File Under Sacred Music: Early Singles 1978-1981

Be the first to write a review

Editorial Reviews

All Music Guide - Mark Deming
When the Cramps first surfaced on the edges of New York's nascent punk scene in 1976, they were a band with a genre all their own; the word "psychobilly" hadn't been coined yet, and while "voodoo rockabilly in the key of death" was accurate enough, it didn't exactly roll off the tongue. The death of Lux Interior in 2009 finally closed the book on the band after more than three decades, but to the last they were an act with a sound and style all their own, a gleaming monument to perversity of all sorts that tapped into rock & roll's most primal influences, presenting its beating heart for all to see. Licensing issues have prevented a comprehensive, career-inclusive ...
See more details below
CD
$18.99
BN.com price
(Save 5%)$19.99 List Price
Other sellers (CD)
  • All (7) from $13.76   
  • New (7) from $13.76   

More About This Product

Editorial Reviews

All Music Guide - Mark Deming
When the Cramps first surfaced on the edges of New York's nascent punk scene in 1976, they were a band with a genre all their own; the word "psychobilly" hadn't been coined yet, and while "voodoo rockabilly in the key of death" was accurate enough, it didn't exactly roll off the tongue. The death of Lux Interior in 2009 finally closed the book on the band after more than three decades, but to the last they were an act with a sound and style all their own, a gleaming monument to perversity of all sorts that tapped into rock & roll's most primal influences, presenting its beating heart for all to see. Licensing issues have prevented a comprehensive, career-inclusive Cramps anthology from happening (at least as of this writing), but Munster Records have delivered a worthwhile assessment of the group's first and most musically satisfying era with the compilation File Under Sacred Music: Early Singles 1978-1981. True to its title, this disc pulls together the A- and B-sides from ten singles the Cramps released during their first few years before differences with I.R.S. Records led to a five-year layoff from the recording studio. Since the band's first two singles were compiled on the EP Gravest Hits, most of the remaining tunes later appeared on the albums Songs the Lord Taught Us and Psychedelic Jungle, and the collections Off the Bone and Bad Music for Bad People both featured a number of B-sides and oddities, there is precious little here that can honestly be called "rare," outside of the hard-to-find "Twist & Shout" (not the Isley Brothers classic) and "Uranium Rock" (a Warren Smith cover), but if you're looking for 67 minutes of primal howling, twanging guitars, and echoing madness, you could hardly do better than this set. The Cramps made more than a few fine records after this period (particularly the albums A Date with Elvis and Stay Sick!), but they were never as consistent as they were in their first era with Nick Knox behind the drums and either Bryan Gregory or Kid Congo Powers on second guitar, and these 22 songs still wail as loud and as wild as they did when they were first recorded. As an introduction to the Cramps or a reminder of their curious ascent into the spotlight, File Under Sacred Music is remarkably close to perfect.
Read More Show Less

Product Details

  • Release Date: 12/6/2011
  • Label: Munster Records
  • EAN: 8435008831523
  • Catalog Number: 315
  • Sales rank: 34,880

Tracks

Disc 1
  1. 1 Surfin' Bird (5:09)
  2. 2 The Way I Walk (2:42)
  3. 3 Human Fly (2:17)
  4. 4 Domino (3:10)
  5. 5 Lonesome Town (3:05)
  6. 6 Mystery Plane (2:41)
  7. 7 Fever (4:20)
  8. 8 Garbageman (3:37)
  9. 9 Tv Set (3:16)
  10. 10 The Mad Daddy (3:17)
  11. 11 Drug Train (2:39)
  12. 12 Love Me (2:04)
  13. 13 I Can't Hardly Stand It (2:45)
  14. 14 Twist & Shout (2:34)
  15. 15 Uranium Rock (2:30)
  16. 16 Goo Goo Muck (3:08)
  17. 17 She Said (3:18)
  18. 18 The Crusher (1:50)
  19. 19 Save It (2:58)
  20. 20 New Kind of Kick (3:33)
  21. 21 Rockin' Bones (2:50)
  22. 22 Voodoo Idol (3:39)
Read More Show Less

Album Credits

Performance Credits
The Cramps Primary Artist
Booker C. Organ
Lux Interior Vocals
Ken Knox Drums
Kid Congo Powers Guitar
Ivy Rorschach Guitar
Bryan Gregory Guitar
Technical Credits
Alex Chilton Producer
The Cramps Producer
Lux Interior Composer
David Arnoff Cover Art
Stephanie Chernikowski Back Cover Photo
Ivy Rorschach Composer
Vermillion Sands Layout
Lindsay Hutton Liner Notes
Iñigo Munster Producer
Patrick Bainee Back Cover Photo
Barbara Kearns Cover Photo
Read More Show Less

Customer Reviews

Be the first to write a review
( 0 )
Rating Distribution

5 Star

(0)

4 Star

(0)

3 Star

(0)

2 Star

(0)

1 Star

(0)

Your Rating:

Review Guidelines
Add Recommendations
Your Name: Create a Pen Name or

Barnes & Noble.com Review Rules

Our reader reviews allow you to share your comments on titles you liked, or didn't, with others. By submitting an online review, you are representing to Barnes & Noble.com that all information contained in your review is original and accurate in all respects, and that the submission of such content by you and the posting of such content by Barnes & Noble.com does not and will not violate the rights of any third party. Please follow the rules below to help ensure that your review can be posted.

Reviews by Our Customers Under the Age of 13

We highly value and respect everyone's opinion concerning the titles we offer. However, we cannot allow persons under the age of 13 to have accounts at BN.com or to post customer reviews. Please see our Terms of Use for more details.

What to exclude from your review:

Please do not write about reviews, commentary, or information posted on the product page. If you see any errors in the information on the product page, please send us an email.

Reviews should not contain any of the following:

  • - HTML tags, profanity, obscenities, vulgarities, or comments that defame anyone
  • - Time-sensitive information such as tour dates, signings, lectures, etc.
  • - Single-word reviews. Other people will read your review to discover why you liked or didn't like the title. Be descriptive.
  • - Comments focusing on the author or that may ruin the ending for others
  • - Phone numbers, addresses, URLs
  • - Pricing and availability information or alternative ordering information
  • - Advertisements or commercial solicitation

Reminder:

  • - By submitting a review, you grant to Barnes & Noble.com and its sublicensees the royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable right and license to use the review in accordance with the Barnes & Noble.com Terms of Use.
  • - Barnes & Noble.com reserves the right not to post any review -- particularly those that do not follow the terms and conditions of these Rules. Barnes & Noble.com also reserves the right to remove any review at any time without notice.
  • - See Terms of Use for other conditions and disclaimers.
Search for Products You'd Like to Recommend

Recommend other products that relate to your review. Just search for them below and share!

Create a Pen Name

Your Pen Name is your unique identity on BN.com. It will appear on the reviews you write and other website activities. Your Pen Name cannot be edited, changed or deleted once submitted.

 
Your Pen Name can be any combination of alphanumeric characters (plus - and _), and must be at least two characters long.

Continue Anonymously