Machine Gun Etiquette
Studio album by
the Damned
Released2 November 1979 (1979-11-02)
RecordedMarch–May and July–August 1979 in London, England
Studio
Genre
Length35:28
LabelChiswick
Producer
  • The Damned
  • Roger Armstrong
  • Ed Hollis
The Damned chronology
Music for Pleasure
(1977) 		Machine Gun Etiquette
(1979) 		The Black Album
(1980)
Singles from Machine Gun Etiquette
  1. "Love Song"
    Released: April 1979
  2. "Smash It Up"
    Released: September 1979
  3. "I Just Can't Be Happy Today"
    Released: November 1979[4]

Machine Gun Etiquette is the third studio album by English punk rock band the Damned, released on 2 November 1979 by Chiswick Records.

Background

The album was the group's first since reforming with a new lineup of previous members Dave Vanian on vocals, Captain Sensible on lead guitar, Rat Scabies on drums, plus newcomer Algy Ward of heavy metal band Tank on bass guitar on his only album with the band. On Machine Gun Etiquette, the band brought more variety to their usual punk rock to add wide-ranging influences from hard rock and heavy metal to psychedelic rock, a tinge of progressive rock and even classic 1960s rhythm and blues and the record has been described by journalists and fans alike as The Beach Boys meets Motörhead with T. Rex and Judas Priest influences thrown in for good measure.[5][6] The album also features more fast-paced punk tracks, and has been cited as a 'proto-hardcore' record crucial for the later rise of hardcore punk into the 1980s.[2]

The voice at the album's start is actor Jack Howarth, taken from his 1971 album 'Ow Do, a recording of Lancastrian monologues.

The album features multiple guest musicians. Lemmy plays bass on the band's take on The Sweet's "Ballroom Blitz", which was not on the album at time of release but released as a single; the song was also added to the reissued version of the album. Joe Strummer and Paul Simonon also appear on the album, which showcases cover versions of songs by MC5. The album also features sometime Pink Floyd lyricist Anthony Moore on synthesiser. Philip Lloyd-Smee contributed to the sleeve and logo design work on Machine Gun Etiquette.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[5]
Classic Rock[7]
Entertainment WeeklyB+[6]
Mojo[8]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide[9]
Q[10]
Record Collector[11]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[12]
Uncut10/10[13]

AllMusic's retrospective review reported that when it was released, Machine Gun Etiquette was "deservedly hailed as another classic from the band". The website praised the variety of styles explored and the group's typically strong wit.[5] Scott Rowley of Classic Rock magazine, reviewing the 25th Anniversary Edition of the album, defined it as "a riotous, ballsy rush of an album [...] the sound of a band coming into its own", adding that "while the Clash looked to America for inspiration, the Damned remained resolutely British", perhaps ironically given that the front cover depicted the band in a New York street scene[7] at 704 7th Avenue, New York City.[14]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Rat Scabies, Captain Sensible, Dave Vanian and Algy Ward, except as noted

No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Love Song" 2:21
2."Machine Gun Etiquette" 1:48
3."I Just Can't Be Happy Today"
3:42
4."Melody Lee" 2:07
5."Anti-Pope"
  • Scabies
  • Sensible
  • Vanian
  • Ward
  • Phillip Burns
3:21
6."These Hands" 2:03
7."Plan 9 Channel 7" 5:08
8."Noise, Noise, Noise"
  • Scabies
  • Sensible
  • Vanian
  • Ward
  • Jennet Ward
3:10
9."Looking at You" (MC5 cover)
5:08
10."Liar" 2:44
11."Smash It Up (Part 1)" 1:59
12."Smash It Up (Part 2)" 2:53
Total length:35:28
1986 CD reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
13."Ballroom Blitz" (B-side of "I Just Can't Be Happy Today") (Sweet cover)
3:30
14."Suicide" (B-side of "Love Song") 3:14
15."Rabid (Over You)" (B-side of "White Rabbit")
  • Scabies
  • Sensible
  • Vanian
  • Andy Le Vien
3:41
16."White Rabbit" (extended version) (non-album single, 1980)Grace Slick5:13
Total length:51:22
2004 CD reissue bonus tracks
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
12."Love Song" (Ed Hollis version) (previously unissued) 2:03
13."Noise, Noise, Noise" (Ed Hollis version) (B-side of "Love Song")
  • Scabies
  • Sensible
  • Vanian
  • Ward
  • Ward
3:25
14."Suicide" (B-side of "Love Song") 3:17
15."Smash It Up (Part 2)" (backing track – singalonga Damned) (previously unissued) 2:56
16."Smash It Up (Part 4)" (previously unissued)Sensible1:57
17."Burglar" (B-side of "Smash It Up") 3:33
18."I Just Can't Be Happy Today" (DJ edit) (single version)
  • Scabies
  • Sensible
  • Vanian
  • Ward
  • Dadomo
3:00
19."Ballroom Blitz" (B-side of "I Just Can't Be Happy Today")
  • Chapman
  • Chinn
3:28
20."Turkey Song" (B-side of "I Just Can't Be Happy Today") 1:32
Video clip
No.TitleLength
21."Plan 9, Channel 7" (previously unissued Chiswick video recording)6:18
Total length:61:41

Personnel

Credits adapted from the 2004 CD reissue liner notes.[1][15]

The Damned

Additional personnel

Production and artwork

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[16] Silver 60,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ^ a b Machine Gun Etiquette (CD liner notes). The Damned (25th anniversary ed.). Chiswick Records. 2004. CDWIKD 250.((cite AV media notes)): CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  2. ^ a b c "New Documentary Explores The Damned's 40 Year History of Anarchy, Chaos And Destruction". Decider. 27 May 2016. Retrieved 26 May 2021.
  3. ^ THE DAMNED- ‘MACHINE GUN ETIQUETTE’ CLASSIC ALBUM REVIEW. Newsounds. Retrieved 25 February 2023.
  4. ^ "The Damned singles".
  5. ^ a b c Raggett, Ned. "Machine Gun Etiquette – The Damned". AllMusic. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  6. ^ a b Robbins, Ira (15 March 1991). "Machine Gun Etiquette". Entertainment Weekly. Archived from the original on 13 August 2022. Retrieved 2 November 2020.
  7. ^ a b Rowley, Scott (February 2005). "Damned Fine". Classic Rock. No. 76. p. 106.
  8. ^ Gilbert, Pat (April 2018). "Dave's Faves". Mojo. No. 293. p. 40.
  9. ^ MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Visible Ink Press. 1996. p. 182.
  10. ^ "The Damned: Machine Gun Etiquette". Q. No. 190. May 2002. p. 137.
  11. ^ Shooman, Joe (October 2007). "The Damned – Machine Gun Etiquette". Record Collector. No. 341. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
  12. ^ Coleman, Mark (1992). "The Damned". In DeCurtis, Anthony; Henke, James; George-Warren, Holly (eds.). The Rolling Stone Album Guide (3rd ed.). Random House. pp. 176–77. ISBN 0-679-73729-4.
  13. ^ Watts, Peter (December 2016). "The Damned: Buyer's Guide". Uncut. No. 235. p. 69.
  14. ^ "Musical Maps". musicalmaps.com.au. Retrieved 24 July 2019.
  15. ^ Hutchinson, Barry (2017). The Damned – the Chaos Years: An Unofficial Biography. Barry Hutchinson. p. 119. ISBN 978-0-244-30256-6.
  16. ^ "British album certifications – The Damned – Machine Gun Etiquette". British Phonographic Industry.

External links

The Damned
Authority control databases
Categories