A psychobilly classic and a brand-new hard rock masterwork: The Cramps “Goo Goo Muck” and Foo Fighters “Rescued” both deliver energy, defiance, and effortless cool. Don’t sleep on this new DLC debuting Thursday in the Rock Band Music Store!
Featured on 1981’s Psychedelic Jungle, “Goo Goo Muck” by The Cramps recently experienced a resurgence in popularity 40 years later. After having gone viral last fall, the psychobilly legends’ venerable single topped the Alternative Digital Songs Sales chart with 2,000 downloads during the last week of November 2022 and currently boasts nearly 64 million streams on Spotify as of this writing. Beginning with a clean, jangly strummed chord progression, Lux Interior (né Erick Lee Purkhiser) lead singer and co-founder of this legendary horror-punk band, soon lends his distinctly theatrical warble to “Goo Goo Muck,” quickly establishing a quirky, creepy vibe. At the 10-second mark, guitarist Poison Ivy (real name: Kristy Wallace – fun fact, also Interior’s wife) adds the song’s distinctive twangy riff, which is equal parts rockabilly, surf, and garage rock and serves as the musical center of the entire affair. Drums and bass throughout are tasteful, minimalist, and fully appropriate to the genre, only vying for the spotlight during the refrains as the “rat-tat-tat” of the snare precedes and sets up the vocal delivery of the titular lyrics. Speaking of lyrics, you may well be asking, “What *is* a ‘Goo Goo Muck?’” Entirely reasonable question. Seemingly we’re being introduced to a fictional creature (one hopes, anyway!) that exists within the Interior’s adolescent character (for this track), only revealing itself at night. All right, then! Back to the music – specifically the guitar. Following the second chorus, at 1:18 Poison Ivy unleashes a crisp, delightfully retro, reverb-soaked solo that explores all the fun to be had within the pentatonic scale. From there, we bounce along to “Goo Goo Muck”’s signature riff and Lux Interior’s B-movie horror vocal stylings through to the track’s fade-out conclusion at 3:06. The entirety of this quirky, catchy single is enough to even make you want to jerkily dance around a high-school gymnasium! If you’re already familiar with “Goo Goo Muck” – and you likely are – then you know how much fun this one is. If not, prepare to have a new favorite cut stuck in your brain for days!
Combine rockabilly, psychedelia, and punk attitude with sleazy, trashy, monster-movie lyrics and what do you get? Horror-punk titans, The Cramps! New life was breathed into the band’s 1981 single “Goo Goo Muck” last fall via viral clips and now these underground legends are becoming household names. Twangy guitar? Monster-movie vocals? Retro vibe? Catchy as heck? All those bases and more are covered with this track. Guitar mistress Poison Ivy and one-of-a-kind lead singer deliver a masterclass of innuendo and garage-rock attitude. What could be dismissed as a “novelty song” becomes a true classic in the hands of The Cramps with the eminently catchy and danceable “Goo Goo Muck.” Head on over to Spotify to get familiar with the group’s full discography: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4lYtGx5NZQJHsMyhHc5iz3
“Rescued,” the dynamic lead single from Foo Fighters forthcoming LP, But Here We Are, is a full-throated rocker that also serves a tribute to the band’s departed drummer, the much-beloved Taylor Hawkins. As per the band, it’s “A brutally honest and emotionally raw response to everything Foo Fighters endured over the last year.” For this one, The Foos have tapped into the type of anthemic, powerful hard rock that showcases precisely what they do best, and created an instant classic. Fraught, angry, grief-stricken, plaintive – “Rescued” rides a furious groove and features some of Dave Grohl’s most blistering, grated vocals on record, edgy guitar-work, and thunderous percussion. Starting off with a gently strummed clean guitar, at 13 seconds in Grohl’s vocal sneer crashes the party over heavy drums and distorted riffage. Lead and rhythm guitars interweave elegantly, powerfully – Grohl and fellow axeman Pat Smear have never sounded more dangerously potent and in absolute lockstep with one another. Lyrically, “Rescued” is as emotionally charged as you might expect and, while it’s easy to impose the recent sad events within the band onto their meaning, the words leave things vague enough to apply to anyone and any situation that yearns for help, an ease to pain, to be “rescued” from whatever affliction. This is truly powerful stuff that doesn’t shy away from acknowledging tragedy, but manages to be simultaneously uplifting, nonetheless. Grohl is once again behind the kit, subbing for his fallen brother, and the relentlessly blistering beats add a vital, intoxicating energy to the song. Amidst the lacerating vocals, defiant guitars, and rhythmic assault, the sonic message conveyed is one of a band railing against grief, huddling close together, and finding strength in their bonds with one another – and with their passionate fans. As the group has stated, the new work runs, “the emotional gamut from rage and sorrow to serenity and acceptance, and myriad points in between.” Yup, that pretty well sums it up. Defiance and optimism in the face of disaster has never sounded so catchy or arena-ready as on “Rescued.” Enjoy this full-tilt banger with a tissue in one hand and the other raised in a fist!
The Cramps “Goo Goo Muck” and Foo Fighters “Rescued” are featured in the Season 32 Pass. Pick both up today and enjoy the entire season of DLC. Both are also available for $1.99 each.
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*Please note that this week’s DLC tracks will be available for purchase on Thursday, June 8th.