[2020-11-27] Creepy John Thomas "Trippin' Like A Dog And Rockin' ...: The Complete Recordings" 3CD set (Grapefruit UK)

Linda · **Posted:** Fri Oct 02, 2020 10:42 pm

Description
Having made his name as lead guitarist with mid-Sixties Melbourne beat/R&B sensations The Flies, John Thomas left his native Australia in 1967 to pursue his career in Europe.

Settling in Germany, he DJ’ed at a Düsseldorf psychedelic dungeon called the Creamcheese before being offered a recording contract by EMI. He then came to England to recruit a rhythm section, with whom he cut the Rust album “Come With Me”, a classic 1968 set of surreal three-minute psych-pop songs only issued at the time in Germany.

Rust immediately broke up, but Thomas – now adding the Creepy epithet to give his name a bit more personality – linked up with fledgling producer Conny Plank and a gaggle of session players to record “Creepy John Thomas”, a set of wild, guitar-based underground blues that prominently featured their leader’s gruff, Lemmy-meets-Beefheart vocals.

The album was issued in both Germany and the UK, with Creepy John Thomas – by now a permanent band – relocating to London in late 1969 to promote it at venues like the Speakeasy and Wardour Street dive the Temple.

A second Creepy John Thomas album, “Brother Bat Bone”, was quickly recorded with Conny Plank, but the producer struggled to place it, and the album didn’t limp out until late 1971, when it briefly gained a German-only release.

All three albums have been the subject of lo-fi counterfeit reissues over the last few decades, but the artist-approved, digitally-enhanced anthology “Trippin’ Like A Dog And Rockin’ Like A Bitch” finally assembles those two Creepy John Thomas albums and the Rust LP under one roof.

Reproduced with miniature artwork, and with a booklet that features a new 4000 word essay on the albums that includes numerous quotes from John (who went on to become a member of The Edgar Broughton Band), “Trippin’ Like A Dog And Rockin’ Like A Bitch” is the final word on a trio of essential and highly collectable late Sixties albums.

Tracklist
[CD1: Rust – Come With Me]
1. Come With Me (Introduction)
2. You Thought You Had It Made
3. Please Return
4. Should I
5. Think Big
6. Rust
7. Delusion
8. Doesn’t Add Up To Me
9. Find A Hideaway
10. Come With Me
11. The Endless Struggle

1-11 The album Come With Me (German Hör Zu SHZEL 59, released January 1969)

[CD2: Creepy John Thomas – Creepy John Thomas]
1. Gut Runs Great Stone
2. (Do I Figure) In Your Life
3. You’ve Got To Hide
4. One Way Track Blues
5. Trippin’ Like A Dog And Rockin’ Like A Bitch
6. Ride A Rainbow
7. Green Eyed Lady
8. Sun And Woman
9. Lay It On Me
10. Bring Back The Love
11. Moon And Eyes Song

1-11 The album Creepy John Thomas (RCA Victor SF 8061, released December 1969)

[CD3: Creepy John Thomas – Brother Bat Bone]
1. Down In The Bottom
2. What’s The Matter With The Mill
3. Brother Bat Bone
4. This Is My Body
5. Standin’ In The Sunshine
6. 100lb Noomy

1-6 The album Brother Bat Bone (German Telefunken SLE 14617-P, released late 1971)

Amazon USA
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08JF5M945/?tag=imwan-20

Amazon UK
https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08JF5M945/?tag=imwan-21

NoURider · **Joined:** 21 Jul 2006 **Posts:** 3308

Had no idea who they were, and ended up purchasing anyway (Grapefruit never steered me wrong).

I guess I was expecting something in the vein of Lucifer's Friend debut, or the sludgy Heavy Psych of the "I'm a Freak Baby" comps, a little Black Sabbath 'rip-off', Lemmy era Hawkwind... all good stuff to my ears. I have been totally surprised that the music is not in that category. Its psych, yes. And guitar orientated (with lots of effects), but pretty melodic. Creepy John's vocals belies his name and appearance. I really enjoy these recordings.

While I received last year did not listen till recently. Would consider changing/adding to my list of Best Reissues from 2020 list.

Another in the 'never judge a book by its cover' and 'dive right in, the water is fine.'.

Robert Meagher · 30 Sep 2006

Never heard of em but I just placed an order for it. Looks interesting.

NoURider · **Joined:** 21 Jul 2006 **Posts:** 3308

Hope you like it. Some of it may even fall in pop.

[2020-11-27] Creepy John Thomas "Trippin' Like A Dog And Rockin' ...: The Complete Recordings" 3CD set (Grapefruit UK)

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