Customer Reviews

Date With Elvis

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Originally released in 1986,as this was their fifth 'actual' record(is that all?).Either way,'Date With Elvis' showcases some great rockin' psychobilly for your listening pleasure.Just about every track here kicks ass,like the swinging "The Hot Pearl Snatch","What's Inside A Girl?","Can Your Pussy Do The Dog?","Cornfed Dames"(forgot all about this superb cut),the boot-stompin' "Chicken" and "Aloha From Hell".As with most Cramps releases,'Date...' is most worth repeated spins.Simply a must-have.

This album features the Cramps usual brand of rockabilly influenced punk (or punk influenced rockabilly), with a bit of surf music tossed in this time. This is one of the Cramps better albums. A lot of fun, raunchy songs like the classic "Can Your Pussy Do the Dog?". It even includes a rare lead vocal by Poison Ivy on "Get Off the Road". A must get for Cramps fans.

By 1986 the core members of The Cramps had been together for a decade and thus the basic formula for a good album was probably like second nature to them by this time.

"A Date With Elvis" kicks off with the eerie, Suicide-like drone that appeared on 1984's "New Kind of Kick". But then the drums immediately kick off one of The Cramps catchiest, toe-tapping-est numbers in "How Far Can Too Far Go", in which Lux's vocals seem more upfront that ever.

There's some humorous and racy songs in the pounding "Hot Pearl Snatch", twist-friendly "Can Your Pussy Do the Dog" and the play-on-words "Kizmiaz"--a real departure--with it's dreamy, fairy-tale atmosphere and female backup vocals.

The super-fast "Chicken" is Lux in Jerry Lee Lewis soundalike mode; the spritual "(Hot Pool of) Womanneed" is his best Elvis-as-an-evangelist impersonation. "Aloha From Hell" has much in common with Elvis movie melodies like "Viva Las Vegas". There's a twangy ballad called "It's Just That Song" but it doesn't amount to much.

"People Ain't No Good" is straight-ahead rock and roll that features a children's chorus; "Cornfed Dames" has to be their most explosive song ever; the best number is "What's Inside a Girl" which reaches its boiling point at the third verse when those drumsticks start clicking away (Rock-n-roll just doesn't get any better than this).

Make sure you get the remastered version with the four bonus tracks: The western-sounding "Blue Moon Baby", slinky "Georgia Lee Brown" and "Give Me a Woman" as well as the rare 'girls-on-lead-vocals' "Get Off The Road".

"A Date With Elvis" is The Cramps at the top of their game. Along with 1980's "Songs The Lord Taught Us", this is a Must-Have!

This was actually the first Cramps cd I ever got and now that I own the rest of their cds this one has always remained my favorite. If you are new to The Cramps this would be a great album to start with. They are hard to label - part punk, rockabilly, psychobilly, surf, and just plain rock n roll all thrown together. Lead singer Lux Interior died in 2009 and the band called it quits after a career lasting more than 30 years. This album originally was released in 1986 and contains some of my all-time favorite Cramps songs. "The Hot Pearl Snatch", "What's Inside A Girl?", and "Can Your Pussy Do The Dog?" are my top three songs on here, but this album is really solid from start to finish.

Nobody ever played this kind of stuff as well as the legendary Cramps. The sad recent death of vocalist Lux Interior prompted me to drag this wonderful LP out of my files. I'd forgotten how great it is. I reckon this is the band's peak - a concept album with inspired tight instrumentation, superb production and engaging lyrics centred on those staple Cramps themes of sex, perversion and 'alternative lifestyle'. The trademark sense of humour is never far away, for example 'Kizmiaz' about a mythical utopian paradise (as in 'kiss my ass').

At first sight/sound the Cramps appeared to be just another garage psychobilly combo, but when you get into their stuff there's so much more to it. What sets this particular LP apart is that each track is loosely based on an Elvis number, but not as direct covers - that would be too obvious. The fun is to identify the Elvis song each track alludes to, with clues aplenty in the riffs, arrangements and harmonies. [Here's one to start you off: listen to 'Aloha From Hell' and then listen to 'Baby Let's Play House' by Elvis].

A brilliant album by a unique and brilliant band.

The Cramps first two albums solidify them as my all-time favorite band. I definitely prefer their more horror and nearly surreal earlier work to the later double entendre laden stuff (even though their lesser work easily trumps 99% of any other rockabilly or garage band nowadays). "A Date With Elvis" is when they largely abandoned the horror and comic book motif of the early albums and headed in the new direction. However, its still a very good album. The humor is more often than not sidesplitting funny, and the riffing is some of the best work the band ever did. There really isn't a bad track on the album, and the best ("How Far Can Too Far Go", "What's Inside a Girl", and "Can Your Pussy Do the Dog") are instantly memorable. The production is good also, a much sleeker sound than the earlier records that somehow only enhances the sleaze. This definitely isn't the best album The Cramps released or the ideal starting place, but its still an excellent slice of psychobilly.

The Cramps are the masters of punkabilly and purportedly the reason for the psychobilly movement, and they really come through on this one! Starting from the start, 'A Date With Elvis' examines all kinds of cultural questions, such as the great 'How far can too far go?' amd. 'People ain't no good' is a thesis on human interaction with Lux Interior (the lead singer). The songs 'Kizmiaz' and 'Aloha From Hell' visit exciting and exotic places to go in a punkabilly, ...sort of way. There's not a bad song on this, and the extras include a rare vocalization by Poison Ivy Rorschac, the attractive guitarist of The Cramps since the beginning. This album is a must have for the curiousity- seekers and old time fans of The Cramps.

Hands down, the best and most solid Cramps release EVER! Breaking away slightly from the straight up rockabilly sound to incorporate some surf tones only enhances this already great cd. We also find Lux not as dark and sinister; instead acting up in a fun and playful way with songs like Chicken, Cornfed Dames and Can Your P*ssy Do The Dog? . These songs show the direction the band would pretty much follow for the next several albums. Other highlights however are the songs Kizmiaz (Lux and Ivy's swooning duet) and What's Inside A Girl? (which shows Lux's admiration for serial killer Ed Gein). In all honesty though, there's not one dull track on this album! If you don't already have this one, why the hell not?!

The Cramps have shown the world that they have been a force to reckon with over the last 20 years. With every album their intensity becomes stronger, but most of all more sick. That to me is the true spirit of rock and roll! A date with Elvis is my personal fave. Who can forget the classics such as "Can your pussy do the dog?", and Hot Pearl snatch." The Cramps are the only band that I can think of right a-way that have remained true to their rock and roll roots and vision. Having met Lux, Ivy, Slim and Harry I must say they have a very intoxicating presence, but most of all are very kind people. (They always put me on the guest list!!!). Buy this album!!!! AllenGator

Retro push 40 losers like myself dig this nonsense. We need to cling to our endless fear of growing too old. We ultimately settle. Settle with a situation not too different then your own. But what do I know?