The 1981 Listening Post - The Meteors - In Heaven

The Meteors - In Heaven

#551

November 25 1981

The Meteors

In Heaven

Genre: Psychobilly

Highlights:

Earwigs in My Brain

This album opens with a cover. And you know how I feel about that.

Thing is, that cover is also live and you KNOW how I feel about that. 

Thing Thing is…that cover is “In Heaven” by Peter Ivers and David Lynch and if you know know how I feel about that, I FUCKING LOVE THAT!!

Eraserhead, from which the song comes, is one of my top 10 films of all time. So, good job guys. 

But there’s also “Get Off My Cloud” and it’s boring. 

From there it’s a muddled mess of poorly produced wannabe psychobilly. But…the thing thing thing is…this, according to cursory research, is the first time the term “psychobilly” was used to describe an album. And, if I’m really not mistaken, this band used the term to describe themselves. 

And what it sounds like is standard Cramps-esque rockabilly but with a gravelly voiced crazy person at the helm. He’s the psycho, they’re the billy.

Um…yay?

I really wish the whole thing was a whole lot better.

Thing thing thing thing is…

It’s not. 

https://open.spotify.com/album/30BVv0lFidc52hnkJvwMqS?si=3iUkuPObTbm-7AOPsk9Q7g

The 1986 Listening Post - The Meteors - Sewertime Blues

The Meteors - Sewertime Blues

#606

1986 Housekeeping

The Meteors

Sewertime Blues

Genre: Pyschobilly

2.75 out of 5

Requisite 80s cover:

Jan and Dean’s “Surf City”. It’s really not a good version at all. It sounds like if Blotto put on accents and covered this. 

More of the same from the Rockabilly Aussies. Personally, I’d rather put on a Reverend Horton Heat record than this or even a Stray Cats record. It’s not awful but it’s not anything worth paying import prices for. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/sewertime-blues-and-dont-touch-the-bang-bang-fruit/1496340576

The 1985 Listening Post - The Meteors - Monkey's Breath

The Meteors - Monkey's Breath

#312/947

1985 Housekeeping

The Meteors

Monkey’s Breath

Genre: Psychobilly

3.25 out of 5

Psychobilly really needs to be psychotic for me to get interested. Either it’s out of control lunacy ala Reverend Horton Heat or maniacally dangerous like Nasvhille Pussy or hilariously kooky like Mojo Nixon, or groundbreaking like X. 

The Meteors are none of that. In fact, they are worse: they are predictable. I could anticipate every move, every lick, prior to their appearance. All this makes me want to do is go put a Cramps record back on. The Scientists, also from down under, would be the headliner on a double bill with The Meteors.

As much as I was surprised by Stampede! I’m left snoring by Monkey’s Breath. 

https://music.apple.com/us/album/monkeys-breath/178973094

The 1984 Listening Post - The Meteors - Stampede!

The Meteors - Stampede!

#354
1984 Housekeeping
The Meteors
Stampede!
4 out of 5

Highlights:
Eat the Baby
In Too Deep

Well, hello rockabilly stomp. To fill the gaps missing between Cramps record, the Meteors have arrived. They aren’t great. Their songs are meh. They don’t have the psychobilly of Reverend Horton Heat, but who does?
Nor do they have the inherent appeal of Brian Setzer. I almost forgot this genre existed.
My issue with this is the lead vocals. The band is stellar, they know the genre. It’s demanding a voice like Scotty from Big Bad Voodoo Daddy or even Steve Perry from Cherry Poppin Daddies. The singer’s voice actually wrecks this for me. I know that shouldn’t be a factor but it’s like John Lydian trying to warble Lounge music. It’s a detractor.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/stampede/997838350