A Mixture of Mixes Part 2

Remember I said that there was a compilation series with a more frankly baffling approach to arrangement of tracks than the Medway Powerhouses? Well, it's this one.


Various Artists - Cream of the Cats Vol. 1 (1991)

A1: Polecats - Down the Line
A2: G Men - Gotta Go
A3: Levi Dexter - Other Side of Midnight
A4: Fireball XL5 - Searching for my Baby
A5 G Men - Left Out
A6: Polecats - Hip Hip Baby
B1: Wampas - Dracu Bop
B2: Wampas - BM
B3: Meteors - Mutant Rock (instr.)
B4: X-Men - Do the Ghost
B5: Stingrays - What the New Breed Say
B6: Escalators - Munsters Theme




Told you I'd mess up the small pic big list thing. Just as well I didn't say anything, really.

Erring on the side of the neorockabilly, this series was something of an oddity, with a suitably odd and befuddling approach to arrangement of tracks (with this one being possibly the most sensible of the series - trust me, it gets worse). The only hint of sanity is the possible separation of the more purely neorockabilly on side one, with the slightly wilder stuff on the second side. But even taking that into account, Wampas were hardly the most psycho of billies. And even if they were, why are their two together at the start of side two? Why no spacing out of bands? Ruddy infuriating, if you ask me.

If you're a more straightahead neorockabilly chap or chappette in your bowling shirt / vintage fifties dress thing, then chances are you'll naturally be more aroused by the opening six tracks than by the other six, and vice versa for mentalists in Demented are Go wifebeaters and what have you. But that isn't to say that there isn't something of worth for both on each, if that makes sense. I might be biased against the Polecats (I think it stems from them nabbing one of the best bandnames and then wasting it), but there is little denying their competence, reliability and jauntiness (he typed grudgingly). And the G Men are none too shabby either, providing the highlight of the side (and possibly the album) with "Gotta Go" (also covered, rather more profitably and energetically, by Frenzy). On the flip, Wampas have already been mentioned (full of sound, a dash of fury, but just try to remember the tune ten seconds after its over. Not easy, chief). The Meteors make a name-adding record-shifting appearance with an instrumental of the best titled song ever (not that I'm biased in any way, you understand), and the X-Men and the Stingrays make pleasingly raucous additions. But the real clincher for this side has to be the Escalators all too brief chuggingly twangy take on the Munsters theme. Only 1m20s, but worth many a click of the repeat button (much less fiddly than the constant returning of the tone arm that I did originally - always more difficult with a short song at the end of the side. One wrong twitch and it's on its merry auto-return way, or at least it was with my turntable then. I have a much more forgiving one now).

So, something for everyone then. And by everyone, I mean people who like neorockabilly, psychobilly and theme tunes. That's everyone, right?

Now, I'm none too keen, but it the interests of variety, here's some primetime Polecats. It's not like I'm likely to be of a mind to pop them on here very often, so make the most of it, mutoids. Enjoy the tune, experience the urge to slap the singer, possibly throw things at Boz.




Part three anon.