New record review: The Damned ‘Black Is the Night’

The Damned, in its fifth decade of existence, didn’t have an official best-of anthology until early this month. But “Black Is the Night: The Definitive Anthology” (BMG) is finally here, and it’s magnificent.

Spanning two discs, or four LPs, the anthology features 39 songs, from the first British punk rock  single, “New Rose,” to the band’s most recent single, “Black Is the Night.” The new song is a sweetener for seasoned fans; other than that track, “Disco Man,” and “Fun Factory,” the other songs are all available on the band’s studio albums or rereleased version of those records.

Still, there’s a lot here to like for fans new and old. I fall somewhere in between, having gotten heavily into the Damned a few years ago and promptly purchasing the band’s entire studio discography. For music fans feeling curious about the Damned but not knowing where to start, “Black Is the Night” is the perfect gateway.

The anthology lays out how the Damned is best enjoyed. Instead of a chronological track listing, the album is more like a playlist arranged by tempo and mood. The first disc is composed of early songs that helped define punk and post-punk: “Love Song,” “Wait for the Blackout,” “Ignite,” and “Smash It Up” among them. A “newer” song “Democracy?” fits right in, with a timely political message to boot. The Brian James years are neatly compartmentalized on disc one.

While the first disc captures the rapid-fire energy of the band’s live show (The Damned shows punk rock staying power in Chicago), disc two shows the Damned’s theatrical and artistic side. “Eloise” still sounds as amazing as when the band was climbing to near the top of the pop charts, and “Grimly Fiendish” deliciously marks the band’s foray into goth. The centerpiece is the majestic “Curtain Call,” all 17 minutes and 10 seconds of it demonstrating that the Damned was a true musical force, one that could still be kicking around four decades later.

The band shows that it’s survived, and thrived, with recent single “Standing On the Edge of Tomorrow” and the “Black Album”-tinged title track. Both are written by singer Dave Vanian, at a creative peak of late.

Who know what’s next for the Damned? The band brought “A Night of a Thousand Vampires” to the London Palladium, and Vanian (who shaved his head mid-set to portray Nosferatu) has hinted the band may hit the road with a version of that show.

Longtime drummer Pinch departed the band after the show. But with Vanian, dynamic guitar and bass duo Captain Sensible and Paul Gray, and the ever-entertaining Monty Oxymoron onboard, it’s not a stretch to say the Damned might be around to celebrate its 50th anniversary in a few years. It’s a thrilling thought, indeed.