Reviews (page 3 of 8)
Not the greatest sounding album, but I like the horror/rockabilly mix
Influential for a subculture that I couldn't care less about
The band from rocky horror comes to life and rocks my damn socks off mad daddy!
I'm sure The Hives have listened to a fair share of The Cramps. Doesn't mean I need to as well.
Not for me but some of it was catchy
TV Set - 4/5 Rock On The Moon - 4.5/5 Garbageman - 3.5/5 I Was A Teenage Werewolf - 3/5 Sunglasses After Dark - 3.5/5 The Mad Daddy - 2.5/5 Mystery Plane - 3/5 Zombie Dance - 3/5 What's Behind The Mask - 3.5/5 Strychnine - 4/5 I'm Cramped - 3/5 Tear It Up - 3/5 Fever - 3/5 I Was A Teenage Werewolf - With False Start - 2/5 Mystery Plane - Original Mix - 3/5 Twist And Shout - 3/5 I'm Cramped - Original Mix - 2.5/5 The Mad Daddy - Original Mix - 2/5
This album might have been good, even novel in the late 60s, or very early 70s. That this came out in 1980 shows how behind the times they were. Stripped down can be good, but this is just uninteresting. This band has an extra M in the name.
Good fun
Loved it. Can’t believe this was my first listen- these tunes felt so familiar. Low budget recording cannot detract!
This was a nice surprise. My previous familiarity with the Cramps was the kid in high school with the Dead Kennedies jacket and the Cramps T-shirt. Psychobilly is apparently a genre I enjoy. A couple of great tracks like TV Set, Garbageman, and I Was A Teenage Werewolf. The rest is solid. Somehow this was produced by Alex Chilton. Go figure
So it just does this one thing huh?
Overall it was too loud and too much noise. The songs on their own may have been ok, but too much all at once. Sunglasses and Cramped were the best. Honorable mention to Mad Dad for comic relief.
3/17/26 - Listened at the computer. It sounded exactly like 80s punk rock. I liked some of it but some of it sounded like noise. As it is exactly what it said it was going to deliver, I rate it middle of the road. Top Song - Garbageman
It’s like they took everything I hate about this genre and put it on wax. It’s like they’re circling around me just laughing and pointing at my misery.
Unique brew of 60s rock in a greaser movie culture born in the 80s.
Not my thing
What lord taught you these songs?
This weird rock revival left me annoyed
Not for me in the slightest
rockabilly horror punk - what's not to love?
not a bad time
Self indulgent, pretentious, twaddle
I like some good rockabilly music and this disappoint. My biggest complaint here is that the songs were all pretty same-y and didn't quite grab me as an album as I hoped it would.
I get how people could find this really annoying, I’m annoyed with this at times, but there is something kinda fun about how over the top they are and how little they care about what you think about them. Weird weird album but I’m more into than I thought I would be.
I imagine they must've been great live. Not so much on this thinly produced, tinny sounding compilation album. Faves: The Mad Daddy, Zombie Dance
Imagine hearing this in 1979. must’ve been like hot aliens landing in your backyard. absolutely terrifying.
There was something in that Great Lakes water in the 60s and 70s. Northeast Ohio was full of weirdos and freaks. I should probably like this much more than I do. Spooky surf guitar garage rock with freaky lyrics.
The lord did not teach you these
Не ужасно, но мне не понравилось. Fever звучит интересно. В целом, панк-рок и психобилли - это не мое. Вычитал, что у них не было бас гитариста. Интересно, я даже не сразу заметил. 3/5 за инженерию.
Awesome and their best in my opinion. Never been able to find a good copy on vinyl. If someone asked me where to start with the Cramps, this is the album I’d point to. Before they got more into their smut phase.
A bit noisy for my tastes. 2.5 stars. 😅
What a seriously fun listen. Raw, basic, fun. Having said that, I'm not sure its something i would listen to often but in the moment it was simply great. Just for that, it gets a 5.
Really surprised me. Could definitely see myself bumping this up. Good stuff.
Broadly enjoyable as a tone if a little one-note
sounds fantastic. love the energy.
more like the craps am i rite okay not that bad but this didnt do much for me tbh
The Misfits and Dick Dale wrote an album together.
Great early 80s punk
I don’t feel particularly better for having listened to this. Not bad, but very forgettable.
A werewolf, a vampire and a zombie go surfing.
I see a young John Cleese every time I look up at the album cover on my computer screen. I started off by liking this album and then the songs became very repetitive, but then I like the last song.... "'Tis but a scratch".
That's 3 dogshit ones back to back, already considering dropping this lmao. Fourth bad one and I'm out.
genuinely insane album, just a crazy voice over terrible rock music
A real good, grimy time. Rudimentary in places in all the right ways. Feels other-worldly in places too. Think I was in the right mood to listen. Fun stuff.
Sounds like the soundtrack to a bad Disney Halloween movie
I'm not really sure what to say about this. I didn't mu d it, but definitely have to be in a certain mood to listen to it. I don't like it enough to ien it, do it's a 3 from me
This was a bit of fun.. enjoyed the rockabilly flavor
No private session used for Spotify. An interesting listen to for psychobilly, but, damn, does it get repetitive to the point of I probably won't listen to it again.
I was so close to giving it a 1 but I am comfortable to giving it a 2. I would rather have cramps than listen to this again.
I guess this is pretty basic music-making but there is something visceral and appealing about the sound it makes.
