STAN RIDGWAY: SNAKEBITE: Blacktop Ballads & Fugitive Songs

Stan Ridgway

SNAKEBITE: Blacktop Ballads & Fugitive Songs

© 2005 redFLY records (724101848124)

CD IN STOCK. ORDER NOW. Will ship immediately.

(About MP3 downloads at CD Baby)

Echoing swamps, talking beer cans. Lonely soldiers & voodoo chain gang ghosts. Stan Ridgway sings 16 brand new two fisted tales. Buckle up. Its going to be a bumpy ride. New work from the Wall Of Voodoo mastermind.

tracks

1 Into The Sun
2 Wake Up Sally (the cops are here)
3 Afghan Forklift
4 King For A Day
5 Your Rockin' Chair
6 Monsters Of The Id
7 Running With The Carnival
8 Our Manhattan Moment
9 Crow Hollow Blues
10 That Big 5-0
11 God Sleeps In A Caboose
12 Throw It Away
13 My Own Universe
14 Classic Hollywood Ending
15 Talkin' Wall Of Voodoo Blues
16 My Rose Marie (a soldier's tale)

notes

Stan Ridgway now at myspace.com: http://www.myspace.com/officialstanridgway

Ridgway Merch now online:
http://www.zazzle.com/ridgwaymusic
=================================

The Wire (UK)
Snakebite: Blacktop Ballads and Fugitive Songs
Review by Edwin Pouncy

Former Wall Of Voodoo singer/songwriter Stan Ridgway's eighth solo album is a glorious hard-boiled Hollywood road movie for the ears (complete with suitable sound effects) which takes the listener on a tumbleweed journey in three acts through his dark imagination. Ridgway's lyrical talent for detail, combined with a cactus spiked humor and sense of melancholy, is what gives Snakebite its fang, and his songs ripple with observation and atmosphere. The best of these are "King For A Day". a wild ride in a stolen car that ends up crashing into the side of a house. A chance meeting with Andy Warhol that develops into "Our Manhattan Moment ", and "Talkin' Wall Of Voodoo Blues Pt. 1" where Ridgway scathingly relates the rise and fall of his old band and the various record company and managerial rip offs that eventually tore them apart. If you are only familiar with Ridgway's work through, what he refers to here as "that radio song", then Snakebite is an invitation to get better acquainted. Long may he run.

Stan Ridgway is equal parts Raymond Chandler and John Huston, Johnny Cash and Rod Serling. - NME

ALL MUSIC.COM
Snakebite: Blacktop Ballads & Fugitive Songs
Review by Hal Horowitz

Stan Ridgway sounds recharged on a sprawling set that revisits familiar territory but does so in a fresh fashion. Not counting 2004's Blood which was more a soundtrack, this is the ex- Wall of Voodoo frontman's first solo album since 1999's Anatomy . The 16-song track list is divided into three "acts" which infers that there is a thread connecting the tunes. But even if one senses a vague theme about traveling, reflections on life, and tall tales of outcasts, outlaws and loners, the narrative -- if there is one -- is difficult to follow. That won't lessen a fan's enjoyment of this splintered but always innovative and challenging album. The music occasionally has a twisted carnival feel, similar to a more upbeat version of Tom Waits ' unique style, but much less abrasive. Ridgway's offbeat lyrics are some of his finest and most thought-provoking, with songs like "The Big 5-0" either telling a straightforward tale of a pair of losers trying to find the titular road,or a more oblique observation on a mid-life crisis. The words are juxtaposed against a modified Bo Diddley beat that also conveys the rattling of wheels on a highway. The singer's distinctive harmonica provides the high lonesome effects on "God Sleeps in a Caboose"; standard Ridgeway train fare played with unplugged sympathy for its windswept landscapes and loser hoboes. "Throw It Away" implicitly references his Wall of Voodoo days where the bellboy puts the main character -- which seems to be Ridgway -- on hold after saying he heard "that radio song." "Talkin' Wall of Voodoo Blues, Pt. 1" is a candid recap of his years in the band, sung with a detached yet loving approach which rails against the commerciality of the record business and pays tribute to two members who have passed. Musically, Ridgway sounds assured throughout this terrific, and rather long, but never boring disc. While it is by no means a bid at stardom, he incorporates avant-garde elements within pop structures. As such it is arguably his most impressive -- if not necessarily cohesive -- release and his best album. Established fans will be thrilled, while newcomers are encouraged to search this out and work backwards.
------

Review: The New Yorker Magazine

Stan Ridgway has been turning out distinctive noirish rock and roll since the late seventies, first as a member of the group Wall of Voodoo and then as a solo artist. Snakebite (Redfly) is among the better outings of his long, off-kilter career. In sixteen songs, Ridgway blends together rock, jazz, and blues in the service of his always strange, but never frivolous, storytelling. Over the years, his songwriting has become more personal, and, in addition to intimately narrated songs like "Our Manhattan Moment" and "Wake Up Sally (The Cops Are Here)," there's "Talkin' Wall of Voodoo Blues, Pt. 1," a rollicking retelling of the rise and fall of his former band.
----------

POPMATTERS.COM
Snakebite: Blacktop Ballads and Fugitive Songs

by Will Harris

Stan's the man when it comes to the voodoo that he do so well.

Even if he isn't remembered as one of the greatest musical storytellers of his generation (though there's little question that he will be), Stan Ridgway will forever rank high in the field of Most Distinctive Voice. That nasal delivery of his has been instantly identifiable ever since Wall of Voodoo had their commercial breakthrough in 1982 with, you know, that song .

Ridgway's never really been afraid to follow his muse wherever it takes him, as evidenced by such minor masterpieces as The Big Heat and Mosquitoes . Since leaving the constraints of the major label lifestyle in the early '90s, however (not long after the release of 1991's Partyball ), he's really gone hog wild with the creativity. One minute, he's giving you the musical equivalent of film noir, then you turn around and find him doing a two-disc set of big band standards and Broadway show tunes, and performing them completely straight, no less.

Snakebite: Blacktop Ballads & Fugitive Songs finds Ridgway close to the sound of his Geffen-era work (1989-1991). Divided into three acts, Snakebite is full of the sort of lyrical darkness that's been a hallmark of Ridgway's material since the get-go.

In Act One, "Wake Up Sally (The Cops Are Here)" is narrated by a several-time loser on the verge of getting arrested for having robbed a bus. Total haul: $12.00. Nice one. "Now, didja gas up the truck like I told you to?" he asks. "No, we can't take the dog, he's gonna bark." A few songs later, in
"King for a Day", another poor bastard ...or is it the same sad soul? ... is on the run, smoking crack, and bragging to someone (Sally, perhaps?) on his cell phone that, "Hey, I'm doin' 110 now / Can you still hear me on your phone? / I got a hundred cops behind me / And overhead I hear the choppers groan / Oh, I'm headed for the wall, now / Gotta hang up now, thanks for the loan".

In Act Two of Snakebite , it becomes evident that Ridgway is a man out of time. (If he wasn't, would he really be making lyrical references to Stubby Kaye?) Each song here could be a movie in and of itself, but every one of them would've been made before 1950. "Runnin' with the Carnival" would've been directed by Tod Browning, "God Sleeps in a Caboose" would have to have starred Henry Fonda, and there's little question in my mind that "Crow Hollow Blues" would've won Bogart an Oscar.

The third act of the album contains some of the most personal songs Ridgway's ever written, including "My Own Universe" and "Classic Hollywood Ending", where he bemoans the way things were left between himself and someone from his past, using film as a metaphor:
Now I never knew how your curtain came down /
Or what was backstage in your mind /
We never played that lost reel we found /
The lights went up, and we'd run out of time /
And it's only when the curtain's down /
That the ending's understood /
Like an old time movie, like a film from Hollywood

At the fifteenth of Snakebite 's 16 songs, it becomes evident that Stan may well be a fugitive himself, having spent much of his life running away from his own past. Despite carving a unique musical niche for himself, there's been an albatross around poor Stan's neck for over two decades, and it's apparently gotten too heavy to ignore any further.

The "albatross", of course, is the aforementioned Wall of Voodoo, or, more specifically, that goddamned "Mexican Radio". Though hardly the first '80s band to have the one-hit wonder tag slapped on them, Wall of Voodoo had it worse than others; when the ears of middle America hear a song called
"Mexican Radio" and lyrics about "eating barbequed iguana", son, what you've got yourself there is a bonafide novelty hit. Never mind that Ridgway was waxing lyrical about American tourists visiting our Southwestern neighbors; for most folks hearing the song, it might as well have been "The Curly Shuffle".

And, let's face it, Stan's face popping out of a bowl of beans during the video probably didn't help things any, either.

Twenty years later, Ridgway has finally tackled those Voodoo days in song. "Talkin' Wall of Voodoo Blues, Pt. 1" appears near the tail end of Snakebite ; reminiscent of Cockeyed Ghost's "Burning Me Out (Of the Record Store)", where Adam Marsland details his band's pissed-up departure from Big Deal Records, Ridgway painstakingly relates the rise and fall of the Wall. It's sad that the tale begins with the observation that, of the band's original line-up, "two are gone to heaven" (drummer Joe Nanini suffered a fatal blood clot in his brain in 2000; guitarist Marc Moreland died in 2002 from liver failure), ends with the admission that the band disintegrated as a result of the fact that "we were all just big assholes", and, in the middle, includes these lines:

One weekend, Marc's song fell out, the single they still talk about / We made a video with Frank Delia behind the lens /
Labor Day Mexico, lots of beans and drugs and friends /
But all was gonna bust; how were chumps like us to know? /
We took off on that tour so long and played and sang our radio song, oh-woah / Now, it seemed like that old voodoo dog we had was payin' for its fleas / We lost control of our own band to the record company

It isn't all anger and regrets -- although a hell of a lot of it clearly is. But Ridgway makes a point of acknowledging both up front, and in the song's finale says that "we had some punk-rock fun". And he's obviously still proud that "we practiced music night and day" and, as a result, eventually played the Whiskey-A-Go-Go "with Miss Ivy and Mister Lux" (the Cramps). After keeping it pent up for so many years, one can only hope that it's been cathartic for Ridgway to get some of this stuff off his chest, though some may wonder why it took long for him to get around to doing it.

I guess it just goes to show that, while master storytellers may know how to weave a yarn that draws the listener in and keeps them rapt 'til the very end, they oft have the most trouble just telling their own tales.
- 6 July 2004
----------

One of the most unique singer/songwriters in American music, Stan Ridgway is a true original. From his early days with L.A. art-punkers Wall Of Voodoo, to his even more intriguing solo career, Ridgway has created an impressive body of work. Some know him just as the long lost singer with the great Wall Of Voodoo, others as one of the great unsung maverick geniuses of our time. - MELODY MAKER

Stan Ridgway is one of the most unique and talented songwriters around. - RECORD MIRROR

Stan Ridgway is equal parts Raymond Chandler and John Huston, Johnny Cash and Rod Serling. - NME
-----------
A Snakebite Review
from THE SANTE FE NEW MEXICAN 5/7/04
an article by STEVE TERRELL / TERRELL"S TUNE UP

He's been making records for more than 20 years, first with his band Wall of Voodoo, then on his own.

He's just made his best record in years.

And that's saying a lot. While he isn't seen much on MTV much anymore and while he's bounced around from label to label, Ridgway has produced a steady stream of fine albums, each one containing at least one song that's a complete jaw dropper.
But the new one, Snakebite. basically is a jaw dropper from start to finish.

The album lives up to its subtitle, Blacktop Ballads and Fugitive Songs. Many of the songs deal with people who are trying to escape -- from the police in "Wake Up Sally," from bad relationships in the black-humor blues of "King For a Day," from terrifying political realities in "Afghan/Forklift" and "Monsters of the Id", from humdrum small-town life in "Running With the Carnival," and from a Union Army firing squad in "My Rose Marie (A Soldier's Tale)."

Snakebite starts out with "Into the Sun," a breezy tune full of hope and promise. It reminds me of "Lonely Town," from Ridgway's 1989 Mosquitoes -- except while the lyrics of that song were full of foreboding, "Into the Sun" is outwardly optimistic. The singer is driving to some desert home "where the coyote walks the toad/The tumbleweeds speak in secret code ... Out where the sagebrush sings our song."

His voice sounds full of confidence, and a harp in the second verse gives the lyrics a grandiose veneer. But the backdrop of electronic noise, sounding like some flock of prehistoric birds, hint at some gathering inner storm that threaten the singer's scheme.

That sense of impending undefined doom -- "something in the air, moving like a southbound train" -- resurfaces in other songs. In "Afghan Forklift" a warehouse worker in Arkansas is overcome with that feeling when he notices two crates "marked Top Secret, headed for Afghanistan." We never learn exactly what's in the crates, but apparently it's serious enough to prompt the forklift operator to try (in vain) to call the president." A repeated minor-key folk lick, punctuated by Ridgway's piercing harmonica and low French horns add to the sense of dread.

"Monsters of the ID," an inspired cover of a Mose Allison song are Ridgway's main political statements on Snakebite. On "Monsters" he lets loose with the screeching, rumbling electronic noises (usually rising at the end of the verses), as well as horror movie choruses and some pretty impressive harmonica.

Singing in a lower register than usual, Ridgway moans, "The creatures from the swamp/Rewrite their own Mein Kampf/Neanderthals amuck/Just tryin' to make a buck/And goblins and their hags/Are out there waving' flags..."
While many of his characters are "fugitives" of one kind or another, Ridgway refuses to run from his own history. He sings of the band that launched his career in "Talking Wall of Voodoo Blues Part 1."

With guitars suggesting both hillbilly and Mid-eastern music relentless drums and rubbery keyboards, Ridgway recounts the band's brief history -- from the innocent days of "punk-rock fun" to signing 200-page contracts, MTV ("Labor Day in Mexico/Lots of beans and drugs and friends") the pre-destined rip-off ("We played a show for 40 grand/And the manager took every cent") and break-up, for which Ridgway shares in the responsibility. ("I did my best to patch it up/But we were all just big assholes.")

While you can still hear the Wall of Voodoo echoes throughout the work, this is Ridgway's rootsiest album ever. There's a tasty country fiddle (played by Brantley Kearns) in "Wake Up Sally." "Crow Hollow Blues" with its sinister banjo sounds like Ridgway's been listening to Tom Waits' Mule Variations. "Your Rockin' Chair" is basically a hillbilly stomp, though the subtle keyboard counterpart in the refrain plus the bamboo flute give it an otherworldly quality. Alison Krauss could do a fine version of "Rose Marie."

But the real trick Ridgway pulls off is combining these diverse elements without it feeling forced. He makes it sound like slide guitar and bamboo flute and spook house keyboards were meant to be played together

Steve Terrell -Terrell's Tune Up
Sante Fe New Mexican

reviews

Please log in to review this album.

  • 16 great tracks.
    author: Dominique COMET

    Well, very difficult to tell something else, everything have been said in previous reviews. I like the way Stan Ridgway write and play this kind of music. I discovered Stan Ridgway in the early 80's with his band Wall of Voodoo. And I must convince, I Just discover him again with this album. His music is different now but a certain atmosphere still remains (his specific voice, for example, is not uninvolved in this fact) , and I like it.

  • THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU STAN RIDGWAY !
    author: Michael Kippe

    Stan Ridgway continues to evolve as a musician and artist in general with SNAKEBITE: Blacktop Ballads & Fugitive Songs. The most stark departure is Our Manhattan Moment where Stan would seem to recount a personal relationship gone sour. The departure isn't so much the personal nature of the subject but the musical style. He has gone more in the direction of the torch song than ever before and it really, really works. In addition it's also good to hear Stan address his earlier career with Talkin' Wall OF Voodoo Blues Pt.1. Not only is it a brilliant telling of that period of his career but it's a bit of, dare I say it, history with regard to the early L.A. punk scene and it's done in the classic balladeering style which Stan is so good at. You can tell Stan Ridgway loves music and loves what he does because there's never any filler on any of his albums and SNAKEBITE... is no exception.

  • Confirmation of a great artist
    author: pino italy

    This recording is proof that Stan Ridgway,although his recording are not vast,he always has something new and original to offer us.This time though he gives us confirmation of his ability as author ans singer.Listening to ''Throw Away''.The originality comes from a piece ''Monster of the Id''from the beloved Mose Allison,that gives us a flavour of the environment.In conlusion it is a great record,that confirms Stan Ridgway,as a musician with class.

  • Stan raises the bar, SnakeBite was biblical
    author: Cramer

    Stan was simply awesome in Snakebite. He has creatively raised the bar as he exorcises past demons. Stan's delivery sets the mood. I was blown away as this was an out-of-body experience. Snakebite was biblical.

  • As always it brings me those brain movies that I love to watch!
    author: Michael Carlqvist

    Stan Ridegeway has been with me as one of my major inspirations for so long now and if he intends to release more songs he defenitly will for many years to come. This Snakebite that just received Sweden from CD Baby seems like a new pack of brain movies for me to listen too, "watch" and weave dreams about. Its just the right stuff, what more can I say. MC

  • author: Peter Simonsson, Trelleborg, Sweden

    Everything is written. Great stories in great packagings. King For A Day is a favourite as is God Is Sleeping In A Caboose, and others. Great CD-art work with references to the lost america-site. Looking forward to Stans next album, and a hopefully forthcoming visit of him and band in Sweden, Malmoe.

  • Best Stan Yet--the consistency of the quality across all 16 tracks is amazing!
    author: jorj

    15 of 16 of these tracks were great the first time I heard the cd. The only one that took repeated listens for me to enjoy was "Monsters of the Id" (which Stan didn't write). A truly great effort. Good as Black Diamond is, this cd became my instant favorite. Stan, you just get better with age.

  • Typical Stan.Twangy,catchy...more its played,the better it gets.
    author: Aussiedave

    Not quite as good as Black Diamond in my opinion but very good all the same.(Black Diamond is an absolute gem!!!!). Some great tracks,some solid tracks and a couple of ripper tracks.As usual,every one is a story in itself.

  • GREAT Stuff!
    author: chris long

    Humorous, mean, sad and always interesting. I think this is a great album. If you like his music this album is a must.

  • Thanks Stan! Thanks NPR!
    author: Hey You

    Funny and fun. Some of the songs on this album are of that rare breed that one likes instantly. Thanks to NPR for interviewing Mr. Ridgway!

  • I didn't like it very much
    author: Nick L.

    I must confess I've only played it once but it seemed to lack the hooks of other strong records such as Anatomy and Black Diamond. The lyrics are great but the production is lacking. I'll give it a few more listens and will probably like it more each time. I love Stan and hope he continues to make music.

  • The album he was destined to make
    author: Tony Wilson

    Really outstanding. Stan's evolution has been a great pleasure to listen. I expect more great things from the Bard of Barstow!

  • once bitten, twice hooked
    author: John Frame (for Queer Radio on 4ZZZ Brisbane)

    Based on all of Stan's previous releases I expected quality production, intrigue and entertainment - and of course I am totally rapt in "Snakebite". I listened first on my Sennheiser headphones, but my second session is now running on the little Logitech system on my PC - and even on these speakers "Snakebite" sounds superb. Every swirl of slide guitar and keyboard nuance is there, with Stan's rich beautiful voice warming the room amd simultaneously massaging your brain. The next step is to pick a quiet afternoon and crank up the 10" 2-way Cervin Vegas. New angles, new sounds - fresh, honest and powerful. The NPR interview has Stan saying he could conceivably rest on his laurels, but that he feels compelled to continue creating and performing music - and for that we should all be thankful. This is one of the most consistently remarkable albums I've heard from anyone, at anytime. Great CD artwork too.

  • interesting, quirky songs
    author: Robb Geiger

    Interesting, quirky songs, and Stan's voice is interesting to listen to.

  • This cd makes listening to new music fun again for the first time in years.
    author: Ed Bassett

    I listened to the interview with SR on NPR a few weeks ago, and went online to buy this cd the next day. I'm finding it hard to listen to other cd's ever since. Like all great and inovative music, it has the qualities of initial intrigue, yet every time I hear it, something new and deeper reveals itself. When music makes me feel good and laugh while expressing my rhythm gene at the same time, that is unique and special.

  • Enjoyed it!
    author: Jolene Wyler

    I really liked the storytelling in this cd. Glad I purchased it!

  • Stan "The Man" does it again!
    author: Rockin' Rod

    A thoroughly unique and enjoyable slice of Americana! Stan's music is so unique it's difficult to put this or any of his other cds in any category, but if I had to I'd say this cd has a mostly bluesy/folksy/pop sound. It's tough to describe Mr. Ridgway's one-of-a- kind sound! My suggestion is BUY IT and see what I'm talking about! If you like songs wih more than 3 chords or 3 sentence lyrics this cd is for you. Not only are the songs intelligent and in depth but the melodies and instrumentation are great. There's a whole lot more than guitars and drums here!

  • Another brilliant Ridgway trip to the cinema
    author: Lundy

    Stan Ridgway has been making aural movies since his Wall of Voodoo days. Snakebite is full of more baffling narrative; seemingly familiar stories, but somehow not quite what we expect. Songwriting, production and performance excellent as always. Stan is the man.

  • A little different, kinda folked up
    author: mickey from the valley

    Some songs are classic Ridgway style and some take a little getting use to, kinda folk sounding. Not as good as Anatomy, black diamond or holiday in dirt,,but stan coulda been on the wagon

  • What's inside those crates?
    author: David Bertoni

    Gotta be that Wall of Voodoo dog! Great album from beginning to end. There's a profound--and well-earned--confidence here, a willingness to trust his musical instincts and to tickle a profound dissonance of odd sounds and off-kilter flourishes that not only work, but elevate the songs to the next level. Thanks, Stan, and keep sending us postcards from the edge!

  • More great Stan. This new CD will keep the Stan Ridgway tradition alive
    author: The CombatRailfans of Arizona

    A great mix of new materal that only Stan Ridgway could bring to life. This CD will take it's place at all CombatRailfan gatherings at Shawmut Az along with Mosquitos and the rest.

  • THE NEW YORKER MAGAZINE
    author: Kurt Dunken

    Summer Shorts by Ben Greenman Special to The New Yorker Issue of 2004-07-12 and 19 Posted 2004-07-05 Stan Ridgway has been turning out distinctive noirish rock and roll since the late seventies, first as a member of the group Wall of Voodoo and then as a solo artist. Snakebite (Redfly) is among the better outings of his long, off-kilter career. In sixteen songs, Ridgway blends together rock, jazz, and blues in the service of his always strange, but never frivolous, storytelling. Over the years, his songwriting has become more personal, and, in addition to intimately narrated songs like “Our Manhattan Moment” and “Wake Up Sally (The Cops Are Here),” there’s “Talkin’ Wall of Voodoo Blues, Pt. 1,” a rollicking retelling of the rise and fall of his former band.

  • Hmmm, is there anything to add here?
    author: Eric van den Bosch (just a fan from the Netherlands)

    Hmmm, is there anything to add here? Quite nice reviews and what do you expect when Stan the Man releases a "brand new much to long having to wait for" album. Get my drift? Even with a little less effort Stan would've been able to get away with it, but he doesn't. Good music is good music and Stan seems to stay Ridgway. Very rich music by the way...

  • Clever wordsmith, Great melodies
    author: Dan Saultman

    I caught Stan Ridgeway's "Snakebite" LP on public radio in Detroit. His writing is unashamed, clever and even funny sometimes. His minimalistic production is very tastefully constructed with odd syncopations yet not over the top. Buying a record after hearing only a few cuts is always a gamble but this record has not dissapointed me. Well done old man. From another old man.

  • Stan Ridgway at his best!!
    author: Marko from Germany

    It's fantastic album! The stories he tells and the music are great. Stan Ridgway at his best! My favorites: King for a day and Talkin' Wall of Voodoo Blues.

  • This CD Kicks Ass!!
    author: Adolf Mengele Braun

    I've heard every Stan Rideway and Wall of Voodoo song ever sang and Snakebite rates right in there with the rest of em. Its not hip but its cool. Sounds like country twanging rock with the usual pseudo tragic stories thrown in on the lyrics. Johny Cash is dead but Stan lives. Lets hope the next gig isn't in that Crystal Palace in the sky.

  • Back to his best, with all his great lyrics.
    author: Steve from Melbourne

    Starts of with a bang with into the sun great song. Then goes from there with great sounds, different sounds and catchy tunes like Running with the Carnival,Your Rocking Chair, and haunting tunes in Monters of The ID. Lots of good storys, like King for a Day. And great lyrics, like cannot sleep in the middle with simise twins. Hope you get to Australia to play these songs, Keep up the good work.

  • Stan Ridgeway must be discovered again
    author: Frank Wirum

    It was great listening to Stan Ridgeways new album. I have not been listening to any of his works since buying his two first great soloalbums. He still has the great voice and this time with a little touch of Tom Waitz and Johnny Cash. His combination of lyrics and music is outstanding... Just listen to King for a day and wake up sally the cops are here. The result is a CD that everyone should buy

  • More greatness from SR
    author: tbpond

    Great CD! A great intro piece for anyone. If there was any justice, SR would be top 40 nationally!

  • The ONE to buy!
    author: Bob Thomas

    Snakebite is Stan Ridgway's best record since The Big Heat. If you've not heard Stan's songs or music this is the one that will introduce you and seduce you to Stan's wondeful world of American storytelling. Brilliant. Genius. AND its got hooks ! Right on Stan! and do not stop! This music should be in everyone's collection alongside Tom Waits and Bob Dylan. Simply a great, great record! There...I said it! Listen for the insinuation ...no guff! - just the truth!

  • Another great one....
    author: Robt.

    Stan Ridgway has recently hit his stride these last few years and has been producing masterpiece after masterpiece. While not quite as strong as BLACK DIAMOND or ANATOMY, this would be a fine introduction to Ridgway's work for the uninitiated, and a must-have for any fan.

  • tune for a long drive
    author: CASTLEDOGG

    when i start the car tomorrow morning i am not going to work

  • Stan Stays Strong
    author: JRick

    Snakebite didn't take immediate effect with me like Anatomy or other earlier efforts, but repeated listens reveal Stan's venom still potent. Opening song "Into The Sun" an example of Stan's more mainstream pop appeal. Most of the rest are Stan country/lowlife tales that are quite funny. "Daddy's home!"

  • stan your cd is great ,i've been a fan of yours since wov
    author: edward herbst

    this cd is great i've never been dissapointed with any of your cds.i just wish more of the radio stations like (whtg in eaton town,new jersey would play your music)

  • There is no music like SSSSSSSStan music
    author: Tom Edwards

    There is no music like SSSSSSSStan music. I work midnights at a leading auto manufacturing research facility and sometimes get a little tired about the wee hours of the mornings. I was about half asleep when I first heard this new CD on WDET 101.9 FM in Detroit... I knew it was SSSSSSSStan. I know that Stan understands me. Wake up Sally... Parked my car in that slot before. Afgan Forklift... yup!!! Someone has done that recently! Wall 0f Voodoo thing, the tune that woke me up a few weeks back. Waving to your mother out the window, daddy's home... I think that will become the anthem of future America's Least Wanted auto chases. This CD is a must have for those with a higher quality taste in music...

  • In a word?
    author: Onne

    Sublime!

  • quirky stories that make you smile and think at the same time
    author: bbeamer

    This cd contains all the earthy stories and wierd common people of Stan's best songs. It made me remember all over again why I really enjoy Stan Ridgeway's music. I would recommend it to anyone wanting to explore Stan's work.

  • "King for a Day" is a fantastic song by a fantastic artist!
    author: Doug Porter

    Heard "King for a Day" on a local radio station and had the wife buy it on CD Baby for me. This is my first experience listening to Stan's music but I have to say GREAT ARTIST! He says it all and gets right to the heart of the matter. We need more lyrics that speak the truth about real life like Stan so artfully delivers to his fans. Keep them coming Stan!!!

  • There is no better or worse Stan album. They all are great, even his toss offs.
    author: Marty Smith (m.)

    This ain't no typical review as Stan ain't no typical artist. It is a song by song commentary by a fan. ACT ONE: 1). Stan takes you on a ride out of L. A. as only he can do. 2). You'll meet a hillbilly couple on the fly. 3). Wal-Mart & the CIA - "What's a man to do with all the trouble 'round today? 4). Caught live on CNN or Fox News, you too can be a "King for a Day". 5). Life's a gamble, deal with it! 6). We ain't in Kansas any more! No goin' back to the 50's. ACT TWO: 7). Reminiscing on the way to "That Big 5-0. 8). Sex in the City - Stan style. 9). Angola Prison work song. 10). Chuck Berry picks up Stan on the road to 5-0. 11). Hear that ol' lonesome whistle blow, echo and reverberate. ACT THREE: 12). No it's a keeper. 13). What a wonderful universe it is. 14). A Hollywood remake we'd all like to direct. 15). Classic rock -n- roll his story. 16). An ironic tale told as Stan only can. Stan is the man. Thanks Stan! I ain't no critic, but I know what I like. P.S. Thank you Larry Parks, where ever you may be, for turning me on to Stan many years ago when our paths crossed.

  • Mercurial Stan is back to his best
    author: Simon W

    At last a return to what Stan does best - haunting songs with great stories that depict the lost underbelly of the US.

  • Great disc!
    author: Lori

    My absolute favorite off this disc is King for a Day. Love Stan's views on the weird world we live in! And Rockin' Chair, I had to double check to see that he wrote it, it seemed like a classic blues song - loved it all!

  • Where is part 2 ?
    author: The Goth's brother

    Of course, I am a fan. What can I say ? And this one won't change anything about it. Of course, it does not have the same rich and comfy sound of Anatomy, but, as always with Ridgway's work, it really grows on you. It is raw, indeed ; Blue grassier than ever, may I add. After two weeks of listening, there is only the Carnival thing that I still don't get (sorry !). Aside that, two important questions remains. Where is Part 2 of WofV Blues ? And when will Mr Ridgway come back and tour around our neighborhood (Montreal, Qc) ? We'll manage a warming welcome comitee, that's for sure.

  • This CD is GREAT
    author: Cleo

    Captures the best of Stan Ridgeway; catchy and complicated music flows around weird and wonderful storytelling. Love those Wall of Voodoo Blues!

  • Overall, a pretty good album.
    author: Phil Aubé

    16 new songs represents a lot of work and Snakebite dosen't disappoint. It lacks the "harder edge" of Black Diamond (something I liked) but its a great improvement over Anatomy. Out of the 16 songs the following get my vote: Crow Hollow Blues, Throw it away, Classic Hollywood ending, and Talkin' Wall Of Voodoo Blues. It would be great if Stan could someday make it up her (Montreal, Quebec) for a live performance.

  • A pleasant surprise
    author: Kirk Hiner

    I've enjoyed Stan's recent recordings, but haven't been really thrilled about them since Mosquitos...until now. Snakebite is fantastic. Stan's strength has always been writing music that perfectly embodies the lyrics (or vice versa, I suppose), but his later albums have all been a bit too much of the same thing. The albums worked, but nothing really stood out. Here, the album still works, and there are some amazing stand-out songs. There's always something around the corner to snap you back to attention; to make sure you know you're listening to Stan Ridgway and not someone who can just fade into the background. Musically and lyrically, I've always felt Stan is one of the most underrated musicians of our time. His songs set your mood, not just supplement it, with imagery so vivid you'll feel like you've just watched a good movie. Place Snakebite on the shelf with your DVDs.

  • Call 911, we have a SNAKEBITE !!!
    author: Robert J. Beauvais

    How does one review such a awesome piece of work such as this record? Between the writing,musicianship,and production values,it's the gift that keeps on giving. The world is a much better place with talented people like Stan and Pietra in it. My current favorites (which can change with every listen)are Talkin'Wall Of Voodoo Blues Pt 1,God Sleeps In A Caboose,Throw It Away,and Wake Up Sally(the cops are at the door). Hey folk's,how about a shout out to CD Baby!! As with every purchase,it was a very professional and enjoyable experience.Not to mention the added bonus of a Promo card for the record signed by MR.Ridgway.Best regards,Bob.

  • Weird and wonderful
    author: Stuart Moses

    Listening to this CD is like taking a step into the weird and wonderful mind of Stan Ridgway. A place where forklift operators work in warehouses with mysterious crates destined for Afghanistan and lovers suffer emotional ennui on Manhattan sidewalks. The album is a sprawling monster, but what it loses in cohesiveness it gains in variety. There's the wry storyteller of Stan's early solo work - the sublime Afghan/Forklift - and there's also evidence of 'crazy Ridgway' on Monsters of the Id. There’s something for everyone, but all will have a different favourite. Take a step into a different world, let Stan be your guide.

  • Stan's best since Mosquitos
    author: M.S.Forrest

    Stan's best collection since Mosquitos, I would challenge anyone to not find a handful of songs they fell in love with. Almost every song's a winner, from the opening Into The Sun, to the excellent King For a Day, the Simon & Garfunkle feel of Running with The Carnival, the catchy Big 5-0 and to top the lot , the best song about a band since Creque Alley, Talkin' Wall of Voodoo Blues Pt1, let's hope part 2 is a complete book, I'll take the first one off the press.

  • Indeed a bumpy ride, but oh so wonderful
    author: Fredrik - The Swedish Stan fan

    What can I say, which hasn't already been said about Stan the Man? Well, 16 new songs about life and not one of them are bad! In my opinion this has to be Stan's masterpiece but then again all his albums are indeed masterpieces! A bumpy ride, yes, but a wonderful one with all kinds of treat. Just listening to the story and the lyrics in Talkin' Wall Of Voodoo Blues Pt.1 makes me shiver! Outstanding piece of work!

  • Another great recording from Stan
    author: mark williams

    Snakebite is yet another great recording from a true american gem. Buy this recording...learn it , live it , love it. Keep them coming Stan, we're listening!

  • Like a fine whine, er, wine...
    author: Carl B.

    Stan just keeps writing and recording better and better music all the time. Snakebite is an aural masterpiece full of sonic delights. Stan is still inventing twisted characters and tall tales of crack smoking car-jackers and the common working man. Plus he tells the tale of Wall of Voodoo in 5 minutes and 56 seconds! A must have cd!!

  • SNAKEBITE...is just the cure!
    author: UK SPY

    Snakebite is arguably Mr Ridgway's best work to date. Masterly produced, wonderful storytelling (the surprising twist in King for a Day, the haunting God Sleeps in a Caboose and the infectious That Big 5-0 and the will be classic Talkin' Wall of Voodoo Pt1). Part of a superb collection, masterley written and sublimley played by all. OUTSTANDING. No kidding....!

  • The Best Stan CD to Date!!
    author: Martyn Capel

    I really love this CD!! This is his best CD, just when I thought he would never be able to top Anatomy & Black Diamond, which are 2 wonderful CD's. There are no clunkers on this CD. If you don't buy any other Stan CD's you really ought to get this one! SEE STAN LIVE, he's great! Martyn

  • masterpiece!
    author: bob

    This has got to be the best collection Stan Ridgway has done EVER! Every song is great . Deep, tangled and true. Stan Ridgway is one of the greatest of the world's songwriters. A masterpiece!

  • 68 minutes of grace, pure pleasure and musical integrity, Stan's still the man
    author: Goth

    The Ridgway album i was waiting for. Raw and simple but still so profund and rich. Like a good bordeaux Ridgway is getting better as he grow older but whem will he tour around here??? (Montreal, Québec)

  • this time he got all his antics together
    author: johan unenge

    I found Stan Ridway with "The Big Heat" . Since then he has made a long journey thru big noise and low key Neil Youngish songs. On this album he seems to put it all together into a rich album with everything that made him so unique without risking being bland. A really great album!

