Wall of Voodoo

Well, I've featured Stan Ridgway and Andy Prieboy, it's only fair that I feature the band that they both fronted, Ridgway from 77-83, Prieboy from 83-88 (if their wikipedia entry is to be trusted).

I was going to put the whole lot up as one big post, but at some point I must've changed my mind... Which is fine, but it's left me with nothing to say...

I owe a great deal to one particular album that opened my eyes to Wall of Voodoo: 'On the Charts: I.R.S. Records 1979-1994', which I picked up in a 2nd-hand record store, on the strength of 'Far Side of Crazy', which appeared as a bonus track on the version I have. And in looking for the link on Amazon, I've found that my version varies quite significantly from the one listed there.

Excuse me while I digress for a moment.

The compilation on Amazon's tracklisting is as follows:

1. Our Lips Are Sealed - Go-Go's
2. Mexican Radio (edit) - Wall of Voodoo
3. Only A Lad - Oingo Boingo
4. The Future's So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades - Timbuk 3
5. Save It For Later - English Beat
6. She Drives Me Crazy - Fine Young Cannibals
7. Mad About You - Belinda Carlisle
8. Tenderness - General Public
9. The One I Love - R.E.M.
10. Joey - Concrete Blonde
11. Rain In The Summertime - The Alarm
12. Dizz Knee Land - dada

The version I have in front of me right now has the following tracks:

1. Our Lips Are Sealed - Go-Go's
2. Mexican Radio (edit) - Wall of Voodoo
3. 68 Guns - The Alarm
4. The Future's So Bright I Gotta Wear Shades - Timbuk 3
5. Spirit In The Sky - Dr. And The Medics
6. Heartbreaker (At The End Of Lonely Street) (edit) - Dread Zeppelin
7. Camouflage (single remixe edit) - Stan Ridgway
8. Mad About You - Belinda Carlisle
9. Hey Matthew - Karel Fialka
10. The One I Love - R.E.M.
11. Joey - Concrete Blonde
12. Holy Cow - Jools Holland
13. Dizz Knee Land - dada
14. Far Side of Crazy - Wall of Voodoo (unlisted)

How very strange. That's quite a deviation. I can't seem to find any mention of my version anywhere on the net at all. If anyone has any further information, I'd love to hear from you.

Okay, back to the matter at hand:

I know it's a bit of a cop-out for me to post two of their most famous songs, but I'm hoping that people feeling nostalgic and looking for those particular tracks and will be inspired to take a closer look.

Here's what looks like the 'official site', but it seems to be currently under construction.

With Stan:

Wall of Voodoo - Lost Weekend
Wall of Voodoo - Mexican Radio

With Andy:

Wall of Voodoo - (Don't Spill My) Courage
Wall of Voodoo - Far Side of Crazy

Wall of Voodoo - Mexican Radio
by Kanun

Wall Of Voodoo Far Side Of Crazy
by R_P_M

Stan Ridgway

(photo from www.stanridgway.com)

Turnabout is fair play.

A couple of months ago, I posted an entry with a few tracks from Andy Prieboy, and I intended to follow it up promptly with a post featuring another former Wall of Voodoo frontman, Stan Ridgway.

So here it is, albeit somewhat later than intended.

There's something about Ridgway's voice that evokes the very essence of Americana, whether he's singing about burlesque houses ('Can't Stop The Show'), jaded couples ('Lost Weekend') or heavy machinery ('Pile Driver').

Ridgway is a king of narrative, and he joins the pantheon of great storytellers, alongside Tom Waits, Warren Zevon and Henry Wagons.

Official site

Stan Ridgway - Running With The Carnival
Stan Ridgway - The Big Heat
Stanard Ridgway & The Fowler Brothers - The Cannon Song (Kurt Weill)



The piano break in this song just kills me. So simple and so effective.