The Damned
Strawberries

Strawberries: The Complete Metamorphosis of The Damned

With "Strawberries", the 1982 effort, The Damned complete their musical transformation, a path that began two years earlier with the "Black Album".
This record proves fundamental to the band's history, driven by the need to broaden the gap between their new sound and their punk roots. Despite their efforts, part of their fan base, still tied to the rawest punk made of three chords and spit as nihilistic approval, hadn’t fully accepted their change in direction.

The cover of "Strawberries" perfectly captures this concept: a strawberry placed on the forehead of a pig, a visual translation of the expression "pearls before swine". Symbolically, the image mocks the incomprehension and resistance of some fans when faced with the band's musical evolution.

Between 1980 and 1982, The Damned had already released a respectable EP and reinforced their lineup with the arrival of Roman Jugg. A versatile multi-instrumentalist, Jugg became the official keyboardist, an instrument the band had already been introducing into their sound since 1979 and which, in "Strawberries", becomes one of the main pillars of the album.

However, during this prolific period, the band also faced an unexpected crisis: the near loss of Captain Sensible (originally from Croydon, a popular neighbourhood in south London). Sensible found himself unexpectedly catapulted from the guitar and tutu of punk clubs to the heights of the charts thanks to a single and a cover recorded almost as a joke ("Happy Talk").
This unexpected solo success turned out to be yet another "trick of fate", typical of The Damned's story—a band accustomed to unpredictable, often controversial situations.

"Strawberries" (in its original LP version with a strawberry-scented cover, a true piece of pre-graffiti guerrilla marketing) is the product of an England still marked by recession, the Falklands crisis, new social tensions, and continuous cultural ferment. The album would be one of their most versatile and accessible works up to that moment, reaching number 15 in the UK charts.

The album opens with the best possible representation of an opener: "Ignite", a powerful statement—almost five minutes of punk/hard rock raids and stadium chants with Rat Scabies in top form.
From that moment, it became one of the most requested tracks at their live shows, on par with "New Rose".

But the entire album stands as a sonic manifesto that clearly delivers a strong message: The Damned may have changed their way of expressing themselves musically, but the desire to live music fully, in their own way, remains unchanged.
Track after track, extremely heterogeneous genres and subgenres alternate, wrapped in a dark psychedelia led mainly by the duo Sensible and Vanian.

The second track, "Generals", seems built following in the wake of "History of the World Pt1" (which could start up at full speed and not look out of place), complete with horns and Jugg's organ intro, while "Stranger in the Town" brings Paul Gray and his bass to the forefront in a British reinterpretation of Motown.
The fourth track is "Dozen Girls", an instant classic, once again opening with Roman Jugg’s keyboards/organ perfectly integrated with the band and a rampant Captain Sensible. A mocking track that teases provincial playboys—one of my all-time favourites. "Dozen Girls" fades out amidst the usual organized chaos of chants, organs, and guitars, making room for the classic Dave Vanian moment: "The Dog", essence of crooning and noir closing (beautifully) the A side.

Side B opens with the psychedelia of "Gun Fury (Riot Forces)" and the ever-prominent bass of Paul Gray in "Pleasure and the Pain"—an almost easy-listening piece of the highest quality.
Three more tracks follow, all now classics. The first is "Life Goes On", with Sensible on vocals and a riff borrowed from at least three other bands (Nirvana, Killing Joke...). The penultimate track is "Bad Time for Bonzo", which pokes fun at US politics and of course at "Bonzo" number one, Reagan.
The album (officially) ends with "Under the Floor Again", which references a news story about an English fugitive in the '80s and features a sitar at the beginning and a closing solo by Sensible in David Gilmour mode.
The chant written and sung by Sensible, "Don't Bother Me", is dedicated to all the fans, especially those lost along the way.

Just as they seemed to have achieved a balance and prolific output, the band would undergo collapse.
With songs excluded from "Strawberries", at least two more collections of unreleased tracks would be published, but there would be a rift between Scabies and Gray over credits and money.
With Dave Vanian increasingly the "godfather of goths" and Sensible in popstar mode, the classic Damned era would effectively come to a close in 1984. They would return soon after with a new image and lineup, and above all, a major label behind them.

"The Black Album", "Strawberries" and "Friday The 13th EP" represented a period of brilliant creativity for The Damned.
They had no restrictions, limits, or constraints and pushed themselves to try anything they wanted (including three punk nuns on stage during the Strawberries tour.....).

Recommended for those who:

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