3/10
Spooky sexy fun
Fun time but wont revisit after this.
now that’s what i’m talking about
It’s fun and I love the dancability but can be a little repetitive. I thought I would like this more, but it’s not at all bad. It sounds like it would be really fun live
I can’t really find any redeeming qualities to this other than the fact that it’s weird. The songs are either complete noise or painfully boring
The guitar in TV set has moments where it sounds like, Great balls of fire. They sound like the live band that plays in Harry Potter Goblet of Fire. The mad daddy sounds like jailhouse rock. The highest 3 possible. Kept from a 4 because the whole album sounded very similar and I don’t need to recommend it to anyone.
Great classic punk. Reminded me of clubbing in the 80s.
I’d rather have actual cramps than listen to this again
I kinda like the weird vibe they have, but also it was kinda just obnoxious sometimes
All I want in life is to be a witch and the cramps make me feel exactly like that
Zombie music by Alex Chilton
Sacramento mentioned!
Dance beach rock for prom of Ghouls, zombies, rapscallions, and rascals... a Monster Mash, perhaps
Piece of hot trash
half Elvis parody, half horror-movie ghoul. Fun and unique. Made sense when “fever” came in because it fits the vibe
Solid record. I'd bet Jack White has listened to this. Sounds like unhinged punk band in the 50's.
I like these goofy guys.
Nice garage rock that provides the link between Link Wray, the Shadows, and the Ventures with later acts like the Gories and Billy Childish. Also nice to see what Alex Chilton’s been up to since Big Star.
Raw and gritty, just the way I like it. I could listen to this stuff all day. Well maybe not, but perhaps everyday... Not overly angsty, just enough to make you go "Yeah man, I know what you're getting at" while stomping your feet and clapping your hands to some stripped back, naked and basic rock and roll.
Didn’t listen to the whole thing but kinda just sound like a worse B-52’s
Have heard of the band but never listened to their music. This album rocks though. Really enjoyed the rockabilly style and tremolo guitars. Garbageman was my favourite track.
Love the Cramps. One of the coolest bands ever.
Sounds like if X grew up with and were best friends with the Butthole Surfers before moving to LA and recording an Alex Chilton album. The production sounds very similar to the EPs he’d put out in the next few years (Fuedalist Tarts, No Sex)
This album has enormous wasted potential thanks to its poor production. But it does have some good songs. 3 stars.
A mix of elvis and punk
So many bands try. Lead vocal tries too hard and music arrangements mostly noise in my opinion. A bad album.
Sonaaaaaaaaa! Hahaha
Intense singing
Love The Cramps
Nope
Very ooky spooky vampire vibes- the way he sings reminds me of Frank-n-Furter
Too chaotic for my taste. 4/10
Sorry, but no. Just no. I suppose it's a cult hit and it'll have a band of devoted followers and fair enough, each to their own. If I was in my teens and at a party, I'd probably have a bit of fun with it, but I'm not and it's just tedious! After each song, I got to wondering if there'd just be one song that could say was alright, but no. There are special places in hell's jukebox for I'm Cramped and Tear It Up. No redeeming features. A low 1 star.
This review is going to sound incredibly mean, but trust me when I mean this as positively as possible: this is the musical equivalent of going to a local Rocky Horror screening where the queens on stage only remember 80% of the lines.
Definitely influenced Jack White
An interesting listen for sure. There were moments where I found myself nodding along to the groovy beats, but other times it felt a bit like trying to dance in a blender set to frizz. Some of those tracks really captured that lively bop feel. But overall, this album was kind of all over the place. Spins: 1 Playlist Additions - Garbageman - I Was A Teenage Werewolf - Fever
Keby som to počul v 80-tych rokoch, stal by sa zo mňa skalný prívrženec. Baví ma to. Pri Mystery plain mám pocit, akoby z toho čerpali Sigue Sigue Sputnick...
I went into Songs the Lord Taught Us expecting something raw and exciting, but what I got ws very average.It’s undeniably stripped-back and primitive, but for me it crosses the line from minimalist to monotonous. The sound is basic garage punk. I can appreciate what they were trying to do. There’s a deliberate trashy aesthetic here, a B-movie horror vibe running through the lyrics and delivery. But while that cult energy might have been groundbreaking at the time, it doesn’t translate into an engaging listen for me now. Track after track blends into the next, and nothing really stood out or demanded a second spin. Favourite tracks: I genuinely struggled to pick one Least favourite tracks: The issue isn’t one specific song; it’s the overall sameness. The album feels one-paced and very basic throughout. Album artwork: A fairly standard cover
4.3
If the Lord taught them these songs, then the Lord is cool as fuck. Great album. Werewolves, zombies, dancing on the moon. Just a genuine fun album that doesn't take it's self too seriously. I will be revisiting this!
I can't do this man. This style of rock is so unappealing to me. Didn't finish.
I’m Cramped after listening to this album.
It is what it is and it’s not bad but I’ve never been able to get excited by them.
