Reviews (page 3 of 7)
Good album!
Really enjoyed much more than I thought I may, given that I haven't heard this before.
I think this hit me at the right time. I got into what i felt was halloween themed rockabilly. Its raw and punky and delivers a high energy payload. Enjoyed!
I really liked the sound. Enjoyable at most times. As always, additional star for being an 80’s album without those silly hideous synths.
Spooky rockabilly. What a fun album! Sure The Cramps are kitschy, but I bet their live shows were wild & raucous. This band makes me wanna dance every time I hear them (which I did in my kitchen during a work break). Thoroughly enjoyable.
This was a great, super-fun listen. I love The Cramps, so it was fun to revisit this one.
I liked this! Anyone ever argues with you that all rock n roll, even this second-wave punk/psychobilly stuff, isn't just faster blues with a backbeat, play them Teenage Werewolf. Basically a BB King son--minus the angsty ass lyrics, "NO ONE UNDERSTOOD ME!!!!" lol There was a time--brief, but real--when Kristy/Poison Ivy was a wet-dream staple baby yowzah.
This one was quite cool, though pretty weird at the same time. But I liked the punky feel to the songs. The lyrics seem pretty silly, but it's part of the charm. Nice hybrid type of Punk, Rock and Psychobilly! 7,5 out of 10
Love the mix of genres they have. Fever I knew from the hangover movies. But this song is just a cover from elvis I guess. Should more listen to music like that! personal top3 in no order: Rock On The Moon Sunglasses After Dark What‘s Behind The Mask
Love The Cramps!
The Cramps are nuts - great records that I have in rotation around Halloween time
A bunch jerks goofing and riffing, making punky surf music. Yes please.
I liked this album a lot more than I expected having gone into it with some trepidation. The only thing I knew going in was that it fell into the punk category, not a genre that I would typically seek out or particularly enjoy. Their raw take on rockabilly quickly won me over with their fun energy and humor. A surprising, fun discovery that deserves more listens.
3.6
Punk-rockabilly-gótico. Un 4.
Garage Punk, chulo.
Pank nice
I really enjoyed this. It's camp but so much fun
Une énergie punk frénétique et des thèmes empruntant à l’horreur qui me les rendent sympathiques.
Messy, sloppy, noisy proto-punk, a clear influence on a bunch of bands I love. The germ of an idea, yet to be fully realised, but interesting and important.
I’m a sucker for surf rock/punk so I’m down for this one. Fun dumb themes on here, zombies, teenage werewolves, mystery planes. Several tracks would fit right in on a Halloween playlist and I’m a sucker for Halloween too. 4 stars
Not what I expected at all from the title and album cover, fun rockabilly/punk mix.
Very cool very swäg i like it
Good albums, I liked Garbageman, I Was A Teenage Werewolf, Mystery Plane and Fever
Gotta give it up. I mean, they gave us some great songs for Halloween playlists to come. In all seriousness, though, solid album from an iconic band.
Interesting
- IMMACULATE VIBES - Love the guitar and the weird vocals - Mildly surfy which is kinda cool - Feels like a Disney channel halloween movie in a good way
Goth psychobilly is apparently my jam
Slightly camp tve horror show punk. Love it
rock n roll baby!!!
The ur-text of psychobilly, and absolutely massive in goth clubs throughout the 80s. Still very enjoyable, though by the end their one trick is somewhat exposed by repetition. Their next would take it all to another level.
At first I was really averse to this - it sounded cold and distant, too much reverb on the guitars, whatever. But halfway through the album, something switched in my brain, and by the end of the album I was a fan. The hooky little rockabilly licks and the raw, emotional vocals spoke to me.
Very fun punk, almost like a less heavy Misfits. I loved the aesthetic here.
A fun cheesy sort of punk, I think it maybe missed a little of something to flip it over the edge.
Banger album, whole thing sounds like it was recorded in an echoey alleyway at night. Catchy, danceable, dark, and campy.
If there was ever a band's image that matches the sound of the group, it would be The Cramps. With the band name written in a "Tales From The Crypt"-like typeset, The Cramps primitive, lo-fi sound wouldn't be out of place as a band on the Flintstones, as they keep the beats simple and ghoulish. They are an acquired taste and not for everyone, but their sound is accessible and not unlike similar sounding goth bands that followed. I bought this on vinyl when I was a teen and glad I did, it still gets some plays even now and is a classic in it's own right.
