101 Damnations (album)

April 2022 March 2023 101 Damnations Album Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine 101_Damnations_(album)_cover.jpg yes Several rows and columns of black dots against a white background, with the band's logo in the top-left and the album's title in the bottom-right 15 January 1990 Important Notice, Mitcham, South London Punk rock glam rock 41:31 Big Cat Sex Machine, Simon Painter 30 Something 1991 101 Damnations album Sheriff Fatman November 1989 101 Damnations is the debut studio album by English rock band Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine, released on 15 January 1990 through Big Cat Records. After playing in different bands, James Robert "Jim Bob" Morrison and Les "Fruitbat" Carter formed Bob and played their first show in August 1987, before changing the name to Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine. Over the next year, they played various shows across London before signing to Big Cat; with shows further north of the city in early 1989, a fanbase started building. The duo recorded their debut album with producer Simon Painter at Important Notice Studios, which was a garage on Painter's property, in Mitcham, South London. 101 Damnations is a punk rock and glam rock album that merges the styles of David Bowie and Pet Shop Boys, alongside loud guitars, drum machines and samples taken from films and TV shows. 101 Damnations was met with generally favourable reviews, with critics praising the songwriting; it peaked at number 29 on the UK Albums Chart. After recording, Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine toured the United Kingdom until the end of 1989. During that time, "Sheriff Fatman" was released as the album's sole single in November 1989, peaking at number 23 in the UK Singles Chart. The band was also associated with the grebo scene alongside Ned's Atomic Dustbin and Pop Will Eat Itself. In the first half of 1990, the band toured the UK and mainland Europe twice each, and later tour throughout June and July 1990 to promote their non-album single "Rubbish". 101 Damnations was included at number 29 on the NME list of the year's best releases, and would be reissued several times in the ensuing years. Background After completing his education, James Robert "Jim Bob" Morrison got a job at an advertising firm in London's West End. During this time, he formed Jeepster, which went two years before playing their first gig. Although that was the band's only show, Bob left his job to focus on music.Bob 2004, p. 13 While performing with the Ballpoints, Bob came across bassist Les "Fruitbat" Carter of Dead Clergy at the rehearsal space The Orchestra Pit in Streatham, South London in 1979. When the bassist for the Ballpoints left, Fruitbat took his role. Following a name change to Peter Pan's Playground,Thompson 2000, p. 240 the band split and the members pursued different projects, including busking, children's entertainment and solo careers. Bob formed Jamie Wednesday, while Fruitbat used the moniker Cartoon Carter; the pair separately wrote several songs that would later be re-worked for their next project.Bob 2004, p. 14 After obtaining a drum machine, Bob and Fruitbat played their first show in August 1987 under the name Bob, supporting the Men They Couldn't Hang at the Astoria venue in London.Thompson 2000, p. 241 Jamie Wednesday was initially billed to play that show, but had broken up shortly before, leaving Bob and Fruitbat with one week to write new material. They composed six songs, namely, "Everytime a Churchbell Rings", "An All American National Sport", "The Taking of Peckham 123", "Good Grief Charlie Brown", an early version of "A Perfect Day to Drop the Bomb" titled "Will I Go to Hell If I Kiss in Front of Jesus" and "G.I. Blues". The band needed backing tracks for the show; they saw a local advertisement in a newspaper for Important Notice Studios in Mitcham, owned by engineer Simon Painter, which they used to make said tracks. The duo then played another show two weeks later, before changing their name to Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine after learning of another band called Bob. The pair debuted this new name at a show at The Sir George RobeyBob 2004, p. 15 in September 1987, and closed out the year with three more gigs across London.Bob 2004, p. 196 Development and