I guess I'm not a huge psychobilly fan. It's perfectly listenable, it just doesn't strike me as particularly interesting. Basic rockabilly style is pleasant enough and I guess the vocal style does add a bit of intensity and interest
I have failed to suffer through this, multiple times. I just can't palate the trashy surf punk aesthetic, I find it so grating and overshadowing of any positive elements the album may have
I did not particularly enjoy this :(
this is shit, but it's human in a way i can really appreciate 2/5
It is strange album, in the one hand it was groovey, energetic - basically Classic rock vibe - in the other hand, the quality of record is shit, sometimes guitars are playing some nonsense and there is nothing that stands out here. 2/5
Weird, stompy, camp glam rock garbage. Why the hell is this here? The singer is awful. The songs are dire. And somehow the production is even worse. It sounds like it was recorded on a Nokia 3210 inside a bin in a studio. Either I was in a foul mood when I pressed play on this today or it was truly dreadful. I suppose it might be a bit of both.
This is like an anachronistic vision of what '50s music would be like if they'd had punk rock back then, along with hammer-horror-esque lyrics. This music is intentionally abrasive so I can see why it's not popular, but I respect how eccentric this is.
Fun. But still only a 3.
Mix of punk and surf rock. Surprisingly didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would. It's a better idea on paper than on execution.
They took a vibe and ran with it. I can't really complain.
Good
Lo escuché por encima y no me atrajo nada en particular. Me sonaban a los Beach Boys haciendo versiones en una fiesta de Halloween.
хз
Rockabilly durch die Augen der Punkrevolution. Verwaschene und verhallte Produktion, sehr monotone Songs und ein recht anstrengender Sänger, das kriegt mich alles überhaupt nicht. Am besten sind die Songs, welche die Albernheiten abgelegen und in eine düstere, punkigere Richtung gehen. Nach etwa 38 Minuten bin ich insgesamt leider eher genervt und gelangweilt. Nicht mein Sound, nicht mein Humor.
I thought I'd dislike it. I wanted to dislike it. I didn't love it, but I also didn't dislike it.
I wasn't totally sold until "Garbageman" and "I Was a Teenage Werewolf." Yeah it basically is horror-movie "Be Bop a Lula" several times over and over again, but it is a pretty fun sound for 35 minutes.
I mean, more 80' rock
Fun
Hell yeah.
Had this on repeat 3 times over during listen through
Too repetitive, too loud, too fast, too much.
A nice listen but nothing too memorable.
Trash. The only takeaway from this was a cover of Fever, kinda hard to fuck that up. Other than that it sounds like a bunch of Jr. High kids put a band together and found some dork adult loser to sing.
The cramps definitely got the memo that rock and roll is meant to be primal and visceral. This album rattles, roars and lurches wildly. I imagine live it’s transcendental. Sat in a mediocre hotel room though it feels a bit one note
This was not my vibe I fear
Knew about this band but never listened to them before - loved it!
A really good album, I liked TV Set, Rock On The Moon, Tear It Up and Fever the most.
4.5
Time and place for this, just not my time and place
Music doesn’t have to be serious or important to be Good.
It's okay. Kind of repetitive by the end of the album. The singer's warbly voice seems to have been a popular vocal style during the 80s in the alternative music scene, something I'm not too fond of.
Very fun album, like the soundtrack to a cool halloween party I never went to
Didn’t really enjoy this and not really sure why it’s in here tbh, the vocals were kinda annoying. Kudos at least for making a song called I’m cramped given the context I guess though 1.5
Love it! I love good Rockabilly. These guys spawned a whole herd of great songwriters in this genre. The one dude chewing the guy out in Teenage Werewolf (there, wolf) seems like a jerk. Just saying.
This album is way too long! The punk/rockabilly fusion is fun at first but grows tiresome as the album progresses and every song starts to sound the same.
Not really my thing but enjoyable.
duel me in ahh album
Fun
Ich will nicht düster und krawallig. Auffallen ohne Musikalität ist Mist. Punk ist tot! Das nächste verfickte 0-Sterne-Album! Ich quäle mich weiter wie auf der Suche nach dem Bernsteinzimmer durch Unmengen an Geröll.
good tracks, good cover as well at the end, decent album overall
A HIGH 6/10. I love the psychobilly and spooky vibes of this album but unfortunately it's kind of a one-trick-pony for me. A good soundtrack to your halloween party if nothing else. Favorite track: I Was A Teenage Werewolf
Heard Before? Only "TV Set" and "Garbageman" Notes: - the tinny, primitive, indeed cramped production suits this material perfectly. - I didn't know psychobilly and horror punk came together by 1980. wow! - delay pedals for everyone! - fun mix of covers and originals. they especially nail the Sonics' "Strychnine". - obviously they really only do one thing. but what a thing. Verdict: Get cramped! Ridiculous, over the top, fun as hell. Listen Again? For sure. At the very least, I've put a few tracks on my Halloween playlist.
GOING IN: No strong feelings LISTENED WHILE: clearing out kitchen cupboards FAMILIARITY: New to me SKIP RATE: Gave up entirely REPLAY VALUE: Once was plenty DISCOVERY CURVE: Never happened ALBUM ARC: All over the place VERDICT: Bit disappointing BODY'S VERDICT: Statue mode FAVOURITE TRACK: My Rating: 1
Não é ruim, mas já sabia que The cramps não era pra mim
Happy 1001 to all who celebrate. Wish we’d gotten a better milestone album. The production made this a little tough to listen to. The songs were fine. Light 3.
Rockabilly meets punk. I can see Elvis or Jerry Lee Lewis singing these songs. A few years later, the Stray Cats came and smoothed out the edges.
Something about this felt really sinister to me. Like the 50s rockabilly was being taken in an evil direction. Having said that it was still fun to hear this type of music with a sharper edge.
