- Included among the Record Descriptions of Favorite Albums (Part 1).
- Ohio Demo’s 1979 includes stripped-down though enjoyable renditions of many of the Cramps’ early recordings.
The Cramps – Ohio Demo’s 1979 (1986): This is the sort of album made for dyed-in-the-wool fans that might not work so well as an introduction to the band, but this is the only Cramps LP that I have cleaned up so far. The Cramps is a pioneering psychobilly band that delighted in unearthing bizarre rockabilly and garage rock recordings from the 1950’s and 1960’s and introducing them to punk rock audiences, while writing their own songs along the same lines. A true cult band, in other words. Ohio Demo’s 1979 includes stripped-down though enjoyable renditions of many of their early recordings: “Twist and Shout”, “Uranium Rock”, “Rockin’ Bones”, “Jungle Hop”, “Teenage Werewolf”, “T.V. Set”, and others.
Demo recordings are normally made either to establish a copyright for the songwriter, or to set up the basic sound of a song early in the recording process. Amateur musicians often record demos for their own pleasure or to share with friends. Typically, demos are simply produced – solo guitar with vocals for instance – but that is not always the case, as this album illustrates. As another example, PJ Harvey’s 4-Track Demos (1993) still sound pretty harsh and noisy despite having been intended as a toned-down version of the British alternative rock group’s second album, Rid of Me.