Reviews (page 4 of 8)
Rockabilly - not bad
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.
So good!
Meh
Meh. Too screamy and depressed for my taste. Listened to it (in part) while tidying my apt on a Thursday evening. Switched to Taylor Swift’s evermore to soothe my soul. That Thursday before saying goodbye to Kevin’s family and friends in Ireland in 2025.
Not for me
Classic album and a genre definer for the psychobilly sound.
Courage the Cowardly Dog cocaine werewolf rock. That's how I would describe this. I appreciated the upbeat nature. Ultimately, not for me.
No. Oh my goodness no.
This album sounds like a haunted prom night in a gas station bathroom — loud, dirty, and completely possessed by rhythm and rabies. The Cramps don’t make music; they reanimate it. It’s punk, rockabilly, and a bad fever dream all howling in the same echo chamber. Rating: 4.6/5 Short Review: Psychobilly gospel for the damned — you can practically smell the leather and hairspray melting. Favorite Track: “Garbageman” — sleazy, snarling perfection that makes chaos sound romantic.
I would have selected Gravest Hits but this is very good, too. I would love to see a movie about these guys and particularly Poison Ivy. She doesn't get the credit she deserves and she's always been a bit of a mystery to me. I worry about her since Lux died - is that ok? Pilgrimage to Glendale!
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).
So much fun though I wish they'd chosen Psychedelic Jungle instead. How can anyone stay seated when TV Set is on?
Ehhhhh..... Yea..... Not for me.
Kind of B52sish but worse
Get spooky
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
Unusual? Maybe unique, certainly interesting. High 2s.
Pretty damn fun and chaotic
I'm not mad at it but won't listen again
not my cuppa
Not all the songs are great but the attitude makes up for it
Elvis having a badtrip at the fair.
Y'a pas à dire, j'étais crampé tout l'long!
Enjoyed it very much, a blast of an album start to finish
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.
Minimalistisk bra! Høres ut som en alternativ virkelighet hvor Tim Burton designet 50-tallet. Vokalisten høres helt ut som Jon Spencer til tider også, og det er vel nesten det som gjør det til psychobilly. «Sunglasses after dark» er høydepunkt. Eneste som trekker ned er at låtene er litt repeterende, og det tror jeg er fordi Cramps har valgt å satse blytungt på stemning og ikke fullt så mye på å utforske spennet som kan finnes i rockabilly. Stray Cats fikk til det veldig godt, men så hadde jo de Brian Setzer da. Ble også overraska over at Alex Chilton produserte. Han er en fyr som er virkelig verdt å få med seg. Fra tenåringsidol i The Box Tops på 60-tallet, til en helstøpt trilogi av album med Big Star og en tur innom punk/new wave. Selv om han ikke spiller rockabilly selv så er flere av soloplatene hans i samme minimalistiske ånd, og ikke minst skranglete.
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.
Sounds pretty dated and repetitive and I did not find it to be the most enjoyable.
Silly silly silly what fantastic concept songs! As always with The Cramps the vocals are unmatched. Not many who do what they do but they’re the best at it!
Spooky Rockabilly
Interesting album and glad I know more about The Cramps now. Very erratic and whimsical singing that reminded me of the B-52's, Buddy Holly & Jerry Lee Lewis. Creative and fun album but one I think I'm not going back to much.
Novelty band, ok for the odd Halloween track, but no one wants an album of this shit, do they?
Early punk rock was a dismantling and distortion of the original rock and roll sound. It wasn't to disrespect the classics but instead to prove that the loud and noisy sound could be just as (if not more) enjoyable than the pretty and polished. If the Beach Boys traded their T-Birds for the NYC subway, then you'd get the Ramones. If Elvis was cast in a grindhouse horror film instead of Blue Hawaii, then you get The Cramps. The Cramps ride a fine line between sexy and creepy. A difficult but intentional balancing act. This isn't music for the drive-in with roller skates and milkshakes. This is for the dive bars with bathroom condoms and a pinball machine that sometimes works. You don't send these songs to your sweetheart on Valentine's Day. You send it to your occultist muse on Halloween. Burn the rhinestone jumpsuit to find a latex straightjacket underneath. This debut album runs the gamut of eeriness. It kicks off with TV Set, a song from the perspective of an obsessive serial killer. We then run through werewolves and zombies and everything in between. What may be birthed from the jangly blues rock of Jerry Lee Lewis is then made delectably haunting and macabre with Lux Interior's manic shock therapy vocals. Being a week away from Halloween, this album couldn't have come at a better time.
Nothing really great here
good music for the Halloween spirits, nice catchy tunes.
Standout Songs: Garbageman Sunglasses After Dark Mystery Plane Strychnine
1.5
i've heard Strychnine in my own time here or there, but haven't listened to the full album yet TV Set - 4/5 Rock on the Moon - 4/5 Garbageman - 5/5 I Was a Teenage Werewolf - 5/5 Sunglasses After Dark - 5/5 The Mad Daddy - 4/5 Mystery Plane - 4/5 Zombie Dance - 5/5 What's Behind the Mask - 5/5 Strychnine - 5/5 I'm Cramped - 3/5 Tear It Up - 4/5 Fever - 4/5 Average score: 4.4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ huh. sounds like Elvis Presley if he switched to punk. i guess that would explain why the genre is called "psychobilly." i don't hate it. in fact, i may do some more digging into this group/genre. realistically i would give this a 4.5 star rating but i'll round up here. i personally can't justify knocking this down a whole star
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.
The Cramps’ Songs the Lord Taught Us is a messy slab of swampy rockabilly and punk attitude that sounds like it was recorded in a damp basement with the mic wrapped in duct tape. The “remastered” version doesn’t do the mud any favors, but beneath the murk you can hear a band having a hell of a time turning garage sleaze into a deranged sermon. Lux Interior’s vocals swing from cartoonish declarations à la B-52’s to a jittery Buddy Holly impression, while the band thrashes out riffs that feel half stolen, half exorcised. “Fever” is the rare moment where everything clicks into something approaching cool, but the real fun comes in their warped takes on rock history—“TV Set” channels Iggy fronting the Velvet Underground, “Mystery Plane” lurches from Sabbath to rockabilly, and “What’s Behind the Mask” feels like the Stones on a bad trip. It’s a dirty, chaotic mess—but at least it’s their mess.
(83/100)
I kind of enjoyed but it didn't grab me
Feveeerrrrrr!
These songs made me feel like life had no flavor. Like eating stale crackers out of your grandma’s cupboard.
Thrashing, crazy, big sound. But, as the Spongebob marching band has taught us all: louder is not always better.
A high 2 parts grabbed my attention but not enough to make me want to give it another listen
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
This album is alright but nothing really much to note. It just doesn't really stand out to me because The Cramps sound a lot like the Misfits or True Sounds of Liberty down to the guitar tone and the vocal style. It's that early goth and horror punk sound that is well known with bands like the ones mentioned. It is sort of an enjoyable album at times but only for a few songs, the rest are painfully boring and dull. Like it just something that I'm not really fond of at all. I just don't really get who the Cramps are for. Vampires? Zombies? Frankenstein? It's literally like what we as kids thought was scary and horror that just seems really soft at best. Favorite Tracks: TV Set, I Was A Teenage Werewolf, Sunglasses After Dark, Strychnine Rating: 2.5/5
Good
Did Buddy Holly come back from the dead, lose control on drugs and alcohol, and record another album?
The bones are the skeletons' money In our world bones equal dollars That's why they're comin' out tonight To get their bones from you The skeletons'll pull your hair Up but not out
Spooky
If life gives you brain cramps
I think it's pretty good it just not really high up there in the ratings like more of a 3 or 2 stars.
This album is trash. Fills my heart with garbage.
I still remember hearing the Cramps for the first time in the intro to Baker 3 in 2005. Completely blew my greasy little mind
Tedious.
Complete crap. Why id it even on this list?
This is a seriously fun album and a perfect one for heading into the Halloween season. Garage-ish, goofy, and vocally over the top. I definitely hear how these guys influenced Frank Black/Black Francis of Pixies. Songs like "Mystery Plane" and "Strychnine" could be from his solo albums.
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.
That false start track was very indicative of the whole album. I wanted to tell the cramps to gtfo of my ears.
It's ok but a bit samey and reminds me of OFAH band with Rodney in 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.
I’ve heard of The Cramps before, but other than hearing one of their songs on the show Wednesday, I’ve never listened to their music before. I’m not quite sure what to expect out of this album, but I’m betting it’s going to be incredibly unique and weird, and I’m here for it! Songs The Lord Taught Us was really fun, and I loved its unique psychobilly sound. I was expecting this album to be more along the lines of Bauhaus or Siouxsie and the Banshees, but I was pleasantly surprised the raw, guitar driven sound. This album was bursting with energy, but the vocals gave it a campy fifties vibe that I found really enjoyable. The songwriting was kooky and strange, and the cover songs were really well performed as well. This album did have one big weakness in my opinion though, and that was the vocal mixing. I felt like I had water in my ears while I listened to this, and it about drove me insane. Everything else was great though, but that factor was enough to keep this album at four stars for me. However, I was pleasantly surprised at how each song had really unique guitar playing. The lack of a bass guitar allowed the Cramps to create some really unique sounds, and I think it worked to their advantage. As far as my favorite songs on this album, I thought “Garbageman,” “Sunglasses After Dark,” and “Mystery Plane” were all great. Their closing cover of “Fever” was fantastic as well, its chill vibe was the perfect way to conclude this album. I had a blast listening to this album, and with October starting next week, I think I’ll be paying this album another visit really soon.
probably won’t listen to this as a whole again but could really picture myself jumping around to all of this at a live show. The kick drum is kickin. Saved Garbage Man and Strychnine. Actually may pump myself up to Garbage Man before shows
Yesssss before listening to this I only knew Human Fly and this album was so fun. Teenage Werewolf kills me. Maybe a little long, maybe a little repetitive as a whole album but I loved it.
If anything on this album makes you think "huh, this sounds like a bunch of other stuff," that may be because this album influenced a bunch of other stuff. More than new music trends, they brought a whole aesthetic with them. Plus, it's super fun to listen to. Play this at your Halloween party.
Interesting. Never knew The Cramps were rockabilly.
I listen to some punk. I didn't like this at all.
Special! Liked most of the songs and certainly the overall vibe
Oh, how I wish the lord had taught them some songs that are actually any good, instead of this lame punk nonsense…
"The Rocky Horror Picture" show called; they want their soundtrack back. This is such a hidden gem! I recommend blasting this album on Halloween with your garage door open, with sexy women dancing on tables with their skimpy costumes on(side note: there is no way in Hell the Lord taught us these songs). This milestone, my 400th album, was wonderful. Favorite Track: "TV Set".
in certain circumstances, i love that sound. for film music or in between other tracks. one full album? that's too much.
Couldn't get into it. DNF
More punk, this time with a rockabilly flair. Not my favourite genre. This was a bit boring for me.
it was decent, more interesting than the ramones but still not my fave
Kinda weird and spooky but not really enough to be interesting. The performances are okay but lack energy, the screaming is kinda goofy and overall a bit in-one-ear-out-the-other
Not my vibe
Cheeky and fun. I'm a lover of surf rock, so a spooky goofball version of it is always welcome.
This. Is. The. Stuff. So good. Is this album my new personality now? Years ago there was a great series on some music blog called “Lux & Ivy’s Favorites” where you could download a ton of songs that the band were inspired by or liked. I recommend you seek that out if you like this album. There are also playlists of those on streaming services.
The Cramps are very good at what they do. Though this overstayed its welcome a bit, I still had a good time.
Some of this was a little boring. A lot of it was fun, exciting, and surprising.
Just ok
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.
"The Cramps" is a fitting band name. I almost got a cramp in my ear listening to this singing.
its actually insane how fucking awesome this is
Goth rockabilly glam noise ... Kinda fuckin wit it 😎 Just had Elvis' version of Fever earlier this week!
this did little to zero or maybe i’m just not in the mood
Not offensive but not good. Punk without anything interesting going on.
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.
# Playlist Track - I Was A Teenage Werewolf # Notes - Boring punk, not cool punk. - Yeah, they can scream and make some noises, but can they put a good album together? I don't think so.
I had already listened to some Cramps music in the past and liked it enough to listen a few times. I don't love this album, though. It's just a bit too noisy and punk-y for me. I think they made this before they had any real mastery over their instruments. They got better as the years went by and more albums came out. I'm not generally a big fan of punk or rockabilly, although there have been some bands that made it work. The cramps Can make it work, but at this point in their young careers, it was... not good. I'll give it a 2 because it's not terrible. It's just something that would call me back to listen again. And if I did have an urge to hear this style of music, I'd grab a later album by them.
Fun sound and good instrumental parts. Can definitely see myself coming back to this one.
"Well you can't dig me you can't dig nothin' Do you want the real thing, or are you just talkin'?" "Yeah it's just what you need when you're down in the dumps One half hillbilly and one half punk" "Now do you understand? Do you understand? Do you understand? All right, hop off"
Punk bom
Fun as hell. Attitude for days. Ground zero psychobilly. Puts me in the best kind of mean mood. Viva la Cramps!
Meh
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.
Ei napannu. Laulut ei oo mielenkiintosia ja tylsistyin jo parin ekan biisin aikana. Pettymys, koska albumin kansi on tosi hieno ja odotukset nousi sen vuoksi.
Sounds like an album made by 12 years olds. Poor, very poor.
Better than Coldplay
When the 1st song played i buckled into what I thought would be a long tough listening ride. But as the songs progressed I found myself doing a familiar dance that I could not quiet put my finger on. Then it hit me...Wednesday Addams dance!!! I googled and sure enough the same group sang that song. Honestly, I had fun with most of the songs and I can see this playing in the back ground of a wild house party.
Nah fam. This one wasn’t it. I tend to like bands similar in sound, but to me, these fellas were a little goofy. Couldn’t be caught playing this loud anywhere tbh.
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.
Rockabilly punk?
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.
Best Song: I Was A Teenage Werewolf. I kind of like the buzzing in the guitars, but not much else. Worst Song: The Mad Daddy. The B-52s really convinced a whole subset of musicians that they could also pull off that stuttering vocal delivery and make it sound cool. Spoiler: they couldn't. Overall: Another Brit punk offering of what feel like dozens of identical tiny songs. Can't ever imagine returning to this.
I just love it when some random album I've never heard on this list slaps me in the face and says 'Notice Me!'. This is rockabilly punk that makes me think of Quentin Tarantino's predilection for similar music. Maybe I'll give him a call (I've got him on speed dial, ya know?) and get his take on the importance of intertextuality as a vehicle for adding thematic texture and depth to an element within a film.
i did not need to listen to this before i died
Good lord this list just loves to give you some random British band
Neki čudan miks punka i surfa i čega već. Stvari koje se ne bi trebale miksati ukratko. Može se slušati, donekle. Zadnja pjesma kida.
Rockabilly punk, surprised how much I like this
Like early punk rock. Not bad.
perfect album for Halloween night
Album was okay 4.5/10
They tried, they really did. Not sure how successful they were. It's decent though.
I like the spooky, gothic feel of this one pretty well though none of the songs were real standout hits.
Raw, energetic,
🗯 The Cramps warped rock ’n’ roll into something gloriously trashy, sleazy, and undead. Their debut is a supernatural jukebox coughing up B-movie grease and garage-punk grit. It’s kitsch, it’s camp, it’s controlled chaos. ‘I Was a Teenage Werewolf’ and ‘Garbageman’ are the school disco/car drive at night bangers you need, while Lux Interior howls like Elvis trapped in a horror flick. Poison Ivy’s guitar twang drips with menace and humour in equal measure. It’s novelty, sure — but novelty turned into art by sheer conviction and attitude. The whole intoxicating novelty wears a bit over the course of a whole album, but that might just my poor kitsch tolerance levels. Verdict: Essential (if only to remind yourself that rock can still be fun, filthy, and feral) For fans of: The Stooges, The B-52’s at their weirdest, Screamin’ Jay Hawkins, horror movie matinees and John Waters’ VHS shelf
Cuando vi la portada pensé directamente que me iba a tocar punk otra vez. No me equivocaba. Sin embargo, aquí he encontrado mezclas interesantes con el rockabilly y la música surf. Interesante pero nada especial. 2'5/5
not a fan but I think this type of punk music is a pretty specific taste and is acquired (I have not acquired it)
Pretty fun album. Good grunge rock.
Perfect 5/10 - nothing I enjoyed, nothing I disliked.
Lord taught us nothing. At first I enjoyed it but as it went on it was getting more and more difficult to get through it.
I would give it 6 stars if I could. Hugely influential on my discovery of music in the not so mainstream genres.
Punk Rock that has a rockabilly vibe. Every song on the album pretty much sounds the same. The lyrics are sparse and fairly trite. The singer’s voice has an affectation that makes it seem theatrical in a way. Fever is ok, the rest of the songs didn’t really do much for me.
Loved it, weird and unique
Cover 5 The first time I listened to The Cramps, many years ago, I wasn't impressed. Same with The Misfits. They just sounded like the same 50s rock n roll song on repeat but with a kid's monster movie theme. However, they can be a fun listen. I didn't know I'd include them on a list of must haves though.
oh! don't think i'm familiar as nothing comes to mind! edit: didn't save anything, but enjoyed what i heard. classic punk or early alternative if i had to pass a genre.
Low to mid 3, I like the energy, vocals not crazy about but fun high energy listen
I kind of hated this on first listen, but the second time around it grew on me. It's still kinda terrible, but in a fun way, like the Evil Dead or something. It's very cinematic and groovy, like a spookier Dick Dale.
3.5 rounded down pretty solid overall, but there’s a certain quality to his vocals that i’m not a fan of highlights: garbageman, sunglasses after dark, tear it up (mar 3 2026)
Like Halloween surf rock. It’s grungy, punky and danceable. Would I listen to it everyday? No. Do I appreciate its whacky sound? Absolutely.
Dude on the cover looks like a high elf from the Elder Scrolls series
Whiny guitars absolutely drowned in reverb was a bad choice. Also, Elvis did it better. I bet 80s punks loved this crap.
Such a great record. Teenage werewolf is an all time classice
Gothy, punky, noisy me likey. I can see how this may not be everyone's cup of tea but in the right mood this album slaps. The simplicity and rawness of the instruments and vocals are like a patina on well loved mustang.
Seems like a blend of rockabilly and punk, and coming at the end of the 80s it seems like the last shout of that style of music. I like the idea of this music, I don't like this music.
Apparently I don’t mind a rockabilly song or two. But a whole album? Pass.