Horror rockabilly… it’s fine, but a bit too stressful for me.
First music I heard that made me realize music could feel dangerous. Unmatchable energy and vibe.
Different, enjoyed
Ask the lord to stop teaching you songs. 2/5
Good Rockabilly
Definitely unusual.
I'm struggling a bit with this one. Looking at the album cover, I expected something like Lou Reed, experimental David Bowie, Iggy Pop kind of vibe, but it was way more Rockabilly. Enjoyed the energy of this and enjoyed it way more than expected, but I'm left here thinking: "Where is the f*cking bass!? Rockabilly needs a f*cking bassplayer going wild on his upright bass!"
Yeah, no thanks
Not really my thing. The guys vocals kinda remind me of the bird is the word song or like the b-52s even a little but this I don’t like. Super weird in a way I don’t love.
Lots of fun if you're in the mood for it.
Öregember zene
This is pretty much the definition of a 3 star album, not too bad but also never really excels at anything to make it really stand out
This was new to me. It's rockabilly with a heavy dose of horror-kitsch. It's an odd blend but it works. But this is from 1980? While everyone else had moved on, they were stuck in 1960 (but with better technology). Overall I am not into novelty albums, which this seems to be, so I don't think I'll be revisiting it.
Great classic punk album.
I ain’t finishing this shite. Album was crust
Terrible. No redeeming features for me. The Lord should have taught them to Shut The F*ck Up.
Not great at all
The B52s do it better.
Unique and weird (in a good way) but still not that enjoyable
i love these guys
Meh
Here we go...the music I love. I see that many people don't like this or barely like it. I tend more to Gun Club, but this here is in the same generally arena. Just a bit funky, a bit grimy. So yeah I love it. 4 dance floor stars. And I mean we are getting down and dirty. (Question: where's the Gun Club in this list?)
damned groovy rock
This album is a psychobilly horror fan's dream. I loved every second of listening to it!
Wierd but decent album, in between a 2 and 3 but is a three bc I know one of the songs
4.5/5
Rockabilly is the bane of my existence. Anyway, it was kinda fun when it wasn't torturous.
I've never listened to this album (84).
Day743 - a fun weird album that deserves more attention
fun and typical for the 80s, i liked it but dont see myself listening to it more
It’s like I’ve heard 50 variations of this exact album on this list. This ones not bad though.
While "acoustic punk" works well, "rockabilly punk" does not
I instantly dislike the vocals on this and the music doesn’t offer much to cancel that overriding feeling. I was a teenage werewolf at least has an enjoyable and recognisable tune to it. The cover of Fever is a highlight if only because it sounds different to the rest of the album
Whilst I wasn’t overly looking forward to this, given the little I know about The Cramps, it’s got that song from “Wednesday” on it which I quite like, so that was something. Except “Goo Goo Muck”, which wasn’t on it, and “I Was a Teenage Werewolf”, which was, are not the same song. So I was back to zero songs I was looking forward to. The cover of “Fever” was interesting, and I accidentally found myself going on to track 14, which was a cocked up version of “I Was a Teenage Werewolf”, and that was quite entertaining. Other than that, this album was not for me. It’s probably a 1.5*.
The "solo" on track 1 set a worrying bar for quality early on. I did appreciate a song with Frigidaire in the lyrics though. I quite like a lot of rockabilly, and I absolutely like a lot of punk, though to the best of my knowledge, I've never really heard much psychobilly. I am a bit concerned that The Cramps might be considered the best psychobilly has to offer though. The vocals are the end of punk where the singer has little ability to actually sing, and while I'm all for the punk attitude of "just get up there and do it, regardless of ability" that doesn't mean I want to listen to it. I'm also not convinced they were capable of playing a full song at a consistent tempo? The drums kept seeming to slow down then speed up, mid song - it was a bit White Stripes, just with zombies. I wanted to like this (tongue in cheek songs about werewolves and spooky stuff should be right up my alley), alas, I did not. I was a bit concerned that there was going to be 53 minutes of this album, allowing me to really build up a festering hatred, but I then checked Wikipedia and discovered the original album contained 13 tracks, mercifully allowing me to bail out 5 tracks, and 15ish minutes, early. As a result, this gets a generous 2/5.
Better than I thought it would be
I don't wish to knock anyone's joy, as I can see how folks could really enjoy this campy album--but it's just one of those styles that would be on the last of a list to return to. A lot of songs felt tired and a lot of sameness, though I did like 'Fever.' I also just don't enjoy campy horror movies.
I really enjoyed this. It’s not quite a 5 star album, but it has some real bops on it. Teenage werewolf sounded super familiar, not sure if I’ve heard it before or if someone copied that guitar
this was a fun album - the post punk and rockabilly elements are comically straight forward that it almost feels satirical, but mixed in with static noise on songs like Sunglasses After Dark before devolving into some catchy and weird instrumentals pull me in. the album gets a bit tedious at the end though.
Although antithetical to this exercise. I find myself biased against bands I have never heard of and decided to just dislike this from minute 1 when the lead singer, Lux Interior, belts out in his very 80s new wave/no wave voice. But over the duration of the album, I warmed up to this thread connecting blues, rockabilly, and a psychedelic/new wave, with a great finish of "Fever"
Ah, another punk album that didn't quite hit the mark for me. I found it hard to stay engaged with this for 55 min. I probably should relisten because I definitely got lost halfway through, but a punk album should have an energy that keeps you engaged imo. I'll stick with the Cure or Joy Division / New Order.