recording Between February and November 1988, Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine played further shows throughout London;Bob 2004, pp. 196–7 as Fruitbat was unable to pass his driver's test, they were forced to use buses to travel to their gigs. During this period, Adrian Boss became their manager, and subsequently, their driver of hired cars.Bob 2004, p. 17 They recorded demos at Important Notice Studios, which earned them their first recording contract with Big Cat Records; the label released their debut single "A Sheltered Life" in October 1988. The band started playing shows further north in early 1989,Bob 2004, p. 197 which was around the time Bob noticed that they were starting to attract a fanbase.Bob 2004, p. 20 The Treworgey Tree Fayre in Cornwall in summer 1989 marked the band's first festival appearance, ending with them not being paid.Bob 2004, p. 32 Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine recorded their debut album at Important Notice Studios; the band and Painter acted as producers. They initially wanted Jah Wobble to produce it, though Bob could not recall why he did not.Bob, Jim mrjimBob 1283146796257226757 As I remember it we were supposed to be meeting Jah Wobble to talk about him producing the album. I have no memory of why that didn't happen. We co-produced it with Simon Painter instead. He co-produced all the Carter albums. https://web.archive.org/web/20200714213038/https://twitter.com/mrjimBob/status/1283146796257226757 14 July 2020 14 July 2020 10 March 2023 The studio was located in the back garden of Painter's residence near a council estate. The band would regularly cycle to-and-from the building each day; Bob referred to the studio's size as a "garage ... [and] when I say a garage, I doubt you could have kept much more than say, a Smart car or something Noddy might drive in there". When they had used the space to make their earlier demos, it initially had an eight-track recorder and charged £8 per hour, but by the time the band were making the album, it upgraded to 16-tracks and £16 per hour. They collectively spent £800 recording it; as they did not own a sampler, snippets of TV shows, films and news broadcasts were added to the recordings via a pair of cassette decks. When Bob asked Painter on how to achieve a megaphone sound for "Sheriff Fatman", he performed what he wanted by cupping his hands over his mouth, to which Painter remarked, "do that".Bob, Jim mrjimBob 1283147405542797315 I asked Simon Painter how we could get a megaphone sound for the introduction. I demonstrated the sound we wanted by cupping my hands over my nose and mouth. Simon said: 'Do that.' https://web.archive.org/web/20200714221716/https://twitter.com/mrjimBob/status/1283147405542797315 14 July 2020 14 July 2020 10 March 2023 Music and lyrics Overview The music on 101 Damnations has been described as a mixture of the work of David Bowie (left) and Pet Shop Boys (right). David Bowie - Zagreb.jpg A man standing while playing a guitar 106 Pet Shop Boys 2007.10.12 010 (cropped).jpg Two people on stage; one of them standing behind a laptop, while another is walking and singing into a microphone 155 101 Damnations incorporates drum machines, samples and loud guitars, employing extensive cultural references and puns, while being lyrically concerned with real life events seen in the news.Bob, Jim mrjimBob 1283145880401588224 A lot of the lyrics on this, and on the album are based on real life events. Usually taken from the news. Bostik boys playing chicken in a box I think referred to glue sniffers climbing into boxes on the train tracks and playing chicken with trains https://web.archive.org/web/20200714221354/https://twitter.com/mrjimBob/status/1283145880401588224 14 July 2020 14 July 2020 10 March 2023 Ned Raggett of AllMusic characterised the album's musical style as "brash, quick, punk/glam via rough early eighties technology pump-it-up pogoers" and described the heavy usage of puns as "Carter's calling card as much as anything". Gavin Stoker in The Rough Guide to Rock wrote that it combined "frantic guitars with samples, hip-hop beats, keyboard blasts and lyrics that namechecked south London haunts with alarming regularity".Stoker 2003, p. 175 James Muretich of Calgary Herald considered it to be a mix of the work of David Bowie and Pet Shop Boys "while adopting