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The Misfits: "Cuts from the Crypt" |
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Roadrunner Records
The winding road of psychobilly supremecy
has been as twisted as the Misfits
actually are. They were formed in Lodi, New Jersey in
1977 by vocalist Glenn Danzig and bassist Jerry Caiafa,
who performed under the name Jerry Only. Their name taken
from Marilyn Monroe's final film. The Misfits
added drummer "Mr. Jim" Catania, and guitarist
Frank "Franché Coma" LiCata who joined up for
the four-song 1978 EP Bullet,
which featured a notoriously graphic image of John F.
Kennedy being shot. Although recording sessions had been
held for a full-length album, to be titled Static Age, no record
company would accept the results, and whatever material
was not subsequently issued on EPs languished in the
vaults until the 1985 compilation Legacy
of Brutality.
The Misfits began playing shows at
CBGB's and attempted to obtain some greater musical
stability with the addition of Whorelords
guitarist Bobby Steele and drummer Joey Image. This
lineup recorded the three-song EPs Horror
Business and Night of
the Living Dead in 1979, the latter being
released on Halloween. An abruptly aborted tour of the
U.K. supporting the Damned followed, and
a frustrated Joey Image quit the band after Danzig was
arrested in a bar skirmish. Steele was ousted in favor of
Jerry Only's younger brother Doyle von Frankenstein.
Arthur Googy became the full-time drummer. England's
Cherry Red label issued the legendary Beware EP in 1980, which
contained Bullet, two
tracks from Horror Business,
and the Static Age
outtake "Last Caress"; it became and still is a
ludicrously expensive collector's item..
Back in the States, more singles followed over 1981,
including the Three Hits From
Hell 7-inch and another Halloween single, this
one titled "Halloween" and containing two
versions of the song, one of which was a low-budget
attempt at creating a spooky ambience. Another
full-length album had been recorded, Walk Among Us, and was
scheduled for release in 1981, but a larger distribution
deal was worked out. In 1982, the Misfits
finally released their official debut album under the
planned title,
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which proved one of the finest additions
to their discography.
Googy left the band around this
time in a dispute over money, throwing off plans to
record a follow-up; in the meantime, the live EP Evilive was released later
in the year, featuring a guest appearance by the then Black
Flag's vocalist Henry Rollins. The
Misfits spent the rest of the year and the first
half of 1983 recording Earth
A.D./Wolfsblood, an overly
uncharacteristically agressive album. Danzig disbanded
the Misfits in late 1983. A farewell
single, the three-song "Die Die My Darling,"
was issued in 1984.
Misfits' compilations and compendiums
began appearing as soon as 1985 rolled around ; 1987's Misfits compilation began
attracting larger audiences who were hungry for the large
quantity of material that remained out of print, although
Metallica's version of "Last Caress" and,
later, Guns N' Roses' cover of "Attitude"
hinted at what might be discovered. More compilations, as
well as a four-disc box set, followed in the mid-'90s, as
the Misfits' cult continued to expand.
In the late 90's a singer that in many ways was like
Danzig yet unique, Michael Graves teamed up with drummer
Dr. Chud and brought the Misfits back from the grave.
Durring a stint of 3 years the Misfits recorded 2 albums
"American Psycho" and "Famous
Monsters", just before Dr. CHUD and Graves left.
Durring the recording of those two albums there were
quite a few songs the the band had written but were left
off the albums. Thats where "Cuts from the
Crypt" comes into play. This album explores the era
of the Misfits from 1996-2001 and includes songs that
were singles that were rarley heard, like "I Wanna
Be a NY Ranger" and their rendition of "Monster
Mash". More impressively the album features 6 demos
from the infamous "Mars Attacks Demos".
Cuts from the Crypt is a must have for psychobilly
fans and an exploratory journey for those who have never
heard punk energy with rockabilly's kitschiness, this
album is by far the most important from this genre since
The Cramps' Bad Music for Bad People.
By Aly Hirji, CanEHdian.com
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