A couple of kind of fun ones - almost like if Buddy Holly did acid? Or his harder-rocking cousin? But a lot of it was just noise....
I definitely enjoyed listening to this album. I probably would never have despite having heard of them.
Utterly one-of-a-kind and never to be repeated. The Cramps’ origin story is as outrageous as the music itself, and Songs the Lord Taught Us delivers it all—raw punkabilly bite, sultry graveyard swagger, and spooky, unholy rock energy. Yes. Full stop. Also, fun fact: the first time a guy went down on me, he was wearing a Cramps tee. True story.
There are originators, and there are translators. The Cramps are both. They took their obsessions with oldies rock 'n' roll, soul, blues, rockabilly, and garage rock, horror/monster movies, grindhouse culture, and mid-century Americana and shot them through a shattered prism of modern punk, goth, bdsm, retro-camp, and late 70s/early 80s urban culture; making something entirely their own. Produced by the legendary Alex Chilton, this debut record is a subculture classic. The title itself ridicules the Christo-fascist moral majority that was gaining ground in American society when it was released. They were here to freak out the normals and wanted you to fucking know it. Every track is a good time and is just dripping with reverbed atmosphere. The fuzzed out guitars mixed with that hollowbody jangle laid over absolutely primitive drum rhythms and no basslines is rock 'n' roll at its most bare and depraved. It's a hot rod stripped down to only the parts that will keep it running. Here the Cramps tell you where they are coming from: it's simple and it's raw and it sounds like trouble. And it's trouble I never mind getting into: The Cramps are one of those bands I can put on at any time and it's the right time. There is only one Cramps. Most of the so-called psychobilly bands that followed suit are utterly uninspiring (Deadbolt being a lone exception). The Cramps themselves rejected being associated with the emergent genre anyhow, which is about as punk as it gets. Perhaps because The Cramps' cult aesthetic wasn't a put-on; it was their whole lifestyle. There is a sense of authenticity they carry through all their work that although theatrical and campy, also feels at once genuine and lived-in. I was lucky enough to see The Cramps live on New Years' Eve in Hollywood once and they were magnificent. Completely feral. The beating heart of the group has always been the union of Lux Interior and Ivy Rorschach. I once put in a dating profile bio: "If the love isn't like Lux and Ivy I don't want it." That not only goes for how much they loved and fit each other, but also how much ardor they had for their inspirations. They dug through the grimy, overlooked, and cast-off pieces of mid-century American weirdo culture and shone a luminous blacklight on them. As custodians, curators, and translators of these ephemeral pieces of forgotten and ignored culture, The Cramps are national treasures.
Adam Bomb but worse
Now this was a lot fun. Surf, psychobilly, punk, whatever it is, I like it.
Officially deciding that I don't need to listen to a whole album if I'm bored and have heard enough to get a full vibe, maybe at least 3 songs. This album has a very specific spooky punk vibe that I don't know if I'm feeling on a Friday afternoon. But very unique and I bet the live show in the 80s would've been electric.
Good album. Not something I would listen to normally
The Cramps are great, love that voice vibrato. driving surf rock sound with a punk ambiance.
Now I know where the aithors of Lost Boys drew inspiration from. I appreciate the idea that this album is coming from, rockabilly, surf music and punk with teenagers as vampires bit, oh boy, same riffs and the singing gets so boring. I mean itvis an ok album but it is kinda cringe. 3/5
Here's another one I wanna keep short — or try to, anyway. I mean, I don't need very many words to express why I dig psychobilly as much as I do. You take "leather jacket" 50's rockabilly, mix it together with loud and fast garage and punk sensibilities, and top it all with a layer of B-movie horror cheese... Yeah, no shit this is awesome. It's the kind of music where I can completely overlook any flaws the album might have because I'm having so much fun with it. Is "TV Set" maybe not the best opener given how it differs musically from the rest of the album? Suuuure. And there's a couple of songs in there that might not be the **tightest**... But, heck, on a package that's overall this enjoyable...! Believe me, I'm not being uncritical here. Most of what I brought up here is stuff a fellow group member used to justify giving this thing a 4 — and as such, I can't totally disagree with him. For my tastes, though... I mean, maybe it **is** like a cheesy 50's B-movie. You wouldn't go around saying the whole thing is flawless, but dang it, you can have so much fun with it, it makes itself more than worth the price you paid to get into the drive-in where it's playing. And, well, I've repeated that point of mine with different wording for the third time, so lemme just wrap this up here and now. This shit's a regular ol' psychobilly freakout, and I very much thank The Lord for teaching The Cramps these songs. Goodness me, I gotta go listen to more of this stuff...
Psychobilly: a deeply unappreciated genre. 4.5 bumped up to 5.
I’m at a 4. Solid stuff overall here – feels a bit more like a Weird Al-ish album, with a healthy respect & admiration for the garage/punk/rockabilly style it’s going for, but with more of a comedic / less serious lean. It’s all played totally straight, which is the key to making the album work. When it works, it really works; the best stuff on this album is enjoyable as hell, especially given that most of these are shorter tracks. They don’t overstay their welcome, and even if they do, it’s still good enough to survive off of the instrumental vibes alone for the most part. All in all, this feels like a natural step forward from the slightly unpolished tones of a band like The Sonics (who are covered here!), while blending them with the production tricks and clarity that would emerge throughout the 70s. It’s a good mixture, and one that makes for a fun album. So, why the 4, and not a 5? It’s just because the musicality isn’t as consistent as I’d like it to be, I dunno. The first two tracks don’t set the tone right – they’re reverb-heavy, the lyrics / vocals feel a bit dissonant, and while it’s all technically sound, it’s got that intangible feeling of something being “off”. After those first two tracks though, this album mostly glides; only two other tracks didn’t quite click for me, and that’s “Mystery Plane” & “I’m Cramped”, the former for the repetition in the instrumental biting at me too much, and the latter for having big secret track energy as part of the main album. I also think that “Fever” just doesn’t quite work as an ending track – I would’ve closed on “The Mad Daddy” or “Tear It Up”. Am I nitpicking? Yeah, probably, but those are all enough to keep this at a 4 for me. Make no mistake though; it is a *fun* album. If you can look past some of the quirks I didn’t vibe with, you might be at a 5, and I wouldn’t blame that at all. If they’re THAT big of a deal, then maybe this won’t play well for you. Regardless, I enjoyed it. It’s a solid 4, and maybe if we were listening to this in October, I might be inclined to let the spookier / fall vibes carry me to a 5. For a July listen, it’ll sit at a 4.
Me entretuvo, me recordó a Merlina, y me dio una sensación como si pudiera bailar esto mientras rio sin preocupaciones. Mis canciones favoritas fueron Garbageman, The Mad Daddy, Fever... pero empecé a perder la atención después de la canción #7, se empezó a repetir mucho el sonido y me hastié. Por cierto, que la primera canción que escuché, TV set me perturbó un poco al principio. (tuve un déjà vu escribiendo esto :P)
Meh
Yeah, no
No los pillo
It pains me
The Cramps are like black licorice. Some people really like black licorice. It's nice when a band puts a new style on the map. These folks really are the epitome of psychobilly. I also really like the band name, and this album name is {chef's kiss}!
i’m still working thru it but honestly it’s weird in the perfect way
Wow, this album is something else. It feels like someone just hit record on a chaotic jam session of ugly sounds and off-key vocals and decided to call it music. It’s a wild ride, but not in a good way.
That was alright, though it ended kinda soft.
Noiserock... FUCKING NOISEROCK!??! Waarom staat dat toch in deze lijst? Ik snap oprecht prima dat er een album van die stroming in moet staan, want het zal vast invloedrijk zijn geweest. Geen idee wat de invloed was, of waarom we ervan bewust moeten zijn, maar invloedrijk was het vast. Noiserock is een sociaal experiment geweest; Wat is de grootste herrie die we kunnen maken waar mensen het nog steeds muziek noemen en dat we toch nog cd's of lp's verkopen? Het is zonde, want een nummer als Garbage Man klinkt echt prima. Lekker riffje, dikke drum beat eronder. Ik had het gewoon naar mn zin, maar dan... Maar dan... Word er weer een arme gitaar verkracht met een bak distortion waar je U tegen zegt. Iedereen die klaagt over dat autotune de muziekindustrie verpest heeft; Ik wil het toch ook graag heel even hebben over de distortion die over gitaren word geknald. En eerlijk? zelfde kan gezegd worden over het Werewolf nummer, maar daar is het de zanger die het verpest. Instrumentaal zit het hier juist top in elkaar, maar de zanger jankt er over heen. Of zou dat de bedoeling zijn? Janken als een weerwolf? Weet je waar het een beetje aan doet denken? Bij stukken krijg ik gewoon heel erg de vibe van Bat out of hell van Meatloaf. Het zelfde campy, theatrale zingen, min de uithalen dan, maar wel precies dat overdreven bijna musicale achtige zingen en schrijven. Het is ok, soms werkt het, maar het werkt vaker gewoon niet. Het is wel minder noiserockig dan ik op basis van de eerste nummers verwachtte, dat is tenminste wel goed nieuws. De distortion op de gitaren is later een stuk teruggebracht en de 2e helft van het album is best prima. FAVO: Fever cover is best wel funny.
Ugh... please. This was just too difficult and weird to me. Song was horrible, music itself was not good either... very noisy. Now that I think of it, the song was probably the biggest issue. Anyways, not my cup of tea at all, not much more to say.
Vibe-record. Nothing stood out but I dig the feel of it. Perfect to have on in the background while drinking some beers or something like that. Or just a good live music album. I've also found the genre "Psychobilly" which i really apparently dig. Mid 3 for being vibey.
2.1 Shite. It what I imagine my dad hears when I listen to metal. Just a garbled mess. Almost art like, it's interesting as an exhibit but how could anyone actually think "today I'm going to put on that Cramps album"
I found this one a little boring. The guitar tones were cool, I liked the fuzz guitar panned left mixed with the cleaner guitar on the right, but the vocals were just so-so. Every song kind of sounded the same too. Yeah, idk it is fine. They kinda sound like the B-52s on some songs but not as fun. Mid 3.
Another strange album. But a couple of songs were pretty cool.
Mad fun album
I liked the covers which is uhhhh, not a good sign. This is one of the most ok punk albums. It’s like they chose the most ok sound every time. They tell jokes that aren’t funny. It mostly songs ok.
This was not very good.
solid punk album, hadn't heard of these guys
Not for me, but I get it
That album was just fine. I didn't really like any of the songs but it made for okay background noise.
Pretty great. Ahead of its time. Worth the listen
Wanted to like it more but not enough for 3*. Definitely more in the right direction for a punk album but none of the songs stood out.
Elvis revivalists with punk rock energy, swampy twang, spooky horny vibes, and a decent sense of humor. The guitar sounds are great, they nail the tremelo/reverb surf style. A few songs make for a fun addition to a playlist but listening to a full album starts to feel like wearing your halloween costume into November.
eh
Retro surfer-punk-rock and roll. I dig their lo-fi sound and they've got energy, but ultimately it was all a bit rough for me. Rating: 2
These guys are a goth rock/psychobilly (rockabilly crossed with punk) band from the 80's. I wonder if Gord Downie drew some influence from them? The singers vocal delivery reminds me so much of the Hip (especially in the song Zombie Dance). I find that stuff neat...finding out what influences artists had... This dude also sounds exactly like the lead singer of the Trashmen when you listen to the song The Mad Daddy. Overall, I really enjoyed this one! Really solid feel good music! Favorite songs: Zombie Dance, I Was a Teenage Werewolf, Rock on the Moon, What's Behind the Mask, Strychnine, Fever Least favorite songs: Garbageman 5/5
not for me, kinda spooky in a goosebumps way
Trodde att jag redan hade gett en 2:a i betyg till detta. Snackade med en tjej som sa att jag var galen. Så jag lyssnade om. Och nu ger jag det en 3:a utan att orka lyssna igenom mer än 10 låtar. Bra skit egentligen men så jävla enformigt och tråkigt. Samma låt varje gång typ. Bra men tråkigt.
Rockabilly
Decent listen. Mostly forgettable punk. About the 100th album from this era that sounds like this on this list
Da hani also en Fensterplatz gha wo eus de Lord die Songs Taught het. Han bim Lose au fast Ohrechrämpf becho, darum Pluspünkt für de passend Name. Isch mer eis zu Nervös gsi zum schaffe, aber es gäbti sicher situation wo die Musig gar ned so mega schlecht wäri. Zwei Magnesium geg min Chrampf, bitte.
