1977 was a pretty epic/pivotal year in music, particularly for the burgeoning UK punk scene, which saw a slew of classic debut albums from the likes of the Sex Pistols, The Clash, Wire, and Elvis Costello (just to name a few). So, suffice it to say there was a lot of competition, but if you’re looking for the most stylistically dark and in-your-face punk album released that year, you’d be hard-pressed to top The Damn’s debut Damned Damned Damned. Indeed, Rat Scabies, Captain Sensible, and Brian Jones could rip your face off with the best of them, and coupled with Dave Vanian’s vampy flair and sass leading the way on the mic, The Damned proved to be one hell of a formidable punk-rock beast when they first burst onto the scene. They would, of course, move in a decidedly more gothic direction as they went on, largely abandoning their original punk-rock sound in the process. Still, in any event, it’s probably fair to say they never topped the raw intensity captured on their debut album. See for yourself with this shit-hot performance of “Neat Neat Neat” from 1977, when the band was indisputably in their punk-rock prime:
