I regret not being a total collector of the Cramps, because this was a great band for that. So many musicians, underground and overground, from all over the rock spectrum, especially throughout the 80s, nod immediately when The Cramps were brought as a life changing experience, from Ian MacKaye (in that Looking For A Thrill DVD) to Daniel Ash (in several Love & Rockets interviews.) to pretty much any rockabilly and/or punk band ever.
Ron Asheton + Lux R.I.P. within weeks is a really painful blow.
― System Jr. (Mackro Mackro), Thursday, 5 February 2009 17:23 (4 years ago) Permalink
Not that many will care about the Looking For A Thrill DVD nor will this give anything away about it, but about a third of the bands mentioned The Cramps as their life-changing gateway in one form or another.
― System Jr. (Mackro Mackro), Thursday, 5 February 2009 17:25 (4 years ago) Permalink
...and nick cave,iggy pop,jon spencer,calvin johnson,mark e. smith..(the list is endless)xpost
― Zeno, Thursday, 5 February 2009 17:26 (4 years ago) Permalink
Ivy just cranked the riffs out impassively, never even bothering to check up on him. Wild as he was, she knew he knew exactly what he was doing.
Man, how unusual was it to have a male/female partnership with the woman as instrumentalist and a male singer rather than the reverse? (esp 30 years ago?)
― Myonga Vön Bontee, Thursday, 5 February 2009 18:10 (4 years ago) Permalink
fuck, speechless
― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Thursday, 5 February 2009 18:37 (4 years ago) Permalink
this is getting to me more than asheton's death... maybe cause the stooges always seemed like a previous generation's music (music they ignored, but still). this one hits close to home.
they don't make icons like lux anymore.
RIP zombie elvis
― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Thursday, 5 February 2009 18:50 (4 years ago) Permalink
― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Thursday, 5 February 2009 18:59 (4 years ago) Permalink
RIP. It's sad he went relatively early, but what a life he did lead.
Always thought one of the best pieces of Alex Chiltoniana was the story about him pistol whipping Lux during the sessions for Songs The Lord Taught Us, pointing the gun at Lux's head, telling him to "Sing it right!"
― The Wild Shirtless Lyrics of Mark Farner (C. Grisso/McCain), Thursday, 5 February 2009 18:59 (4 years ago) Permalink
been reading other cramps threads and discovered I already said all I need to say
neither time nor experience can erase the bottomless sleazy splendor of the cramps and it is a beautiful mystery.
TS: The Cramps vs. Gun Club vs. X.............
― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Thursday, 5 February 2009 19:10 (4 years ago) Permalink
― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Thursday, 5 February 2009 19:11 (4 years ago) Permalink
Woah no way. Fuck's sakes.
― Pashmina, Thursday, 5 February 2009 19:22 (4 years ago) Permalink
― sleeve, Thursday, 5 February 2009 19:44 (4 years ago) Permalink
one of my favorite recorded song intros ever: (to cover of Lonesome Town on the new zealand live album)It's about love and death on a planeunder an open flameigniting cocaineit's not about dick and janeit's about Ricky Nel-sane
― sarahel, Thursday, 5 February 2009 21:28 (4 years ago) Permalink
I find it remarkable that even thirty years down the line, Lux and Ivy were *still* the short circuit to everything that was sleazy, perverted, and crazy fun about the kitsch eras. Dozens of Taschen books, 90s exotica revival records, and issues of Tiki News instantly made irrelevant by a single Cramps show. A great band, but insanely great conceptual artists.
Don't dream it - Be it. Indeed.
― Chris Barrus (Elvis Telecom), Thursday, 5 February 2009 22:57 (4 years ago) Permalink
Buh buh buckee!
Edward III OTM, not quite sure why, more of my heroes have died (Ramones, asheton, john balance, david mccomb), but this, no, this manages to be more devastating and depressing somehow. It's like Fun and Awesome have failed or something.
― StanM, Thursday, 5 February 2009 23:07 (4 years ago) Permalink
Those muffled studio arguments on the Songs The Lord Taught Us bonus tracks are gold.
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 5 February 2009 23:16 (4 years ago) Permalink
. . A great band, but insanely great conceptual artists.