the literary, politically appropriate, socially sarcastic British pop intellectual stance". In a review for NME, DJ Steve Lamacq described the lyrics as being adaptive of other media mediums: "the colour and atmospheric backdrops (film), the plot and the dialogue (comics) and the descriptive prowess (if Carter were a book, they'd be a Martin Millar novel - really)". The planned title for the album was The Brothels of Streatham to the Taking of Peckham,Bob, Jim mrjimBob 1283146144491732993 The Brothels of Streatham to the taking of Peckham was the original title of the album. When we signed the record deal we told label boss Abbo we wanted to call it 'C***' (No asterisks). Childish https://web.archive.org/web/20200714212233/https://twitter.com/mrjimBob/status/1283146144491732993 14 July 2020 14 July 2020 10 March 2023 and later after signing, they attempted to call it Cunt. Bob cites Tom Waits and the Band of Holy Joy as being inspirations for his songwriting, in particular on "The Taking of Peckham 123".Bob, Jim mrjimBob 1283148723405684736 Tom Waits & the Band of Holy Joy were a big influence on my songwriting. Most noticeable in this song. The opening line could be from a Tom Waits song. Even though it sounds uncannily (and entirely coincidentally) like 'Eveylyn' by Pop Will Eat Itself. https://web.archive.org/web/20200714213100/https://twitter.com/mrjimBob/status/1283148723405684736 14 July 2020 14 July 2020 10 March 2023 Explaining the samples, Bob said he would be sat next to a TV or a radio and recording bits using a cassette recorder for useable portions. As Fruitbat owned a copy of the film Head (1968), they extensively took samples from it for the album, most prominently on "A Perfect Day to Drop the Bomb".Bob, Jim mrjimBob 1283152224592461825 I used to sit with a cassette recorder in front of the TV and the radio recording stuff, hoping for things to sample. Fruitbat had a VHS of the Monkees film Head. We sampled loads of that on the album. All this Drop the Bomb stuff is from Head. https://web.archive.org/web/20200714231740/https://twitter.com/mrjimBob/status/1283152224592461825 14 July 2020 14 July 2020 10 March 2023 Tracks Bob said "The Road to Domestos", the album's opener, was a recording of a hymn they had stolen,Bob 2004, p. 216 ending with the sound of machine gun fire. The title of the following track, "Everytime a Church Bell Rings", was influenced by the film It's a Wonderful Life (1946).Bob, Jim mrjimBob 1283144983684538368 The song title is inspired by the film It's a Wonderful life. I watched it in a motel room on my own in America one Christmas during a Carter tour. Cried like a maternity ward. https://web.archive.org/web/20200714212625/https://twitter.com/mrjimBob/status/1283144983684538368 14 July 2020 14 July 2020 10 March 2023 "Twenty Four Minutes to Tulse Hill" details a train ride through South London; the train announcer snippets were recorded at the Tulse Hill railway station, which Fruitbat lived across from.Bob, Jim mrjimBob 1283146040321945602 We recorded the train announcer samples on the platform of Tulse Hill station that Fruitbat lived opposite. https://web.archive.org/web/20200714214641/https://twitter.com/mrjimBob/status/1283146040321945602 14 July 2020 14 July 2020 10 March 2023 It also features a sample taken from Quadrophenia (1979), which had influenced Bob.Bob, Jim mrjimBob 1283146317431296002 A Quadrophenia sample there. I said in an interview the film had such a profound effect on me and I was so unhappy at the time that I went to Brighton to throw myself into the sea. It ended up in the tabloids that I'd attempted to take my own life. https://web.archive.org/web/20200714221751/https://twitter.com/mrjimBob/status/1283146317431296002 14 July 2020 14 July 2020 10 March 2023 "An All-American National Sport", which had gone under the titles "Digging a Hole" and "Cardboard City Cut-Out" with different publishers,Bob, Jim mrjimBob 1283146586596478978 The song was originally called Digging a Hole. It was part of a publishing deal we signed before we recorded it. So we changed the title and sold it to another publisher. At one point the song was called Cardboard City Cut-Out. https://web.archive.org/web/20200714212556/https://twitter.com/mrjimBob/status/1283146586596478978 14 July 2020 14 July 2020 10 March 2023 discusses a homeless person being set on fire by two strangers. "Sheriff Fatman" was highlighted as displaying the album's characteristic sound; Raggett said "the song itself may be about a total rat-bastard of a slumlord, but the name of the game is energy and fun." Bob said the titular character was a landlord from South London, and was based on two people whom he knew personally. An earlier version of the track was known as "Chuckles and Smiles", and was adapted from "Jonathan Jo" (1924) by A. A. Milne.Bob, Jim mrjimBob 1283147902500638720 Pre Carter and Jamie Wednesday me and Fruitbat wrote a number of acoustic based songs that we'd rewrite later as Carter songs. 