The Sting Rays "Cryptic And Coffee Time" 1987

"It's One of The best pop psycho / psyche garage ever recorded for me (listen To "I'm Growing Old"). I'm proud to send it because it's very hard to find it now. This post is dedicated to my old friend Greg who offers me this one a few years ago." - Mr Noon at Midnight Basically, the band started out in the psychobilly mode with Dinosaurs, releaseing the claasy garage album that was Cryptic And Coffee Time.
A very good starting point on finding out what this band were all about. Listen, if you enjoy, make sure you try and get all their other stuff. You will not be disappointed.
This band were simply one of the best and original bands on the London trash scene in the early eighties. For those who have not heard of them, their influences ran from Rockabilly, Sixties Garage Punk, Folk-Rock and many other Bomp friendly musical styles. Always wild and fun onstage, they were embraced by the Psychobilly crowd, no doubt attracted by the Bal's (the singer) outragous haircut and onstage trick of diving off the backline. To be a perfect "garage snob" about this I do not think a lot of these Psychobilly boys and girls were faintly interested that the 'Rays covered 'Come On Kid' (Kenny & the Kasuals) or 'How Much More' (Terry Knight & The Pack) nor should they have been I suppose. Yes Mr Palao had good taste even back then.
Aah 'Cryptic And Coffee Time' what a great parting shot. The 'Rays constantly trying to overeach themselves and failing ...but with great style. All of the songs are by Mr 'Cream Puff War' Palao but suffer from vocal and instrumental limitations. This album would be a milestone (or should that be millstone) if the Dunhill session crew had been involved. Being a garage nut I really appreciate it when a band goes to the effort of pushing themselves a little further despite their musical handicaps. If you persevere with this record you will discover a slew of
fantastic songs jumping out of the grooves.
The Sting-rays were one hell of an original band and are sorely missed. It would have been so easy for The Sting-rays to go down the garage-mannequin route but they stuck to their own ideas.trax:
1.Behind the beyond 2. Hopelness of the human race 3. Don't sell yourself short 4. Bitterness 5. The big lie 6. Through the dawn 7. Reason nor rhyme 8. The burden of dreams 9. Tear them down 10. Love of a kind 11. The big tide will turn 12. Middle age spreads 13. I'm growing old 14. All these years
…originally served by Mr Noon at Midnight...