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The Cramps “Psychedelic Jungle”

sfilzen — Thu, 21 Oct 2021 17:30:33 +0000

The Cramps “Psychedelic Jungle” 1981. I’m spinning The Cramps’ second LP today, October 21st, on what would have been singer Lux Interior’s 75th birthday (b. Erick Lee Purkhiser 1946, d. 2009). Psychedelic Jungle is a psychobilly punk blues 50-50 mix of covers and originals, including one of the band’s most iconic tracks, the cover of “Goo Goo Muck” (originally by Ronnie Cook and the Gaylads, 1962) which gained notoriety in ‘86 as part of the Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2 soundtrack. Other notable covers include “Rockin’ Bones” originally by rockabilly great Ronnie Dawson (1959), the Bo Diddley-beat “Jungle Hop” by Kip Tyler and the Flips (1958) and “The Crusher” (a MKE-area favorite – we even have an annual Crusherfest) by the Novas (1964). The Cramps originals like “Caveman,” “Don’t Eat Stuff Off the Sidewalk” and “The Natives are Restless” are creepy, weird and perfect for pre-Halloween listening.

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The Cramps “Stay Sick!”

sfilzen — Tue, 17 Mar 2020 00:06:48 +0000

The Cramps “Stay Sick!” 1990. Enigma Records. (Posting for plague and quarantine season, but please don’t really stay sick!) Produced by Cramps guitarist Poison Ivy, Stay Sick was The Cramps fourth studio LP; this copy a 1993 reissue on Big Beat Records with 3 bonus tracks: “Her Love Rubbed Off” (a Carl Perkins cover), “Her Love Rubbed Off (live)” and “Bikini Girls With Machine Guns (live)” – those last two recorded at the Ventura Theatre in 1990. Stay Sick! was also one of The Cramps more successful releases – its single “Bikini Girls With Machine Guns” went to #35 in the UK. Despite the title, there aren’t a lot of plague/sickness/general feelings of illness tracks on the album. It’s the Cramps-style psychobilly they do so well, with lots of slappin’ bass and double-entendre lyrics (i.e. “Daisys Up Your Butterfly”). I’m super-familiar with lots of tracks on this record because I’m pretty sure a guy I was dating in ‘92 made a mixtape with a bunch of the songs, and despite being super-relieved that guy is loooonggg gone, those particular tracks are my favorite: “Bikini Girls With Machine Guns,” “Shortnin’ Bread” (a Cramp’d up rendition of a traditional African-American folk song that dates back well over 120 years but was first written down by James Whitcomb Riley in 1900 ) and “Mama oo Pow Pow.” Other top tracks that I like but didn’t make it on to that mixtape are “Journey to the Center of A Girl” (such a great groove!), “Saddle Up a Buzz Buzz” and “Mule Skinner Blues,” originally by Jimmie Rodgers in 1930. “Mule Skinner Blues” has a particular soft spot in my heart because The Fenderman covered it in 1960, initially releasing it on the Wisconsin-based label Cuca Records which I wrote the history of for my master’s thesis; The Fenderman’s version of “Mule Skinner Blues” hit #5 in the US #32 in the UK.

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The Cramps “Gravest Hits”

sfilzen — Mon, 23 Oct 2017 15:46:23 +0000

The Cramps “Gravest Hits” 1979. This past Saturday, October 21st, was The Cramps’ founder/singer Lux Interior’s birthday (b. Erik Lee Purkhiser 1946 d. 2009). A psychobilly classic, perfect for a pre-Halloween spin. Gravest Hits, produced by Alex Chilton, is a 5-song EP that includes their first two singles “Surfin’ Bird” (originally by The Trashmen) b/w “They Way I Walk” (by Jack Scott) and “Human Fly” (a Cramps original) b/w “Domino” (by Sam Phillips and originally performed by Roy Orbison) . They included a fifth track, “Lonesome Town” originally performed by Ricky Nelson.

The liner notes on the back of the EP are also perfect for the creepiest time of year: “In the spring of 1976, The Cramps began to fester in a NYC apartment. Without fresh air or natural light, the group developed its uniquely mutant strain of rock’n’roll aided only by the sickly, blue rays of late night TV. While the jackhammer rhythms of punk were proliferating in NYC, The Cramps dove into the deepest recesses of the rock’n’roll psyche for the most primal of all rhythmic impulses – rockabilly – the sound of southern culture falling apart in a blaze of shudders and hiccups. As light night sci-fi reruns colored the room, The Cramps also picked and chose amongst the psychotic debris of previous rock eras – instrumental rock, surf, psychedelia and 60′s punk. And then added the junkiest element of all – themselves….The Cramps don’t pummel and you won’t pogo. They ooze, you’ll throb.”

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The Cramps “Songs the Lord Taught Us”

sfilzen — Thu, 04 Feb 2016 21:22:38 +0000

The Cramps “Songs the Lord Taught Us” 1980. Illegal Records/IRS Records. Today, February 4th, marks the anniversary of singer and Cramps founder Lux Interior’s death (b. Erick Lee Purchaser 1946, d. 2009). His stage name was inspired by an old car ad.

Songs the Lord Taught Us is The Cramps first studio album following the release of the EP Gravest Hits in 1979, both releases produced by Alex Chilton. It’s a psychobilly “sex stomp” filled with malicious intent, howls and snarls. Both original tracks and covers appear on the record: “TV Set” is a stellar Cramps original as is the hard-driving “Sunglasses After Dark.” They cover the Sonics’ “Strychnine” – a perfect pairing – as well as an evil rendition of the classic “Fever.”

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The Cramps “Bad Music for Bad People”

sfilzen — Wed, 21 Oct 2015 16:39:45 +0000

The Cramps “Bad Music for Bad People” 1984. Today, October 21st, is Cramps frontman Lux Interior’s birthday (b. Erik Lee Purkhiser 1946 d. 2009). This album also perfect for the 10 day lead up to Halloween with creepy swampy surfy psychobilly punk.

“Bad Music for Bad People” is a compilation of previously recorded Cramps songs, including the awesome Hasil Adkins’ cover of “She Said” as well as Ronnie Cook’s “Goo Goo Muck.” “Human Fly” is one of my all-time favorite Cramps songs: shoutout to my friend Buzz of 91.7 WMSE’s Buzz’s Garage radio show – he uses it as his intro song every week.

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