'Chuckles And Smiles' became 'Sheriff Fatman'. It was based on Jonathan Jo has a mouth like an O by AA Milne. https://web.archive.org/web/20200714220157/https://twitter.com/mrjimBob/status/1283147902500638720 14 July 2020 14 July 2020 10 March 2023 "The Taking of Peckham 123" is largely about the Peckham area of London, where Jamie Wednesday's label The Pink Label was based.Bob, Jim mrjimBob 1283149165976002561 Mostly about the North Peckham estate. I think the Pink Label (Jamie Wednesday) had their office in a flat there. https://web.archive.org/web/20200714220029/https://twitter.com/mrjimBob/status/1283149165976002561 14 July 2020 14 July 2020 10 March 2023 Bob has compared the song to "Evelyn" (1987) by contemporaries Pop Will Eat Itself. "Crimestoppers A' Go Go" is an instrumental track that is followed by "Good Grief Charlie Brown", which is about Bob's parents divorcing,Bob, Jim mrjimBob 1283150649497210883 A song about my parents splitting up. My dad used to send me a ten shilling note every week. Here's a picture of me and my dad. I'm the one without the moustache. https://web.archive.org/web/20200714233045/https://twitter.com/mrjimBob/status/1283150649497210883 14 July 2020 14 July 2020 10 March 2023 and sees him reciting marriage vows in the style of a vicar by its conclusion.Bob, Jim mrjimBob 1283151044940378115 At the end of this song I'm reading the marriage vows like a mad vicar. When I finish you can hear me tear them up. Scary stuff. https://web.archive.org/web/20200714215615/https://twitter.com/mrjimBob/status/1283151044940378115 14 July 2020 14 July 2020 10 March 2023 HuffPost writer Tom Thornton said "Midnight on the Murder Mile" served as a "depiction of a paranoid, post-nightclub cross-borough trudge home".https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/tim-thornton/early-90s-indie-songs_b_8636470.html Ten Early 90s Indie Songs That Say It All HuffPost Thornton, Tom 24 November 2015 7 March 2023 7 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230307102438/https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/tim-thornton/early-90s-indie-songs_b_8636470.html live Its title refers to a length of road dubbed the Murder Mile where Bob would walk from a bus stop in West Norwood to his residence in Crystal Palace.Bob 2004, p. 47 It features samples of the band ringing and hanging up on the emergency phone number 999Bob, Jim mrjimBob 1283151753798705152 I'm not proud of it now but to get the 'emergency which service' sample, we rang 999 (not the band), recorded it and hung up. I suppose they could trace the call now and arrest us for timewasting. https://web.archive.org/web/20200714224538/https://twitter.com/mrjimBob/status/1283151753798705152 14 July 2020 14 July 2020 10 March 2023 and fight sounds from The Firm (1989) during the instrumental portion.Bob, Jim mrjimBob 1283151796266045441 I think the fight noise in the instrumental break is from the Gary Oldman film 'The Firm'. https://web.archive.org/web/20200714220703/https://twitter.com/mrjimBob/status/1283151796266045441 14 July 2020 14 July 2020 10 March 2023 "A Perfect Day to Drop the Bomb", which begins with a clip of an Atari ST booting up,Bob, Jim mrjimBob 1283152299876024321 The songs starts with the sound of the Atari software loading (I think). It's not my department. I was in charge of cymbals. https://web.archive.org/web/20200714215417/https://twitter.com/mrjimBob/status/1283152299876024321 14 July 2020 14 July 2020 10 March 2023 reuses the hook from "The Message" (1982) by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five. The album's closing track, "G.I. Blues", is an anti-war song inspired by John Savage's character in The Deer Hunter (1978), which had left