff I don't really care for, but Plan 9 Channel 7 is outstanding, Looking At You is pretty damn good too.
The Damned, one of the original punk bands at the inception of the genre, aims to go faster and louder with their third record. This sound has markings of the upcoming hardcore punk subgenre of the 80's, but for now we're in a sort of punk limbo. Most of this is really great. Just definitive punk all throughout, save for the strange "These Hands" at the end of side A. I'm a big fan of punk anyway so I was bound to like it anyway.
You can really hear shades of what would come in the emo and pop-punk scenes throughout this record. There's a ton of flavors and different types of punk throughout this record, the only misstep being the sad-clown-anthem "These Hands". Favorite tracks: "Noise, Noise, Noise", "I Just Can't Be Happy Today"
This was kinda cool, can definitely hear where the Misfits got a bit of inspiration. I'm not a huge fan of this early punk stuff but this was alright. 3/5.
Unfortunately I wasn't a huge fan. But ultimately this was fine, if a bit forgettable.
I have a feeling i'd like this album a lot if I got a few more listens. For now it's a 3.5
This felt like a much more interesting punk rock album than the ones I've heard previously. Plan 9 Channel 7 reminds me Pigs by Pink Floyd, maybe cus it's in the same key but it really got me.
More of a 2.5 album. Not really sure how I felt about it, but it felt marginally better than expected.
Fast and hard charging. Unlike lots of other punk outfits, these guys can actually play. Nice synth additions. Vocals come through clear.
6/10. Liked it more than I've liked a lot of the punk/punk rock stuff on this list, but at the end of the day it is still a bit too frantic and edgy to be particularly pleasant to listen to.
I'll be damned. U početku mi je bilo eh, mislim nije da je album vrhunski ili odličan, ali je okej. Nothing more, nothing less. Par pjesama su izvukli rejting.
A lot of punky goodness here. Guitars thrash like a machine gun, but the sound is very polished and the songs are surprisingly more tuneful and melodic than I was expecting. Lots of wit and humour present here.
Really solid second half with some great Rocky songs. First half is standard 1979 British punk. Just missed out on a 4/5
This record grew on me the further in I got, and I enjoyed it pretty well by the end. The music is better than the lyrics here, but that doesn’t detract from being able to enjoy it. Also, The Offspring have a great cover of Smash it Up out there, check it out.
Well all be Damned; good album from a genre I loved growing up but didn't come across. Smash it Up will be added to my sons sports playlist. The Clash just did it way better. 3.4
Cool title. Solid Album Artwork. It's a mix of like New wave, punk and some groove in there. While I don't think it's the greatest thing in the world I do think it's crazy amounts of fun. I'd always heard of them, but never really picked up and listened to anything by them. I listened to the No dogs in space podcast cover them. It's solid stuff, and they are crazy interesting with how much shit they went through. I'd recommend this album and the podcast.
Apart from a few energetic and impactful tracks at the start of the album, the shouting and laughing (!) gets a little tired and repetitive.
Liked this. While I enjoy much of the music that it influenced more than I enjoy this, its importance in guiding the way for others can't be understated. A solid punk album. Not sure I would listen to again, but would have no issue if someone else put it on.
A solid punk/rock release that holds up. Plan 9 Channel 7 and Love Song are the strongest, though the others carry good energy throughout the album.
Had never listened to The Damned prior to this. Rather enjoyable punk album. First track instantly reminded me of The Offspring, and I was teleported back to junior high, frosted tips, and general angst and ennui. I've found a lot of punk to be fairly one dimensional (which maybe is the point), but I appreciated the variety and nuance here.
