Nashville Pussy "Let Them Eat Pussy" 1998****

Wow! What a title and what an album cover! Of course they've earned a place in my collection! Need the music be good too? Well, thankfully it is: If, of course, by good you mean loud, fun, fast and nasty. Its punk-metal-psychobilly hybrid steals from the Cramps, Ramones, Motorhead and AC/DC. The core group of former 9-Pound Hammer guitarist Blaine Cartwright (gruffy vocals, rhythm guitar) and wifey Ruyter Suys (smokin' lead guitar, tits) are joined here by Adam Neal (drums) and Corey Parks (bass, tits, tattoos). Corey and Ruyter are, of course, the two "classy" ladies on the cover.  The music is fast, high-octane rock'n'roll (the band goes through 12 songs in only 27 minutes), augmented by way over-the-top macho lyrics and a wild, sexed-up rollercoaster of a live show. All songs are originals except a cover of 60's R&B classic "First I Look At The Purse". Compared to garage/psychobilly bands like The Cramps or Reverend Horton Heat, the 60's influences are less pronounced with more of a 70's vibe, evident in the short and dirty hard rock solos. Opener Snake Eyes sounds like Motorhead while "You're Goin' Down" is equally fast but also features some nice rockabilly-ish soloing. "Go Motherfucker Go" adds the missing element: hooks! With the addition of a catchy chorus, it becomes obvious we've got a winner here. It sounds a lot like those Scandinavian kings of sleaze, Turbonegro. Not surprisingly, NP later added Turbonegro's "Age of Pamparius" to their repertory. "I'm The Man" further ups the ante with its AC/DC riff-ola and "philosophical" lyrics like "I'm the man/A real motherfucker/You ain't shit/Just another sucker". Cartwright looks the part with his redneck truck driver appearance and attitude but he's easily overshadowed by the powerful female presence in the band: Ruyter struts the stage Angus-style, albeit dressed in a leopard bra and leather pants while Corey looks like a leatherclad cowgirl dominatrix. Her presence is even more impressive thanks to her 1.95m height (it's in her genes: her brother, former NBA-er Cherokee Parks stands at 2.11m) and fire-breathing antics. The album continues on the same path with titles like "All Fucked Up" and "Eat My Dust" but, although the pace never lets up, you have to wait until the last track for the next highlight, the Grammy nominated "Fried Chicken and Coffee" - not surprisingly the longest and most metal-oriented track in the record. Dig those lyrics: "Fried chicken and coffee/Are keeping me mean/I'm wiping my ass/With Hustler magazine". Doesn't get more manly than that! Now NP may be kitschy as hell but that's why I like them. All that trashy sexuality would otherwise be plain bad taste, but taken as a joke you're free to enjoy it. Not that it'd matter, of course, if it wasn't for the music: fortunately they match attitude with passion and enough ability to make their albums worth listening. So I did get their next two CDs (offering more of the same) but gradually the novelty started to wear off. Not to mention that Corey left after the second album. A string of female bassists followed, of which the best known was Karen Cuda. She had the tits and tatts alright, but how can you replace such a fire-breathing powerhouse?

**** for Go Motherfucker Go, I'm The Man, Fried Chicken And Coffee

*** for Snake Eyes, You're Goin' Down, Johnny Hotrod, 5 Minutes To Live, Somebody Shoot Me, First Look At The Purse, Blowin' Smoke, Eat My Dust

** for All Fucked Up, 5 Minutes To Live