It was a snowless Stafford on the way into work and deep snow on the way back. The soundtrack both was the cynical IRS cash in album that was The Cramps' Bad Music For Bad People.
Musically its a great album, it is however reminiscent of the two Cramps albums I have sampled thus far on the commute, most notably Off The Bone from last week. Yes there are differences but not major differences and its similarities are the most attractive, and you know I wouldnt mind a few different ornaments on the mantlepiece.
What we do see here is Goo Goo Muck, Human Fly and She Said, yes all very good but as I said familiar. I Can't Hardly Stand It, Uranium Rock and Save It, again, faultless but we had these tracks only last week. Garbage Man, New Kind Of Kick and Love Me, you get the picture, all of these so far were on Off The Bone.
One solitary song wasnt on Off The Bone, TV Set, a good song, but if I had known this I may have bought my wife a different Cramps album, for The Cramps, 10, for IRS, -10 therefore 0 out of 10. Bad label.
TV Set by The Cramps
Showing posts with label The Cramps. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Cramps. Show all posts
Tuesday, 5 January 2010
Thursday, 31 December 2009
Off The Bone - Review
The antidote to Eva Cassidy is perhaps The Cramps and their 1983 compilation Off The Bone. Wikipedia tells me that Sounds said of it, “a hell-fire cocktail of gutter riffing and chattering Rockabilly voodoo strum into which is dropped an electric sugar cube of psychedelic power”.
A bit of a mouthful and probably sums it up better than I could. As far as morning commutes go, due to it being Christmas and all I thought I would sample the motorway as opposed to my normal route of taking in Staffordshire A roads. The M6 was relatively deserted and Lux Interior was spewing forth his hell fire cocktail on the stereo, the day could only get worse.
As I said this is a compilation and it’s a compilation at times of their finest work, you have Interior doing his best Peggy Lee impression on Fever and his worst Ricky Nelson impression on Lonesome Town.
As well as standards such as Surfin Bird, they inject their own standards and classics into proceedings. This compilation gives us Human Fly, part of their debut release Gravest Hits. The other tracks on Gravest Hits are all represented here, as are a number of tracks from Psychedelic Jungle, the most famous being Goo Goo Muck.
All in all it’s a good strong compilation, that lifted the mood from yesterday, actually the mood for the last few CD’s has been resolutely downbeat and I hope this is the shape of Cramps to come.
8 out of 10.
Human Fly by The Cramps.
A bit of a mouthful and probably sums it up better than I could. As far as morning commutes go, due to it being Christmas and all I thought I would sample the motorway as opposed to my normal route of taking in Staffordshire A roads. The M6 was relatively deserted and Lux Interior was spewing forth his hell fire cocktail on the stereo, the day could only get worse.
As I said this is a compilation and it’s a compilation at times of their finest work, you have Interior doing his best Peggy Lee impression on Fever and his worst Ricky Nelson impression on Lonesome Town.
As well as standards such as Surfin Bird, they inject their own standards and classics into proceedings. This compilation gives us Human Fly, part of their debut release Gravest Hits. The other tracks on Gravest Hits are all represented here, as are a number of tracks from Psychedelic Jungle, the most famous being Goo Goo Muck.
All in all it’s a good strong compilation, that lifted the mood from yesterday, actually the mood for the last few CD’s has been resolutely downbeat and I hope this is the shape of Cramps to come.
8 out of 10.
Human Fly by The Cramps.
Thursday, 26 November 2009
Smell of Female
The Cramps came back today, yesterday it was A Date With Elvis, today though was their live album, Smell of Female. Recorded in 1983 at The Peppermint Lounge, New York.
A short album this even in its expanded state it only runs to 9 songs. I think for visceral exhuberance, Live at Napa State Mental Hospital DVD captures them live better. That said though although a little too laidback at times, its still a mighty fine record of a superb band.
Hassil Adkins, She Said pops up on this and the call and response of the audience lift it even higher than it already is. Perhaps the standout track on this album, were it not for a different cover.
Faster Pussycat makes an appearance on Smell of Female. The Bostweeds song is just so much better in the hands of Interior and Ivy. Any song sounds better by them.
This album also features the guitar of Kid Congo Powers from The Black Seeds, its not amazing to be honest, or earth shattering but notable.
All in all it’s a good album with plenty of high points. My favourite Cramps track is Thee Most Exaulted Potentate of Love, my favourite cover, Faster Pussycat. No duff tracks, therefore a well rounded 7 out of 10.
Thee Most Exulted Potentate of Love by The Cramps
A short album this even in its expanded state it only runs to 9 songs. I think for visceral exhuberance, Live at Napa State Mental Hospital DVD captures them live better. That said though although a little too laidback at times, its still a mighty fine record of a superb band.
