The Gravedigger V: All Black And Hairy 1984 + The Mirror Cracked 1987

 

The Gravedigger Five – often shown as Gravedigger V – was an American garage rock revival band, formed in 1984 in San Diego, California, United States. The band was part of the Paisley Underground,

a musical movement centered on Los Angeles, California, which referenced 1960s West Coast pop and garage rock. The band's lineup consisted of Leighton Koizumi on vocals and sound effects, Ted Friedman on lead guitar, John Hanrattie on rhythm guitar and backup vocals, Dave "The Animal" Anderson on drums and percussion, and originally Chris Gast, who was replaced on bass and backing vocals by Tom Ward. When the Gravedigger Five broke up, members of the band went on to form The Morlocks and Manual Scan.
               

After only a few performances the group caught the interest of Voxx Records owner Greg Shaw, who signed the band to his imprint in January, 1984. The band recorded their first LP the same year, sleeping

together in a car in an alley adjacent to the studio while not recording. Their first LP, All Black and Hairy, was released towards the end of 1984, but even before its release original bassist Chris Gast was ejected from the band as a result of his substance abuse problems. Shortly after Gast's dismissal the rest of the band fell apart and the group disbanded.
                

The one proper album the band released in its lifetime, All Black and Hairy is both perfectly named and

perfectly performed -- if it's nothing but a revivalist approach at heart, it's such a damn entertaining one that there's no cause for complaint. With its title track taken from the appropriately goonball back catalog of Screamin' Lord Sutch and its general snot-mouthed attitude from every last Nuggets and Pebbles selection ever, about the only thing missing are the lava lamps and garage stink.
          

Saying the band uses the right combination of fuzztone guitars and echo and heavy frug rhythms is a bit like saying the sky is blue -- it's just one of those things to be expected -- but the sheer energy and

abandon present keep everything from simply retracing the past to no point. Leighton's credit is for "lead screaming," and that about sums it up -- he's not so much singing as pulling off the ultimate teen-wannabe-Mick Jagger performance, only even more aggressively snotty. Ted Friedman's lead guitar solos with the right rave-up spirit and John Hanrattie keeps the core melodies going, while the Tom Ward/David Anderson rhythm section aims to get rears shaking instead of sitting.
                

The album is half split between inspired originals (check out the concluding "Stoneage Stomp") and

actual songs from the time, the latter resulting in fun versions of tracks like the Uncalled For's "Do Like Me" and Larry & the Bluenotes' "Night of the Phantom." About the only thing missing is the original studio recording of the band's best number, "It's Spooky," but anyone wanting a quick blast of '60s punk thrills filtered through later years could do much worse than to dig this one up. Later CD versions wisely combined All Black and Hairy with The Mirror Cracked for 71 minutes of lysergic energy.
            

The Gravedigger V – All Black And Hairy - The Mirror Cracked
Label: Voxx Records – vcd2025
Format: CD, Album, Compilation, Reissue
Country: US
Released: 1994
Genre: Rock
Style: Garage Rock

                     

ALL BLACK AND HAIRY 1984        

                  

01. All Black And Hairy
Written-By – Lord Sutch
02. Tomorrow Is Yesterday
Written-By – Friedman
03. No Good Woman
Written By – A. Cloud
04. Do Like Me
Written By – L. Welding, T. Lee
05. Hate
Written-By – W. Ash
06. She's A Cur
Written-By – Leighton, Ward
07. Searching
Written-By – Revercomb, Allen
08. She's Gone
Written-By – Leighton, Friedman
09. Night Of The Phantom
Written-By – Larry And The Blue Notes
10. Don't Tread On Me
Written-By – K. Massengill
11. One Ugly Child
Written-By – Bright
12. She Got
Written-By – Friedman
13. Stoneage Stomp
Written-By – Leighton, Friedman

THE MIRROR CRACKED 1987        

                     

  
14. The Mirror Cracked
Written-By – Gravedigger V
15. Enough Of What I Need
Written-By – Marachal, Quillian, Ash
16. Be A Caveman
Written-By – G. Paxton, W. Powell
17. No Good Woman
Written By – A. Cloud
18. It's Spooky
Written-By – Leighton, Friedman
19. Drivin' Me Insane
Written-By – B. Hutchins
20. Stop It Baby
Written By – Hooper/Written-By – Caplı
21. Searchin'
Written-By – Revercomb, Allen
22. She's Gone
Written-By – Leighton, Friedman
23. Enough Of What I Need
Written-By – Marachal, Quillian, Ash
24. Be A Caveman
Written-By – G. Paxton, W. Powell
25. She's A Cur
Written-By – Leighton, Ward
26. The Mirror Cracked
Written-By – Gravedigger V
27. Night Of The Phantom
Written-By – Larry And The Blue Notes
28. Tomorrow Is Yesterday
Written-By – Friedman

LINE - UP

                 

Backing Vocals – Paula Pierce (tracks: 17)
Bass, Vocals – Tom Ward
Drums, Percussion – David Anderson
Guitar – John Hanrattie
Lead Guitar, Vocals – Ted Friedman
Vocals [Lead Screaming] – Leighton

NOTES

                  

Tracks 1 to 13 recorded at Silvery Moon Studios, Los Angeles, CA.
Tracks 14 to 16 are outtakes from first album.
Tracks 18 to 20 are rehearsals (1/2/84).
Tracks 21 to 28 recorded live at the Rave-Up, June 16, 1984.

Flac Size: 537 MB