Overview
“Machine Gun Etiquette“ is the third studio album by English punk rock band the Damned.
Background of the Production
The Damned was formed in London in 1976 by lead vocalist Dave Vanian, guitarist Brian James, bassist (and later guitarist) Captain Sensible, and drummer Rat Scabies.
After signing with Stiff Records, the Damned released the first single “New Rose” in 1976.
The debut album “Damned Damned Damned” was produced by Nick Lowe and was released in 1977. The album was the first studio album released by a British punk band. It peaked at number 34 on the UK albums chart.
The second studio album “Music for Pleasure” was produced by Nick Mason of Pink Floyd and released in 1977, but it failed to chart in the UK.
The Damned once disbanded in 1978, but Sensible, Scabies and Vanian restarted activities. After the member replacement, they reunited the band with Algy Ward, who had been a bassist for the Australian rock band the Saints, and the band signed with Chiswick Records in 1979.
After the reformation, Sensible became the lead guitarist and the main songwriter on behalf of Brian James.
Commentary
The album “Machine Gun Etiquette” was recorded in London in 1979, and was released by Chiswick Records in the same year. It peaked at number 31 on the UK albums chart.
“Machine Gun Etiquette” is a pop-oriented punk rock album. It features a strong 1960s garage-rock influence with a Farfisa organ on several songs.
It includes several songs which show the influences from hard rock, heavy metal, and psychedelic rock.
The album also features fast-paced punk tracks, and it can also be regarded as a “proto-hardcore” album that influenced the 1980s hardcore punk.
The first track “Love Song” and the title track “Machine Gun Etiquette” are typical “proto-hardcore” style songs.
“Love Song” was released as a single in 1979, and peaked at number 20 in the UK Chart.
“I Just Can’t Be Happy Today” was released as a single in 1979, and peaked at number 46 in the UK Chart.
The lyrics of “Melody Lee” were written by Sensible under the inspiration of “Bunty”, a British comic for girls published by DC Thomson. The song title is a character name of “Bunty”.
The song title “Plan 9 Channel 7” comes from the film “Plan 9 from Outer Space” (1957) directed by Ed Wood. It is a song about the friendship between Maila Nurmi, an actor who appeared in “Plan 9 from Outer Space”, and James Dean.
“Looking at You” is a cover of a song in the album “Back in the USA” (1970) by American rock band MC5.
“Smash It Up” is composed of two parts: a melodic instrumental part and a pop-punk song part. This song was released as a single in 1979, and peaked at number 35 in the UK Chart.
The repeating voice “Nibbled to death by an okapi” in the end of “Smash It Up” is a line from the BBC Radio series “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” (1978), by Douglas Adams, and spoken by Peter Jones.
The album was reissued on CD in 1986 and 2004.
The 1986 CD released by Big Beat Records includes four bonus tracks.
The 2004 enhanced CD (25th Anniversary Edition) released by Chiswick Records includes nine bonus tracks and a video clip of “Plan 9 Channel 7”.
Personnel
The Damned
- Dave Vanian – lead vocals
- Captain Sensible – guitars, backing vocals, keyboards, bass (“I Just Can’t Be Happy Today”, “Smash It Up (Parts 1 & 2)”), bass solo (“Anti-Pope”)
- Rat Scabies – drums, backing vocals
- Algy Ward – bass, backing vocals, guitar (“Machine Gun Etiquette”, “Liar”)
Track Listing
- “Love Song” – 2:21
- “Machine Gun Etiquette” – 1:48
- “I Just Can’t Be Happy Today” – 3:42
- “Melody Lee” – 2:07
- “Anti-Pope” – 3:21
- “These Hands” – 2:03
- “Plan 9 Channel 7″ – 5:08
- “Noise, Noise, Noise” – 3:10
- “Looking at You” – 5:08
- “Liar” – 2:44
- “Smash It Up (Part 1)” – 1:59
- “Smash It Up (Part 2)” – 2:53