I have no clue what to say about this album. It's fun, energetic and brief. I would give it a 3 for what it is, but I feel a 4 is more appropriate for everything that spawned in it's wake.
Tasty guitar sounds and swampy, surf fun: they influenced JSBE, whom I love, but I am still surprised by how well this holds up. Throwaway, but joyful.
Being too young for this when it came out, the schlocky 50s/horror revival style was old hat by the time I got there. That just left the music, which is fun in parts but mainly novelty noise to my ears. For some entertaining psychobilly check out Jon Wayne and "Mr Egyptian"
Not for me
Kooky campy fun.
Bardzo podobna do wczorajszej płyty tylko słabsza, pozbawiona tego przytupu. Cover Fever jeszcze się wyróżnia, ale myślę że to dlatego że ma specyficzną melodię, ale reszta? Przepłynęła przez moje uszy i nie pozostawiła wiele. 5/10
Not for me The vocals are too muffled to be prominent in the songs
This album sounds as if it should exclusively be played around Halloween. It's just got that spooky sounding vibe, but a fun goofy spooky, not creepy spooky. I don't dislike it but I wouldn't say I fell in love with it, it personally didn't quite land with me. A punky, surf rock sound which works pretty well, but does start to sound tired and repetitive halfway through the album. I preferred the lighthearted sounding rockabilly stuff over the heavier sounding rock. There is some nice and fast guitar work on display that makes you want to move and the vocals, though weird, fit the music well. It's a bit hit and miss in places, but give it a go though if it sounds like your kind of thing, it's a pretty fun record.
Didn't think I was gonna like it this much, but absolutely loved it.
That was fun. Early punk with surf sound influencers. Lots of three minutes and get out songs. Good time
Well that was ... not good. They even managed to f*ck up "Fever".
It's a shame that The Cramps didn't receive much mainstream notoriety until well after Lux Interior has died and the band ceased to exist. Thanks to a featured scene in "Wednesday", The Cramps were finally recognized for their outsized genius and influence. Unfortunately, co-founder Poison Ivy has yet to be known as the true visionary and leader (both within the band and throughout the emergent Psychobilly scene) that she was. For further learning: The Cramps performance of "Tear it Up" is featured in the concert film, "URGH! A Music War." The 1980 film is comprised of live songs by primarily I.R.S. label bands, including The Go-Go's, The Police, X, Pere Ubu, Gary Numan, and many others. It is a fantastic showcase of Punk, New Wave, and Post-Punk music of the time. Sadly, the soundtrack is unavailable on streaming platforms and the movie itself can only be found on the obscure Plex app.
played out loud full volume in the office very camp
5/10
1. tv - 1.5 2. moon - 2 3. garbage - 1 4. teenage - 2 5. dark - 1.5 6. daddy - 1.5 7. plane - 1 8. zombie - 1 9. mazk - 1 10. nine - 1.5 11. cramped - 2 12. tear - 2 13. fever - 2 14. uuolf - 2 15. plane -1.5 16. tuuizt - 1.5 17. cramped - 2 18. mad - 1.5
Classis case of "just cause you can combine music genres, doesn't mean you should"
Rockabilly is not really my style, but I can see how there are influences coming from this genre in the other types of music I like or have listened to. So not my favorite, but cool to try something new to me.
48/100. An underwhelming listen. The album sounds like an odd mix of Elvis-style vocals with punk energy, which didn’t quite land for me. While some tracks have a spooky charm and the instrumentation is decent, the overall sound felt off.
Punk B-52s is still B-52s, no thanks.
That was interesting. Not unpleasant. A good, solid, light rock album.
First time listening to The Cramps. Not sure why, this is right in my wheelhouse. Great debut album, definitely will get more listens. Psychobilly at it's best.
Pretty good stuff.
4,5
Отвратительно
Like all Rockabilly I like it, but it gets very goofy and repetitive. I think I’m around. 3.5 on this but I’ll round down to three because of the same-yness
This is alright. 80s mixed with Elvis impersonation.
dom är ju coola och jag kan ha lite tid för det här distade 60 tals psych-rockabilly grejen
This was okay. Punk, but a bit flat on me. I like punk overall, but yhis didn't catch me.
Nobody does this better than the Cramps. Its a perfect version of what it is. I just don't feel like what it is can ever exceed 4 stars.
Not for me.
A high 2, but still a 2. Maybe I’m just not a rock-a-billy guy.
Não gostei muito
abrasive. Noisy. Sloppy. Pretty freaking awesome. Rockabilly surf rock freaky fun. It was a great album to listen to.
Probably 3.5ish?
I appreciate their direction and creating such a niche and unique sound with Songs the Lord Taught Us.
Looked at the album title and thought I was getting “All Things Bright and Beautiful” or Onward Christian Soldiers” Imagine my disappointment when I listened. 2/5 30/5/25
Favorite Track: I Was A Teenage Werewolf
Should've taught you better.
Super interesting music that I've never used to listen to. Almost every song sounds like a novelty but not in a bad way
Interesting mix of rockabilly, surf rock and punk. The album starts to drag a little bit, but overall it’s good. 3/5 Might listen again
Lovely stuff. Brought back some great memories.
It's not as bad as the title would suggest. Just a mid album I will probably not return to. 3/5
agggghhhhh..... get me outa here
Fun.
This is not really my style of music and usually I enjoy stuff I’m not accustomed to, but this was not it. The only good thing I can say is that the music sounded very vibrant but the rest of it just annoyed me deeply. Are they sure the lord taught them these songs? it might have been a random homeless man in an alley who vaguely resembles Jesus.
Kind of a snoozer. Also fits in the category I see a lot in the list of “hey I know this one song at the end from [insert TV show/movie/etc here] (2.5/5)
2/5 Didn't kill my ears but the only song I'll listen to after this is "I Was A Teenage Werewolf"
An interesting spin on punk adding in rockabilly, elivsey vibes to many songs. Wasn't for me but I can appreciate it being on the list
naja, für mich eher fragwürdig, wieso das album in der liste ist - punkrock, aber nicht mal gut. und auch nicht in einer anderen kategorie herausragend.
Kannte ich nicht, eine echte Entdeckung!
Some fun rockabilly with a slight post punk edge. It wears thin after a whole album, but it's a good time in smaller doses.