an impression on Bob.Bob, Jim mrjimBob 1283153946639507456 I wrote this about John Savage's character in The Deer Hunter. That film had big impact on me. I can't watch the scene where George Dzundza is making eggs and starts crying without joining in. Crying I mean, not making eggs. https://web.archive.org/web/20200714223349/https://twitter.com/mrjimBob/status/1283153946639507456 14 July 2020 14 July 2020 10 March 2023 Rob Sheridan plays the piano solo in the track; Bob said he was drafted in as the part was a "lot harder to play than it sounds" and he performed it "too well so we had to change it after he’d left the studio".Bob, Jim mrjimBob 1283154041586016258 This piano bit is a lot harder to play than it sounds. We had to get a friend Rob to play it but he did it too well so we had to change it after he'd left the studio https://web.archive.org/web/20200714220738/https://twitter.com/mrjimBob/status/1283154041586016258 14 July 2020 14 July 2020 10 March 2023 Release Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine embarked on a four-month long tour of the UK between September and December 1989.Bob 2004, p. 198 During this time, "Sheriff Fatman" was released as the lead single from their upcoming debut album in November 1989. It was originally released as a 12-inch vinyl record, with the B-sides "R.S.P.C.E.", "Twin Tub with Guitar" and a cover of "Everybody's Happy Nowadays" (1979) by Buzzcocks."Sheriff Fatman" Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine 1989 sleeve Big Cat Records ABB 100 T The music video for "Sheriff Fatman" consists of live footage of the band with close-up shots of their instruments and the crowd.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQXRsshaZk8 Carter U.S.M. - Sheriff Fatman YouTube CarterUSMMusicVEVO 12 February 2019 8 March 2023 15 July 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20220715221918/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQXRsshaZk8 live 101 Damnations was released on 15 January 1990 through Big Cat Records,Anon. 1990, pp. 4–5 with distribution from Rough Trade Records. The artwork consists of 56 black spotshttps://www.nme.com/features/music-interviews/jim-bob-of-carter-the-unstoppable-sex-machine-there-was-a-rumour-that-id-ghostwritten-arctic-monkeys-debut-album-2732185 Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine's Jim Bob: 'Noel Gallagher still hates us' NME Ryan, Gary 19 August 2020 8 March 2023 7 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230307114741/https://www.nme.com/features/music-interviews/jim-bob-of-carter-the-unstoppable-sex-machine-there-was-a-rumour-that-id-ghostwritten-arctic-monkeys-debut-album-2732185 live against a white background,Margolls 1992, p. B1 while the title is a reference to the film One Hundred and One Dalmatians (1961).Rooksby 2021, p. 240 At the time of its release, the duo were associated with the grebo scene alongside Ned's Atomic Dustbin and Pop Will Eat Itself.https://www.loudersound.com/features/attacking-tv-presenters-ruining-glastonbury-and-being-banned-by-the-bbc-how-carter-usm-became-britains-unlikeliest-chart-toppers Attacking TV presenters, ruining Glastonbury and being banned by the BBC: how Carter USM became Britain's unlikeliest chart-toppers Louder Hill, Stephen 29 July 2022 8 March 2023 8 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230308184842/https://www.loudersound.com/features/attacking-tv-presenters-ruining-glastonbury-and-being-banned-by-the-bbc-how-carter-usm-became-britains-unlikeliest-chart-toppers live Stoker said that "as the rest of the country looked towards the 'Madchester' scene, Carter were starting a riot down south"; Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine promoted 101 Damnations with a UK tour until mid-February 1990,Bob 2004, pp. 198–9 when they embarked on their first tour of mainland Europe, consisting of three shows in Holland.Bob 2004, p. 39 Upon returning home, the band continued to tour the UK until April 1990, and followed this up with a longer stint in Europe.Bob 2004, pp. 199–200 On the latter trek, some of the crowd in Germany were not fond of the band lacking a drummer, often asking "where's the drummer?", with a few of them thinking the pair were miming the entire time. On one occasion, an attendee tried to go behind the stage, expecting to find a drummer there. The non-album