Customer Reviews

How to Make a Monster

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Back in the early 80's, one of my close friends, whose woman done him wrong and was so skint he could only afford to eat mustard sandwiches and instant marcaroni-and-cheese, listened to nothing but The Cramps for three solid months because it buoyed his spirits. No, he wasn't in a rock and roll band. Laid-off auto worker...

While a down-and-out mindset isn't a prerequisite to listening to The Cramps, it certainly helps to get down to their level. At this point, it's obvious to anyone who's been paying attention that they're spinning their wheels in their own unique universe of bad taste, tawdry sex, over-the-top violence, and sub "B" exploitation flicks - no apologies offered and none needed - but it ain't a bad rut to be in.

This compilation takes a look back to the days when Erick Purkhiser and Kirsty Wallace (that's Lux Interior and Poison Ivy to you and me - I know, I'm hopeless!) hatched their dream of hitting Sun rockabilly, filthy R&B, and juvenile delinquent film soundtracks with defibrillators coated with cobwebs, eye of newt, and body parts stored down in the lab, and shouting "It's alive!" at the night sky.

Chances are if you're reading this, you aren't looking for an SACD/audiophile listening experience, which is good, because the quality of some of the early material included on "How To Make A Monster" makes most bootlegs sound like virgin vinyl, with the tape hiss on the 1976 rehearsal material recorded with guitarist (and Detroit boy) Bryan Gregory (nee Greg Beckerleg) threatening to drown everything else out. What emerges from the ether, however, is what might pass as background music for a party down in the torture chamber, early passes at now-established Cramps classics like "Domino," "Sunglasses After Dark," "TV Set," and "I Was A Teenage Werewolf," with Gregory's sister Pam (christened Pam Balam) and Miriam Linna handling the traps. And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the (wait for it) four rehearsal takes of "Rumble Blues" recorded with Gregory's successor, Kid Congo Powers.

Disc two is comprised of two sets of "Gravest Hits" and "Songs The Lord Taught Us" era tunes recorded at Max's Kansas City and CBGB in 1977 and 1978 respectively, when the band decided to take their vision public. It's a helluva beautiful wreck, with Lux drooling and about to burst an aneurysm, going on and on about who knows what, and Gregory and Ivy bringing the fuzz and distortion. If your idea of a party is fresh underwear, steer clear.

As if all of this sonic roughage wasn't enough, Lux and Ivy's liner notes are some of the best ever, loaded with personal and sometimes disturbing anecdotes, early photos, flyers, and detailed recording information. The Cramps have always been their chew toy and, as they stress in closing, nothing they've ever done has ever been meant as schtick, a popular misconception that "cuts us to our core." Point taken.

If your favorite Cramps CDs are Psychedellic Jungle/Gravest Hits and
Songs the Lord Taught Us, then How To Make A Monster is for you.
You probably won't dig EVERY track, but there's enough great stuff
to qualify this double CD as a "keeper." CD 2 contains two
historic live performances, both very early in their career: at Max's Kansas City and at CBGB's. Lack of modern production values, in this case, is a plus; because their raw greatness shines through.
Also there's a virtually naked picture of Ivy in the excellent
liner notes that I enjoy looking at very much. The live version
of The Way I Walk is especially special, as you can actually hear
the moment they win the audience over. Teenage Werewolf comes
off great as well; as does Domino.

Nice audio scrap book of some truly rare/nearly impossible-to-find snippets from the vaults that spans through much of the group's twenty-five plus year career.A total of 45 tracks.Disc one has plenty of semi-rough demos and rehearsal sets.All are of very listenable quality,dating back between 1976-88.Out of the six segments here,I think I like the 1982 A&M Studio demos the best,with "Five Years Ahead Of My Time"(one of the best Cramps songs I think I've ever heard),"Call Of The Wighat" and the Tommy James&The Shondells cover "Hanky Panky".Also fun to hear were the two October 1976 roughs "I Was A Teenage Werewolf" and "Can't Hardly Stand It".Disc two is a REAL gem.First part is a good-sounding nine track gig from the band's third EVER playing gig at Max's Kansas City in January 1977.With cuts like "Don't Eat Stuff Off The Sidewalk","Sunglasses After Dark","TV Set" and the unforgetable "I'm Cramped",you get to fully experience a real 'live' vintage Cramps concert.Check out the sparse-sounding crowd,but then again,this WAS their 3rd show.Second part is from another concert,a year later at the famed CBGB's,with tunes like "The Way I Walk","Human Fly","Uranium Rock" and "Subwire Desire" show you the way to yet another Cramps shindig of days gone by.This concert has been widely-available as both a bootleg(I'll assume)as well as a legit release known as 'Lucky 13'.Wanted to mention that I've seen something like six(6)Cramps bootleg CD's in the past year and even on those discs,there ARE songs here on 'How To Make A Monster' that I don't remember seeing on any of those boots.Also,this 2-CD is tracked MUCH better,perfect in fact.Back cover of the release notes that all these cuts are in fact previously unreleased.I believe that might mean THESE actual demo/rehearsal versions.Either way,'How To...' is a MUST-HAVE for any and all Cramps fans.Old,new,die-hards and just fans who enjoy collecting rare/live recordings of those such-cool bands that many of us never really seem to grow tired of.The line-up on many of these tunes are:Lux Interior-vocals,Poison Ivy-guitar,Byron Gregory(R.I.P.)-buzz guitar and Nick Knox-drums.Comes with an irresistible 24-page full-color booklet packed with loads of rarely(if ever)seen photos,well written liner notes and memorabilia.Most highly recommended.

