The Damned (photo: Patric Carver) 1976 was a bleak year in some ways. The Eagles released the lyrical mush "Hotel California" – the soupy go-nowhere tune that’s been over-celebrated by inebriated bar patrons for decades. The same year, The Eagles were also awarded the first platinum record (a new concept at the time) for Their Greatest Hits 1971 – 1975. Did I mention that Wings also released "Silly Love Songs" in 1976? They had to be stopped, and this was too important a job to leave to lunatics like Sid Vicious and Joey Ramone. The world needed punk rock with [...]