Good punk. Good variety, not one note like much of the punk from the low era, all punk eras for that matter. I heard examines, Sex Pistols and television. Didn’t knock my socks off but I enjoyed it. 3
After reading the lyrics to this album, and coming across Vanian's proclamation that "Noise is for heroes, leave the music to zeroes", I was bracing myself for amateurish, tuneless garbage. I haven't heard any Damned before and was expecting a much more stripped-back, warts-and-all punk album than this, but there's quite a lot going on here. Immediate impression was the absolute work-out the drummer must have been getting: if I knew more about either genre, I'd claim how those 180bpm, 2/4 beats influenced a generation of up-and-coming metal and hardcore bands. Rather than let this heaviness define them completely, The Damned balance it out with humour, some varied instrumentation and genuinely attractive melodies. Once I'd got over the shock of "wait, there's a good hook!" in opener Love Song (rockabilly pirate folk punk?), and "wow, keyboard, handclaps and a lovely ORGAN SOLO!" in the highlight "I Just Can't Be Happy Today", it settled into a bit more of a rhythm. There were just enough interesting chord changes, intricate structures and stylistic influences to keep me guessing where each song would go, always something I appreciate. But despite this, the end result was more admiration of an above-average punk band than a feeling I was hearing a genre-defining work or an album that would become a favourite. Other shout-outs to: the groovy, trippy instrumental break in Anti-Pope, the chorus of "Plan 9 Channel 7", the closing "Smash It Up" manifesto and the moment it kicks in after around 2m.
Poppy punk era Damned, packed with tunes and catchy guitar riffs, phased guitars, wobbly keyboards, with hints of psychedelia, cymbals merrily splashing all the while, in a hearty, ramshackle way
Not as good as the first album. Ironically more punk with less pop sensibilities - I’d assume that to the case on the first album, not a subsequent one.
Not a big punk guy, but enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Actually catchy and sounds decent.
I don’t usually like punk all that much, but I liked this album more than other punk I’ve heard. A couple songs I really liked a lot, such as Plan 9 Channel 7. The majority of the songs I thought were pretty enjoyable. Great drums and lead guitar. I’m torn between 3 and 4.
Not bad actually. Favorite Songs: Love Song, I Just Can't Be Happy Today, "Smash It Up, Pt. 1 & 2"
3/20/2022 Today's Album: "Machine Gun Etiquette" by The Damned - To start, this album has fairly decent production, with the instruments feeling well mixed and very warm / full. The chorus of the first song Love Song is really catchy despite such a heavy demeanor. The title track after that introduces the general sound of this album, being a very mosh-pit focused piece of headbanging hard rock. That being said, I think this is a really solid showing for the genre. 1979 feels like it would have been pretty early in the hard rock scene, so this album really feels like one of those genre-starting classics that holds up against all of the cliche's it created. The 3rd song I Just Can't Be Happy Today sounds really nice, but the vocals are starting to really grate on me, as these vocals have never really been my thing. Very similar to Billy Idol or Depeche Mode, whom I have a lot of respect for. I just don't think I like the monotone vocals trying to sound cool. There's a great synth solo in this track, however, so it's probably my favorite of the first 3 tracks. The following Melody Lee feels like sort of wasted potential, with this nice piano opening being interrupted by this chugging rock track that just feels really uninteresting and too heavy. After the similarly forgettable Anti-Pope, These Hands brings this strange carnival organ into the mix and I actually sort of like how weird it sounds but then there's a bunch of manic laughing before everything cuts to these muddy footsteps tracking around the left channel. It just sounds kinda gross tbh. Then, Plan 9 Channel 7 is a more straightforward rock track and I like this one quite a bit. It's a great example of the genre that would eventually spawn from music like this in the 80s and it has a really fun chorus line and guitar riff. The vocals sound great and the bass has a great chugging energy. Noise, Noise, Noise brings the energy back to the more heavy stuff they were doing earlier, but it still sounds pretty great with solid performances from the band (vocals still kinda blow). The chorus isn't half bad so its half decent. Looking At You feels very similar to Anti-Pope, being another annoying and boring, yet fast paced track. Liar is the same kind of story as Looking At You and Anti-Pope. Finally, the closer Smash It Up is a pretty solid track, reminding me of something like Alan Parson's Project and then transitioning into something similar to R.E.M. It keeps that same Depeche Mode type energy as the rest of the tracklist, but has some really warm instrumentation and a more energetic bassline / drum combo. Overall, this record shines in a lot of places, and although some of it isn't great in my opinion, nothing is really too bad and shows a better side of punk/hard rock than I have seen from other albums in the generator. Score: 6,5/10 Not bad Highlights: I Just Can't Be Happy Today, Plan 9 Channel 7, Smash It Up.
