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Rating: 1980: the first LP by The Cramps, "Songs The Lord Taught Us", is released, where rock 'n roll becomes a punk obsession and all its rebellious energy is transfigured into sinister and unhealthy effects.
As considered as it may be as an operation, combining nostalgia for the Fifties and Sixties rock 'n roll and rockabilly with the rampant punk disease, and as much as this may sometimes result in effects that are deliberately ramshackle, there's no parodic or insane intent in The Cramps' intentions. Their psychobilly (or vodoobilly, as you will) can indeed be called a hallucinogenic and psychotic reinterpretation fully in homage to the models. It should not be forgotten that this is still the music Lux Interior, the histrionic-hysterical frontman of the group (born in 1946), grew up with; although, in The Cramps' roots, there's no shortage of Stooges, New York Dolls, and Ramones. Musically, the result is harsh and scathing, accentuated by the absence of bass and, at times, a wild and tribal drumbeat.
The album strings together a series of covers and original tracks, in some of which the reference to Sixties originals is still very strong. It opens with Interior sinisterly sobbing domestic nightmare visions in "TV Set", then moves to an hypnotic and obsessive "Garbageman" among others. If in "I Was A Teenage Werewolf" the effect is that of a werewolf emulating Elvis howling at the full moon, "Zombie Dance" is the jumbled rock outcome of a living dead sabbath. The stuttering "Mad Daddy" is intense, while evident erotic curiosities sneak into "What's Behind The Mask".
Notable is the sick and mocking cover of "Strychnine" by the Sonics and the delirious transfiguration undergone by Dwight Pullen's "Sunglasses After Dark", two of the best tracks. On the whole, however, the cover of "Fever" seems superfluous (the dark vein lining the original is faint), but is nevertheless a due tribute from Interior & co. to "the Pelvis".
In essence, an album wild and perverse like these Cramps, among the icons of 80s cross-dressing and with an Addams family aplomb. While you wonder from which old comic book they emerged, the most effective image comes to mind: the memory of some low-grade horror film where Lux Interior is a visionary and eccentric vampire and the haughty Poison Ivy a sexy seductive she-devil, together casting their bizarre musical spells in the underworld of some New York cave.
Indeed, when the "Big Apple" had a black vinyl peel, it was worm-eaten by punk and etched with a crooked smile, akin to a Halloween pumpkin.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 TV Set (03:22)
Oo baby, i see you in my TV set, yea baby i see you in my Tv set
i cut your head off and put it in my TV set. i use your eyeballs for dials on my TV set.
I watch TV, i watch TV, since i put you in my TV set.
Oh baby, i hear you on my radio. Yea baby i hear you on my radio.
You going flip, flip, flip, for the radio, oh you going drip, drip, drip, on my radio.
AM radio, AM radio, since i tune you and find my radio oh, like this.
Oh baby, I see you in my frigidare. Yea baby i see you in my frigidare.
Behind the mayonaise, way in the back. i'm gonna see you tonight for a midnight snack.
And though it's cold, you won't get old, cuz you're well preserved in my frigidare.
Oh baby, look so good in my crib at night. Oh baby, look so good in my crib at night.
I could give you a million hugs, you look so good all covered up in bugs.
Oh i missed something, under your chair, but that's allright, i'll sweep you under the hug, oh!
Oh baby i see you in my TV set, Yea baby i see you in my TV set, i cut your head off and put it in my TV set, i use your eyeballs for dials on my TV set.
I watch TV, i watch TV, but since i seen you i been so upset!
03 Garbageman (03:32)
you ain't no punk, you punk. you wanna talk about the real junk? if i ever slip, i'll be banned 'cause i'm your garbageman. well you can't dig me you can't dig nothin'. do you want the real thing, or are you just talkin'? do you understand? i'm your garbageman. yeah, somethin' from the garage and down the driveway. now get outta your mind and get outta my way. now do you understand? do you understand? louie, louie, louie, lou-i the bird's the word and do you know why? you gotta beat it with a stick. you gotta beat it 'til it's thick. you gotta live until you're dead. you gotta rock 'til you see red. now do you understand? do you understand? i'm a garbageman. aw, jump on and ride... yeah it's just what you need when you're down in the dumps. one half hillbilly and one half punk. big long legs and one big mouth. the hottest thing from the north to come out of the south. do you understand? do you understand? woo, i can't lose with the stuff i use, and you don't choose no substitutes. so stick out your can 'cause i'm your garbageman. louie, louie, louie, lou-i the bird's the word and do you know why? you gotta beat it with a stick. you gotta beat it 'til it's thick. you gotta live until you're dead. you gotta rock 'til you see red. now do you understand? do you understand? do you understand? all right, hop off.
04 I Was a Teenage Werewolf (03:05)
I was a teenage werewolf
Braces on my fangs
I was a teenage werewolf
And no one even said thanks
And no one made me stop
I ran a two-minute mile
I had to blow my top
In the teen full moon
No one could make me stop
No one could make me stop
A teenage werewolf
A pair of little boys
A teenage girlfriend
Got her lot of scars
Somebody please make me stop
Ohhh please
You know, I have puberty rights
And I have puberty wrongs
No one understood me
All my teeth were so long
And no one made me stop
A Midwest monster
Of the highest grade
All my teachers thought
It was growing pains, oh no no
Somebody stop this pain, ohhh
07 Mystery Plane (03:40)
My Daddy drives a UFO
Drops me off and then he goes
Leaves me on this mystery plane
But he’ll be back for me again
Oh, Oh yes he will
Yeah!