single "Rubbish" was released in June 1990, with the B-sides "Alternative Alf Garnett" and a cover of Pet Shop Boys' "Rent" (1987)."Rubbish" Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine 1990 sleeve Big Cat Records ABB 102 CD Preceded by a launch party in Kentish Town,Bob 2004, p. 49 it was promoted with a UK tour throughout June and July 1990, ending with a performance at the Astoria.Bob 2004, pp. 200–1 Reissues and related events "Sheriff Fatman" was reissued in 1991 through Big Cat and Chrysalis Records."Sheriff Fatman" Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine 1991 sleeve Big Cat/Chrysalis Records USM CD1/3237382 The two labels reissued 101 Damnations in the UK on 8 August 1991https://www.allmusic.com/album/release/101-damnations-mr0001919805 101 Damnations – Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine AllMusic 7 March 2023 Raggett Ned 7 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230307101454/https://www.allmusic.com/album/release/101-damnations-mr0001919805 live and in the United States five days later.https://cocatalog.loc.gov/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?v1=1&ti=1,1&Search%5FArg=101%20Damnations&Search%5FCode=TALL&CNT=25&REC=0&RD=0&RC=0&PID=4Arlp6_cxOM7o3kb9J182CDyy16&SEQ=20230307050024&SID=4 Public Catalog United States Copyright Office 7 March 2023 Enter 101 Damnations in the Search for field, select Title and then begin search. Sort by Date (ascending) and then click on the first entry listed. Big Cat Records reissued it in 2004,101 Damnations Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine 2004 booklet Big Cat Records ABB1009892 and then in 2011 with additional tracks;https://www.godisinthetvzine.co.uk/2011/09/20/carter-the-unstoppable-sex-machines-debut-101-damnations-to-be-rereleased/ Carter The Unstoppable Sex Machine's debut 101 Damnations to be rereleased God Is in the TV 20 September 2011 8 March 2023 7 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230307114741/https://www.godisinthetvzine.co.uk/2011/09/20/carter-the-unstoppable-sex-machines-debut-101-damnations-to-be-rereleased/ live the latter edition was re-printed in 2018.101 Damnations Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine 2018 booklet Big Cat Records ABBCD101J It was re-pressed on vinyl in 2018 as part of the box set The Studio Recordings 1988–1998, alongside their other albums.The Studio Recordings 1988–1998 Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine 2018 sleeve Cherry Red Records CRUSMBOX "Sheriff Fatman", "Rubbish" and their respective B-sides were included on the compilation Handbuilt by Perverts (1990);Handbuilt by Perverts Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine 1990 sleeve Big Cat Records ABB103XCD "Sheriff Fatman" and "Rubbish" were then featured on the compilations Straw Donkey... The Singles (1995)Straw Donkey... The Singles Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine 1995 booklet Chrysalis Records CDCHR6110 and Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere ...The Very Best of Carter USM (2000).Anytime, Anyplace, Anywhere ...The Very Best of Carter USM Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine 2000 booklet EMI Gold 525 7622/7243 5 25762 2 7 In addition to those two tracks, "Twenty Four Minutes from Tulse Hill", "Midnight on the Murder Mile", "A Perfect Day to Drop the Bomb" and "G.I. Blues" were included on the anthology compilation You Fat Bastard (2007).Bob Jim You Fat Bastard 2007 booklet EMI 50999 5 06408 2 9 In 2009, the band performed their first four albums in their entireties across two shows in London, which included 101 Damnations.https://www.clashmusic.com/news/carter-usm-london-shows/ Carter USM: London Shows Clash 13 January 2009 8 March 2023 7 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230307114738/https://www.clashmusic.com/news/carter-usm-london-shows/ live That performance and the performance of their second album 30 Something (1991) were released as a two-CD set under the title The Drum Machine Years Volume 1 (1990–1991) (2010) through Concert Live.The Drum Machine Years Volume 1 (1990–1991) Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine 2010 sleeve Concert Live CLCD431 Reception AllMusic 4.5 5https://www.allmusic.com/album/101-damnations-mw0000477874 101 Damnations – Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine