The Damned The Chaos Years An Unofficial Biography

Written by longtime fan and author of the popular Damned website, Barry Hutchinson, celebrates the band's first 20 years - often referred to as the chaos years.

A photo-packed memoir by the Ramones guitarist and “true iconoclast” (Publishers Weekly). Raised in Queens, New York, Johnny Ramone founded one of the most influential rock bands of all time, but he never strayed from his blue-collar roots and attitude. He was truly imbued with the angry-young-man spirit that would characterize his persona both on and off stage. Through it all, Johnny kept the band focused and moving forward, ultimately securing their place in music history by inventing punk rock. The Ramones were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002—and two years later, Johnny died of cancer, having outlived two other founding members. Revealing, inspiring, and told on his own terms, this memoir also features Johnny’s assessment of the Ramones’ albums; a number of eccentric Top Ten lists; rare historical artifacts; and scores of personal and professional photos, many of which have never before been published. “Feels like a conversation with Johnny.” —The Boston Globe

The Damned are a great British rock n' roll institution. They have helped to plot the course of guitar music over the last 45 years, putting UK punk on record for the first time in 1976, and going on to lay the groundwork for the hardcore, Goth, post-punk, indie-pop and horror-punk movements that have thrived in their wake. Ever underestimated by critics, their string of classic albums has nevertheless been hugely influential, from the trailblazing punk of Damned Damned Damned, to the epic, eclectic sprawl of The Black Album, through the glossy dark-pop of Phantasmagoria, to the genre-spanning triumph of the recent Evil Spirits and beyond. In this book, Morgan Brown takes a fascinating deep dive into each of the band's groundbreaking records, unearthing the stories and inspirations behind them, picking apart their musical building blocks, and examining both the creative process and the creators themselves - visionary early leader Brian James, iconic frontman Dave Vanian, madcap genius Captain Sensible, volatile percussive dervish Rat Scabies and many more. Curious new listeners and long-time aficionados alike will find this book the perfect companion on a voyage of discovery into the strange, chaotic, wonderful world of the Damned.

In 850 analytical articles, this two-volume set explores the developments that influenced the profound changes in thought and sensibility during the second half of the eighteenth century and the first half of the nineteenth century. The Encyclopedia provides readers with a clear, detailed, and accurate reference source on the literature, thought, music, and art of the period, demonstrating the rich interplay of international influences and cross-currents at work; and to explore the many issues raised by the very concepts of Romantic and Romanticism.

Dramatically, from personal acquaintance and Lewis’s own files, Saul Alinsky writes here the inside story of one of the most powerful men in America. Its revelations of why Lewis broke with Roosevelt, of why he fought with the AF of L to form the CIO, of the birth of the sit-down strikes, of the motives behind the war strikes, of how Lewis has so often managed to stalemate the U.S. Government—these are front-page news. They are brought out with sharp insight by one of the most brilliant observers of the labor movement in this country. John L. Lewis is not only reporting of an extremely high order but one of the most stimulating biographies that have been published in many years. There is no one of us who can remain unaffected by the acts of the mine workers’ president.

From rank outsiders to pop stardom a decade later, The Damned blazed an anarchic trail through punk rock to achieve massive chart success. A beacon for the Sex Pistols and The Clash to follow, they flung down the musical gauntlet in 1976 with Britain’s first punk single ‘New Rose’. Smashing It Up: A Decade of Chaos with The Damned is their definitive biography, drawing on new, in-depth research and interviews with associates and band members – including founders Brian James, Chris Millar (Rat Scabies), Raymond Burns (Captain Sensible) and David Lett (David Vanian). Conflict was rife: managers and labels came and went; bridges were burnt; opportunities squandered; and Kieron Tyler reveals how – and why – the wayward, wild and wilful Damned are the punk band that survived, and why they truly led the British Punk movement and outshone their contemporaries.

After barely surviving the death of the woman he was going to marry, Irish actor Lash Brogan has accepted his first leading role in two years.But someone doesn’t want the movie to be made. The set is plagued by accidents and deaths. The arrival of an FBI agent with a past connection to Lash, and the appearance of an intriguing woman he would like to get to know better, further tilts his world.Lash refuses to run from the danger or the painful reminders of his past. He will stay and see the movie through to the end. No matter what the cost to him.Redemption continues the story of Lash Brogan and his friends. Join them in a world where fate’s not fair, but justice and true love are certain.

Volume two of a fifty-year oral history of Star Trek by the people who were there sharing never-before-told stories.