Episode 44/45: Phantasmagoria by The Damned and First, Last and Always by The Sisters of Mercy

This is a special double episode celebrating "GothVember" combining 44 and 45 where we talk with guests Jenny Watts and Karen Horn Smith of Fossil & Hide simultaneously about their record picks, Phantasmagoria by the Damned and First and Last and Always by The Sisters of Mercy. In their own words:<br/><br/>I chose the album by the Damned, Phantasmagoria, their 6th album released in July of 1985. This was the first Damned album that was made without the infamous Captain Sensible (although he did help write the song 'Is it a dream') AND the Damned's first goth album. Rat Scabies drumming on this record is nostalgic to me of a theme from an old western. Some would argue that this album is not a tried and true Damned album because of its lack of "punk" attributes but I disagree.  Without Dave Vanian, the Damned would not be the Damned. This is the one and only album by The Damned where Dave Vanian truly shines in all of his dracula glory with it's catchy, non-serious yet very thought out amazing vocals, goth glory and punk nostalgia. If you are a "punk" Damned album fan only, listen to Phantasmagoria about a hundred times and you will eventually get it!  - Jenny Watts<br/><br/>I chose First and Last and Always by The Sisters of Mercy. The first time I heard the Sisters of Mercy was in 1990 on my local college radio station WFWM. The song was This Corrosion off of their second album Floodland. I was 15 and living in a small mountain town in western MD. My only source for alternative music was the local college radio station and MTV’s 120 minutes, which I watched religiously every Sunday night. I remember being totally blown away by This Corrosion and so I begged my mom to drive me two towns over to Camelot music to see if they had any SOM tapes at the store. The only cassette they had was the band's debut album First and Last and Always so I bought it and it changed my 15 year old existence. I couldn’t get enough of Andrew Eldritch’s deep voice and gloomy lyrics. I love every song on this album and it has been in constant rotation since I first discovered it.  Andrew Eldritch can deny it all he wants (eye roll)  but the Sisters of Mercy hands down defined the goth sound of the 80's and have influenced countless other bands. I had the best time discussing this album! Thanks James, Cassy and Tom! - Karen Horn Smith<br/><br/>https://www.fossilandhide.com/....https://www.instagra