The Cramps - Flamejob (1994)

America's--nay, the world's--greatest exponents of trashcan psycho-rockabilly return to business as usual here, albeit with a big new instrumental sound courtesy of Beach Boys engineer Earle Mankey. This doesn't translate into slickness, however; Lux Interior's over the top faux-Elvis vocals and Poison Ivy's mangled guitar stylings are merely reproduced with more in-your-face clarity.

Songwise, FLAMEJOB is double entendre heaven ("You kissed my hand my love began to expand"), except when the band opts for directness ("Let's Get Fucked Up," a Cramps manifesto of sorts). Elsewhere, they appropriate the guitar riff from "Shakin' All Over" in "I'm Customized," and conclude with a sepulchral rendition of "Route 66" that splits the difference of the Rolling Stones' and Depche Mode's versions. Great stuff.