4.5 - A joyfully whacked out punk reimagining reminiscent of the B-52's debut record, with a similarly campy-queer frontman-quasi-gameshow-host, Lux Interior. They've twisted a lot of "traditional" punk elements, adding horror-inspired flair to lyrics (see "TV Set") and over-amped buzzsaw guitar(see "Mystery Plane"). The thumping, urgent drums help keep things tethered.
Knasigt och härligt! Tycker mycket om!
8/10 lots of fun! what’s not to love?
Great googley moogley!
I really liked this album! I've only heard a song or two by The Cramps so it was nice to listen to a full one that doesn't have their most popular song on it.
Great, not an everyday listen, but great
This album was some solid Rockabilly/psychobilly tunes
"Songs The Lord Taught Us" is the debut album by America rock band The Cramps. Their genre styles are described as being garage rock, garage punk, pyschobilly and neo-rockabillly. Yep, it's all that. Some great descriptions of the band: "Campy, exaggerated and lewd" and "Pyschobilly way beyond the kitshiest moments of The Ramones and Blondie into a whole realm of garbage -trash novelty." The album was produced by Alex Chilton and recorded at Phillips Recording in Memphis. Some of the coolest band member names too: Lux Interior ( vocals), Poison Ivy Rorschach (guitar), Bryan Gregory (guitar) and Nick Knox drums). Loud guitar riffs and pounding drums open "TV Set." We get a fair bit of distorted guitar. Lux Interior's demented 50's style vocals stating "I see you on my tv set. I use your eyeballs for dials on my tv set." Their only single "Garbageman" has a grinding guitar and, oh my, a solid almost danceable beat. The guitar turns into more of a 50's rockabilly style. I think this about getting speed. As if this band needs more drugs. Lux whispers and howls on "I was a Teenage Werewolf." It's slower with a creepy guitar. The songs morphs into more a bluesy number. Jack White has to be a fan. "Zombie Dance" has a frantic pace with pounding drums and a sped up rockabilly guitar. Lux's vocals are muddled as he compares normal people in the world to zombies. The Cramps are known for doing interesting and campy cover versions. There's too really good ones here. They cover The Sonics' "Strychnine." Besides the rockabilly, you hear a lot of 60's garage rock in their music and no better song and band of that genre than this. This song was made for The zcramps and, yes, Lux would like the taste of "Strychnine." The album ends with the Little Willie John cover of "Fever." A slow, plodding, evil version. Lux talks, stumbles, whispers his way through deliriously. This album has a great pounding, driving sound. It's a mixture of 50's rockabilly, 60's garage rock and punk. Some creepy, oblique and unique guitar noises and solos. Not many albums cover topics of zombies, werewolves, eyeballs and poison. The production and lyrics are muddled; Alex Chilton wanted to re-record this but the band said no. Yeah, the last thing you want to do is over-produce something like this. The swampiness adds to its mystique.
when i saw the description i was worried about more bad 80s punk but this was quite good! very pleasantly surprised
Slack-stringed, lethargic guitars + slurred, warbly vocals + post production mixing chunkier than Campbell's = a very strange rockabilly album indeed. Would be a perfect soundtrack to True Detective or similar shows. Certainly grew on me the more I listened.
The lord did not teach you any of those you clearly made them up
Haha, The Cramps!
Great album cover. This album’s vibe in one word? Camp. I enjoyed it but it is certainly weird, I can imagine that it would be a favourite of the vamps in What We Do In The Shadows. Many of the songs sounded very similar. Fav tracks: I Was A Teenage Werewolf, The Mad Daddy, Fever (great cover) Least fav tracks: Rock on the Moon 3.5 rounded up.
This album gets better as it goes on.
Psychobilly is fun, but it’s not an every day listen
"they're like the evil B-52's" -some guy on the internet. The Cramps certainly invoke the surf-rock guitar tones and eccentric vocals of the B-52's, but it's their frankly bizarre songwriting that separates them (as if Rock Lobster wasn't weird enough). It's noisy and daring. Songs The Lord Taught Us is devilishly cool, in a way that only possessed freaks could love. It struts and strums to the beat in a way that few bands could. The production is flat and the pacing is disjointed, but that all adds to the ambience of this frankly cursed album.
