Monday, February 11, 2008

Damage does disco

I've just been listening to TSDS by Dick Damage and the Punkdaddy, both of whom were out there playing those stages in the Brighton punkworld of 1977 and beyond.
Damage's singing hasn't changed one bit- still that humorous, slightly nasal voice, sounding a little bit like Jona Lewie. This is a real mixture of musical styles- sometimes it sounds a bit like The Stranglers, sometimes I could dance around my handbag to it; other tracks feature almost-spoken poetry over Blockheads-style funk, more like Punkdaddy's solo stuff. Here and there, Punkdaddy bursts in on guitar, obviously having the time of his life. There's a dog barking tunefully and timefully along with a trance track, too. I imagine it got bored in the studio and decided to join in.
(I wonder if Pundaddy was at that live Radio Sussex broadcast when Joby and the Hooligans did a cover version of 'We Were Guilty And Ashamed Of It But Now We're Rather Proud Of It, No Longer Do we Have To Live A Lie, Oh Me, Oh My, That Lie Can Lie Itself Right Down And Die', the Gay Pride anthem sung to the melody of 'Leaning On A Lamp-post', which featured Steve on Ukelele and a mad dog barking at the top of its voice?)
It's an oddly enjoyable listen, I think, even if you don't know Dick and Punkdaddy (but we all do, don't we?); true-to-form, Dick is still racing the musicians to the finale of each track. A true anarchist to the end, he sometimes wins, which is a triumph I well remember from the old days!
***** that's 5 stars, guys!

No comments: