The Cramps were an American punk rock and psychobilly band from New York that was formed in 1976. The group was part of the budding punk scene in New York around the famed CBGB venue. I had never heard of psychobilly until tonight; after looking it up, psychobilly is fusion of rockabilly and punk rock, and The Cramps are credited as a leading figure in the diffusion of the genre. This album, Psychedelic Jungle (1981), is the second studio album from The Cramps, and seems to have been well-received based on the review scores shown on the album’s Wikipedia page. I’m pretty stoked to check out this album, so with that said, I’m going to jump on into the music.
“Greenfuz” starts out with some really groovy guitar chords that have a certain west coast garage rock feel that I’m really digging. The drums have a sound that reminds me a bit of punk rock. Oh wow, the guitars have a really groovy distortion that has a punk-ish sound, while the playing itself is quite melodic. Wow, great track, and I’m excited to hear more.
“Goo Goo Muck” starts out with a classic-sounding garage rock chord progression that sounds like Van Morrison’s “Gloria”. Oh wow, another guitar comes in with some a really sweet, and sort of mellow rockabilly sound. Wow, I’m really digging this track so far. Holy smokes, the lead guitar gets in a couple licks that remind me of mid 1960s west coast garage rock, and I’m really digging the sound. The vocals seem to go back and forth between a classic rockabilly sound and some punk rock vocals reminiscent of groups like Minutemen or even the Dead Kennedys. Great track.
“Rockin’ Bones” starts out with a steady beat with a traditional rockabilly feel, and soon some really groovy and nearly dark-sounding rockabilly guitars join in. Holy smokes, the lead vocals sound like they’re sampled from an Elvis Presley recording, while the background vocals come in and bring a bit of punk rock dissonance into the soundscape. Wow, this track is super groovy.
“Voodoo Idol” starts out with some really groovy, somewhat dark, crunchy garage rock guitar chords, which is soon joined by some drums with a really great reverb on the snare, and a twangy lead guitar. Holy smokes, this track is super groovy. The vocals walk the line between punk rock and rockabilly, and I’m absolutely digging it. Holy smokes, the vocal jam at the end of the track leans into the rockabilly sensibilities of the track, while the instrumentation stays in garage rock territory. Wow, great track.
Holy smokes, “Primitive” is a song from a psychedelic garage rock band from the 1960s called The Groupies that I listened to a while ago, and I absolutely dig this version. There’s a fuzzed out electric guitar in the background that almost brings a flavor of acid rock from groups like Iron Butterfly into the soundscape. The twangy lead guitar reminds me of some of the earliest rock and roll guitarists like Link Wray. The drums, and in particular the snare, remind me of punk rock more than any other genre I think, though the beat remains similar to the original psychedelic garage rock version of the song. Great track.
“Caveman” starts out with a massive-sounding chord progression with big and low waves of distortion that seem to continue to roll into the soundscape. Wow, this is super sweet. Holy smokes, there’s a super crunchy, distorted electric guitar that comes in for a really low solo for a moment. Oh wow, the bass really grooves the song along steadily from the bottom of the soundscape. The melody sounds like a rockabilly song played with a punk attitude, and I’m digging it. Great track.
Oh wow, “The Crusher” begins with a low, guttural, vulgar punk rock vocal line, and soon after the instrumentation comes in with some super groovy garage punk rock sounds. Oh wow, this sounds like a punk version of a rockabilly dance track. Great track.
“Don’t Eat Stuff Off the Sidewalk” begins with an interesting medley of sound effects and feedback that present in a sort of psychedelic manner. Holy smokes, the big bass drums is accompanied by some feedback in the background, a twangy lead guitar that ventures into psychedelic territory, and some nearly conversational vocals that all come together to remind me of an ending track of an album by The Doors. Wow, great track.
“Can’t find My Mind” starts out with some big, twangy electric guitar, playing what nearly sounds to be a melody from an Iron Butterfly song with a bit of a rockabilly-inflection. Oh wow, a heavily distorted electric guitar comes in as well, which brings even more flavor reminiscent of Iron Butterfly. Holy smokes, I’m really digging this track. There’s a venerable darkness in this track as well that reminds me of the psychedelic garage rock/proto-punk stylings of The Other Half, a band from the late 1960s in Los Angeles. Wow, great track.
“Jungle Hop” gets grooving right away with some twangy bass, energized vocals, and a familiar electric guitar line that evokes the psychedelic garage rock flavors reminiscent of Count Five. Super sweet track.
“The Natives Are Restless” gets grooving with a distorted and somewhat muddy sounding electric guitar line that seems to alternate between some rockabilly lines and the garage punk rock chords that have been present throughout the album. The drums have that sort of punk rock sound again, especially in the snare that I’ve mentioned a couple of times in this listening experience. The vocals also walk that line between rockabilly and garage punk rock. Oh wow, there’s a bit of a coda at the end of the track with a little drum outro. Great tune.
Oh wow, “Under the Wires” gets grooving right away with the garage punk rock chord progression, and I’m really digging the sound. This track seems to lean even more into the garage punk rock sound than the rockabilly sound. Super sweet track.
“Beautiful Gardens” gets grooving right away with a familiar-sounding electric guitar line. Oh wow, the vocals really lean into the punk rock nature in this album. The timbre and tone of the guitars in this track kind of reminds me of The Psychedelic Furs. Oh wow, the guitars get into a bit of a jam filled with different feedback and sounds that seem to put you on edge. Holy smokes, the instrumentation fades out for a moment, and then fades back in and nearly unwinds the feedback section in a psychedelic manner. Super sweet tune.
Oh wow, “The Green Door” starts out with some really pleasant, clean electric guitar and some softer vocals that create a soundscape reminiscent of early rock and roll artists like Dion. Oh wow, the track gets grooving into a movement that again combines rockabilly and garage punk rock flavors with tons of energy. The playing in this track has a lighter feel to it that I really dig. Wow, great track, and a great way to finish this listening experience.
Holy smokes, this album is sweet. I’d never heard of psychobilly before tonight, but now I must say that I want to hear a lot more of it. I’m a really big fan of just the fusion of garage rock and punk rock present in this album, but the inclusion of rockabilly throughout makes the listening experience feel that much more unique. Though the music never really gets too psychedelic, there do seem to be some elements of psychedelic rock mixed in, with various primal drum beats, sound and feedback effects, and even darker tones and narration reminiscent of the Los Angeles psychedelic rock and garage rock scene circa 1967. If you’re into garage rock at all, and enjoy rockabilly to any degree, then you might want to consider checking out this album. If you do decide to give this album a listen, I sincerely do hope that you enjoy the listening experience at least as much as I did.
-A