Perfectly fun psychobilly shock punk, nothing that's still super noteworthy for me but a pretty big bombshell for its time and if I had found it at 14 it would probably have been formative to the point of me being real fucking cringe about it
I really enjoyed this album. Never heard of this band, and I don't think I've heard any of their songs prior to this listen, but this record was totally my speed. Dirty nasty punk rock infused with the energy of The Stooges and the catchy rockabilly structure of The B-52's. Really solid, will have to listen to this again soon
Stephen Stills and Dave Mustaine should be tied to chairs and made to listen to this record to understand that rock and roll is fun. Kick arse fun, hard fun, weird fun, but fun! I've not listened to The Cramps in years and I'd completely forgotten that I went to see them circa 85/86, pissed out of my head, at Selinas Coogee. It blew me away to such an extent that I forgot about it, well there you go. I love a great three piece with a singer. The Who, Rage Against (not U2..) ,three pieces with a great guitarist who creates the whole vibe. Poison Ivy is the star of this band, her sound, the way she creates those 50's riffs around those Gretsch chords, rock and roll heaven. This record rolls, Lux does his thing and the whole things swings. I love Garbageman, the way Poison builds up Sunglasses After Dark, Strychnine is a brilliant Sonics tribute and of course their take on Fever is simply the greatest. Final comment, Tear It Up is the soundtrack to what would have played in Elvis's worst nightmare, and I love it. And I love knowing how much Stephen Stills would hate this record, schadenfreude.
I discovered The Cramps in 1982, courtesy of dear friend & inner-city raconteur Stephen Niblett. It was when I first heard the term “psychobilly”. The Cramps were a lot about attitude. They were a blessed relief in the 80’s from the serious young insect bands. The concert I saw them give at Selinas at the Coogee Bay Hotel in 1986 was extraordinary. It was the only time I’ve ever been caught in a crowd surge where I had absolutely no control over what was happening. I think Lux ended up in his jocks, climbing a speaker stack. There are some classics on this record, produced by the legendary Alex Chilton - I Was A Teenage Werewolf is great and all of the covers - Strychnine, Tear It Up, Fever & Sunglasses After Dark - are really terrific. Nobody sounded like them.
Weird but good
I have always liked The Cramps but probably not for the right reasons, Their artwork, weirdness and sense of humour...music comes fourth which is probably not the greatest compliment. But I enjoyed this album, Loved I Was a Teenage Werewolf and the cover of Fever both of which made my playlist and the rest of the album was a pretty solid listen through if just running a tad too long, a few less tracks could have made this a pretty stand out album...but 3.5 stars!
What's not to like? and psychobilly is such a good name for a genre.
Gave me period pains
Loved this, campy fun horror rock
CD
High energy, fun album. Good rock and roll music. A little roackabillty, a little punk, garage rock. Enjoyed this quite a bit.
Speciaal. Wel een goede plaat
Listened while working. Fun to have on in the background.
A rockin' party album. The Cramps best, I think, with classics like Garbage man, Strychnin and of course their classi rendition of Fever. My affection for this album is romanticized because I was lucky enough to see them and was mesmorized by Lux Interior as well as Poison Ivy. Top 5 shows I ever saw. 4 🌟
I mean, I've nothing to say against it.
One of those albums Iv never heard of, looked at the album cover and read the bio and was expecting to give this a 2. Couldn’t be more wrong such a fun garage rock/ punk album really enjoyed this. One I’ll list to again.
It's growing on me. I know this is an influence for a lot of music I do love.
What a wonderful piece of weirdness.
Pure trash in all the right ways.
