The Cramps are one of those select handful of bands that have such a groundbreaking combination of sharply-defined musical, sartorial and behavioral styles as to stake a claim to being 'unique' in so far as that oft-abused epithet may be applied to a mere 'beat combo'. The Cramps weren't Punk like The Pistols, New Wave like Television, Garage like The Fleshtones, nor Glam like The New York Dolls... no, they really were something else, with a garish graveyard Trash aesthetic all of their very own. The Cramps first releases were a brace of singles, produced by ex-Box Top and Big Star maverick main man Alex Chilton, recorded in 1978 at Memphis' Ardent Studios: Human Fly b/w Domino and Surfin' Bird b/w The Way I Walk. The band's potent fuzz-drenched and reverb-soaked sound was succinctly and accurately described as a stew of depraved influences - TV, 60's garage punk, comic books, jungle movies, deep-ghetto R&B and shock-value theatrics. By the summer of 1979, the Cramps had completed their first European tour and returned to New York. They signed to IRS Records and began work on their debut album produced once again by Chilton. The producer's obsessive attention to detail resulted in the album, 'Songs The Lord Taught Us', not being released until March 1980. This superb recording from New York's Irving Plaza features rip-snorting live versions of 6 of the albums 13 tracks: Mystery Plane, Zombie Dance, Garbageman, I Was A Teenage Werewolf, Sunglasses After Dark and TV Set. Although The Cramps sophomore album, Psychedelic Jungle was not destined to appear until 1981, both Voodoo Idol and Rockin' Bones are also previewed here. Weekend On Mars would have to wait even longer before finally making onto wax as the B-side of a French New Rose single in 1984.
R**Y
Greatest rock & Roll band ever
Greatest rock & Roll band ever. Period. Plus this is from their best lineup that still had Bryan Gregory & Nick Knox, the coolest of the cool... Lux was the greatest front man I've ever seen HANDS DOWN. RIP Lux & Keep on bangin out the beats Nick!! Love the Cramps forever!
M**I
Five Stars
Great early stuff. Always love em. Might get one or two of the others from this series.
K**R
The Cramps!
Great live shtuff! Long live Lux!
R**S
The Cramps: Twist and Shout about their Rockin' Bones
The Cramps: Twist and Shout about their Rockin' BonesbyRob JonesThe Cramps Coast to Coast is a live radio broadcast that has been put to CD by the good folk of Sonic Boom-and, may we bless this label for a gung ho gift! The Cramps are on form and open your ears, close your eyes, tune in the brain and smell the male and female presence of a unique encounter with a one off act. This is as close as your music playing apparatus can get to the real thing. As Lux intimates there is no other band like his-and, how we miss him and his combo!These two 1979 shows have our anti-heroes lining up with Mr, Interior, Poison Ivy Rorschach, Bryan Gregory and Nick Knox and this fesity four know how to Twist & Shout I shall always be envious of my brother as he managed to see The Cramps live and that experience is not an option after the sad passing away of the legendary Lux in 2009. It is up to releases such as this 66 minute, 21 track firecracker to take every Human Fly aboard a Mystery Plane for a Weekend on Mars!The sets present are from The Irving Plaza, New York (songs 1-13) and The Keystone, Palo Alto (14-21) and the graveyard garage, surreal psychobilly cuts through the atmosphere like a turbo powered kango hammer. The Cramps are described as thriving on 'depraved influences....TV, 60's garage punk, comic books, jungle movies, deep-ghetto R & B and shock-vallue theatrics' but there is even more to their momentous mantra.Coast to Coast is a fine document of The Cramps 70's fuzz-drenched, reverb soaked majesty in advance of their debut album. The early anthems are aplenty in the sonic stew and these belters provide many joys along with some tasty rarities. The versions of Rockin' Bones with its whirlpool warcry adding to the lead vocals is the beast amongst a lot of monster tunes-but, there is no filler only killer here!I've been to New York and Palo Alto but I've not seen The Cramps! There you go-as Lux states 'I can hear the hair growing out of my arms right now' and, get ready for a similar sensation!
T**C
The Cramps Can't go wrong!!!
It's the Cramps!!!!! Need I say more?. Well worth the money!!!! Great classic stuff!!!!
M**D
The Cramps - 'Coast To Coast' (Sonic Boom)
Here, you get two early Cramps gigs - first is from an FM radio broadcast that took place on August 18, 1979 at Irving Plaza in New York, NY as it's inspiring to relive {once again} the ass-kicking "Mystery Plane", "Weekend On Mars", one I hadn't heard in ages 'Voodoo Idol", "Rockin' Bones", the awesome "Teenage Werewolf" as well as "TV Set" and "The Way I Walk". Exact same concert you get on The Cramps 'Teenage Werewolf Live' CD (see my review). This disc's last eight tracks are from a show on February 1, 1979 at the Keystone in Palo Alto CA. Also available on 2-lp yellow-colored vinyl.
C**R
cramps chaos
This is a great album that captures the chaos of early cramps concerts , the only thing that let's it down is the sound quality , there are better bootlegs out there . but please don't purchase if this is a starting point to The cramps .
V**N
black
It is great to hear an early show by the original crampsBy the time they played the UK the lineup was really just lux and ivy with hangers onAll of the early singles are here with most of songs the Lord taught usIf you are into goth or anything black with crosses you need this
P**E
Five Stars
Like the cramps? Yes! Buy this ! dirty, raw and essential.brings a tear to the eye.
User
Five Stars
Awesome music.
R**S
Five Stars
Great price love it
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