This was really interesting. A perfect balance of Dead Kennedys and The Clash
Nothing like a bit of punk to clear away the cobwebs. Two stars.
I've been meaning to listen for a while and glad I finally did that was great. Punkabilly is such a fun genre. I'm a big fan of the Fall who seem like an English brother with their "Mancabilly" style. Will definitely be coming back to this one and hopefully their later stuff is as fun as this. Plus extra style points for being in the CBGB scene. Rating: 4.6
Klikkuð plata. Varð bara betri með hverri keyrslu.
Hrikalega hresst, hrátt og skemmtilegt. Færðu heiminum sækórokkabillý hvort sem hann vildi það eða ekki. Tónlist að mínu skapi!
meh not for me
oh i loove this, i just KNOW trad goths eat this band up, it’s so like that one 50’s rockabilly auntie i literally cant pinpoint it, defo in some indie horror series, i was gonna say its goo goo muck ish but they literally wrote it so let me stay quiet, love their version of fever
I hate this . Honestly It’s just people speaking in annoying tones . Don’t like the sound of. Don’t like the people . Just please never make me listen to this again
okay im sorry but that was ass, didnt like it, struggled to finish it, soz x
Expected a 2 star album, got a 4 star. Would be shocked if early modest mouse wasn’t fans of these guys.
Kind of like if the B-52s married the Ramones. Only now that I've typed that, it sounds way more interesting than the songs on this particular album.
so first fuck it how many effect pedals are present on this fucking album tell me the monetary value of them added up and shut up eternally for me. apart from using the guitars to reinforce the lyric's atmosphere and fusing punk rock with 50s rock'n'roll one thing that the cramps did well is to prove is a band can have no bassist and do very well and this made the existance of bassists a joke. certified halloween album. guaranteed by the review writer, half a goth who just wears black and failed to do makeup. aka horror movie enjoyer. 4/5
nothing stuck with me
A fun album, but I was feeling sick when I listened, which dampened my enjoyment. A high 3, because I really dig the campy horror theme and probably would rate it higher if I weren’t nauseous Favorite: Zombie Dance 3.5
3/5
The sneering punk take on rockabilly put me off at first, but I came around as the album went on. It helps that "I Was a Teenage Werewolf" is such a banger. Still, it almost felt like a novelty record. I'm not sure I'll revisit.
This was a pretty fun throwback to my earliest days with alternative/goth/punk bands. It's got some groovy music and campy lyrics and is pretty much an 80s-era period piece. But still easy and fun enough for a couple enjoyable run throughs.
Ts so goofy bro
Just not my music
no. just no. bro sounds like a grim grinning ghost from haunted mansion. spooky scary skeleton type flow.
Yeah I like this one a lot
Though a bit predictable at times, a decent mix of genres.
2.5 some cool and fun songs, just not really my thing… they def could sing surfin’ bird tho
Okay.
Heard some Cramps songs before. I'm afraid I will never really get them. But I respect whatever the hell they have going on 2/5
Couldn't get past the first few tracks.
Liked a lot of it but most of the album didn't grip me. Garbage man slaps
Quite liked it, would probably listen again (particularly to some of their other stuff)
Sounds like it was recorded with tin cans and strings at the bottom of a disused backyard swimming pool. Can’t hear a goddamn thing. Every instrument and vocal is echoey and garbled. I can almost get behind "I Was a Teenage Werewolf," but, honestly, I only like the opening guitar riff. Then, they ruin the track. I really don't like anything else here. This is the sort of album that many people love because of how terrible it is. It’s raw and weird, and in some ways it’s what rock and roll is all about, but come on. This sounds like a band you hear in a friend’s garage in high school on a Tuesday afternoon, one week after they figured out how to plug in their amp. It’s not campy or fun, it’s just juvenile.
Surprisingly smart rocker. Good mix lyrics and music
Good, but far from great. The fact that the album's Wikipedia article is only two sentences says a lot about its "greatness".
This wasn’t it. One good track. Hangover nostalgia.
Didn't dislike a single second! Also can't remember a single second though :(
3.3 2x fun but not memorable
it was ok.
2.5/5
The B-52s if they were less good and also vaguely Halloween-themed. I thought the Cramps were a punk band?? 2.5
Good early punk album. Enjoyable enough without having an outstanding track on here.
This album's awesome. Imagine 1950s small town America with ice cream shops and drive in movies and "Enchantment Under the Sea" high school dances except everyone is a zombie or vampire or werewolf
## In-Depth Review of *Songs The Lord Taught Us* by The Cramps Released in 1980, *Songs The Lord Taught Us* is the debut album by The Cramps, a band that pioneered the psychobilly genre by blending rockabilly, punk, surf rock, and garage trash aesthetics into a unique and influential sound. Produced by Alex Chilton and recorded at Sam Phillips' Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, this album remains a cornerstone of alternative music history. --- ### **Lyrics** The lyrics of *Songs The Lord Taught Us* are steeped in campy horror themes, dark humor, and irreverent imagery. Lux Interior’s vocal delivery transforms seemingly absurd narratives into compelling tales. Tracks like “I Was a Teenage Werewolf” encapsulate adolescent angst with grotesque flair, describing puberty as a monstrous transformation: “braces on my fangs” and “puberty rites and puberty wrongs”[1][4]. Similarly, “TV Set” offers macabre humor with lines like “I cut your head off and put it in my TV set,” showcasing the band’s penchant for blending violence with absurdity[1][4]. The Cramps also reinterpret classic tracks with their signature style. Their cover of “Fever” transforms the seductive original into something smutty and sinister, adding layers of raw energy and sleaze[2]. The lyrics across the album are deliberately puerile yet sincere, creating a world that revels in its own trashy aesthetic[1]. --- ### **Music** The music on *Songs The Lord Taught Us* is raw, chaotic, and primal. Poison Ivy’s guitar work is central to the album’s sound; her ability to infuse 60s surf rock with distortion and horror elements defines the psychobilly vibe. Tracks like “Zombie Dance” feature high-octane riffs that evoke both nostalgia for early rock ‘n’ roll and a sense of unhinged rebellion[3]. Lux Interior’s vocals are equally distinctive—combining Elvis Presley’s croon with punk aggression and theatricality reminiscent of horror movie villains. His delivery alternates between animalistic growls and melodramatic crooning, creating an audio experience that feels like an auditory horror film[3]. Percussion from Nick Knox adds