Oh, these twisted, wonderful weirdos. Rockabilly always had a dark and dangerous side, but by the 1970s, it was fast headed into the territory of "oldies but goodies." Along come Lux/Ivy and the Cramps, who had a vision. They took the music of the 1950s (with a strong assist from 60s surf and garage rock) and flipped it over so you could see all the little nasties and creepy crawlies hiding underneath. The result was the genesis of psychobilly, punk meets rockabilly and pulp horror. It's dark, grinding, noisy, kitschy, trashy, hilarious. Above all, Songs The Lord Taught Us totally rocks. Great noisy guitars, pounding drums, high energy, attitude for miles. What a blast. Fave Songs: I Was a Teenage Werewolf, I'm Cramped, Mystery Plane, Sunglasses After Dark, TV Set, The Mad Daddy, Fever, Strychnine
Cool! Good balance of noise rock and prog rock, IMHO. Some cool songs with great beats and instrumentals
4/13/22
This album is what would happen if the fifties were resurrected as zombies and given instruments. This mix of rockabilly, surf, goth rock, and punk is really fascinating though it doesn’t particularly appeal to me personally. Fifties rock and punk don’t seem at first glance like they would compliment each other, but due to the simplistic chord structures, they are natural compliments.
Very 70s feel - Didn't think I'd like it but it grew on me. quirky.
A sign of things to come in Crampsville. Love this album!
A very similar sound to the Stray Cats, rooted in blues and bluegrass riffs and chord progressions, with the punk attitude and rhythms of the late 70s. A fun live experience I imagine for sure.
Fun early horror punk
Good, hard driving punk sound, with the rockabilly influence too.
3.5/5. This is very different from most things I've heard. It's kind of punky and also kind of garage rocky. It's alright, not really my taste tho. Objectively, I think it is a good album, subjectively, not so much.
If the Munsters were a punk rock band they would be the Cramps. The Cramps are the answer to the question you didn't know you wanted to ask: can a four-person band have two guitars, a singer, a drummer and no bass? Yes. Does this album belong on a list of albums you must hear? If you listen to this album and think for a moment you heard the newest Jack White vault release from when the White Stripes opened a Burger King, then you have your answer.
4/5
Such a great album that brings me back thirty five years to one of the best shows I ever saw. Lux Interior is one of the best front men that ever was...in the mold of Iggy Pop and the band rocks. Poison Ivy is a very u derrated guitarist. A fun album. With more than a touch of the macabre. 4 🌟
Listening to this album brought to mind the "Eerie" and "Creepy" magazines that my older brother used to read and my mother hated. The old-timey rock vibe makes sure the horror-themed lyrics are taken humorously. I'm not sure why this one doesn't come out more on Halloween. It's perfect for that. I won't listen to it much otherwise, but it was fun while it lasted!
old punk, a little rockabilly for me but not bad!
Fun early punk album. Very raw.
Punk-rockabilly-gótico.
I liked it proper punk/rock and roll
Oh this is so joyful.
Some rock-a-billy, some punk. It's listenable, in a good way. They get 4 stars because they are playing what they want to play rather than trying to conform to what punk "should" be.
The band that gave me the second largest amount of bruises live or on the dance floor. Only The Birthday Party gave me more.
I've been meaning to listen to the Cramps for a while after I was introduced to them by the No Dogs In Space podcast. I thought this was cool overall. They seem like a band that would be really fun live, though this album didn't particularly grab me at many points. It was consistently pretty good, but never really great 4/5, but on the low end of 4
I was hovering around 3 stars for this, but some additional listens have bumped it up to 4 stars. It's a lot of fun! B-52s meets the Addams family! Fave track - "What's Behind the Mask?", maybe? "Garbageman" and "I Was a Teenage Werewolf" are both great too....
Punk, pschobilly, really like it. Weird, fast, good
That's some good shit. That wonderful dirty dirty rock.
Very good album. I really liked the airy, hollow sound of the guitar.
Good album, recognized "fever" from the Hangover. Late '70s, early '80s rock
Cramps er jo et feiende flott band man (av en eller annen grunn) glemmer å høre på. Må innrømme at jeg har hørt mest på Off the Bone-albumet før, men dette albumet var jo også feiende flott i god Cramps-ånd. Sterk 4'er, på grensa til 5.
Fun, crazy, naughty. Not my personal preference, but cool to listen to. Nice version of fever.
Is it rock a billy? Is it punk? Is it blues? Kinda all three. Laughs and energy. Good fun
Dope
Really liked the vibe but gets quite samey production wise after a while. Would prefer to hear these during a goth night mixed in with other creepy classics rather than a whole album
Fun, like Halloween the album. The mix of surf, cheesy horror and shock gives me a nostalgia for a time I've never experienced. There are a surprising number of covers, but it still feels kinda unique, in a novelty way though. I enjoyed it, but I couldn't make it a regular rotation album. 3.5
Had a fun time, but not something I’m likely to revisit
Correcto
Now this is camp. Just wish they switched it up more.
