Fiendish Shadows

by The Damned

Overview

Emerging in 1997 as part of Cleopatra's reissue/release series of nearly everything Damned it could get its hands on, Fiendish Shadows documents a show or shows (recording dates aren't provided) from its 1985/1986 tour in support of Phantasmagoria. At this point, the Scabies/Vanian/Jugg/Merrick lineup had a fair couple of years experience under its belt, first with Captain Sensible and then without; the relative stability of this arrangement likely helped the band put on a crackerjack show. Sound quality is quite good, though the mix is off; for instance, on the fantastic opening cut, a run through the first part of the epic "Curtain Call," Vanian's voice suddenly plunges in volume once the drumming kicks in and only recovers from that a few songs in. About half of Phantasmagoria shows up, with an explosive take on "Is It a Dream" and a bravura "Street of Dreams." A couple of cuts from the not far gone Strawberries make the grade as well, including a great take on "Stranger on the Town" and a sprightly version of "Gun Fury." Faves of yore that turn up unsurprisingly include "New Rose" and "Smash It Up," while "Love Song" makes a brief, fun appearance and the disc as a whole concludes with the always hilarious kiss-off "Disco Man," initially delivered in the 'Val Doonican way, as Vanian puts it. Even more intriguing are the two covers that take a bow; one, the Electric Prunes' "I Had Too Much to Dream Last Night," had originally surfaced via the band's Naz Nomad and the Nightmares incarnation. The other was never formally recorded: Iggy Pop's "Lust for Life" given the energetic blast you'd expect any punk rockers worth their salt would. On a technical note, while a ticket from an American gig is part of the cover art, the recording itself seems to have taken place in London based on Vanian's between-song comments. Go figure! ~ Ned Raggett

Product Details

Release Date:	07/21/2023
Label:	Cleopatra
UPC:	0889466382413
Rank:	27912

Album Credits

Performance Credits

The Damned   Primary Artist

Technical Credits

Algy Ward   Composer
Paul Gray   Composer,Composer
Fred "Sonic" Smith   Composer
Wayne Shanklin   Composer
Wayne Kramer   Composer
Judson Leach   Mastering
David Bowie   Composer
Captain Sensible   Composer
Tom Jones   Composer
Brian James   Composer
Chris Millar   Composer
James Osterberg   Composer
Rat Scabies   Composer
Iggy Pop   Composer
Dave Vanian   Composer
Victor Young   Composer
Raymond Burns   Composer
Nancie Mantz   Composer
Michael Davis   Composer
Robert Derminer   Composer
Clive Jackson   Composer
Annette Tucker   Composer
Roman Jugg   Composer
Christopher Millard   Composer
Bryn Merrick   Composer
Dave Thompson   Composer,Liner Notes
Clive Thomas Jackson   Composer