The Cramps – Songs The Lord Taught Us LP

Description

Continuing the spooked-out and raging snarls of theirGravest HitsEP, the Cramps once again worked withAlex Chiltonon the group’s full-album debut, Songs the Lord Taught Us. The jacket reads “file under: sacred music,” but only if one’s definition includes the holy love of rockabilly sex-stomp, something which the Cramps fulfill in spades. Having spentGravest Hitsmostly doing revamps of older material, the foursome tackled a slew of originals like “The Mad Daddy” and “TV Set” this time around, creating one of the few neo-rockabilly records worthy of the name. Years later Songs still drips with threat and desire both, testament to both the band’s worth andChilton’s just-right production. “Garbageman” surfaced as a single in some areas, a wise choice given the at-once catchy roll of the song and downright frightening guitar snarls, especially on the solo. The covers ofthe Sonics’ “Strychnine” andBilly Burnette’s “Tear It Up” — not to mention the concluding riff on “Fever” — all challenge the originals.Interiorhas the wailing, hiccuping, and more down pat, but transformed into his own breathless howl, whileIvyandGregorykeep up the electric fuzz through more layers of echo than legality should allow.Knoxhelms the drums relentlessly; instead of punching through arena rock style,Chiltonkeeps the rushed rhythm running along in the back, increasing the sheer psychosis of it all. -All Music Guide