Various Artists — Blood On The Cats – Even Bloodier(CD)
Originally appearing in the early 80s Blood On The Cats is seen as one the definitive/ important complications of the psychobilly scene, with all the main names covered. Here from Cherry Red Records is an expanded two-disc reissue of the album- with over the two CDs a whopping fifty-six tracks featured.
The CDs come presented in an eye-catching black, white, and blood-red six-panel digipak. This takes in the original album art of a brutal cartoon drawing of a deranged double bass playing punk skewing a cat with the end of his instrument, and leg sticking out of a broken jukebox. Also featured is a twenty-four inlay booklet- this takes in a short bio for each of the fifty-six tracks, a double-page spread of cover college, and full track listings.
Blood On The Cats was originally released in 1983 as vinyl on Anagram Records- which was Cherry Reds sublabel, for all things Punk, Psychobilly and Goth. The comp quickly gained a reputation of being a key statement in psychobilly. With the original thirteen-track compilation filled with prime examples of the genre. So, it’s great to see it getting a reissue- but this is not just a simple reissue- it's a hugely expanded reissue, which is now really the definitive compilation of the psychobilly form.
Disc one takes in thirty tracks in total- featuring most of the original compilation plus nineteen bonus tracks. It kicks off with smashing crashing drums, guitar twang, roaming and yelled ghoulish vocals of Alien Sex Friends “Wild Woman( Version)". There’s more anarchic punked twisted psychobilly of The Escalators “The Day The Sun Burned Down”, we have rough ‘n’ ready stomp of Screaming Lord Sutch Loony Party “ Murder In The Graveyard”. Moving on there’s bobbing ‘n’ bucking bass meets caustically chugging guitar tones of The Outcasts “Seven Deadly Sins. We have thick ‘n’ nasty almost metallic gunning groove of The Vibrators “Wolfman Howl”. There’s the manically skittering percussion meets rock ‘n’ rolling swinging of Fireball XL5’s “Rocking Shoes”, or the sassy-baying female vocals of Pearl Harbours “ Voodoo Voodoo”.
Over on the second disc we have another twenty-six tracks, and I’d say certainly for the first half/three-quarters of this disc the focus is on the more punk side of psychobilly. We go from bounding bass and wailing vocals of The Gun Club's “Preaching The Blues” which alternates between squalling slide guitar & strip back drums, bass and vocals. Onto the chugging almost punk metallics of The Sid Presley Experiences “Public Emmy No one” which is a swim with stake-out sound effects. We have the blunt rock ‘n’ roll riffing and distant shouted chorus of The Milkshakes “Comanche”. Moving towards the end of the disc we have the rowdy horror punk meets rough ‘n’ roll of The X-Men's “Do The Ghost”, there’s the gunning drums & smartly dirt guitar tone of The Meteors “I’m Just A Dog”. We have the whistling wind and cheap horror sound effect opening of Erazerhedi “Werewolf” which kicks into punked rock ‘n’ roll riffing. Or The Fuzztones “ Ward 81”- which opens with a preacher sample, before going into a messily baying mix of waving retro organ, spiralling ‘n’ rough riff craft, clear blues guitar simmer, and roughly sang vocals.
If you ever wondered about the Psychobilly genre Blood On The Cats is a great primer/ in-road into the genre. The only thing that would have been nice was some sort of write-up about whole the genre came about/ developed- but I know this type of thing is always feasible/ possible. All in all, a very consistent and worthy look at the Psychobilly scene of the 80s.