Wikipedia said this was a neo-rockabilly album which sounded pretty exciting. Never heard of these folks, but optimistic Listening notes: -Sounds like punk to me, not rockabilly, in the first few tracks. And fairly undifferentiated punk. -Getting a bit more of what I was hoping for on "Garbageman". The high country-ish style drumming are cool. Still not sure the punk vocals are what I want, but it's growing on me. -Okay Teenage Werewolf. We're picking up steam. Review: This was good, creative, fun at times. But it never really leaned in as far to the rockabilly part as I think it should have (not that I'm a huge rockabilly fan, just feel like that would make it more unique). As it is it ends up as punk vocals with what sounds like the Tennessee Three backing it. Inventive and different, but not going to in my heavy rotation. 3 stars
It turns out I like my rock groups shaggy and with more than a hint of psychobilly sound and nods to extremely corny horror.
i am just not a rockabilly girlie, and i'm learning to accept that. I understand that the genre itself is a predecessor to a lot of great things about rock in the 90s. But I think I struggle to see much of the nuance of what makes their sound distinct from the dozens of other ~hip~ bands of that moment. Certainly, given the release date, they are one of the early ones, but already feel very referential in the ways they construct their basslines, as well as the rhythmic and chord progression choices underlying their guitar riffs.
Vond vooral de bangers die ik al kende erg leuk en “Humble Mumble”. En vette afspeel-visual
Don't know why this album is getting a lot of hate, fun music. Certainly better than the million punk albums in the list :) Favorite track: I was a teenage werewolf other picks : strychnine, fever
2/5
I love The Cramps. I've learned about so many great and quirky obscure tracks from the ones that they've covered over the years. Always something great to discover. Ultimately, their albums are somewhat uneven but Lux's energy is amazing and Psychobilly is such a fun genre. Great band and quality album.
There were points in this album that I was grooving. But the dips were too extreme to rate this over a 3
traté de darle una oportunidad pero no es el tipo de música que me gusta sorryyy
I get it, they are trying to be silly. Sure the lyrics are campy in a way that only John Waters would dig, but the instrumental arrangements and performances are a lazy rip off of 50s and 60s standard song arrangements recorded and performed poorly, but marketed as being "more authentic", which is just a bullshit way to say it was recorded with too much cocaine and not enough budget or care. I prefer my psychobilly done by folks with more chops and imagination. Do yourself a favor and go listen to Cherry Poppin Daddies FEROCIOUSLY STONED, from the same decade instead, or anything from Reverend Horton Heat.
good background music
Reading more about them they sound like the wackiest people out there. Liked this a lot. Odd choice to end the album on a cover but I love the way they play.
Yksi parhaimpia löytöjä tältä listalta ainakin tähän mennessä. Bändi oli tuttu nimeltä ja olin kuullut varmaankin vain yhden biisin. Rämisevää rockabillya punk- ja garage soundeilla ja kauhuteemaisilla sanoituksilla.
Increíble. No conocía a Los calambres, pero este disco me pareció absolutamente genial. Una mezcla entre rock de la época y rock setentero y hasta de los cincuenta, pasando por el surf. Además me pareció increíble cómo consiguen fusionar todo eso en canciones de rock duro y que terminan siendo una total gozada. Gran descubrimiento.
I like this, and when I was a teenager I would have LOVED it.
*1980. American Rockabilly. *Strange album - very 80s with some touches of Depeche Mode, but like not good. RATING - 6/10
Guitar noises that sound like bugs and saws, awesome!
Some of the bopping gets a little old but still very fun
Not bad. Lots of influences in here. B-52’s, Ramones, etc.
2.5
I really enjoyed this album it's kind of a cross between Bauhaus, Jerry Lee Lewis and The Sonics. With possibly throwing in a little bit of the Ramones in there as well. "I Was A Teenage Werewolf" is obviously the standout track but I also like others such as "Zombie Dance", "TV Set" and "The Mad Daddy". Actually "Mad Daddy" is a perfect homage to the Trashmen's Steve Wahrer "Surfin' Bird" delivery. If I have any takeaways from this album it would be that it does kind of overstay its welcome. The last three songs, though they don't take away from the album, don't really add anything to it. Lopping them off would make this a much tighter 10 track Lp. (8.4) ★★★★
Sloppy and gothic rockabilly, not my thing for sure. 2.5 stars
Psychobilly is probably a top 10 subgenre of music for me. There's something very pure about it that makes it really enjoyable. It's like the musical equivalent of like a grilled cheese sandwich -- it's simple, but also perfect. And this is probably the king of that sound. They combin 50s and early 60s rockabilly and surf with lyrics out of a old horror movie and the result is super cool. Originals like "TV Set", "Garbageman", and "I was a Teenage Werewolf" are super cool and work really well alongside an array of covers, including the Sonics' "Strychnine", Peggy Lee's "Fever", and Johnny Burnette's "Tear it Up". The whole thing is a majestic example of pure rock and roll. 5 stars.
3.5
More like The Crapps - Songs A Spazlord Taught Us. This is a vigorously terrible album with the same crappy punk riffs throughout and what sounds like the bloke from B-52s yelping all over if he happened to be more mentally handicapped. The Mad Daddy which their utmost equivalent to Surfin’ Bird would have been the most dismal thing here if it weren’t for the cover of Fever at the end but truthfully all of this record is lousy.