Unfortunately my last album. Fine, but a bit of a sad way to end it. It is good, but i was somehow hoping tp finish up with an unknown 5 that I could end with
Not bad, but not my taste
Some fun songs in here but not much substance
Best Song: I Was a Teenage Werewolf This is a weird one. It has a b-movie aesthetic I like but also is really strange and has very little in terms of listenability. It's original but is there such as a thing as too original, this album screams a resounding yes. 3/5.
psychobilly pioneers, probably quite a groundbreaking album at the time. hasn't aged well.
Maybe on a different day I would have liked this more. Familiar with some of it, never a huge fan of that quasi-rockabilly sound. Solid, but not great.
very halloween themed
a chaotic and eclectic reinterpretation of the sound of the fifties through a palette of post-punk and horror movie sounds a clear homage to the early rock and roll using simple but catchy riffs, lots of twang and steady grooves but with a punk energy and an exaggerated gothic aesthetic that give it a unique, raw, wild, slightly degenerate and fun personality
To be honest I dunno what was going on here exactly…
"oh hey, this guy sounds like the "goo goo muck" guy", I said, naively super cool goth album, not sure how much i like that kind of mouth perpetually open style of singing but it certainly fits whoever's in the background of the false start interlude added at the end sounds like a dick lol
I know the band name and logo, but I don't know if I've ever really given them any listening time. It's not worthy of the Top 1001 but they're a mix of sounds including surf rock, 50's swing, 60's tv show theme songs, rockabilly, punk, etc. I can hear some Ramones, Horton Heat, Nirvana, White Stripes, The Clash, B-52's, The Hives, Stray Cats and Social D. They came out before a few of them, so perhaps we can hear their influence?! You can't hate it; it's fun, entertaining, you can understand it and the musicianship is pretty good. 28M people have played "I Was A Teenage Werewolf" and the rest of the album is peppered with decent listener counts (9M, 2.9M, 2.1M, 10M). It says they have 1.2M monthly listeners on Spotify, those are solid numbers so longevity is on their side. Would I listen to it again? Not likely, but I'm glad I did it once. I was entertained for 25 of the 40 minutes. 2.5-3 stars.
I saw the album cover, having never heard of the band, and was optimistic. The year 1980 as well suggested that they might be some gothic, electronic act. Instead it was a low-fi, punky, rockabilly sound. Not what I expected, and alas, not something I was that keen on. The songs mostly blurred into each other too.
Someone mentioned to me that there's no bass player and I somehow got fixated on that and was listening for all the places where I'd want there to be a bass Standouts The Mad Daddy 3/5
Ok album. A few highlights in there.
Rockabilly? Don't know - I enjoyed this but knocking downa poin t becuase it felt too long
It's pretty fun and deserves some kudos for inventing a genre but, at the same time, it's also pretty slapdash and one-dimensional. Not something I particularly feel the pull to revisit.
There’s only room for one shouty growly punky band with a nod at Elvis in my life and that’s early Nick Cave, but I kind of liked I Was A Teenage Werewolf and the cover of Fever.
I just think I'm not the biggest fan of punk but this was better in my eyes than some other punk albums that have been showing up lately. Engaging and not weird for the sake of being weird Fave Songs: I was a Teenage Werewolf
I enjoyed this one, but it's not going to be on repeat at my house any time soon.
I like The Cramps, I like their style and sound -- but it is all the same. This was a fine listen...
part of this were fun but don't really see myself going back to it, except maybe on halloween 3 stars
My rating 2.8. Ok hillbilly garage rock.
Great raw sound
Decent album.
I can hear the influence in their music. A whole album of this kind of music might get tiresome though
⭐⭐⭐ Detta var inte riktigt vad jag förväntade mig. Trodde det skulle vara vanlig punkrock. Men detta är någon form av punkig rockabilly. Ganska kul album, annorlunda och röjigt. Spåren är konsekventa, till den nivån att de nästan flyter ihop, så det får väl kanske vara en liten plump. Kan tänka mig att jag kanske lyssnar på detta album igen, gillar röjet och att det är lite udda så det blir en 3a. Bäst är I was a teenage werewolf, The mad daddy men alla spår är ganska likvärdiga.
