Machine Gun Etiquette in Bloomington, MN

Rejoining forces without
Brian James
, who pursued his own interests from then on (only hooking up with the band again for a late-'80s "farewell" show), the remaining three brought in young
Saints
veteran
Ward
on bass, recorded an album, and hoped for the best. That best proved much better than expected; while singles ended up on the charts,
Machine Gun Etiquette
itself was deservedly hailed as another classic from the band. Over time, its reputation has grown to equal the original
Damned Damned Damned
; while no less strong than that record,
the Damned
here bring in a wide variety of touches and influences to create a record that most of their contemporaries could never have approached. The group's wicked way around witty punk hadn't ebbed a bit; the opening cut,
"Love Song,"
is a hilarious trashing of romantic cliches (sample lyric: "I'll be the rubbish, you'll be the bin!") that barely lasts two minutes, while
"Noise, Noise, Noise"
and
"Liar"
work in the same general vein. These, however, only scratch the surface.
"Melody Lee,"
written by
the Captain
for a favorite comic character, starts with a lovely piano intro, whereas the celebratory angst of
"I Just Can't Be Happy Today"
chugs along with garagey elan and keyboards a la
the Electric Prunes
. Other prime standouts include
"Plan 9 Channel 7,"
a Grand Guignol of an epic about
James Dean
Vampira
with a fantastic
Vanian
vocal; the merry mayhem of
"These Hands"
(belonging to a killer circus clown, with appropriate carnival music, of course); and a great rip through
the MC5
's
"Looking at You."
The best moment was saved for last, though:
"Smash It Up,"
a two-part number divided between an affecting instrumental tribute to longtime supporter and
Captain
hero
Marc Bolan
, and a perfect trash-the-rules-and-party pop/punk/R&B scorcher. ~ Ned Raggett