Genuinely really fun. A vampy take on rockabilly - really reminded me of early Nick Cave, but more tongue in cheek. Not sure how much I'll return to this, but can see myself adding a few tracks to some playlists.
Fun stuff
Well, this sure is punk. Appreciate the punkiness of this punk. It’s raucous, loud, rebellious. But with the exceptions of the Ramones, not a big fan of the genre. Still though, it accomplishes what it set out to do well, so gotta give it at least a 3.
i like them
Spare me. You can be depressed, and you can be horny, but if you want my interest you have to be at least a good songwriter or charismatic singer about it. Without either of those things, it just comes off as creepy
I wasn't a big fan, but it was fine.
Punk is good because it's a middle finger to conventional mainstream music, but there are so many punk albums in this project that genre is beginning to feel uninspired. I do like the rockabilly aspect for a song or two.
If you booked this band for a teen party, you'd be a hit... from my teen years at least. But there's not a lot of depth or variety here that really moves it out of that sphere. The tantrum on I Was A Teenage Werewolf was not really enjoyable, and the cover of Fever was really weak.
Whoa, this was great. Listened to it three times for multiple reasons, but by the third time I had really fallen in love with it. Somehow The Cramps were totally off my radar.
Thoughts before listening: Rockabilly punk hybrid with horror lyrics. Or something like that. I've never been a huge fan of the Cramps. Review: So I listened to a lot of bands in the 90s that listed the Cramps as an influence or were clearly indebted to them. Rev Horton Heat, the Living End, Tiger Army, etc were all doing punky rockabilly in that era and I was a fan. The Cramps however never appealed to me. On this listen, the band clearly suffers from the same low production values of other 70s/80s punk bands. Tinny sound and it's almost impossible to hear the lyrics. That being said, after a while I started to get used to the bad quality and found songs I like. This is fun enough and definitely inspired some good bands I enjoy. 3-stars
You don't need to hear the whole thing, just a track or two. You'll get the idea. 1/5 for that reason. It's not an album, just a collection of songs.
The psychobilly thing is good as far as it goes, but I got it on the first track and didn’t need what sounds like 13 versions of the same song. That said, this was a live act of its time that spawned some interesting music and influenced others.
5/10 the singing was rlly hard to hear and most of the songs sounded the same
It's pretty awesome, a lot like misfits Will I listen to again: 99%
Now this is a weird, eclectic album. Goth punk... surf? To be brutally honest in researching the group two things surprised me; one that they didn't acknowledge anything to do with Misfits until far later and two, they were actually really popular? I would've expected this to be a pretty niche underground movement but I am extremely surprised to see they opened for The Police? Now those are shows I would've loved to see. But as described above this album is pretty strange. Extremely unique in presentation, murky in mixing but surprisingly light in tone and theme. Unfortunately I do think the sound got a touch samey as it went, and the production was pretty charming to start with but wading through a swamp certainly doesn't get more fun as you go. It's also unfortunate that I've heard of Misfits before, if it was the other way around I think I could grow to love both but the direct comparison currently hurts The Cramps. I think the first few songs are pretty good, and if enjoyed with breaks I think you could get a lot out of this album but for a full top to bottom experience it just doesn't do enough. I feel like the gimmick and novelty of the album were set to be short lived but it does link pretty wonderfully with the 70s/80s quirky horror vibe of things like the Rocky Horror Picture Show, I'll probably revisit it every Halloween season because as I said, in small doses I could see this being pretty favourable. Best songs: I Was a Teenage Werewolf Worst songs: N/A Rank compared to everything else so far: 33/38 (below Chris, above Come Away With Me)
Misfits punk. As in its darker more than its angry. I think these guys are the ones who do “Can your pussy do the dog”. I’m not loookijg it up. Just like I’m not correcting my spelling mistakes or my grammar mistakes. I’m in a mood today. Good thing I have these guys to air out some frustrations with. The big difference between these guys and the Misfits is that there are plenty of songs on this album that are skipable. You just get tired of the “look at me, I’m singing while going over a series of speed bumps” sound. This is like bee bop punk. That’s what I’ll call in. buddy Holly could have had fun with these guys. Overall I’m not lost on this. It’s just an occasional listen.
Enda et nytt bekjentskap for meg. Sjangeren psychobilly. Kan beskrives som Elvis hvis han var en punker. Meget interessant. I tillegg er en del av sangene garage punk. Ekstremt god energi gjennom hele albumet, i tillegg til mye personlighet. Dette er veldig bra, men det når likevel ikke helt opp til toppkarakterene. Det er få av sangene som er virkelig memorable. Top 3: Garbageman, Strychnine, Tear It Up
5/5 + Campy, ridiculous, sweaty, sleazy, fun, cool and very danceable rockabilly punk with B-horror aesthetics, love it + Side A is pretty much perfect + Great guitar tone, so much character - also i enjoy the over the top vocals - Side B can't completely hold up, doesn't feel finished, like fragments of a great album, but still... damn Fav: I Was A Teenage Werewolf, Rock on the Moon, The Mad Daddy, Strychnine, Tear It Up, Garbageman, Least Fav: -
3/5. This is an interesting, fun album, that I'm sure is beloved by those who want this exact type of music, but the average person is liable to only really like one or two of the songs here. It's a cool album. Sometimes it sounds like Buddy Holly or Eddie Cochran with brain damage.
