Gravest Gravy

Description

In October 1977, the band The Cramps entered Ardent Studios in Memphis with producer Alex Chilton to record a series of tracks. The band, which initially planned a simple single around "TV Set," ultimately adopted a broader approach by recording many songs to select the best ones. The first releases from these sessions appeared in 1978 on their label Vengeance Records, featuring radically transformed covers like "Surfin' Bird" and "The Way I Walk." The band then imposed a raw and unrestrained vision of rock'n'roll, considered a true musical explosion. In November 1978, a new release from the same sessions gave birth to "Human Fly," regarded as one of the band's best singles, accompanied by their cover of "Domino." These tracks were later compiled in Gravest Hits in 1979. Decades later, in 2026, the label In The Red Records, led by Larry Hardy, rediscovered unreleased tapes from these sessions. These restored recordings gave rise to a new release titled Gravest Gravy, consisting of six original tracks mixed by Lux Interior and Poison Ivy. The text describes this collection as a pure and wild embodiment of rock'n'roll, embodied by the primitive and uncontrolled energy of the Cramps. Musician Henry Rollins (Black Flag) emphasizes their historical importance, considering them one of the greatest bands in rock history, driven above all by a love of the genre and uncompromising creativity.