Elvis OTFM
― Soukesian, Thursday, 5 February 2009 23:27 (4 years ago) Permalink
Exactly none of the 6 26 to 34 year old coworkers I went for a beer with tonight had ever heard of lux interior or the cramps. ***anomie****
― Booker van Permalink (Hunt3r), Friday, 6 February 2009 02:01 (4 years ago) Permalink
You need some new coworkers
(I had at least one who talked about it with me)
― Courtney Love's Jew Loan Officer (Shakey Mo Collier), Friday, 6 February 2009 02:30 (4 years ago) Permalink
the msm is starting to pick up on the story, for a while it was weird that nobody seemed particularly interested in reporting his passing
http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSTRE5140P920090205
http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-me-lux-interior5-2009feb05,0,5401736.story
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601088&sid=aW85p_9cPDmE&refer=muse
― 鬼の手 (Edward III), Friday, 6 February 2009 04:46 (4 years ago) Permalink
Some of the papers are having trouble worth their math, reporting Lux as being only 52 instead of 62. I did not even try to mention this to my co-workers. There's no way any of 'em have heard of Lux.
― curmudgeon, Friday, 6 February 2009 06:17 (4 years ago) Permalink
It's kinda hard to start explaining some of it to people who've never heard of them too, e.g. http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/news/la-me-lux-interior-obit05-pg,0,362555.photogallery?index=3 :-)
― StanM, Friday, 6 February 2009 08:27 (4 years ago) Permalink
a weak obit from the beeb
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/7871971.stm
― stirmonster, Friday, 6 February 2009 10:30 (4 years ago) Permalink
Morrissey gave a Lux shout-out last night during his performance on Kimmel.
― The Wild Shirtless Lyrics of Mark Farner (C. Grisso/McCain), Friday, 6 February 2009 22:13 (4 years ago) Permalink
I didn't find out about this til today...so fucking sad. Best dream I ever had was when I dreamed I met Lux at a Cramps show. Gah.
― VegemiteGrrrl, Saturday, 7 February 2009 05:02 (4 years ago) Permalink
Nice appreciation from Cleveland.com here:
http://www.cleveland.com/music/index.ssf/2009/02/appreciation_akronborn_garage.html#more
Includes comments from Ohio contemporaries like Michael Weldon, of Psychotronic Video.
― Soukesian, Saturday, 7 February 2009 11:00 (4 years ago) Permalink
http://www.wfmu.org/special.php/FP :
Lux and Ivy of the legendary Cramps drop by for some Orangeade and a round of platter chatter. From October 23, 2004.Listen to the whole show. / See the playlist.download mp3
― StanM, Saturday, 7 February 2009 19:17 (4 years ago) Permalink
I was doing some record shopping on Wednesday when someone announced in the store that rumours of Lux's death were a hoax (which was the first I'd heard anything about it) and then they played Bad Music For Bad People over the shop speakers.
When we got back to where we were staying I was saying to my wife how I'd never seen the Cramps live (she has) but I'd definitely make sure I would go if they ever made it over to the UK again just in case he did die soon. Fuck.
― I KNOW WHAT YOU'RE UP TO (Colonel Poo), Saturday, 7 February 2009 19:51 (4 years ago) Permalink
Good obit @ AMG: http://blog.allmusic.com/2009/2/6/the-mad-daddy-lux-interior-rip/
― StanM, Saturday, 7 February 2009 21:15 (4 years ago) Permalink
Tear It Up (1990, Amsterdam) (up on the speakers, deepthroating the mic)
― StanM, Saturday, 7 February 2009 21:55 (4 years ago) Permalink
Rollins remembers Lux.
― Ned Raggett, Sunday, 8 February 2009 14:22 (4 years ago) Permalink
Great clip (x-post)..
I've got a video of a German concert where someone throws water/beer (presumably) at Lux during "Dames,Booze, Chains and Boots", there's a bit of Lux-crowd interaction, and some tremendously fat guy takes advantage of the confusion to do a brief lap of honour across the stage before being dragged off - and it's still only the first song of the concert.
― Bob Six, Sunday, 8 February 2009 16:31 (4 years ago) Permalink
Crap obit @ the Village Voice (read the comments too)http://blogs.villagevoice.com/music/archives/2009/02/remembering_the_1.php
― StanM, Sunday, 8 February 2009 17:41 (4 years ago) Permalink
aw the rollins thing was very nice and the story about the lil' rollins and minor threat boys being all scared to give lux his jeans back was very cute and sweet.
