The Damned are one of the greatest bands in rock and roll history, and this album solidifies this reputation. With the Black Album, the Damned took their sound one step further; the darker, more psychedelic and melodic side explored on Machine Gun Etiquette, the previous record, was more fully realized with this album. The results are quite positive; the Damned display both their hellish side, represented by the punk energy present on the album, and their more sophisticated side, which is reflected on the quieter, more sinister moments on this release. The influence of the Doors is especially present on this album, a legacy that first made its appearance on Machine Gun Etiquette; in fact, I feel that the band's trademark sound (a sort of psychedelic-influenced death rock) displays more Doors influence than that of Echo and the Bunnymen, a band that is made out to be the most Doors-influenced of all the bands from the early post-punk period. The Black Album is also one of the albums that helped establish the early gothic rock movement in music. Although labeling both the Black Album and the Damned "goth" is extremely limiting, one would have to admit that this album has elements that are quintessentially gothic, such as the influences of classical music as well as the medieval and horrific imagery and mood captured in both the music and the lyrics. However, it is perhaps the overall dark feel to the album that forever links it to what most people consider to be gothic. The Black Album has many excellent tracks, including the classic "Wait For the Blackout," "Twisted Nerve," and "Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde." It does, however, have a few weak moments. The song "Hit or Miss" is somewhat of a throw away, and "Therapy" has too much padding-- the faster part of the song is the only really appealing moment (and quite a moment it is, one must admit!). But the gothic anthem "Curtain Call" steals the show, as it is the culmination of the evolution of the Damned's sound at that point in history (1980); besides this, it is just an awesome song that displays the sophisticated song-writing that these "cartoon punks" were and still are capable of. All lovers of pop, punk, post-punk, psychedelic, alternative, goth, and especially death rock should be inclined to add this classic to their collection!

I consider this to be one of the top ten rock albums of the last 25 years. This classic is chock full of some of the most energetic rock, punk, psychedelia, experimental pop stuff that you'll ever hear together on one album. Wait For The Blackout is one of the best rock songs of all time. This is the best Damned album, followed closely by Machine Gun Etiquette. The various greatest hits collections don't quite represent The Damned as well as they should. Get this instead, followed by MGE and then build your Damned collection accordingly.

its about time this forgotten album was released the correct way..the music sounds much better here than on the old one...you can actually listen to it without turning the volume way up to the highest notch...well so far so good..they are on a roll re-mastering damned albums..their debut, music for pleasure, recently along with this one machine gun etiquette and strawberries were issued on super bonus editions..hell, even their half album "im alright jack and the beanstalk" was reissued...now if we can only get "phantasmagoria" and "anything" remastered...their album anything is even selling for 50 bucks or something on here..and its used!..oh well i cannot complain. the guys at chiswick know what their customers want well..im very pleased with this.

Thank God! Finally what all of us BiG Beat cd owning fans have been waiting for since the 80's!! I went through 2 of those cds and have 3 copies on vinyl (IRS US, Chiswick UK and Chiswick Italian). I dumped all of my Damned Big Beat vinyl, can't have damned re-releases can we? W/ that said this is THE Ultimate Black Album, compiles all the b-sides that could have made up a 4th album side....back in the days of cassetes I made a compilation a re-sequenced the songs. Now I'll be able to do that again...What a blast from the past....This may be the Damned at their finest. Totally essential.

Finally, I can chuck my old, crackly, worn out Big Beat copy(CDWIK 906) of the great Black Album and pop this new reissue in and rock out to The Damned at their psychedelic punk peak. This is The Damned at the top of their game. The bonus disc is indeed a bonus because you get 'side four' of the original 2 LP set, consisting of 6 live tracks from a fan club only show a.k.a. Live At Shepperton, plus all the other 1980 issued recordings, a's & b's(White Rabbit single, History Of The World single, and There Ain't No Sanity Clause single). Ok, the extended White Rabbit alt. mix might be unnecessary, but grab it!