What more could a Cramps cultist ask for?

This is worth the price for the skin-tight Friday the 13th CBGB set from January '78 alone. Throw in four - count 'em, four - takes of "Rumble Blues," with Lux ad-libbing "lyrics" to the Link Wray touchstone, and it's a bargain at any price. So what if the early rehearsal tapes sound like crap? It's the CRAMPS, damn it! And they're playing the forgotten bubblegum classic "Quick Joey Small." Whadda ya want, Rodney Jerkins? The CBGB set, surprisingly enough, is almost well-recorded, as are studio takes of such overlooked early-'80s classics as "Call of the Wighat" and a mindblowing take on the 3rd Bardo's "Five Years Ahead of My Time." Plus you get a '77 show at Max's Kansas City and some near-nekkid pix of Ivy. As close to heaven as we're likely to get in this here world.

It's almost like being there.

The essence of what the Cramps are. Anyone with any musical taste should buy a copy. Audiophile types KEEP OUT!

Lux Interior passed away yesterday - from the AP: Lux Interior, co-founder and lead singer of the pioneering horror-punk band the Cramps, has died, the group's publicist said. He was 60.
Interior -- whose real name was Erick Lee Purkhiser -- died Wednesday of a pre-existing heart condition at a hospital in Glendale, Calif., publicist Aleix Martinez said in a statement.
Interior met his future wife Kristy Wallace -- who would later take the stage name Poison Ivy -- in Sacramento in 1972.
The pair moved to New York and started the Cramps with Interior on lead vocals and Ivy on guitar. The group was a part of the late '70s early punk scene centered at Manhattan clubs like CBGB, alongside acts like the Ramones and Patti Smith.
Their unmistakable sound was a lo-fi synthesis of rockabilly and surf guitar staged with a deviant dose of midnight-movie camp. Some called it "psychobilly."
The pale, tall, gaunt Interior appeared shirtless with black hair and tiny, low-slung black pants, looking part zombie, part Elvis Presley as he crawled, writhed and howled his way across the stage.
The group had the raw intensity of punk, but took the music in new directions by incorporating theatrical elements, often horror-themed, in songs like "I Was a Teenage Werewolf" and "Bikini Girls With Machine Guns." Their breakthrough debut EP was 1979's "Gravest Hits."
The band made a notorious appearance at a California mental institution, Napa State Hospital, in 1978. The performance, whose video is still popular on YouTube, was a punk-era echo of the Folsom Prison concert of Johnny Cash, one of the band's influences.
Interior was widely rumored in 1987 to have died from a heroin overdose, and his wife received flowers and funeral wreaths.
"At first I thought it was kind of funny," he told the Los Angeles Times at the time. "But then it started to give me a creepy feeling."
The Cramps' lineup changed often through the decades but Interior and Ivy remained the center. Their bluesy, trebly sound -- the group didn't have a bass guitarist -- resonates in modern minimalist groups like the White Stripes and the Black Lips.
The band's last release was the 2004 rarities collection "How to Make a Monster." They were still touring as recently as last November.

The lone individual who complains that this disc contains some poorly recorded material, should re-examine thier priorities. First of all, the Cramps at their studio best sound pretty Lo Fi and anyone who buys a Cramps CD for sonic purity took a wrong turn. This collection of early demos and concerts is exactly what you might expect - not perfect sound, but great attitude! The sound actually exceeded my expectations and the enthusiasm of the crowd, etc. make this a very fun listen. If you are a Cramps fan - buy this now. However, it is not the place to start.

Delve into the origins of this legendary Rock 'N Roll machine with this double CD. Lots of great stuff here, but I think "Hanky Panky" has to be my favorite...

having read some of the reviews concerning the sound quality i was a little hesitant to buy this but am glad i did. the live shows on the 2nd disc are great, the Max's show (just their 3rd live performance) for the crowd ambience and chatter, the CBGB gig for the music itself, they just rip it up. the improvement in their live performance over 1 year is amazing. true the demos are rough in spots but give great insight into how they started. near the end they do an off the cuff version of the Shondell's "Hanky Panky" that ROCKS. the booklet is fantastic too. totally worthwhile for a Cramps fan. hopefully they have more in the vaults, ie the whole gig from the Peppermint Lounge that they used for "Smell of Female".

i lost track of the cramps somewhere around a date w/ elvis. it is *great* to hear this again. they defined a time. i used to play in a secondary band, called the junkie sluts, that started out doing nothing but cramps copytunes (yes, i probably owe them some money). but that band, me on guitar and gary indiana on drums, created the flat duo jets, who in turn, created the white stripes.

you *need* songs the lord taught us before this. maybe nothing else. well, maybe a guitar.