So, Who's Paranoid?

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So, Who's Paranoid?
Studio album by
The Damned
Released17 November 2008
Recorded2005–2008
Studio
Genre
Length65:59
LabelThe English Channel
The Damned chronology
Grave Disorder
(2001) 		So, Who's Paranoid?
(2008) 		Evil Spirits
(2018)
Singles from So, Who's Paranoid?
  1. "Little Miss Disaster"
    Released: 1 December 2005
  2. "A Nation Fit for Heroes"
    Released: 2010
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[3]
Chart Attack[2]
The Great Rock Bible6/10[4]
The Guardian[5]
Louder[6]
Slant Magazine[1]
Record Collector[7]

So, Who's Paranoid is the tenth studio album by English punk rock band the Damned. Released in November 2008, it was their first album in seven years. It was funded by the band themselves and released on their English Channel label.[8] Musically, the album largely draws from the band's 1980s gothic rock sound.[9]

Reception[edit]

Guardian critic Dave Simpson thought it was their best album in a while and said the album "takes a lead from 1980's superb The Black Album by skipping through genres" and "fabulous pop anthems such as "Perfect Sunday" may find them a new audience even now."[5] While Cameron Gordon, writing for Chart Attack, wasn't so kind. He said the album "blows", was "a really tedious album to absorb" and contains "either generic pop-punk blandness or self-indulgent silliness".[2] Allmusic critic Mark Deming said " there is practically nothing on So, Who's Paranoid? that resembles punk rock as we know it", he suggested it was more likely to appeal to people who liked the band's later albums, like Strawberries and Phantasmagoria.[3] Slant Magazine said it "rises above mediocrity"[1] but Record Collector said it was a "beautifully controlled blend of melody and dynamic".[7]

The closing track "Dark Asteroid" is a tribute to Pink Floyd founder Syd Barrett, who died two years previously.[10][11]

Track listing[edit]

Songwriting credits adapted from BMI.[12]

All songs written by Captain Sensible, except where noted.

  1. "A Nation Fit for Heroes" (Sensible, Martin Newell) – 3:57
  2. "Under the Wheels" (Sensible, Pinch) – 5:02
  3. "Dr. Woofenstein" (Sensible, Pinch) – 5:54
  4. "Shallow Diamonds" – 3:34
  5. "Since I Met You" (Monty Oxymoron) – 4:07
  6. "A Danger to Yourself" – 4:04
  7. "Maid for Pleasure" – 4:34
  8. "Perfect Sunday" (Sensible, Dave Vanian) – 4:42
  9. "Nature's Dark Passion" (Oxymoron) – 4:11
  10. "Little Miss Disaster" – 4:23
  11. "Just Hangin'" – 3:58
  12. "Nothing" (Sensible, Stu West) – 3:41
  13. "Dark Asteroid" – 14:02
  • (a). "Dark Asteroid Part 1"
  • (b). "Dark Asteroid Part 2" (Sensible, Vanian, Oxymoron, West, Pinch)

Reissue bonus tracks

  2. "Half Forgotten Memories" – 6:02
  3. "Aim to Please" – 2:43
  4. "Time" (B-side to "A Nation Fit for Heroes") – 3:41

Personnel[edit]

Credits adapted from the album's liner notes.[13]

The Damned
Additional musicians
  • Bela Emerson – cello, saw on "Nature's Dark Passion"
  • The Brighton Gay Men's Chorus – vocal harmonies on "Dr. Woofenstein"
  • Lorraine Bowen – conductor, arranger on "Dr. Woofenstein"
Technical
  • Adam Whittaker – engineer, mixing on "Nature's Dark Passion", "Since I Met You" and "Dark Asteroid"
  • Jim Spencer – mixing
  • Ewan Davies – engineer on "Perfect Sunday" and "Little Miss Disaster", mixing on "Little Miss Disaster"
  • Ben Moore – engineer (drum tracks) on "Dr. Woofenstein"
  • Adrian Wear – artwork, sleeve design

Release history[edit]

Region Date Label Format Catalog Notes
UK 17 November 2008 The English Channel CD CHANDAM13
US 12 December 2008 The English Channel / Redeye CD CHANDAM13
UK (reissue) 1 July 2010 Devils Jukebox Records LP DJB66643LP

Limited-edition two-album set; includes the bonus tracks "Aim to Please" and "Half Forgotten Memories"

UK (reissue) 2014 Let Them Eat Vinyl LP LETV358LP

Limited-edition two-album set; includes the bonus tracks "Half Forgotten Memories", "Aim to Please" and "Time"

UK (reissue) 2014 Southworld Recordings CD SWGC112CD

Includes the bonus tracks "Half Forgotten Memories", "Aim to Please" and "Time"

US (reissue) 10 March 2015 4Worlds Media CD FWUS047CD

Includes the bonus tracks "Half Forgotten Memories", "Aim to Please" and "Time"

[14][15]

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b c d e Cataldo, Jesse (10 December 2008). "The Damned: So, Who's Paranoid". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  2. ^ a b c Gordon, Cameron (19 December 2008). "The Damned – So, Who's Paranoid?". Chart Attack. Archived from the original on 30 December 2008. Retrieved 13 January 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  3. ^ a b Deming, Mark. "So, Who's Paranoid? – The Damned". AllMusic. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  4. ^ Strong, Martin C. "The Damned Biography". The Great Rock Bible. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  5. ^ a b Simpson, Dave (27 November 2008). "The Damned: So, Who's Paranoid". The Guardian. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  6. ^ Dalton, Stephen (10 July 2015). "The Damned: So, Who's Paranoid? Punk's Spinal Tap repackage their 10th with extra tracks". Louder. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  7. ^ a b Shooman, Joe (January 2009). "The Damned: So, Who's Paranoid – Damned good stuff". Record Collector. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  8. ^ Hutchinson, Barry (2017). The Damned – the Chaos Years: An Unofficial Biography. Barry Hutchinson. p. 389. ISBN 978-0-244-30256-6.
  9. ^ Coyle, Michael (18 December 2008). "The Damned: So, Who's Paranoid". OC Weekly. Retrieved 13 January 2014.
  10. ^ The Damned: So, Who’s Paranoid? – Louder. 10 July 2015. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
  11. ^ The Damned – So, Who's Paranoid (English Channel) – The Big Takeover. 21 December 2008. Retrieved 27 September 2019.
  12. ^ "BMI Repertoire: Damned". BMI. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  13. ^ So, Who's Paranoid? (CD liner notes). The Damned. The English Channel. 2008.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  14. ^ David5345 (2008). "The Damned to release "So, Who's Paranoid?" soon". punknews.org. Retrieved 7 November 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  15. ^ "The Damned – So, Who's Paranoid? (Versions)". Discogs. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
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