Why does this sound like punk Jerry Lee Lewis?
я не умею писать разнообразные отзывы, но что-то как-то опять скучно хотя ванну под это может и веселее мыть, чем под вчерашнее
yeah it's fine
Unfortunately although I was intrigued to see this pop up, it didn’t do much for me
A little bit of rockabilly, surf rock and punk. Cool at times, but it is a bit too much with the echo on the vocals.
As Lux sings: “Square pegs don’t fit into round holes, and I can’t fit into these clothes…” That’s kinda how I feel about The Cramps. I was always a square peg, and I remember their songs being sandwiched between other punk bands on our cassette mix tapes being passed around in high school. But I just never quite got into them. Still, I love the rough, messy, swampy, dirty, unpolished way this was recorded. Anything more polished would ruin the psychobilly intent and vibe.
This was very fun! The only thing that keeps me from giving this four stars is that I don't think I'll be getting back to this album.
This is pretty fun, and if you’re in the right mood, this will transform you into a TV set ya dig
This is like a parallel universe where Elvis presley is the lead singer of a goth rock band. And you know, I didn't hate it.
2.5 was okay I kinda like the 50s garage surf sound, but What the band is trying to do gets a bit repetitive though. Decent enough album I just dont need to return to it.
Not bad as far as Punk goes. Seems like a charismatic lead singer and the music is pretty tight and guitars sound decent. Bet they were good to see live. No idea what he was talking about at any point. Which is both a positive and a negative. ...Probably
It’s one of those cases where the image and performance of the band is better than what they put to record. It gets an extra point for being produced by Alex Chilton though. Birra fun.
Je m'attendais pas à du rock/punk mais c'était sympa sans plus quoi
Sympa mais ça ne m’a pas transcendé
So much better than I thought it was going to be. Thought it was more a parody punk band but there were actual jams on it. Their version of Fever was amazing.
4.5/10 good listening
Enjoyed "I'm Cramped", Nothing too special for me, but they do have a very nice rock and roll sound which I think is very iconic. Not too bad, but nothing too memorable.I also like "Fever" though, so.
I get the Cramps. This is a really interesting mashup of glam post punk and early 50's rock and roll, and to a large effect it works. But just like cramps that immediately grab your attention, you quickly resort to mitigation and restoration. Ok, my metaphor doesn't totally work because these guys do a good job musically... they just don't hold my attention.
Interesting. Didn't love it. Didn't hate it. Liked the song about zombie dancing. Like a husband-wife combo in a band (because I am too).
It doesn't have human fly on it.
Feels like something that could really grow on me the more I listen to it! Best Song: I Was a Teenage Werewolf Rating: 6/10 Stars: 3
I liked it more than I thought I would very surprising
Decent enough - nothing massively grabbed me - might need to revisit
Punk rock with rockabilly - still not quite my taste but I get why so many people like it
This is some gothy rockabilly. Quite awesome. In small doses.
Not really my thing, but I still recognize it as good music.
Yeah alright. I might dig into some more.
Good fun
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
not a bad time
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.
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.
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.
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.
Great early 80s punk
Spooky sexy fun
Fun time but wont revisit after this.
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 kinda like the weird vibe they have, but also it was kinda just obnoxious sometimes
Zombie music by Alex Chilton
Dance beach rock for prom of Ghouls, zombies, rapscallions, and rascals... a Monster Mash, perhaps
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.
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.
Didn’t listen to the whole thing but kinda just sound like a worse B-52’s
This album has enormous wasted potential thanks to its poor production. But it does have some good songs. 3 stars.
Sonaaaaaaaaa! Hahaha
Intense singing
Very ooky spooky vampire vibes- the way he sings reminds me of Frank-n-Furter
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
It is what it is and it’s not bad but I’ve never been able to get excited by them.
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.
Good
хз
I thought I'd dislike it. I wanted to dislike it. I didn't love it, but I also didn't dislike it.
A nice listen but nothing too memorable.
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
Very fun album, like the soundtrack to a cool halloween party I never went to
Not really my thing but enjoyable.
duel me in ahh album
Fun
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
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.
Different, enjoyed
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!"