AllMusic 30 April 2011 Raggett Ned 3 February 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20130203190037/https://www.allmusic.com/album/101-damnations-mw0000477874 live Calgary Herald C+Muretich 1991, p. E4 The Encyclopedia of Popular Music 4 5Larkin Colin The Virgin Encyclopedia of Nineties Music Virgin Books London 2000 0-7535-0427-8 78-79 NME 8/10Lamacq 1990, p. 21 Record Collector 3 5Scott 2011, p. 87 Record Mirror 4/5Crook 1990, p. 15 Reviewers generally praised the songwriting found on 101 Damnations. In a retrospective piece, Raggett said in the "duo's own unusual way, Carter were something of a unique and thrilling prospect at its best, which the highlights of Damnations show." Trouser Press writer Ira Robbins called it a "fully realised debut" and "mind-blowing in the most stimulating sense";http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=carter_the_unstoppable_sex_machine Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine Trouser Press Robbins, Ira 8 March 2023 26 October 2016 https://web.archive.org/web/20161026173814/http://www.trouserpress.com/entry.php?a=carter_the_unstoppable_sex_machine live Stoke was similarly impressed that the band "had ideas and energy to spare". Colin Larkin in The Encyclopedia of Popular Music said that the album was an "invocative melting pot of samples, ideas and tunes" delivered with "a punk-inspired ethos".Larkin 2007, p. 3099 Muretich said it was: "Clever, yes. Contrived, yes. And that's where this London bridge between social criticism and music falls down. Not enough melodic muscle, lyrical gusto". The staff at NME remarked that it was "weighted with a constant stream of clever touches, a sensible line in cynicism and a streak of humour".Noyer ed. 1998, p. 162 In Artforum, veteran critic Greil Marcus described 101 Damnations as "the noisiest and smartest record I’ve heard since early Wire—and more hysterical, in both senses of the word."Marcus Greil Greil Marcus' Real Life Rock https://www.artforum.com/lists/greil-marcus-real-life-rock-20/nirvana-4/ Artforum 23 November 2024 March 1992 Other critics were drawn to its sound quality. Lamacq considered it the band's "(Tooting) Broadway debut, a big screen collage on a shoestring budget - rough-edged Rascal Pop with a searching script". Associated Press writer David Bauder said that the album was the "aural equivalent of a horror movie, an unrelenting series of word pictures of a society gone mad"; however, he noted that there was "only so much of this" he could hear, suggesting that "most listeners will simply shudder and move out of the neighborhood".Bauder David In the Groove: Record Reviews Associated Press 9 September 1991 Record Collector Jonathan Scott wrote in a 2011 review that the band were the "most interesting" of their contemporaries, saying that their music featured "both a naïve, DIY charm and a rousing anthemic quality". 101 Damnations peaked at number 29 on the UK Albums Chart. The reissue of "Sheriff Fatman" peaked at number 23 in the UK Singles Chart.https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/31905/carter-usm/ Carter (The Unstoppable Sex Machine) / full Official Chart History Official Charts Company 11 March 2023 27 December 2022 https://web.archive.org/web/20221227191947/https://www.officialcharts.com/artist/31905/carter-usm/ live At the end of 1990, NME ranked it at number 29 in their list of the top 50 release of the year.https://www.nme.com/bestalbumsandtracksoftheyear/1990 1990 - NME NME 10 October 2016 21 April 2020 8 February 2017 https://web.archive.org/web/20170208175531/http://www.nme.com/bestalbumsandtracksoftheyear/1990-2-1045379 live In 1992, NME included it in their list of the 20 best debut albums, writing that it stood in contrast to the Madchester boom of early 1990 by "[capturing] Carter's live resilience and ability to translate punk's social awareness into a new pop phenomenon", while also praising its DIY qualities.That'll Be the Debut: A Guide to Rock's Primary Cuts New Musical Express 22 February 1992 20-21 In The Rough Guide to Rock, Stoker commented that 101 Damnations bolstered Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine's reputation as "inventive agit-popsters".Stoker 2003, p. 175 Track listing All tracks written by James Morrison and Les Carter. Some CD versions combine the first two tracks