TV set- 6 rock on the moon- 7 garbagemen- I was a teenage werewolf- 6 sunglasses after dark- 5 or 6 mad daddy- 7 mystery plane- 6 or 7 zombie dance- 7 what's behind the mask- 7 strychnine- 6 im cramped- 6 tear it up- 7 fever- 7 the cramps made songs about real shit people went through every day. such as dancing with ghouls or fucking a witch in a warehouse
2.5 stars. Goofy rockabilly. Had elements of garage surf rock/punk. Not super memorable but not awful. Standouts were "What's Behind The Mask" and "I Was A Teenage Werewolf".
I felt like stopping it in the middle but my husband said he “loved” this one, so I insisted. As of right now I’m kind of mad with him because I definitely should have stopped in the middle. It does not get better. I liked Whats Behind the Mask, though
7 / 10
Yuck.
No nonono, what is this singing…? It’s beyond my understanding
This is good shit. The source code of all psychobilly and cow punk. And honestly, this music is a little one trick pony. Its really good first time through and then on repeat, its kind of the same thing over and over. But damn, first time through is so good. I have an affection towards this kind of music. I was really into Tiger Army in high school, I saw them like 3 or 4 times. I loved Social D. And obviously, I love country. So psychobilly kind of fits perfectly for me. Some other things that make me think, is this the source code for emo or goth punk? Its so spooky and horror themed. Also, is this proto indie country? I was listening to Wednesday and I couldn't help but notice how similar this is to that. Anyway, I love this shit. Country and Punk are probably my favorite genres. I'm totally biased, but whenever I get this stuff, I get stoked.
Not my style
vibe is cool, but almost every song blends into the next for me though. standout tracks: zombie dance, fever
Not my cup of tea. The layers of 70's and 80's camp rock turned me off and never hot me back.
Aesthetically, this is up my alley. Hard, fast-paced, guitar--driven, raggedy-ass music. Hell yeah, let's go! There's only one problem, and it's that I don't really enjoy listening to much of it. Every song sounds like it's being run with the reverb switch glued in place, giving the effect that the album was recorded from inside a metal box. I don't mind this technique being used once in a while, but for a whole album, it's exhausting to listen to. The same with Lux Interior's vocals. Fine in short doses, wearing over time. The overall style of garage/psychobilly still holds some pleasure for me, so I can't hate on this too much. A song from this album sprinkled in among other music is fine. But the whole album at once is too much of a specific thing.
sounds a lil bit like very early RHCP. is funi and good, nice vibe, but very repetitive, whole album sounds like one song
+1 point for fever
Cool
This is an album by a band that decided to fuse punk and rockabilly together and it happens to work. With the cynicism of punk, the macabre lyrics work really well. The songs genuinely sounds like a parody of actual rockabilly. It has these cool guitar parts, with a Joey Ramone-like inflection alongside guitars buzzing like flies around a corpse. Highlight Song/s: "I Was A Teenage Werewolf," "Sunglasses After Dark" and "I'm Cramped"
Seemed like a one trick pony
I've never heard the sound of a radio being tuned used as a solo before so that must deserve a point. These are 50/60s rockabilly riffs with a load of fuzz, vocals drenched in reverb singing about vampires and werewolves. The drums sound purposely primitive. At first I thought I thought it must have sounded ahead of it's time - then I realised it was released in the 80s. So The Cramps knew they were being retrospective in their sound and I do love a band with a vision. It's a vibe and they know it. These guys always remind me of the rockabilly theme nights ('Stay Sick!') at bars when I lived in Brighton. So for the fond memories, it's getting a 3.5.
Enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Feels like a transition album from 70s rock to 80s rock. Wonder if this was a "new" sound at the time. 6/10
Very good.
Vampire rock opera vibes
Not too shabby.
Zombie dance was a lot of fun but the album is not. It’s too campy for my taste, production was just ok, nothing really stands out as being special in this one.
So awesome
in mijn spotify wrapped van dit jaar stonden in de top vijf songs, 4 nummers van The Cramps... moet ik meer zeggen?
Enjoying this way more than expected. It’s fucking rad. Atmospheric, sexy, cinematic vampire Rockabilly. No one can do it like they did.
Good fun rockabilly surf garage rock. Great rolling drums and jumpy guitar licks. Would be awesome live.
Every song sounds like a Tarantino soundtrack. Was aware of the Cramps and stumbled into some of their tunes going down various rabbit holes and in random movies /tv shows. Never sat down and listened to a complete album of theirs. Its entertaining. Fair play to them. I think my issue is that I'm not a fan of rockabilly rather than The Cramps perverse take on it.
Not what I needed to listen to on my drive to work. Too old for this now
Like the B52s and siouxsie making a halloween album together, pretty damn fun
Mastered horribly. It sounds like a teenagers garage band, fit with absolutely zero melody and zero singing skills.
heck yeah the birth of psychobilly!
This was fun rockabilly, glad to have discovered it thru the list! 4/5
So obvious where Stray Cats got some influence. Cool, 80's Rocakabilly!