3-; album wasn't bad but it wasn't special either. Plan 9 Channel 7 is my personal favorite, 3- instead of 2,5 for this one
The Damned return with a solid entry as they start experimenting more with a harder punk sound. One thing that sticks out is how smooth the tracks transition from one to another. Didn't even notice "Love Song" and the titular track were different. "I Just Can't Be Happy Today" starts drifting into New Wave territory. We'll see the synths again in the next few and the closer. "Melody Lee" cranks up the speed but still has New Wave-esque vocal style. This and "Noise Noise Noise" through "Liar" are proto-hardcore examples, very noisy and abrasive. Lengths of the early were fine, but the later ones were hitting 5 minutes and overstaying their welcome. There were a lot a misses, and I don't think anything stands against their debut except the first 3 tracks and "Smash It Up" but they're wacky and there's plenty to like.
Perfectly fine but the vocal style wasn't really up my alley. Standout tracks: "I Just Can't Be Happy Today," "These Hands"
This sounds so familiar to me since it's what I grew up with. Listening critically though it's not the best in any shape or form- other bands had been there before and the lyrics and musicianship is pretty average. I guess they edge it for me in their cuddliness and good looks.
Not being the least bit familiar with this album or these artists, the first listen was just to get my toes wet and to establish a sense of what was in store….it was not a sound that embraced me, but was tolerable. On the second listen I realized that this album is actually quite listenable for me. I think that falling in love with the punk-rock sound is not easy for me. But I ended the second listen on the verge of like for this album.
I enjoyed a good bit of today's album. I find that I prefer my punk with a side of humor or fun.
På tide at eg sjekke ut The Damned. Syns da va ok, så blir sikkert et gjenlytt igjen snart. Likte første delen av Smash it up
har ikkje hørt på dei før sette alltid pris på litt god gammal punk men ikkje da besta eg har hørt heller
After listening to the I Against I album of Bad Brains, this is what I had expected that to sound like, fast, solid, aggressive and pretty good.
Not as raw as some of their earlier stuff, but I liked that they kept the aggression, and dug deeper into melody.
I was completely neutral on this. It never grabbed my attention positively or negatively.
Like some bass in your punk songs? Well too bad as this band's third album comes back with tinny production, muffled vocals and longer songs. They want to stretch their horrible wings to try and take in other genres other than punk. Could this be prog-punk? Best Tracks: Anti-Pope; Looking At You; Samsh It Up, Pt. 1 & 2
The first twenty seconds of the first song says "we are more than a punk band" and a minute later they hammer home the point with a guitar solo, of all things. They were definitely Introducing other sounds and styles on this album. Anti-Pope sounds like a Woodstock jam that breaks into a punk song. The last minute of Plan 9 Channel 7 with the extended guitar solo over falsetto howls may be my favorite. The more punk inflected songs I find less interesting, but they stand up well next to those of their peers from that era. Between a 3 and a 4 for me.
Bringing in the lads from the Clash in to clap their hands on track 2 pulls it all together. lol I'm glad there's a bit of rock mixed in. All punk would be a tough listen. I guess the influential part is the influence on hardcore? Since I doesn't like hardcore this fact doesn't get an uplift in my books.
Very punk! For some reason though, it doesn't have the energy or grandeur of The Ramones. There's a Pixies vibe I get from them instead of something wholly original. But brit punk is amazing, and they're a classic element of it! It's a 3.4/5, rounded down to 3.
My first impression of this band was to automatically categorise it as 'Another Punk Band', and then just move one. But after listening to this album a little bit more, I realised that it is original in its sound. Punk Rock, but with a twist. The twist in this case is the horror-themed motives and parts added to the songs. Guitars especially making wooing sounds, creating a nice, Halloween like atmosphere. For a while, it made the album really original and pleasurable to listen. Unfortunately, vocal on this album had to be produced in the Factory of Generic Punk Rock Vocalists. It did bring the whole experience down a level or two. I will give this band another shot in the future, but probably try to cancel out the singer, to properly enjoy it.
I like this album quite a bit. I listened to it 3 times. The guitar work stands out. I like Plan 9 Channel 7 fairly well. A solid punk experience.
