Album Notes

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

Reviews / Harp Magazine
CD Reviews
Stan Ridgway with Wall of Voodoo
The Index Masters Rykodisc
Wall of Voodoo, The Index Masters

Wall of Voodoo was a duality of ABC simplicity and DNA complexity. Their spaghetti mecha-twang seemed so rudimentary: three or four chords, robotic drumming, basic keys and programming, nerdy vocals and lyrics that said what they meant (or required scant interpretation). Simultaneously, it felt utterly sophisticated. Stan Ridgway's robo-honking techno-poetry was out-of-time; Marc Moreland's guitar transcended far out; even the rudimentary approach seemed highly abstract. The Index Masters (originally released in 1980, then given a new title and enhanced with live tracks in 1991 and re-reissued now with a leftover live one, "The Passenger") revives the discussion. Were Wall of Voodoo just geeks rocking for status? Were they geniuses slumming in an inferior medium? Did "Longarm" predict the rash of downsizing and outsourcing? Can Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" work in a totally different context? Was Ennio Morricone just a band away from himself being Wall of Voodoo? The coolest thing about Wall of Voodoo is that "yeah" answers all of the above.
By Randy Harward

First printed in Jan/Feb 2006