Compulsive Gamblers

Folding together equal portions of greasy '50s pop, Memphis-style rhythm & blues, and a punk rocker's sense of casual experimentation and musical cross breeding, the Compulsive Gamblers were at the forefront of the Memphis roots punk scene, alongside such bands as the Gibson Bros. and '68 Comeback, creating a sound that was at once sinister, comical, and full of potent groove. The Compulsive Gamblers were formed in Memphis, TN, in 1990 by Greg Cartwright and Jack Yarber, two friends who had played in a number of rough and ready punk bands in the deep south. Originally calling themselves the Painkillers, by 1991 guitar maulers Cartwright and Yarber were joined by Philip "Flipper" Tubb on keyboards, drummer Rod "Bushrod" Thomas, and fiddler Greg Easterly, and the new handle the Compulsive Gamblers was adopted. Hitting the Memphis club circuit, the band recorded a four-song EP, Joker, in someone's kitchen in late 1991; released a year later, the record helped to win them a local following, and two more discs, Church Goin' and Goodtime, followed in 1994. However, while the singles did reasonably well and the band began developing a powerful reputation on the road as a first-class live act, after Thomas and Easterly relocated to New Orleans, it became difficult for the band to hold together, and in 1995 the band broke up, with their recordings compiled on a CD released by Sympathy for the Record Industry, Gamblin' Days Are Over. Cartwright and Yarber almost immediately re-emerged with a new group, the Oblivians (in which they renamed themselves Greg Oblivian and Jack Oblivian), but after the Oblivians folded in 1997, Greg and Jack opted to give the Compulsive Gamblers another try, this time as a three-piece with Thomas back behind the drums. The new Compulsive Gamblers trio released an album, Bluff City, in 1999, and added bassist Jeff Meier for a European tour later that year. Brendan Lee Spengler signed on as keyboardist in time to record the Crystal Gazing Luck Amazing album, and a live set followed in 2003. The Compulsive Gamblers also had the honor of backing up R&B legend Andre Williams on several cuts on his album The Black Godfather.

~ Mark Deming, All Music Guide

Gamblin' Days Are Over (1995)















1. Telstar
2. Bad Taste
3. Way Down in the Hole
4. Dead Waltz
5. Sour and Vicious Man
6. Two Wrongs Don't Make a Right
7. Walking the Balustrade
8. Scaring Myself
9. Capon'e Finest
10. Name a Drink After You
11. Quit This Town
12. They Call Me Names
13. Phoney Lesbians
14. Gamblin' Days Are Over
15. I See You Everywhere
16. Handful of Burning Sand
17. Devil in My Back Pocket
18. Feel Good Music
19. Good Time
20. Mind in the Gutter

format: mp3
bitrate: 320kbps
http://rapidshare.com/files/117905169/Compulsive_Gamblers_-_Gambling_Days_Are_Over.part1.rar
http://rapidshare.com/files/117864450/Compulsive_Gamblers_-_Gambling_Days_Are_Over.part2.rar



Bluff City (1999)















1. My Love Is a Monster
2. X-Ray Eyes
3. Mystery Girl
4. Pepper Spray Boogie
5. I Call You Mine
6. One-Eyed Girl
7. I Don't Want to Laugh at You
8. New Romance
9. You Don't Want Me
10. Don't Come Looking for Me Now
11. Trouble
12. Don't Haunt Me

format: mp3
bitrate: VBR
http://rapidshare.com/files/117889696/Compulsive_Gamblers_-_Bluff_City.rar



Crystal Gazing Luck Amazing (2000)















1. The Way I Feel About You
2. Pepper Spray Boogie
3. Whole Lotta Woman
4. Negative Jerk
5. Stop & Think It Over
6. I'm That Guy
7. Wait a Bit, Joe
8. Your Happiness
9. Rock & Roll Nurse
10. Two Thieves

format: mp3
bitrate: 192kbps
http://rapidshare.com/files/117894950/Compulsive_Gamblers_-_Crystal_Gazing_Luck_Amazing.rar