  • Really good
    author: alex hutton

    Everything Ridgway does is great (with the possible exception of his hit). What is amazing about him is that although ostensibly sticking to what he knows best, every CD is radically different from the last. Buy this CD!

  • Back to form
    author: Daniel Krause

    Very much a return to the outgoing, hard-workin' Stan of the eighties, but more personal. Recommended listening: CLASSIC HOLLYWOOD ENDING, a gorgeous lyric welded onto a bluegrass/orchestral bed; and TALKING WALL OF VOODOO BLUES, which addresses some issues you may have been curious about for a while.

  • Great!!!
    author: wineau

    I'm a long time fan of Stan and Wall of Voodoo, but this record is great! It's Stan all the way! If you like WOV this is IT!!! I love the dark cynical lyrics, full of irony, great tunes, great music!! Buy it!!

  • Stan's Masterpiece!!!
    author: mrbooboy

    This is it!!! This CD is Stan Ridgway at his very best. While other releases by Stan have always been very good, this release takes it to another level. I was expecting to enjoy this CD, I just didn't expect to be completely blown away by it. Stan couldn't have released a better collection of songs than this...heck, nobody could have.

  • Another Gem....
    author: Oyvinn Thon , Norway

    This is just another Gem in my complete Stan Ridgway Cd collection! The particular sound of this Cd is just great, with classic Stan lyrics. My favorite of this album just have to be "King For A Day"....It's just Stan Ridgway at his best! BUY IT NOW...!!! Stan, Norway Salutes You !!!

  • More of Stan's sardonic wit, another masterpiece
    author: Pete K

    The sonics on this album are brilliant, thanks largely to Pietra Wexstun. Stan's harmonica playing keeps getting better. Very soulful. Not only a humorous album with songs like Wake Up Sally and Running with the Carnival, but very poignant songs like Our Manhattan Moment. Stan also has a few lessons on life, just listen to Throw It Away. Monsters Of The Id is the perfect cover as its words are still relevant today. Prehistoric ghouls are making their own rules, doesn't it remind you of the patriot act ? Well Stan may be the big 5-0, but he is still brand new and unique

  • More of Stan's sardonic wit, another masterpiece
    author: Pete K

    The sonics on this album are brilliant, thanks largely to Pietra Wexstun. Stan's harmonica playing keeps getting better. Very soulful. Not only a humorous album with songs like Wake Up Sally and Running with the Carnival, but very poignant songs like Our Manhattan Moment. Stan also has a few lessons on life, just listen to Throw It Away. Monsters Of The Id is the perfect cover as its words are still relevant today. Prehistoric ghouls are making their own rules, doesn't it remind you of the patriot act ? Well Stan may be the big 5-0, but he is still brand new and unique

  • stan still kills
    author: fred

    definitely his best in a really long time, which says a lot considering the guy's never made a bad record.

  • author: christian FRANCE

    THIS ALBUM IS VERY GOOD

  • Great cd
    author: Jim

    This is stan ridgway at his very best. I was truly blown away.

  • Great Stuff !
    author: Jada Greenway

    Hear it, love it, buy it !

  • BEST ALBUM he's EVER done.
    author: CHINASKI (www.cdbaby.com/cd/chinaski)

    Every album Stan's done is the best album he's ever done. They're addictive, they're good driving music, and some stuff, particularly on this CD, will make you feel just a little uncomfortable to be living in this day and age. Underneath it all, Stan is a stunningly original talent. I enjoy Ridgway's music, and his sense of humor is always welcome in an industry of pop bands that take themselves far too seriously. This is a fantastic CD

  • Swampy and greasy... poignant and eloquent... stripped down yet intricate
    author: John Trivisonno

    Snakebite... listened twice so far and what can I say? Swampy and greasy and, alternately, poignant and eloquent. Stan has managed to make more great music that this time is somewhat stripped down and yet, still quite intricate. I'd heard 3 or 4 of these songs in a live context about a year and a half ago (Wake Up Sally, Running With The Carnival and, I think, God Sleeps In A Caboose and Monsters Of The Id). Those performances back in November 02 were my favorite of the times I've seen Stan live... precisely because, like Snakebite, they were stripped down (no electric guitar... often just stan solo with a harmonica, beat box and acoustic guitar). The record approaches the feel of those performances and that's a good thing. The songs and the performances on this record are strong. Although largely more acoustic and bluesy than earlier work, the Stan-isms are still present in the background ("tape loops," "shovels and rakes," "trash compacter," "popcorn box," etc.); they are there as supporting players, helping set the mood for the stories told in the songs, which would work just as well in a live setting with minimal accompaniment. Hard to say what songs stand out as favorites just yet... need a few more listens. Glad to hear that, as always, Stan can cover another artist's song and really make it his own (which is really the only way one should cover a song)... Monsters Of The Id. I've never really been a big fan of Mose Allison's vocal delivery... Stan takes Mose's song and fixes that for me. Others have already written about how great the harmonica is on this record... I agree... just beautiful. And how about the guitar playing on Our Manhattan Moment... oh so nice indeed. And Your Rockin' Chair, could this one have been taken from the proposed but never released Drywall album Music To Screw To? And Triangle Head is back for another visit in That Big 5-0... and it's nice to see he's mellowed... What can I say... another great one!

email

Please log in to email this artist.