Captain Sensible (aka Ray Burns) was always the biggest joker in the Damned, the brashest boys of the first wave of British punk, and when he launched his solo career in 1982, it seemed to many like a grand prank, with a punch line even the Good Captain never expected -- his first album on his own, Women and Captains First, was a genuine hit, with his synth pop cover of Rodgers & Hammerstein's "Happy Talk" going all the way to number one on the U.K. singles charts. Sensible certainly isn't afraid to aim for a good laugh on Women and Captains First, but part of the idea behind the album was to show he could do more than just straightforward punk rock, and there's no arguing he succeeded. If the proto-rap of "Wot" and the domestic squalor of "A Nice Cup of Tea" are comic, they're also well-crafted pop tunes that deliver the goods, and two numbers written with Robyn Hitchcock, "Croydon" and "Brenda, Pts. 1 & 2," are smart and atmospheric with a faint psychedelic edge (and "Croydon" reveals a subtle but clear John Lennon influence). And if "Happy Talk" sounds a bit like the afterthought it was, the trad jazz arrangement of "Nobody's Sweetheart" is an effective bit of retro fun and Sensible carries off the vocal with élan. However, most of Women and Captains First is dominated by synthesizers, drum machines, and breathy female backing vocals, giving the album a slick and instantly recognizable '80s sound that has dated far worse than anything on Damned Damned Damned, and Sensible's often underappreciated guitar work sometimes gets lost in the mix. Women and Captains First confirms Captain Sensible was a talented entertainer, a better-than-average songwriter, and a capable singer with some unexpected tricks, but in retrospect, it's a shame he didn't get to produce the set as well and buff off a little excess polish.
© Mark Deming /TiVo