Machine Gun Etiquette

Studio album by The Damned

Released

2 November 1979

Recorded

March–May and July–August 1979 in London, England

Genre

Punk rock, post-punk

Length

35:28

Label

Chiswick

Producer

The Damned
Roger Armstrong

The Damned chronology

Music for Pleasure
(1977)

Machine Gun Etiquette
(1979)

The Black Album
(1980)

Singles from Machine Gun Etiquette

"Love Song"
Released: April 1979
"Smash It Up"
Released: September 1979
"I Just Can't Be Happy Today"
Released: 28 September 1979

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	^[1]
Classic Rock	^[2]
Entertainment Weekly	B+^[3]
Record Collector	^[4]

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

Background

The album was the group's first since reforming with a new lineup of Dave Vanian on vocals, Captain Sensible on lead guitar, Rat Scabies on drums and Algy Ward on bass guitar. On Machine Gun Etiquette, the band became more experimental; without original guitarist Brian James, the songwriting was more democratic, resulting in a blend of punk, psychedelic rock and pop styles.

The voice at the album's start is Jack Howarth, taken from his 1971 recording of Lancastrian monologues "'Ow Do". The mispronounced album name would later be used in fusion with Thee Headcoats name as the Japanese band name Thee Michelle Gun Elephant by their former bassist.

Reception

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.^[1] 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.^[2]

Track listing

All tracks written by the Damned (Dave Vanian, Captain Sensible, Rat Scabies, Algy Ward), except as noted.

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Love Song"	2:21
2.	"Machine Gun Etiquette"	1:48
3.	"I Just Can't Be Happy Today" (The Damned, Giovanni Dadomo)	3:42
4.	"Melody Lee"	2:07
5.	"Anti-Pope"	3:21
6.	"These Hands"	2:03
7.	"Plan 9 Channel 7"	5:08
8.	"Noise, Noise, Noise"	3:10
9.	"Looking at You" (MC5 cover, Rob Tyner, Wayne Kramer, Fred "Sonic" Smith, Michael Davis, Dennis Thompson)	5:08
10.	"Liar"	2:44
11.	"Smash It Up (Part 1)"	1:59
12.	"Smash It Up (Part 2)"	2:53

CD reissue bonus tracks
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
13.	"Ballroom Blitz" (Sweet cover)	Mike Chapman, Nicky Chinn	3:30
14.	"Suicide"		3:14
15.	"Rabid (Over You)"	Rat Scabies, Captain Sensible, Dave Vanian, Andy Le Vien	3:41
16.	"White Rabbit (Extended Version)"	Grace Slick	5:13

25th Anniversary Edition CD bonus tracks
No.	Title	Length
13.	"Burglar"	3:33
14.	"I Just Can't be Happy Today (DJ Edit)"	3:00
15.	"Ballroom Blitz"	3:28
16.	"Turkey Song"	4:04
17.	"Plan 9, Channel 7" (video clip)	6:18

Note:

Later reissues gave co-writing credits to Jennet Ward ("Noise, Noise, Noise") and Phillip Burns ("Anti-Pope").
Joe Strummer and Topper Headon of the Clash provided backing vocals on "Noise, Noise, Noise", while Lemmy of Motörhead played bass and provided backing vocals on "Ballroom Blitz".

Personnel

The Damned

Dave Vanian – vocals
Captain Sensible – guitars, vocals, keyboards
Rat Scabies – drums, vocals
Algy Ward – bass guitar, vocals

References

1 2 Raggett, Ned. "Machine Gun Etiquette – The Damned : Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards : AllMusic". AllMusic. AllRovi. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
1 2 Rowley, Scott (February 2005). "Damned Fine". Classic Rock. London, England: Future Publishing Ltd. 76: 106.
↑ Robbins, Ira (15 March 1991). "Machine Gun Etiquette Review | Music Reviews and News | ew.com". ew.com. Retrieved 3 June 2013.
↑ Shooman, Joe. "Machine Gun Etiquette –The Damned |". recordcollectormag.com. Retrieved 3 June 2013.

External links

Machine Gun Etiquette at Discogs (list of releases)

The Damned

Dave Vanian Captain Sensible Monty Oxymoron Pinch Stu West Brian James Rat Scabies Lu Edmonds Dave Berk Henry Badowski Jon Moss Lemmy Algy Ward Gary Holton Paul Gray Roman Jugg Bryn Merrick Paul Shepley Kris Dollimore Alan Lee Shaw Moose Harris Garrie Dreadful Patricia Morrison Spike Smith

Studio albums	Damned Damned Damned Music for Pleasure Machine Gun Etiquette The Black Album Strawberries Phantasmagoria Anything Not of This Earth Grave Disorder So, Who's Paranoid?

Live albums	Live Shepperton 1980 Live at Newcastle The Captain's Birthday Party Not the Captain's Birthday Party? Final Damnation Ballroom Blitz – Live at the Lyceum Molten Lager Live at the 100 Club

Compilation albums	Light at the End of the Tunnel The Radio One Sessions Smash It Up: The Anthology 1976–1987

EPs	Friday 13th EP Testify

Singles	"New Rose" "Neat Neat Neat" "Stretcher Case Baby" "Problem Child" "Don't Cry Wolf" "Love Song" "Smash It Up" "I Just Can't Be Happy Today" "White Rabbit" "The History of the World (Part 1)" "There Ain't No Sanity Clause" "Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde" "Wait for the Blackout" "Lovely Money" "Dozen Girls" "Lively Arts" "Generals" "Thanks for the Night" "Grimly Fiendish" "The Shadow of Love" "Is It a Dream?" "Eloise" "Gigolo" "Anything" "Alone Again Or" "In Dulce Decorum" "Fun Factory" "Prokofiev" "Shut It" "Little Miss Disaster"

Associated acts	Masters of the Backside London SS The Lords of the New Church Dave Vanian and the Phantom Chords Naz Nomad and the Nightmares

Related articles	Discography "Nasty" The Damned: Don't You Wish That We Were Dead

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