A Short History of The Cramps

The Cramps are Lux Interior and Poison Ivy. They have been central to psycho rockabilly since around 1975. During that time they have been infatuated with sleaze and songs promoting things like 'jumping on the drug train'. They ask dodgy questions like 'what's inside a girl' and sing about odd dances like 'The Crusher' which includes the move 'do the eye gouge'. But The Cramps aren't all image. They also back it up with spot-on sleazy-riffed music. The drums drive-on and the feedback slashes through the voodoo-hillbilly singing. There's some darkness, but there's also a lot of humor.

Lux Interior and Poison Ivy met in Sacramento, California. They teamed up with ex-Electric Eels drummer Nick Knox, and guitarist Bryan Gregory. But it wasn't until they went to New York that they started making music seriously. It was the time of CBGB's. They hung out with the Ramones and the New York Dolls, who they like a lot.

Not too dissimilar to the Misfits, The Cramps played garage punk mixed in with rockabilly with some texture and mood thrown in. They managed to get a session with ex-Big Star man Alex Chiltern. The session was recorded and then released as the 'Gravest Hits' EP. It was full of sludgy punk. But the tinny sound influenced bands like Royal Trux and Pussy Galore in the years to come. The EP was a sinister listen.

Chiltern's production set the vocal up high. Lux Interior sounded like a demonic Jerry Lee Lewis as he screamed and whispered all over the tracks. On the song called 'Love Me' he can be heard moving saliva around his mouth and there is plenty of mic-popping and unintentional noise. But with lyrics like 'Papapapapapa-papapapap-oo-mow-mow, papa-oo-mow-mow' it really doesn't matter.

Alex Chiltern was again at the control desk when The Cramps made 'Songs The Lord Taught Us' in 1978. This time the sound is more straightforward rockabilly with plenty of fuzzbox and vibrato on the guitar. The lyrics could have come straight out of the B-movies of the 1950's. It sounds lie rock'n'roll sounded before it became a corporate device.

Brian Gregory left the band and was replaced a number of times by various guitarists. A bass player was added which meant a fuller sound. Their songs became more accessible. Kid Congo Powers, from Gun Club, featured on 'Psychedelic Jungle'. The sound is still sort of sludgy but not so much of a mess as before. They released 'Smell Of Female'. A live recording which highlights just how good The Cramps were at putting on a show and creating sonic atmosphere. But it is with 'A Date With Elvis' that The Cramps finally hit top form. It was released in 1986 and is all punky rock'n'roll psychobilly with plenty of humor in songs like 'What's Inside A Girl?' and 'Can Your Pussy Do The Dog?'. The drumming remains straight ahead and minimal and the guitar playing is effortlessly cool. The album gains a lot from the notion of less is more production. The band just played and the songs were recorded. Just like rock'n'roll used to be.