to the manic energy; simple yet effective drum patterns provide a driving force behind the chaos[3]. The production by Alex Chilton enhances the lo-fi aesthetic. Recorded at Sun Studio, the album embraces reverb-heavy distortion and feedback rather than polishing imperfections. This raw production style amplifies the band’s rebellious ethos[1][5]. --- ### **Themes** Thematically, *Songs The Lord Taught Us* explores horror tropes, delinquency, sexuality, and rebellion. The band draws heavily from campy B-movie aesthetics—zombies, werewolves, and other monsters populate their lyrical universe. This is complemented by their celebration of trash culture, from rockabilly roots to psychedelic excess[1][5]. The album also serves as a homage to early rock ‘n’ roll pioneers while simultaneously subverting their conventions. Covers like “Strychnine” (originally by The Sonics) and “Tear It Up” (by Johnny Burnette) are reimagined with distorted guitars and chaotic energy that make them uniquely Cramps[5]. In this way, *Songs The Lord Taught Us* bridges nostalgia for rock’s origins with punk-era irreverence. --- ### **Production** Alex Chilton’s production captures the essence of The Cramps’ sound without compromising their rawness. Recorded at Sam Phillips’ legendary Sun Studio—a site synonymous with rockabilly’s birth—the album channels the spirit of early rock while pushing boundaries[1][5]. Chilton’s approach emphasizes distortion, reverb, and feedback rather than technical precision. This lo-fi production style complements the band’s aesthetic perfectly; it feels unpolished yet intentional. Tracks like “Garbageman” feature gloriously distorted guitar tones that embrace chaos rather than suppress it[1][4]. This rawness is integral to the album’s identity as an anti-establishment statement. --- ### **Influence** *Songs The Lord Taught Us* is widely regarded as one of the most influential albums in alternative music history. It laid the foundation for psychobilly—a genre that blends punk energy with rockabilly swagger—and inspired countless bands including The Misfits, Tiger Army, Nekromantix, and Rancid[4]. Its impact extends beyond music; The Cramps’ embrace of trash culture influenced fashion, art, and underground subcultures. The album also serves as a gateway to forgotten musical traditions. By covering obscure tracks from artists like Link Wray and Johnny Burnette, The Cramps introduced listeners to rockabilly’s roots while redefining them for a new generation[1][5]. Their encyclopedic knowledge of first-generation rock ‘n’ roll ensured their legacy as both innovators and preservationists. --- ### **Pros** 1. **Unique Sound:** The fusion of punk energy with rockabilly roots creates a genre-defining psychobilly sound. 2. **Raw Production:** Alex Chilton’s lo-fi approach enhances the album’s rebellious aesthetic. 3. **Iconic Performances:** Lux Interior’s theatrical vocals paired with Poison Ivy’s inventive guitar work create an unforgettable experience. 4. **Cultural Impact:** Influenced countless bands and subcultures while preserving rockabilly traditions. 5. **Timeless Themes:** Horror tropes and irreverent humor remain appealing across generations. --- ### **Cons** 1. **Limited Accessibility:** The trashy aesthetic and chaotic sound may alienate listeners unfamiliar with punk or psychobilly. 2. **Repetitive Elements:** Some tracks rely heavily on similar riffs or lyrical themes. 3. **Technical Simplicity:** While intentional, the rudimentary musicianship may be seen as a drawback by those seeking complexity. 4. **Polarizing Vocals:** Lux Interior’s exaggerated delivery might not appeal to everyone. --- ### **Conclusion** *Songs The Lord Taught Us* is more than just an album—it’s an immersive experience into a world of horror-inspired rebellion and trash culture celebration. Its raw production style, innovative fusion of genres, and unapologetic embrace of absurdity make it a masterpiece in its own right. While it may not cater to mainstream tastes due to its deliberate roughness and niche themes, its influence on alternative music is undeniable. For fans of punk or psychobilly—or anyone seeking an escape into a gloriously deviant sonic universe—this album remains essential listening even decades after its release.
I’d heard Teenage Werewolf before as it was in the soundtrack to Stranger Things (don’t remember which season) so I expected this album to be two things. Weird and raw. It was. I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it.
2.5 - Meh
Not familiar with The Cramps. They sound a lot like B-52s to me. Decent rockabilly sound, high energy, and a bit silly. Mystery Plane, Strychnine, and I’m Cramped are the best songs. The Cramps limp in at (2.2*s)
This might have been decently cool in the 80's but it didn't age very well. It sounds like it was recorded in a shed so its target audience is definitely teens who want to piss off their parents by playing this super loud and banging on shit around the house. The most interesting part is how the band members met (hitchhiker pickup) but I'm not a fan of their personas and stage-names. One of the more decent songs, "Strychnine" is a cover and The Sonics do it better anyway. This was not for me. 1.30 for goth, vampire, rockabillies doing a hoedown in a tin shed.
Heard of The Cramps around the punk scene but never gave them a listen. After hearing the debut, don't need to revisit them again. This was not good in my opinion and even though they may have started the psychobilly scene for stepping out of the box, they have a pretty annoying sound. "Garbage Man" was the only track with some appeal. Glad this one was a shorty cause I wouldn't have been able to take much more. They need to find a new instructor...1.33.
I guess it's a different take on garage punk I guess. Almost seemed like they don't take it seriously and just want to get on stage, act like a bunch of clowns and sling some weird punk songs at you. I really couldn't tell if they were good musicians as it mainly comes off as manic punk vocals with a steady back beat. It's not the worst thing but it also gets annoying pretty quickly as most songs sound the same. 30 minutes was about all I needed of that. 2.09 stars
IT was different, but fun.
I'm not sure why I didn't like this more. I listened to it a few times but I found it difficult to listen to at any volume. 2.5
Sounds like a few drunks trying karaoke. This was bad
Got a bit bored
Kind of a novel sound. Taking some of the goofier punk elements and sending it straight into rockabilly. I'm not sure if it was an influence, but I feel like Jello Biafra and Dead Kennedies took a bit of this into making their sound--maybe not this album as they DK was already around at this point, but maybe earlier stuff? Not clear on timeline there, but some affinity. The raw, screechy guitar sound really works for this kind of punk. I'm not sure I'll listen to this a lot, but may go back to in the future. 3.4