into one. Side one "The Road to Domestos" – 0:46 "Everytime a Churchbell Rings" – 4:13 "Twenty Four Minutes from Tulse Hill" – 3:26 "An All American National Sport" – 3:55 "Sheriff Fatman" – 4:43 "The Taking of Peckham 123" – 4:22 Side two "Crimestoppers A' Go Go" – 2:48 "Good Grief Charlie Brown" – 3:39 "Midnight on the Murder Mile" – 3:30 "A Perfect Day to Drop the Bomb" – 5:42 "G.I. Blues" – 3:57 Personnel Personnel per booklet.101 Damnations Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine 1990 booklet Big Cat Records ABBCD 101 Musicians Jim Bob – performer Fruitbat – performer Rob Sheridan – piano solo ("G.I. Blues") Production and design Sex Machine – producer Simon Painter – producer, engineer Carter – sleeve design Dee Eff – sleeve design Charts +Chart performance for 101 Damnations Chart (1991) PeakpositionAustralian Albums (ARIA) https://imgur.com/a/ZcFaWxz Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine ARIA Chart History to November 2025 ARIA Imgur.com 3 December 2025 N.B. The High Point number in the NAT column represents the release's peak on the national chart. 185UK Albums Chart 29 See also Liquidizer – the 1989 debut album by contemporaries Jesus Jones, known for its heavy use of samples References Citations Sources Anon. Advertisement Melody Maker 13 January 1990 0025-9012 Bob Jim Jim Bob Goodnight Jim Bob – On the Road with Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine 2004 Cherry Red Books London 1-901447-23-5 Crook Darren Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine: 101 Damnations Record Mirror 10 February 1990 0144-5804 Lamacq Steve Steve Lamacq http://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews/19980101000023reviews.html Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine: 101 Damnations NME 20 January 1990 6 May 2020 0028-6362 17 August 2000 https://web.archive.org/web/20000817214026/http://www.nme.com/reviews/reviews/19980101000023reviews.html dead Larkin Colin Colin Larkin (writer) Carter USM The Encyclopedia of Popular Music The Encyclopedia of Popular Music Omnibus Press 5th concise 2007 978-0-85712-595-8 https://books.google.com/books?id=_NNmFiUnSmUC&pg=PA3099 8 March 2023 11 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230311091949/https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Encyclopedia_of_Popular_Music/_NNmFiUnSmUC?gbpv=1&pg=PA3099 live Margolls Lynne Here are some hot tips about last year's coolest music Observer–Reporter 3 January 1992 0891-0693 https://books.google.com/books?id=QixiAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA13 9 March 2023 11 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230311092005/https://books.google.com/books?id=QixiAAAAIBAJ&pg=PA13 live Muretich James Carter (The Unstoppable Sex Machine): 101 Damnations (Chrysalis/MCA) Calgary Herald 18 August 1991 1197-2823 https://www.newspapers.com/search/?query=%22101%20Damnations%22%20&t=8803 subscription 10 March 2023 11 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230311091949/https://www.newspapers.com/search/?query=%22101%20Damnations%22%20&t=8803 live Noyer Paul Du Paul Du Noyer Encyclopedia of Albums 1998 Dempsey Parr Bristol 1-85613-520-9 Rooksby Rikky How to Write Lyrics: Better Words for Your Songs 2021 Backbeat Books 9781493056163 Scott Jonathan https://recordcollectormag.com/reviews/album/101-damnations 101 Damnations Carter USM Record Collector 396 Christmas 2011 6 May 2020 0261-250X 19 August 2020 https://web.archive.org/web/20200819061726/https://recordcollectormag.com/reviews/101-damnations live Stoker Gavin Buckley Peter Carter USM The Rough Guide to Rock 2003 Rough Guides London 978-1-84353-105-0 https://books.google.com/books?id=7ctjc6UWCm4C&pg=PA175 8 March 2023 11 March 2023 https://web.archive.org/web/20230311091943/https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/The_Rough_Guide_to_Rock/7ctjc6UWCm4C?gbpv=1&pg=PA175 live Thompson Dave Dave Thompson (author) Alternative Rock Third Ear: The Essential Listening Companion 2000 Miller Freeman Books San Francisco, California 0-87930-607-6 External links 101 Damnations (bonus edition) at YouTube (streamed copy where licensed) Category:1990 debut albums Category:Big Cat Records albums Category:Carter the Unstoppable Sex Machine albums Category:Punk rock albums by English artists Category:Glam rock albums by English artists