The Damned Not Like Everybody Else
The Damned's Not Like Everybody Else arrives as a spirited, nostalgia-tinged salute to the band's roots and to Brian James, and across professional reviews it largely succeeds as a faithful, invigorated collection of 1960s rock covers. Critics note that the record balances reverent interpretation with the group's trade
Making Time is the standout due to its stop-start guitar tension and ferocious drumming.
The album’s core strength is its affectionate, well-executed tribute to Brian James and 60s influences.
Best for listeners looking for tribute and 60s covers, starting with There's A Ghost In My House and Making Time.
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Full consensus notes
The Damned's Not Like Everybody Else arrives as a spirited, nostalgia-tinged salute to the band's roots and to Brian James, and across professional reviews it largely succeeds as a faithful, invigorated collection of 1960s rock covers. Critics note that the record balances reverent interpretation with the group's trademark guitar-driven bite, producing moments that feel both celebratory and emotionally resonant.
The critical consensus, reflected in a 77/100 score across five professional reviews, highlights several standout tracks that reviewers consistently praise. “See Emily Play”, “There’s A Ghost In My House” and “You Must Be A Witch” are cited repeatedly for their Farfisa-speckled gnarl and punk virtuosity, while “Making Time” and “Summer In The City” earn notice for taut guitar work and buoyant, psychedelic flourishes. Reviewers from Mojo, God Is In The TV Zine and The Spill Magazine emphasize how the band sticks close to originals yet injects The Damned's edge, with particular credit given to Captain Sensible's fretwork, Rat Scabies' rhythmic tension and Monty Oxymoron's ambient touches.
Perspectives vary in tone but converge on the album's intent and impact: some critics celebrate the record as a raucous, heartfelt tribute that foregrounds legacy and reunion, while others observe that it favors affectionate indulgence over radical reinvention. The presence of Brian James on the closing moments is singled out as a poignant coda, giving the collection a genuine emotional through-line. For readers searching for a concise Not Like Everybody Else review or wondering about the best songs on the album, the consensus suggests the record is worth hearing for its standout covers and its clear devotion to the band's past.
Below, detailed reviews unpack how these factors shape the album's place in The Damned's catalog.
Critics' Top Tracks
The standout songs that made critics take notice
There's A Ghost In My House
4 mentions
"They also take on other 1960s hits, such as “Summer In The City” and “There’s A Ghost In My House.” Both sound fresh, energetic, and fun."— The Spill Magazine
Making Time
3 mentions
"The Creation’s “Making Time” was never a hit, but The Damned do it justice with their take on the song"— The Spill Magazine
Summer In The City
4 mentions
"They also take on other 1960s hits, such as “Summer In The City” and “There’s A Ghost In My House.” Both sound fresh, energetic, and fun."— The Spill Magazine
They also take on other 1960s hits, such as “Summer In The City” and “There’s A Ghost In My House.” Both sound fresh, energetic, and fun.
Track Ratings
How critics rated each track, relative to this album (0-100). Only tracks that made critics feel something are rated.
There's A Ghost In My House
Summer In The City
Making Time
Gimme Danger
See Emily Play
I'm Not Like Everybody Else
Heart Full Of Soul
You Must Be A Witch
When I Was Young
The Last Time
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What Critics Are Saying
Deep insights from 5 critics who reviewed this album
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Critic's Take
The Damned make a convincingly defiant tribute on Not Like Everybody Else, where the best songs - notably “Making Time” and “There’s A Ghost In My House” - stand out for their raw, imaginative execution. Fordham’s prose delights in noting how “Making Time” is the album highlight, its stop-start, Revolver-like guitar tension driven by Rat Scabies, while “There’s A Ghost In My House” ruthlessly bites with Captain Sensible’s fretboard work. He praises Monty Oxymoron as the unsung hero, particularly on “Summer In The City”, which binds the record with buoyant ambient flourishes. Overall the review frames the album as a heartfelt, energetic homage that proves The Damned remain vividly themselves even when looking back.
Key Points
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Making Time is the standout due to its stop-start guitar tension and ferocious drumming.
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The album’s core strength is its affectionate, well-executed tribute to Brian James and 60s influences.
Themes
Critic's Take
The Damned sound revitalized on Not Like Everybody Else, and the best songs - notably “See Emily Play” and “You Must Be A Witch” - show why this tribute works so well. The reviewer keeps returning to the album's ability to stick close to originals while adding The Damned's edge, making tracks like “Summer In The City” and “Making Time” feel fresh and energetic. The closing pair, “When I Was Young” and “The Last Time”, are praised as emotional, brilliant tributes that underline the album's purpose and heart.
Key Points
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“See Emily Play” stands out for its powerful, dark take and historical link to Pink Floyd.
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The album's core strength is its faithful, energetic reinterpretation of 1960s influences as a heartfelt tribute to Brian James.
Themes
Bl
Critic's Take
THE DAMNED treat Not Like Everybody Else as a warm, raucous tribute rather than a serious artistic reinvention, and that sense of affectionate indulgence is its strength. The reviewer singles out “There’s A Ghost In My House” for its exuberance and near-erasure of THE FALL's version, and praises “Summer In The City” as punchy and psychedelically trimmed. Captain Sensible's fiery take on “See Emily Play” and the reverent, philosophical delivery of “I’m Not Like Everybody Else” also mark them among the best tracks on the album. Overall the record reads as certified bangers delivered with grit, glee and a heartfelt nod to a lost bandmate.
Key Points
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The best song, "There's A Ghost In My House", stands out for exuberant delivery and near-erasure of a prior notable version.
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The album's core strengths are its affectionate tribute approach, imaginative covers, and energetic, psychedelic execution.
Themes
Sp
Critic's Take
Pat Gilbert writes with affectionate authority, noting the record as a hastily hatched, moving salute to Brian James that still lands on thunderous form. The presence of Brian James on “The Last Time” makes the closing moments poignantly resonant, sealing the album's emotional arc.
Key Points
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The album's core strengths are its tribute-driven purpose, strong covers performances, and emotionally resonant closing with Brian James.