Shockabilly "Paris" 1984 US

Shockabilly "Vietnam" recorded 1984 re- mastered 2008

Shockabilly was a band which couldn’t be “genre-fied” and which included guitarist/vocalist Eugene Chadbourne, and Shimmy Disc founder Mark Kramer(known more commonly as simply Kramer) on vocals and bass, “cheap organ” and other instruments. Shimmy alum David Licht handled percussions. Licht played on many Shimmy projects during the 80’s and early 90s when the label folded due to the breakup of Kramer’s band Bongwater and the subsequent lawsuit over royalty disputes with former partner Ann Magnuson. Kramer and Chadbourne also split for for royalty dispute and creative differences. Kramer once called Chadbourne “the second best guitar player in rock history behind Jimi Hendrix…”

Paris

Kramer’s ratatouille begins with a call from an elderly dad. It is closely followed by a largely inarticulate psych rock jam: a clangy “I don’t care if it fits” guitar, overdrive bass assorted rumble, plus sloughing organ. All participants seem to just get a kick out of these non-sequiturs.