Hassil Adkins, She Said pops up on this and the call and response of the audience lift it even higher than it already is. Perhaps the standout track on this album, were it not for a different cover.
Faster Pussycat makes an appearance on Smell of Female. The Bostweeds song is just so much better in the hands of Interior and Ivy. Any song sounds better by them.
This album also features the guitar of Kid Congo Powers from The Black Seeds, its not amazing to be honest, or earth shattering but notable.
All in all it’s a good album with plenty of high points. My favourite Cramps track is Thee Most Exaulted Potentate of Love, my favourite cover, Faster Pussycat. No duff tracks, therefore a well rounded 7 out of 10.
Thee Most Exulted Potentate of Love by The Cramps
Wednesday, 25 November 2009
A Date With Elvis
This morning The Cramps were my co-pilot, their album A Date With Elvis was the soundtrack. This my friends is music how it should be played. This isn’t even their best album and its better than 99% of bands produce.
On this album The Cramps inject their own humour, beligerance, style and attitude that has been with them since their first EP.
On People Aint No Good they tell us that the choir is the McMartin Preschool Choir, I suspect it isn’t. They tell us of a fictional land called Kizmiaz and this date with Elvis wishes us Aloha From Hell. They can do humour without belly laughs and that’s their charm.
They do a pretty perfect cover of Charlie Feathers It’s Just That Song, Feathers meant a lot to the psychobilly scene and along with the Ricky Nelson tribute on the sleeve, Elvis in the title and Feathers in the song, its ok celebrating the future but you got to acknowledge the past.
The thing I love a lot about The Cramps is their turn of phrase, the way they say things, the language they use, language that I think only Americans at the very least can get away with, Cornfed Dames being a perfect example, you couldn’t or at least shouldn’t have Neds Atomic Dustbin singing about Cornfed Dames, where as Lux, well Lux does it perfectly.
I like Lux, he was a great man.
This album in its 11 songs makes me miss The Cramps massively and it’s a band that I wish I took the opportunity to see, however, that’s one of them things.
High points are the fantastic Can your Pussy Do The Dog, hearing that even at 16, I knew it sounded rude, but I couldn’t work out why, that’s a theme with The Cramps, you know it sounds rude but you don’t know why. Hot Pool of Womanneed and What’s Inside A Girl, just track after track of excellent songs and along with Cash and the Clash, the C’s are just going to be marvellous. 9 out of 10.
What’s Inside A Girl by The Cramps
On this album The Cramps inject their own humour, beligerance, style and attitude that has been with them since their first EP.
On People Aint No Good they tell us that the choir is the McMartin Preschool Choir, I suspect it isn’t. They tell us of a fictional land called Kizmiaz and this date with Elvis wishes us Aloha From Hell. They can do humour without belly laughs and that’s their charm.
They do a pretty perfect cover of Charlie Feathers It’s Just That Song, Feathers meant a lot to the psychobilly scene and along with the Ricky Nelson tribute on the sleeve, Elvis in the title and Feathers in the song, its ok celebrating the future but you got to acknowledge the past.
The thing I love a lot about The Cramps is their turn of phrase, the way they say things, the language they use, language that I think only Americans at the very least can get away with, Cornfed Dames being a perfect example, you couldn’t or at least shouldn’t have Neds Atomic Dustbin singing about Cornfed Dames, where as Lux, well Lux does it perfectly.
Now good girls can't pay the rent these days.
These cornfed dames done found a way.
Unzip that zipper...snap that snap.
Round up the cattle in the Cadillac.
Whip that cream baby 'til the butter comes
I like Lux, he was a great man.
This album in its 11 songs makes me miss The Cramps massively and it’s a band that I wish I took the opportunity to see, however, that’s one of them things.
High points are the fantastic Can your Pussy Do The Dog, hearing that even at 16, I knew it sounded rude, but I couldn’t work out why, that’s a theme with The Cramps, you know it sounds rude but you don’t know why. Hot Pool of Womanneed and What’s Inside A Girl, just track after track of excellent songs and along with Cash and the Clash, the C’s are just going to be marvellous. 9 out of 10.
What’s Inside A Girl by The Cramps
Friday, 13 March 2009
Good Mourning
This mornings soundtrack to drive into work in the trek through my loosely alphabeticised CD’s was Good Mourning by The Alkaline Trio, a fairly enjoyable pop punk offering from a band that are likely to crop up a lot over the next week or two as I have a few albums by them. I do quite like the band a few years ago I really liked them but what struck me about this album and I think it is their thing, but what struck me was the cartoon fascination with murder and horror, other bands do it, notably in our house The Horrorpops and The Cramps, but it seems relistening to The Alkaline Trio, it becomes their schtick and formulaic. All in all a good album though and nice to relisten. 6 out of 10.
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