Overall: 5/10 I wouldn't say that I enjoyed this all that much beyond 2 or 3 tracks, but I think I get what they were going for here. It has a truly garage rock feel, complete with some of the shittiest production (intentional, I feel) I've ever heard. It's punk but it also feels a bit pretentious. I won't be revisiting this one but I certainly don't hate the artistic intent behind it. Just bad execution in my opinion. Fav Song: Garbageman
My intro into the psychobilly genre, which is such a unique intersection of my love for 80s music and horror. It's a little too sensational sounding for me, but the album is super cohesive. Makes me want to watch Rocky Horror. The guitarist Poison Ivy is iconic. Fav song on first listen: Fever
Really into the punk surf rock and rockabilly kind of swampy sound. The songs are good I like the vibe of the plane/ufo song and mad daddy. Those are new tracks for me
Rockabilly album, good energy, but not my thing, 2* Highlight: fever
Fun hour listening to the Cramps. Rockabily influenced songs. Hard to pick out individual tracks but punky nice sound.
Like Social Distortion does the Rocky Horror Picture Show. Rockabilly fun
Punk? Lets jump around and break stuff
Ok rock album. Some great guitar riffs but is ultimately forgottable
I actually kinda liked this. Not enough to listen again but, I made it through the whole thing without thinking "is this album almost over?".
About as cool as it gets.
Didn’t love this. I thought the “Fever” cover was fun and refreshing, but nothing else really worked for me. I think this is considered psycho-billy, which I’m really not into, so I guess I shouldn’t be surprised I’m feeling lukewarm about this. I have a hard time thinking this is worthy of being on the list.
The Cramps are a canon punk band. Any band that has earned canon status is "untouchable" in a sense. Canon, again, is when something or someone, in this case a band, helps or uniquely defines a genre. Punk IS punk in part by what The Cramps did to define it. I am "into" punk and thus The Cramps are part of my core library of punk bands. Thus, ultimately this band sits at the head table of punk with a few other key bands and everyone else lines up after them.
This is basically a gimmick album that mashes up rockabilly/early rock sound with horror theming. The music itself is fine, but you really only need a song or two of this at most
awful
Wholly uninteresting. Playing essentially the same riff for the entire album duration with incoherent shouting, echoey production effects and some boring covers make this a total snoozefest. Barely qualifies as an album
This did absolutely nothing for me.
I like surf but this was annoying to listen to, the production was really abrasive and didn’t suit the style at all
The album was quite good. I really enjoyed a few tracks. Still, I don't think I'll be listening to this album again anytime soon. 3/5
Really cool album, music got me hyped to b me honest and loved the style
Nope
High school prom music for people who skipped all their classes
This didn't do it for me. Turns out I don't like my steak too raw.
Fairly unremarkable tedious stuff. Id struggle to see why anyone could think highly of this 1.5*
6.5/10
1+ Stars (3/15)
Doesn't hold much charm for me. Has the same "I can't really play" quality of earlier punk with precarious and annoying vocals. Shoehorning in all sorts of other genres into a noise soup that sounds muddy. I guess it could be campy but it's just so not to my taste. At least they have a female guitarist but even that can't do much to improve this
fun 4
Vacuous. The constant effort to demonstrate that they don't care about their music leaves me wondering why anyone would. From Iggy and the Ramones forward, punk (like any other musical style) is interesting when it comes from a point of view. The greats were poking at the musical pretensions of their age. But their energy and emotion and power were clearly motivated and infused by passion FOR THE MUSIC. A foundational ethos was not taking oneself too seriously. But the bands worth listening to always took their music seriously. These guys are just one of a million bands too dense to understand the distinction. There are two or three that play regularly in my town to this day. We don't need to listen to their albums to appreciate how great the originals were. We can just wander into a shitty music bar on any Thursday night.
I liked the instrumentals, but didn’t like the vocals of the first track. Didn’t notice the transition between 1 and 2. Heard the surf rock in three. It’s rock, but a bit weird. The tracks continue to blend together. Not something that I’d listen to again, but looking at the date, it feels like it must have been important. And just as I said that! I added their rendition of fever to my library. That was unexpected.
Man hört, dass es schon ein paar Tage älter ist. Hat aber eigentlich Spaß gemacht zu hören.
En bisarr klassiker, inget jag lyssnar så ofta på, men rackarns vad bra rätt dag. Jag hörde The Cramps första gången som 14-åring tillsammans med några punkare på en fest i Tyskland. Bra första introduktion, men först i 25-års åldern började jag lyssna på dem, mitt livet hade kanske blivit annorlunda om tyskarna fått med mig på tåget som tonåring.
Love the sound of this, feel like it should be rated higher, punkabilly has such a fun energy to it.
feels like an "influenced loads of people" band . probably better live
This is one of those albums where I honestly can’t decide if I like it or not. I’m completely split. Half of me thinks it’s extremely sleazy, but then there’s another part of me that finds it catchy and playful because if it’s stupidity. It’s this weird combination of rockabilly punk mixed with 50s and 60s surf music, and the blend ends up being kind of fascinating in its own trashy way. I really don’t care much for the lead singer’s voice or his overall style, and sometimes the theatrical side of it is just way too over the top. It crosses into being so exaggerated that it feels too sleazy. But like I said, it’s also oddly catchy, so there’s a part of me that wants to hate it and another part that wants to admit it’s actually not so bad.
pra quem é a fã #1 de pop punk, nao curti tanto o álbum de punk. da música 10 em diante gostei mais.
Is this a comedy record?
Not for me
Punk! Rockabilly! 1980!
Very interesting - funky - some Surfin' Bird vibes
just not my type of music
Parts of this were good as a punk-esque album, but some of it was just painful to listen to. Might be for somebody, but not for me. 2/5