Now I just can’t identify
With this world so I don’t try
Square pegs don’t fit in round holes
And I can’t fit into these cloths
No
My daddy’s unidentified
My mom says I just appeared inside
Looks like a case of hit and run
But off the record it’s no fun
No, no, no fun
No!
My daddy he’ll come back again
And take me from this mystery plane
And maybe if I go real slow
He’ll let me drive his UFO, Oh, Oh, Oh
Oh Boy
My Daddy drives a UFO
My Daddy drives a UFO
My Daddy drives a UFO
U
F
O
08 Zombie Dance (01:53)
Zombie Dance
The Cramps
At the Zombie Dance
Here's Ben and Betty
They tap their toes
But they don't get sweaty
They don't give a damn
They're done dead already
At the Zombie Dance
Nobody moves
They tap their toes
Yeah, wiggle their ears to get in the groove
yeah
They do 'The Boogaloo'
at the Zombie Hall
They write "BORN TO LOSE"
On Zombie restroom wall
The kinda life they choose
Ain't life at all
At the Zombie Dance
Nobody moves
They tap their toes
Yeah, wiggle their ears to get in the groove
yeah (move!)
Everybody calm down
Nobody blow their cool
Nobody hang around
Zombie dancing school
They do the swim face-down
In the Zombie pool
At the Zombie Dance
Nobody moves
They tap their toes
Yeah, wiggle their ears to get in the groove
yeah
At the Zombie Dance
Nobody moves
yeah
10 Strychnine (02:25)
Some folks like water,
Some folks like wine,
But I like a taste,
Of straight strychnine,
You may think it's funny,
That I like this stuff,
But once you've tried it,
You can't get enough,
The wine is red,
And poison is blue,
Strychnine is good,
Oh what's a ??? to you,
The wine is red,
And poison is blue,
Strychnine is good,
Oh what's a ??? to you, oh oh oh
If you listen to what I say,
And you try strychnine someday,
Make you choke,
It'll make you shout,
Illegal, and knock you high,
Some folks like water,
Some folks like wine,
But I like the taste,
Of straight strychnine,
Strychnine(ay ay) [x4]
11 I'm Cramped (02:36)
I'm cramped
I'm cramped.
I'm cramped
I'm cramped.
I'm cramped
I'm cramped.
I'm cramped
I'm cramped.
I'm cramped
I'm cramped.
12 Tear It Up (02:31)
Well, come on little mamma, let's tear this dance floor up
Come on little mamma, let's tear this dance floor up
Come on little mamma, let's see you strut your stuff
Tear it up pa pa pa pa
Tear it up pa pa pa pa
Tear it up
Tear it up
Come on little mamma, tear this dance floor up
Well you step back baby, and you move my way,
step around again and let me hear you say
Yeah, you (?) back baby, turn it my way
Turn around again and let me hear what you say
Tear it up
Tear it up
Come on little mamma, let's tear this dance floor up
Tear it up pa pa pa pa
Tear it up pa pa pa pa pa pa
Tear it up
Tear it up
Come on little mamma, tear this dance floor up
I'm a-leavin' little mamma, gonna be gone a long long time
I'm a-leavin' little mamma, gonna be gone a long long time
Come on little mamma, let's show you a real good time
Whoaa
Tear it up pa pa pa pa
Tear it up pa pa pa pa
Whoaa
Tear it up
Come on little mamma, tear this dance floor up
Tear it up pa pa pa pa
Tear it up pa pa pa pa
Tear it up
Tear it up
Come on little mamma, tear this dance floor up
Tear it up pa pa pa pa
Tear it up pa pa pa pa
Tear it up
Tear it up
Come on little mamma, tear this dance floor up
Right now !
Tear it up pa pa pa pa
Tear it up pa pa pa pa
Tear it up
Tear it up
Come on little mamma, tear this dance floor up
Tear it up pa pa pa pa pa pa
Tear it up pa pa pa pa pa pa
Tear it up
Tear it up
Come on little mamma, tear this dance floor up
Come on little mamma, tear this dance floor up
Come on little mamma, tear this dance floor up
Come on little mamma, tear this dance floor up
13 Fever (04:16)
No one knows how much I love you
No one knows how much I care
But when you put your arms around me
I get a feeling that's hard to bear
You give me fever, when you kiss me
Fever when you hold me tight
Fever in the morning
Fever all through the night
Sun lights up the day time
Moon lights up the night
I light up when you call my name
Cause I know you're gonna treat me right
You give me fever, when you kiss me
Fever when you hold me tight
Fever in the morning
Fever all through the night
Captain Smith and Pocahontas
Had a very mad affair
When her daddy tried to kill him
She said, "Daddy, oh, don't you dare."
He gives me fever, with his kisses
Fever when he holds me tight
Fever I'm his missus
So Daddy won't you treat him right
Everybody's got the fever
That is something we all know
Fever isn't such a new thing
Fever Started long ago
Romeo loved Juliet
Juliet she felt the same
When he put his arms around her
He said "Julie, baby, you're my flame."
You give me fever, when you kiss me
Fever when you hold me tight
Fever in the morning
Fever all through the night
Well, now you've listened to my story
Here's the point that I have made
The Cramps were born to give you fever
Be it farenheit or centigrade
We give you fever, when we rock you
Fever 'till you live and learn
Fever 'till you sizzle
But What a lovely way to burn
What a lovely way to burn
What a lovely way to burn
What a lovely way to burn
What a lovely way to burn
What a lovely way to burn
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Other reviews
By Borrito
"Songs The Lord Taught Us belongs to the class of landmark albums, medicinal products that combat boredom and apathy."
"It is important to know that the product alters the sense of sleep and causes the exacerbation of symptoms of vampirism, lycanthropy, sleepwalking, and cramps."
