“Terrorist kills a man
They cut out his throat
It’s a violent world
Saw it on the TV screen
Car crash is suicide
I’m hoping for a genocide
Terrorism, homicide
Saw him on the TV screen”
Sleep In Safety
Classic from the Phantoms 12” EP, released in 1983. Paul Cutler wrote some seriously mean guitar riffs, the melodic break in this version of the song is unbelievable. Lucky for us, they recorded this song at least 2 or 3 times, hearing how it slowly evolved into this version is worth looking into.
Concerned Citizen
From Posh Boy’s Hell Comes To Your House compilation
(Piece of) Wax
Live from New Wave Theatre, completely unrecognizable from the studio version.
Party Time
Early version of this classic with the original lyrics about a dead 5 year old. In 1985, they re-recorded the song (with toned down lyrics about drinking beer) for the graveyard partying sequence in Return of The Living Dead. Those of us who grew up in NJ/NY/PA might remember actor James Karen from Poltergeist and from his weekly Path Mark supermarket commercials. This man terrified children. Super creepy
Evil
From a 1980 public access show, easily the best recorded version of the song. Super awkward ending makes this video even better. Singer Dinah Cancer has also sang in Vox Pop, Nervous Gender, Penis Flytrap and Dinah Cancer & The Grave Robbers. In an effort to make slackers everywhere look bad, she has also dated Nikki Sixx of Mötley Crüe, raised two children and became an early childhood development teacher.
Black Cross
7” version, much tighter and faster than the live version that appears on Debasement Tapes. Again, Paul Cutler pulls out all the stops. This riff would make Thin Lizzy cry, precision time signature held in place by first drummer Don Bolles.
Surf Bat
This is the version from Cleopatra’s Devil’s Possessions CD, which (I think) is a remastered and expanded version of Debasement Tapes. Still the best goth-rock-surf song ever.
Cemetery Girl
New song with the new line up, which consists of Dinah Cancer, Tom Coyne, Brandden Blackwell and former Adolescents guitarist Frank Agnew. According to Wikipedia, they plan on releasing a new EP sometime before the end of this year.
Procession
Live at the Los Angeles Convention Center, 4-17-09 for the Fangoria magazine convention. Where are all the damn people?
