Do the spasm
FILEUNDER
Imet The Cramps once. They were delightful company and most encouraging to my tyro band appearing on the same bill. And they certainly put their backs into their work, Lux Interior giving his all during soundcheck, rehearsals and the final show, proverbially swinging from the chandeliers at every opportunity. Like all great one-offs they’d created a cultural cul de sac for themselves, and they threw a party in there, rock’n’roll as kitschy karnival, served with a dash of graveyard smash, a tongue in the cheek and spiked drinks for all. Forming part of an extended tribute to their very particular aesthetic, the fifth instalment in a possibly limitless series gathering the kind of tunes The Cramps deeply dug, Jukebox In Crampsville (Righteous) is a hoot. Sixty cuts that veer from the bizarre to the berserk. Or the both. Take I’m The Wolfman, Round Robin’s raucous gumbo of fuzz and growl with the hero as a hairy sex pest, or its complete opposite, the mysterious Mr Sunshine’s country-flavoured public service announcement, Marijuana The Devil’s Flower. There’s plenty of daft teenage cash-ins, from the list of concerns that generates Pimples And Braces by Ric Gary to the finger-clicking parody Teenage Beatnik. Buzz-Buzz-Buzz is a doo wop classic that challenges you to keep still, while fans of raunchy sax will appreciate Bob Bunny’s Scatty Cat, Bob Taylor’s After Hours (Flyin’ High), Boom Stix by Curly & The Jades – a tassel-shaking stomper complete with Bo Diddley rhythm, wailing sax and swinging drum solo – and the outrageous Frank Motley & His Motley Crew’s crazed rocker with overdriven spoken asides about the benefits of Honkin’ At Midnight. Other stirring sounds include the absurd slap-back echo landscaping Sidney Jo Lewis’s Boppin’ To Grandfather’s Clock and the rubbery momentum of The Nomads’ Icky Poo. In a region beloved by The Cramps, the unlikely crossover, we find Akim’s Voodoo Drums, a tiki twist, and Garrett Williams’ literally offbeat Motorcycle Millie, which may be the lone example of rockabilly reggae. Fling, by The Phaetons, could easily have provided the inspiration for Cramps classic Human Fly, and I loved Bing Day’s supercool Mama’s Place, with its great lower layer of double bass. Talking of which, it’s always a pleasure to hear the rumbling voice of twilight zone dweller Ken Nordine, here with a fable called What Time Is It? Meanwhile, Johnny Beeman’s two-parter Laffin’ Beatnik gets the award for most hope over reason in a recording studio. All are songs you could imagine making Lux and Ivy grin from ear to ear when they first heard them. Fiercely mastered from scratchy vinyl and rather light on info about the tracks’ provenance, this hard-copy playlist is nonetheless great fun and makes you want to throw the kind of party that would do it justice.
Jerking around a cult’s cute collection. By Jim Irvin.