Date with Elvis

By 1986 the core members of The Cramps had been together for a decade and thus the basic formula for a good album was probably like second nature to them by this time.

"A Date With Elvis" kicks off with the eerie, Suicide-like drone that appeared on 1984's "New Kind of Kick". But then the drums immediately kick off one of The Cramps catchiest, toe-tapping-est numbers in "How Far Can Too Far Go", in which Lux's vocals seem more upfront that ever.

There's some humorous and racy songs in the pounding "Hot Pearl Snatch", twist-friendly "Can Your Pussy Do the Dog" and the play-on-words "Kizmiaz"--a real departure--with it's dreamy, fairy-tale atmosphere and female backup vocals.

The super-fast "Chicken" is Lux in Jerry Lee Lewis soundalike mode; the spritual "(Hot Pool of) Womanneed" is his best Elvis-as-an-evangelist impersonation. "Aloha From Hell" has much in common with Elvis movie melodies like "Viva Las Vegas". There's a twangy ballad called "It's Just That Song" but it doesn't amount to much.

"People Ain't No Good" is straight-ahead rock and roll that features a children's chorus; "Cornfed Dames" has to be their most explosive song ever; the best number is "What's Inside a Girl" which reaches its boiling point at the third verse when those drumsticks start clicking away (Rock-n-roll just doesn't get any better than this);

Make sure you get the remastered version with the four bonus tracks: The western-sounding "Blue Moon Baby", slinky "Georgia Lee Brown" and "Give Me a Woman" as well as the rare 'girls-on-lead-vocals' "Get Off The Road".

"A Date With Elvis" is The Cramps at the top of their game. Along with 1980's "Songs The Lord Taught Us", this is a Must-Have!

Hands down, the best and most solid Cramps release EVER! Breaking away slightly from the straight up rockabilly sound to incorporate some surf tones only enhances this already great cd. We also find Lux not as dark and sinister; instead acting up in a fun and playful way with songs like Chicken, Cornfed Dames and Can Your P*ssy Do The Dog? . These songs show the direction the band would pretty much follow for the next several albums. Other highlights however are the songs Kizmiaz (Lux and Ivy's swooning duet) and What's Inside A Girl? (which shows Lux's admiration for serial killer Ed Gein). In all honesty though, there's not one dull track on this album! If you don't already have this one, why the hell not?!

My most favorite Cramps CD is undoubtedly 1986's "A Date with Elvis." Thanks to Poison Ivy's raw, slithering guitar rhythms and throbbing bass, a majority of this album's tracks are much more heavily inspired by 1960's surf pop than those of any other record that followed. In the midst of the crashing waves, sandcastles and tanned bikini girls, Lux Interior belts out playful narrative lyrics that juxtapose catchy chorus hooks with tongue-in-cheek sexual fantasies. And of course "A Date with Elvis" has plenty of cult classics. In both "People Ain't No Good" and "What's Inside a Girl," Lux vocally impersonates the late King of Rock & Roll, shimmering his hips in rhinestone bell-bottoms. "Kizmiaz" (one of the few duets between Lux and Ivy) beautifully paints a picture of the ultimate dream vacation, all the while repeating a chorus with its cute and naughty pun. "Cornfed Dames" perfectly provides the setting of life on the farm, with Lux milking cows and riding a tractor. He may as well have performed this track while hosting a square dance contest! Also note how this song's sleazy lyrics envision a group of buxom blondes scantily clad in barnyard plaid! "Chicken," another silly hillbilly track, features Ivy plucking her guiter strings, unleashing the feverish clucking sounds of a hen! I could continue on with my comments on "A Date with Elvis" but in that case, I would have to start another long paragraph! All I can say in the end is that this 1986 effort marks the Cramps reaching their height of rock creativity, as well as 1989's "Stay Sick!"