The Cramps -- ... Off The Bone

  ... Off The Bone is an off the cuff compilation of The Cramps early singles, like a best of.  This was put out right before Bad Music For Bad People, which is pretty much the same record minus a couple songs.  Why you ask would a label put out basically the same album twice, answer, contractual BS.  The Cramps tried to sue IRS Records, for what I hear was a million dollars, they had a shopping list of complaints, but didn't win; since the label still owned the material they released another best of compilation to cash in on their investment.

  The story goes, more like the legend goes ... Interior picked up Ivy while she was hitchhiking in 1972, they quickly realised they had the same obsession of music, art and collecting; they decided to become an item, then eventually a band -- The Cramps.  This comp covers their most important and crucial era, some of which was recorded with Alex Chilton in Memphis with the help, supposedly, of Sam Philips at Sun Studios.  Their sound seems to get lumped into two categories, Psychobilly and Garage Punk, but I disagree with that labeling.  What the Cramps did was mix the coolest elements of the 50`s, 60`s, and 70`s to make something new that became so unique, so awesome that no takers could copy or outdo!

  I bought this bad boy off the bay, and the damn thing skips even though looks good it skips, every song with the exception of Domino.  I was so pissed, I`ve been listening to this band since I was too young to know about them, and my very first real good Cramps record skips; I`ve been stuck with the same old tape that has this material on it for years, otherwise I have a couple albums of their later stuff, which doesn`t even touch their early brilliance.  I contacted my bayer, typing like a man with mad cow disease, thirsting for my money back to end my paranoid suffering.  My reply was to check for this and that, which I already knew, but there was a remedy as well, static cleaner, i`ve also heard distilled water who knows ... it could be my saving grace so I can finally play my holy grail, well until the next one ... I guess we`ll just have to see ....