Lots of fun if you're in the mood for it.
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
Unique and weird (in a good way) but still not that enjoyable
Meh
damned groovy rock
Wierd but decent album, in between a 2 and 3 but is a three bc I know one of the songs
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.
Better than I thought it would be
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"
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
There were points in this album that I was grooving. But the dips were too extreme to rate this over a 3
*1980. American Rockabilly. *Strange album - very 80s with some touches of Depeche Mode, but like not good. RATING - 6/10
Some of the bopping gets a little old but still very fun
Not bad. Lots of influences in here. B-52’s, Ramones, etc.
3.5
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
I wasn't a big fan, but it was fine.
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
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
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
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.
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".
7 / 10
vibe is cool, but almost every song blends into the next for me though. standout tracks: zombie dance, fever
sounds a lil bit like very early RHCP. is funi and good, nice vibe, but very repetitive, whole album sounds like one song
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
Not too shabby.
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
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
Fun hour listening to the Cramps. Rockabily influenced songs. Hard to pick out individual tracks but punky nice sound.
Punk? Lets jump around and break stuff
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
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
6.5/10
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.
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.
Punk! Rockabilly! 1980!
Very interesting - funky - some Surfin' Bird vibes
just not my type of music
The first punk album I haven't wanted to throw across the room. Fun grungy listening.
These songs didn't get me super excited or anything, but they have an energy and enough musicality that I let the album run a couple times over the course of the day.
I was always afraid long ago to listen to The Cramps--what a creepy name--and never really got over my aversion, until now. I'm a bit relieved that I didn't seem to miss much all these years, although I'm sure many/most fans would argue that I neglected a foundational band and sound. Nearly every single one of the tracks sounded like it was lifted from a Halloween-Hootenanny type album, and I'm honestly a bit disappointed that Elvira didn't grace the album cover. But I definitely appreciated the punk-like brevity of the songs, as well as the compact running time, and I particularly enjoyed the Mojo-Nixon-esque "The mad daddy" and the full-camp (and well-done) cover of "Fever". Somehow it seems fitting that one of the band members during their album tour stole and sold a bunch of their equipment for drug money and then disappeared, probably into one the song's dark and twisted plotlines. And a tip of the hat to Kristy Marlana Wallace's stage name (Poison Ivy Rorschach).
Would be better with a bass player but Strychnine goes pretty hard
I'm not really a Rockabilly type, but they're a good example of an early punk influence
Pretty damn fun and chaotic
Elvis having a badtrip at the fair.
Y'a pas à dire, j'étais crampé tout l'long!
Altså det er ikke the Misfits, men det er aight. Det er grenser på hvor lang man kan komme med å gjøre denne 50-talls shticken, og det er naturligvis låtene som er minst stuck i rockabilly som også er de mest interessante.
Eh, litt sånn punka ironisk satirisk hyllest/latterligjøring av 50-talls rockabilly har blitt gjort mye bedre før. Sett på Wizzo! Men det er mye kult her altså, men føler albumet blir litt for gimmicky på en måte som Wizzo unnslapp.
Spooky Rockabilly
good music for the Halloween spirits, nice catchy tunes.
Standout Songs: Garbageman Sunglasses After Dark Mystery Plane Strychnine
I expected this to be a weird punk album. Instead I got a psychobilly punk album. Not being exposed to a lot of psychobilly music I not sure if this is good or not. I've enjoyed it, it's on my list to listen to more later. That said it is a bit out there. If you want straightforward rock or punk this ain't it. I've enjoyed the music a lot. Sometimes the singer gets muddy but I think that is what they were going for. Good album. I can see myself moving it to a four after listening to it more.
I kind of enjoyed but it didn't grab me
Here is the recipe. 1 tablespoonful of blues 1 tablespoon of Rolling Stones 3 tablespoons of Punk 2 tablespoons of a 60s vibe A generous dash of reverb Stir in a generous dash of Johnny Cash Let simmer for 2-3 decades.
I did enjoy the start but the second half of the album used some annoying vocal production
Spooky
I think it's pretty good it just not really high up there in the ratings like more of a 3 or 2 stars.
