Various Artists - Lux And Ivy Dig The Beatniks: A Collection of Finger Lickin’ Grooves, Deep Thinkin’ Diatribes and Exploitation 45s

Back in the early Nineties (1992, to be precise) the usually very diligent Rhino label came up with a three-CD set titled The Beat Generation, that covered that Fifties, early Sixties connection between mainly jazz and poetry. It was a serious archival attempt to cover the genre, but not essentially the period, as it included the likes of Tom Waits, who of course, belonged there anyway.

Besides being detailed and well-annotated it kind of stuck to the ‘serious’ side of the beat, both as music and poetry are concerned. Now, here come Lux and Ivy of The Cramps, well, not really, but actually in name and spirit, as this was really compiled by Dave Henderson of MOJO magazine, with their take on the beat genre with a double set for the equally thorough and detailed Cherry Red Records titled Lux And Ivy Dig The Beatniks: A Collection of Finger Lickin’ Grooves, Deep Thinkin’ Diatribes, and Exploitation 45s.

Now, even somebody vaguely familiar with The Cramps would immediately think that this compilation concentrates on the camp, rockier, satirical side of the beat which certainly existed. So, yes, that side of the beat is here, presented particularly in the first set. But it turns out that Henderson, inspired by Lux and Ivy's musical concept dug deeper - while on one side they did stick to the time period beat and beatniks were at their high, they cover the whole spectrum of the genre, and in that respect cover an even wider range than the Rhino people did.

Oh, and most importantly, what a treat this set is! From very cookie “Kookie Kookie (Lend Me Your Comb)” by Edd ‘Kookie’ Byrnes, or spooky “Spooky-Doo” by Cacique & His Tribe, and very rocky “Hot Rod Dock by End Byrnes, something you could expect to be found in The Cramps' set, to Dizzy Gillespie and Lawrence Ferlinghetti and a pile of obscure singles that range from crooners to exotica and who knows where. 

There’s even the ‘romantic’ side of beat represented in the form of Rod McCuen and his “No Pictures, Please”, which obviously served as inspiration to Tom Waits and his “Saving All My Love For You” from Heart Attack and Vine (McCuen: “Too late for the beach/Too early for the bars”, Waits: “Too early for the circus/too late for the bars”).

Or, to make it as brief as possible - it’s a gas! Essential!