Search - Cripplers :: One More for the Bad Guys

One more for the Midwest

Mark Nettesheim | St. Louis | 01/20/2002

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I still remember the night when I finally took the chance of seeing this band. I was hanging out on one of the couches at the bar when this guy sat down next to me, told me that he'd recognized me from seeing me on the street a bunch of times and introduced himself as Jeff. We struck up a conversation about things like high school (he was from St. Louis too), music (he had a love affair with the New York Dolls) and a few other things that didn't manage to stick in my mind. I imagine that we probably touched on the sorry state of the music scene in our little college town, though, as the only bands that made any headway there pretty much seemed to fall into the three categories of jam, metal and tribute. But even if we didn't talk about that, somehow he managed to mention, after 10 or 15 minutes of other stuff, the band that he was in. When I asked what they were called, he said, "The Cripplers." An awkward silence followed, and then: "You've never seen us before, have you?"

Nope, I hadn't. Of course, I'd HEARD of them, and I tried to save face by telling him so and was excited to be there that night -- blah, blah, blah. It didn't matter anyway. About an hour later, he was onstage with the other Cripplers, slamming a guitar and yelling something about a "rock 'n' roll snake." And all the while when I was letting this frenzied set cycle between my eardrums and my brain, I kept wondering, just what in the HELL had taken me so long to come around?
Anyway, that night was about three years and a week ago now, and since then the Cripplers have gone through a couple of personnel changes and a hiatus that apparently was looming dangerously close to a break-up for a little while. But they've still managed to get a CD called "One More for the Bad Guys" released by a party other than themselves, and I'll be damned if it doesn't almost take me back to that first night I saw them -- as well as to a handful of the shows of theirs that I've seen over the years. And I really say "almost" only because this time I'm not listening to the music in a crowded, drunken, underground club with a shorted-out PA and people yelling all around me, so now I actually know the song titles and can make out a bit more than a stray lyric here and there. (The band apparently kept up their half of the bargain with the CD, though, by claiming in the liner notes to have recorded everything in one take and drunk on beer.) Still, I'm not keeping track or anything, but somehow I can't seem to listen to this CD and keep myself from getting up out of my chair and jumping around the room. And that's WAY more of a reaction than I got from watching the Strokes, who are supposed to be the ones carrying the whole rock 'n' roll torch these days, on "Saturday Night Live" last night.

As for what it sounds like . . . well, Jeff's love affair is still blossoming, so there's a good deal of paeans for Johnny Thunders' ghost on here. Besides that, there's fun stuff like punk and rockabilly and influences that I won't endeavor to name for fear of getting them wrong or not having heard of them in the first place. Basically, though, it's just flat-out loud, fast, raunchy rock 'n' roll made by guys who actually sound like they mean it. Of course, for now at least, it looks like if you don't live in the Midwest, you'll have to get back in touch with a long-lost cousin or somebody and use that as an excuse to come here and see them live. But, then again, if you listen to this stuff, chances are that you won't mind the trip too much. Hell, I know I didn't."

This slab of cd is pure rock & roll !!

Anna Reese | Seattle,WA USA | 12/03/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This people,is 100% pure rock n roll!I bought it 3 days ago & i think it's my favorite CD this year.The range of styles is refreshing to hear...anything from good old fashion rock & roll to the finest punk i've heard in a long time.I definitely give it 5 stars & if you're smart,you'll do the same.adios"