Cream Corn from the Socket of Davis

AMG Review of Cream Corn from the Socket of Davis

Ned Raggett
All Music Guide

The title makes about as much sense as anything in the Surfers' universe, so hey, why complain? This four-song slice of surferdom has one of the group's most well-known numbers, "Moving to Florida." It's actually one of the more atypical songs from the band, consisting of little more than a brisk lues/ockabilly run with heavy echo alternating with a cappella weirdness from Gibby Haynes muttering about things like "toilet training with Chairman Mao." Occasional screaming outbursts (vocally and musically) keep the variety up. "Comb" is a slow cruncher with the patented Haynes vocal distortion and weirdness in full effect; Paul Leary really goes to town with treatments on his guitar, foreshadowing the screwier work to come, while the whole thing ends with fart and piss sounds (of course). "To Parter" has Haynes talking about selling Quaaludes to monkeys and the like over an at-times pretty Morricone-gone-psych arrangement, while "Toronados" ends things with a goofy romp and rant.