The Cramps were credited with starting the Pyschobilly genre. A genre that's an odd mix of Punk, Garage Rock and Surf Rock blended together. Think a mix of early Surf Rock groups like Dick Dale, The Trashmen, and Link Wray meets early Punk rock. While the sound is relatively simple, in most cases the band used two Guitars and no Bass along with a minimalist drum sound, the band had a rather strong cult following. Formed in the early 70's by Lux Interior and Poison Ivy, the band along with other CBGB's mainstays paved the way for American Punk in the mid 70's. The band had a solid lineup by '76, but only managed to release a few independent singles, before releasing their debut 'Songs The Lord Taught Us' in '80. The band in '78 however did give a landmark free concert to the patients of The California State Mental Hospital in Napa CA. That show was filmed and later released. However here we'll focus on the debut album. For a debut record, 'Songs The Lord Taught Us' is very well done. You can see the years of work leading up to this effort. Songs like "I'm Cramped", "I Was A Teenage Werewolf" and "Fever" are classics on this record. The dual Guitars and minimal drumming give the record a simple yet rounded feel. It's doesn't hurt either that the album was produced by Alex Chilton either. The band would continue on through the late '00's before the untimely death of Lux Interior. The Cramps remain that hidden gem in the movement that was early American Punk. This is also the Deluxe Version of this record with some bonus tracks of The Original Mixes of a few tracks.
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