A very solid Brit punk album from a band I did not know. Overall, it is a classic. I still have my top favorite punk albums and this won't be in it, but I can see why this band is considered highly innovative. The driving drums combined with the various singing styles were the highlight for me.
this is my third time trying to listen to this, let's see if i make it past the second song this time. plan 9 channel 7 was the only song i kinda liked.
Doesnt seem as 'surfy' as i remember their last one i listened to being. Very lo-fi, straight up punk most of the time.
An ok listen, nothing really too polarising on the album. Best: Machine Gun Etiquette, I Just Can't be Happy Today, Liar Worst: Melody Lee, Looking at You
This reminds me quite a lot of English outfit The Clash, but I believe the Damned went in a direction I am not particularly enthousiastic about. I like Punk when it is highly energetic, with tight instrumentals and explosive engaging vocals. However, 7 tracks on this record have atrocious vocal mixing. I am getting very little energy from the instrumentals, I do not find the lyrics or theme interesting, I am confused by the style changes in some tracks (who decided These Hands should sound like a creepy Carnival tune with a solid minute of incredibly annoying laughter?) and getting bored from the repetitive rhythms and techniques. The only tracks worth listening too, Liar and Smash It Up, meet my expectations of classic Punk and I am very confused as to why the rest of the album is so different in instrumental/vocal quality. Overall I believe this deserves a 2/5.
Seems like a perfect album for the time it was released. I'd be interested to know how much I would enjoy the album if this was one of the 10 albums I could own... Not a very consistent album, though.
22nd December 2021 Listened during the morning in LA before spending the day down on Huntington beach with guy. Not for me, sounds a bit like the early pop punk of the ramones and the sex pistols.
Honestly was not in the mood for this type of music, but I liked some of the songs : would give 2.5/5 or 2/5 due to that
Stereotypical early British punk sound. Was an interesting listen but not sure I would go for it again.
This type of English punk is very quickly becoming grouped in with what I was talking about on my tommy review: not bad but not very interesting or particularly personally enjoyable.
As far as Punk goes this was much more accessible than most as the lead vocalist actually was singing and not screaming.
Could this be classified as.. "Prog-Punk"? That technically makes no sense on paper, but then you listen to songs like "Plan 9 Channel 7" and "Smash It Up" which have a pretty distinct Pink Floyd inspired sound (they also had Nick Mason produce one of their albums). It works well in those two songs, but the rest is just a glob of very weird, yet extremely forgettable punk that doesn't know what it wants to do with itself. Okay so that's my opinion on the album, let's talk about what the hell that guy on the right is wearing.
For a band named The Damned, this band sounds more like a bunch of wussie angels flying high above in some celestial rainbow cloud where it never rains. I was really disappointed in this album. I'd heard a few of the Damned songs, over the years but wasn't really impressed with listening to an entire album. The Damned(?), more like a bait and switch. I call shenanigans!
Primer apropament a The Damned, grup de punk anglès de finals dels 70, coetanis de The clash. El disc comença bé, però va perdent gas i s'acaba fent una mica repetitiu. Toquen un punk melòdic que sembla ser una base clara del renaixement del punk i el hardcore que arribarà més tard, als 90. Té un parell de temes memorables, i poc més.
Listened to half the album this time but still turned it off. These are the best albums in history???? UGH!
Not my type off rock, very energetic tho Not good for driving hahah Not my thing at all
During the first track I really thought "Hey, this is actually pretty good for punk. There's some structure and these guys at least know how to play their instruments. The vocals aren't completely atrocious either. Maybe this will get a 3 or something like that." Then I proceeded to skip all of the songs part-way through because they were so bad - searching for another somewhat decent song. These Hands was OK enough not to skip, but I didn't like it. Geez, I hate punk rock so much. I wasn't even fully aware of how much I hate punk rock before I started this thing.
Punk heeft me nooit kunnen bekoren. Ik heb het einde van dit album dan ook niet gehaald.
This isn't doing it for me... definitely have a strong sense of the 'sound' of the genre/era but honestly I'm just shrugging my way through it.
not sure if it was just because i listened to this first thing on a saturday morning but it hurt my head the repetitive bits were so jarring drilling in my fucking brain.