The Damned – Music For Pleasure

Dunno why this album seems to be overlooked in favour of DDD...There are some great tracks on this album;, i.e problem child, stretcher case, idiot box to name a few. Very much worth purchasing IMHO!

Being a punk in 1977 I actually preferred this lp to their debut lp.
The debut lp is great don't get me wrong but sounds like a band having only just learnt to play their instruments, it's too raw an lp for me. Whereas the 2nd lp (this one) sounds more accomplished. It's an lp that does divide fans and even the band themselves. The sleeves art is a bit too pretentious for a punk lp and getting a hippy to produce it? Ouch.
But yeah, that's my opinion. I like this lp a lot.
You're welcome to your opinion too even if you disagree with me.

Intrigued by the prospect of an audiophile punk LP, I compared back to back to my 1st issue NM UK pressing. Kevin Gray has cleaned up the sound and it has much greater clarity, esp at top end. But the original is much more in-your-face/impolite, which is what it is meant to sound like.

The best kept secret on the Acoustic Sounds website is their affiliation with Drastic Plastic, which means most of the Drastic Plastic titles are pressed by QRP and most are cut and mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio. Many of the covers are printed at Stoughton. The ones that aren't pressed by QRP are pressed by Pallas in Germany and mastered by Masterdisk. All these are audiophile pressings and limited runs, get them while you can at retail price here: https://store.acousticsounds.com/index.cfm?get=results&searchtext=drastic+plastic

The best kept secret on the Acoustic Sounds website is their affiliation with Drastic Plastic, which means most of the Drastic Plastic titles are pressed by QRP and most are cut and mastered by Kevin Gray at Cohearent Audio. Many of the covers are printed at Stoughton. The ones that aren't pressed by QRP are pressed by Pallas in Germany and mastered by Masterdisk. All these are audiophile pressings and limited runs, get them while you can at retail price here: https://store.acousticsounds.com/index.cfm?get=results&searchtext=drastic+plastic

Referring to https://www.discogs.com/The-Damned-Music-For-Pleasure/release/6903711
I still really enjoy listening to this album just like when I first heard it back in '77. I don't quite understand why the band disowned it, there are definite signs of them maturing and experimenting on certain tracks. However, despite the lyrics to "Idiot Box", I still think "Marquee Moon" is one the seminal records of that era!
This Sactuary Records/BMG pressing has very good SQ. The pressing is flat and the vinyl is heavy and has little if any surface noise. It was full of static right out of the sleeve but a light brush and wet clean cured that. The sleeves and artwork are very faithful to the original release, the only difference is that the inner picture sleeve is a little thinner.

Just an opinion in favour of this record, to balance the more general disappointment one hears expressed.
It has been described as "Punk's Satanic Majesties", meaning something that sounds different from what you'd expect, but might come to be respected with perspective of later years. Some good typical up-tempo Damned songs, showing a development onwards from the first album. Plus longer, perhaps slower, tracks in a manner we weren't expecting - Idiot Box, Creep, You Know. In his records after leaving the Damned, Bri James had a way of writing songs that had an unusual (and effective) "swing", something we rarely hear in rock music - and sometimes good tunes / riffs - Idiot Box is a really good tune. As we only have two albums from the classic Damned line-up, it'd be depriving yourself, to ignore one of them!

My copy has slightly different runout etchings than above: Similar to Variant 7 in everything, except the b-side reads I-23 instead of I-20.

my copy comes with 3-D glasses. And your? Please let me know

For many years this was virtually disowned by the Damned ( it's noticeable that the picture of Capt Sensibles bedroom used in '82s 'best of the Damned' is covered with flyers,posters,Records etc of the group - but not this release).
I think that is not just down to its quality (or lack of) ,but..it was reported 'some of the band' expected 'Sid Barrett to produce' it not Floyd's Nick Mason..
They were not keen on its Production Sound..
The original group split up shortly after..
It was very poorly received by the press & fans ..
The singles 'Don't cry wolf' & 'problem child' weren't big sellers..they departed 'Stiff Records' soon after..
Lu Edmonds addition wasn't an entirely 'group decision'
after reforming it seemed a 'weak-link' between the 'old' Damned (1st lp) & 'New' 'Machine Gun Ettiquette'..
While the 'new line up' would hardly be likely to drop '1st UK Punk single-New Rose' , 'Neat Neat Near' etc they rarely played tracks off this 'live' ..'Stretcher Case' & 'sick of being sick 'did appear occasionally...