A deeply personal and celebratory covers album, dedicated to the memory of Brian James, the band’s legendary founding guitarist
Recorded in a blistering five days of emotion and creative fire at Revolver Studio, Los Angeles, this album finds The Damned; Dave Vanian on vocals, Captain Sensible on guitar, Rat Scabies on drums, Paul Gray on bass and joined by longtime keyboardist Monty Oxymoron, reconnecting with the raw energy that started it all.. ‘Not Like Everybody Else‘ marks the first time in 40 years that Rat Scabies has returned to the studio with the band.
The Damned have always been partial to a cover version. The B side of their (and arguably punk’s) first single was a blistering version of ‘Help‘ by The Beatles, and the biggest UK hit the band had was a reworking of Barry Ryan’s 1968 hit ‘Eloise‘. They even released an album consisting of ‘60’s garage and psychedelic tunes under the band name Naz Nomad and the Nightmares, because, well just because…
And so to the present day and their new release, ‘Not Like Anybody Else‘, a collection of ten covers recorded as a tribute to the much-missed founder of the band, Brian James, who passed away last March.
Opener, ‘There’s A Ghost In My House‘, a song written by Richard Dean Taylor, one of Motown’s most respected songwriters, sets the template for the album – The Damned playing very much to their strengths. Dave Vanian’s rich baritone often heads a little too far towards a Vegas crooner style, but given the song, that is just about understandable. Captain Sensible, a vastly underappreciated guitarist, gets to go a little bit Hendrix, something he does seem to enjoy. The drumming of Rat Scabies, a man who likes to leave the drums knowing they have well and truly been battered, seems more textured than you might expect. Bassist Paul Gray roams across his fret board with seamless grace, while Monty Oxymoron adds further depth with layered keyboards:
There’s a surprising diversity of music covered on the album, a testimony to James’ love of music. Tracks by Pink Floyd (‘See Emily Play‘), The Kinks (the title track and closing track), a live cover of The Rolling Stones‘ ‘The Last Time‘, featuring Brian James playing his penultimate gig with band, are not totally unexpected, with the originals possessing a certain energy that you can see replicated on The Damned’s debut album. However, The Lovin’ Spoonful’s ‘Summer In The City‘ was not a track I would have anticipated! It’s handled with a certain reverence, but also there is a sense of a band having a lot of fun playing it.
Possibly the clearest indication of the direction James’ music would take is ‘Making Time‘ by The Creation. There is a power and rawness to it that could easily have found its way onto either of the James penned albums.
Overall this is a solid album, showcasing the strengths of the band, as a unit and as individuals. It offers an insight into the musical development and education that helped to shape the mind of one of the leading musical lights of the punk movement. Although it probably won’t gain the band many new fans, it provides an interesting new chapter in the cannon of The Damned.
As Captain Sensible says at the end of ‘The Last Time‘ – “And Brian James, without whom none of us would be here tonight.”
Listen to and purchase ‘Not Like Anybody Else‘ from HERE
Main Photo Credit: RUTH RAE
1. Ghost In My House
2. Summer In The City
3. Making Time
4. Gimme Danger
5. See Emily Play
6. I’m Not Like Everybody Else
7. Heart Full Of Soul
8. You Must Be A Witch
9. When I Was Young
10. The Last Time
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