― Yah Trick Ya Kid K (M@tt He1ges0n), Sunday, 8 February 2009 18:58 (4 years ago) Permalink
Lindsay Hutton, who used to run the Legions of the Cramped, has a good round-up of obits, and some cool early backstage snapshots, at his nextbigthing blog. Also news of a tribute event at Mono in Glasgow tonight, which sadly I can't get to.
― Soukesian, Sunday, 8 February 2009 19:27 (4 years ago) Permalink
Crap obit @ the Village VoiceYou're not kidding, it's a fucking mess.
Right now, the track "Can Your Pussy Do the Dog?" is the most popular Cramps ringtone on iTunes.
ringtones - wtf?
― super shareaholic firefox add (onimo), Monday, 9 February 2009 12:15 (4 years ago) Permalink
I wanna leave a happy memory when I goI wanna leave something to let the whole world knowThat the rock 'n roll daddy has a done passed onBut my bones will keep a rockin' long after I've gone
Roll onRock onRaw BonesWell I still got all the rhythm in these Rockin' Bones
Well when I die don't you bury me at allJust nail my bones up on the wallBeneath these bones let these words be seen"This is the bloody gears of a boppin' machine"
― StanM, Monday, 9 February 2009 16:34 (4 years ago) Permalink
Wait, is the 15-year old story true?
― OldHamSweat, Tuesday, 10 February 2009 04:10 (4 years ago) Permalink
banbanbanbanbanbanban
― dagmar at full power (contenderizer), Tuesday, 10 February 2009 04:14 (4 years ago) Permalink
What is that guitar effect used on "Don't Eat Stuff Off the Sidewalk"? Is it tremolo? I've been trying to get that sound for a while now but don't know much about guitar pedals.
― Reatards Unite, Tuesday, 10 February 2009 17:22 (4 years ago) Permalink
Yep, tremelo.
― StanM, Tuesday, 10 February 2009 18:29 (4 years ago) Permalink
Google cache of an interview with Poison Ivy about her sound & guitars & effects & stuff: http://74.125.77.132/search?q=cache:33PGD5laMwwJ:www.geocities.com/jackyardbackoff/ivyguitarinterview.html
― StanM, Tuesday, 10 February 2009 18:32 (4 years ago) Permalink
Cool! Now I should do some research about how Brian Gregory got that gnarly wall of distortion that I love so much.
― sleeve, Tuesday, 10 February 2009 19:33 (4 years ago) Permalink
Yep, that Voodoo Lab Tremolo has just the sound I want. Are there any pedals out there that are a better value or is that near the top of the list? I'm totally guitarded when it comes to equipment and brands.
― Reatards Unite, Tuesday, 10 February 2009 21:29 (4 years ago) Permalink
stirmonster: big up for playing New Kind of Kick near the end on sat night, it was a special moment
― unaustralian (jabba hands), Tuesday, 10 February 2009 23:53 (4 years ago) Permalink
god that village voice obit is the worst fucking thing i've read
― bleh (latebloomer), Wednesday, 11 February 2009 00:37 (4 years ago) Permalink
for real
― Courtney Love's Jew Loan Officer (Shakey Mo Collier), Wednesday, 11 February 2009 00:41 (4 years ago) Permalink
isn't that just some voice writer's blog post, though? not that it matters; inexcusable no matter what.
― get drunk and do legos (contenderizer), Wednesday, 11 February 2009 00:51 (4 years ago) Permalink
it was a special moment
bemused 19 out of 20 people around me! great close though.
― I Was A Taoist Intellectual (sic), Wednesday, 11 February 2009 01:23 (4 years ago) Permalink
Do people know that there are eleven volumes of Lux and Ivy's Favorites here?:
http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2009/02/lux-and-ivys-favorites-mp3s.html
"It started as a way to keep track of some of the songs Lux, and or Ivy, mentioned in THE INCREDIBLY STRANGE MUSIC BOOK...As the years went buy, more interviews with Lux and Ivy kept popping up, and the list of songs they mentioned got longer and longer. This resulted in new volumes."
Um, yummy!!!
― Kevin John Bozelka, Tuesday, 12 May 2009 16:51 (4 years ago) Permalink