Great selection for the beginning of October with the spooky vibes. This is good, I dig the anarchic spirit and the demented elvis style, but i got the gist with five or six songs, too much filler to make this great for me. Id make a shortlist album with Garbageman, teenage werewolf, mad daddy, their cover of Strychnine, and I'm cramped. The rest is fine but too samey
A good old school punk. I'm too old to like it.
There is something charming about this garage rock, post-punk sound the Cramps crafted. The lyrics are quirky and engaging, even when the tone is brash. "I Was a Teenage Werewolf" as a parody of the fifties horror film? They even cover "Fever," a favorite song of mine, and change up some lyrics to include their band name! I'm charmed to bits. 3.5
I actually quite liked this. The Cramps bring a garage rock sound that runs tangental to goth music. In fact, while a lot of rockabilly is appreciated by goth communities, this really nails gothic rockabilly as an entire sound. I'm not usually very appreciative of rockabilly, but this just goes to show you that goth elements make everything better. Also, quick shout out to the marketing for this album. From the album title "Songs the Lord Taught Us" to the album cover to the purple font to the font itself, I really liked the way this album was packaged.
I'd never heard of this band, it was a fun listen.
Garage punk rock with few surprises. Doesn’t rival the Ramones or Sex Pistols. 3.1
I appreciate the dirty and grimey feel this album has overall, but it just wasn’t for me. At time, I felt a bit annoyed by the noise of the album. I can see other people liking this, but not me.
Interesting. Never knew The Cramps were rockabilly.
Special! Liked most of the songs and certainly the overall vibe
This one is a whole lot of fun and not really much more than that, but do you really need more than that? Good use of rockabilly within the realm of punk rock. Favorite songs were Rock On The Moon, I Was A Teenage Werewolf, The Mad Daddy, Tear It Up, and Fever.
At the end of the day aren't they all "Songs the Lord Taught Us"? Psychobilly Surf Zombie Punk?? All I remember about this group is a well known local public radio DJ couldn't stand them so I never listened. I thought this was a lot of fun and I bet the live shows were insane!
Songs the Lord Taught Us is as trashy, strange, and playful as you would expect from The Cramps. It mixes punk energy with rockabilly riffs, creating that “psychobilly” sound they more or less made their own. Tracks like “TV Set” and “I Was a Teenage Werewolf” are full of tongue-in-cheek horror and sleaze, with Lux Interior howling and growling like he is half frontman, half B-movie monster. The guitars are twangy and raw, keeping the whole thing loose and grimy. The downside is that the album can feel repetitive. The attitude is great fun in bursts, but across a full record the schtick wears a little thin. Still, it is easy to see why it was influential, since it has a character and a sense of humor that set it apart from straight punk. Songs the Lord Taught Us is not flawless, but it captures a band creating their own weird corner of rock, and doing it with total conviction.
I appreciate the trashy, campy horror vibe they are going for and I bet they were really fun live. As an album though, the novelty began wearing off before the end.
Garage-trash novelty - let’s go! Have not heard of this band previously. First impression is the recording is pretty rough, echoing vocals hard to understand. Funny lyrics and fun style. This would be fun live music, but not likely something I’d listen to again.
Pretty much just perfectly average rock music. Good guitar, but the songs aren't overly exciting.
Awesome schlockabilly, though in honesty an EPs worth would probably be enough to sate my appetite. Link Wray's weird little nephews are out in the garage again 😎
The Cramps? That's definitely a band name alright. This album's alright. It's not really my thing, but I'd go so far as to say that I have a fair amount of respect for it. This album does have justification for being on the list after all. What is that justification? Well, this album, Songs the Lord Taught Us, is seen as a pioneering release in a subgenre known as psychobilly, which I guess is a fusion of punk and oldschool rockabilly. Interesting. This is my first impression of psychobilly and I can see the appeal. There's a solid amount of energy here that could definitely get someone hyped. These songs have some of the compositional elements of rockabilly mixed with a general punk-ish attitude, which ends up creating a solid album. There's even some bluesiness on songs like "I Was A Teenage Werewolf," which I thought was pretty cool. The vocals fit the style well. The writing doesn't make much sense, but it weirdly works. I'm not huge on this myself, but I can definitely see the appeal and if you liked this album more than I did, I'd get it. I think I'll give it a 3/5. Definitely not a bad album, that 's for sure.
Aight
Interesting gritty punkabilly sound, but probably not something I’d return to.