July - December 1999
The following messages were posted between 07/01/1999 and 12/31/1999.
Date:
12/31/99 19:19:08 PST
Comments:
Stan Ridgway and Band plays Friday Feb. 25th at Slim's in
San Francisco...
And Sat. Feb 26th at the RENO HILTON in Reno, NV. More dates coming.
Just thought I'd pass the word. Happy New Year 2000 everyone.
Clark Price at SR Dis-Info
http://www.primenet.com/~drywall/
Date:
12/31/99 19:18:48 PST
Comments:
Stan Ridgway and Band plays Friday Feb. 25th at Slim's in
San Francisco...
And Sat. Feb 26th at the RENO HILTON in Reno, NV. More dates coming.
Just thought I'd pass the word. Happy New Year 2000 everyone.
Clark Price at SR Dis-Info
http://www.primenet.com/~drywall/
Date:
12/30/99 13:23:00 PST
Comments:
this is a message for Bruce Moreland:
I hope that everything is fine for you
I really think about you sometime and I miss you!
My best wishes for an happy new year and a wonderfull life!
Annarita
Date:
12/30/99 02:21:50 PST
Comments:
I´m a big fan of WoV and Stan and I´m always interested in
exchanging Vinyl and CD´s, especially miscellaneous things
like weird science, just in time for christmas... and so on.
If you are looking for something special, please e-mail me:
heribert.foecker@cityweb.de
Date:
12/29/99 20:22:42 PST
Comments:
I need copies of HAPPY PLANET and DARK CONTINENT in either cass.or CD.
HELP ME PLEASE
Date:
12/23/99 17:50:57 PST
Comments:
I am a huge Stan Fan(not THE Stan Fan, but a huge fan none the less.)
YEAH. Who is this STANFAN anyway?
Date:
12/23/99 08:14:51 PST
Comments:
Well,
Stan's new cd has been out long enough for a most of us to hear it. Here's my take. This is not Stan's strongest showing to date. The instrumentals (extras from scoring movies?) are exceptional. Great Stuff. The rest of the CD leaves me wanting more.
My two main complaints are first that the tunes sound overproduced. Where's the unique Stan feel/sound? (Don't try to tell me that the alien sound is it. There is alot more to Stan than that.) my second complaint is the lyrics. It seems to me that the goal was to get everything to rhyme at the expense of the rest of the song. The rhymes sound forced not witty. None of these songs made me care about the people that are the subject of them like I did in "Can't Stop The Show" or even " I Wanna Be A Boss"
I have tried to keep this critique related specifically to the content of the new CD Anatomy it is not an attack on Stan. I am a huge Stan Fan(not THE Stan Fan, but a huge fan none the less.) I guess I have been spoiled by the other solo stuff that Stan has put out. I love it.
Please share your thoughts on the new cd. Do not waste your time telling me what a jerk I am because I have an opinion; especially if you haven't bought and listened to the disc yet.
Feliz Navidad,
HMV
Date:
12/21/99 19:40:15 PST
Comments:
Just added to the STANFAN site.
A live show / interview that STAN did on the radio. KCRW...
This was to promote the BLACK DIAMOND cd. The show was called MORNING BECOMES ECLECTIC.... They left the show in the archives. So go to STANFAN by clicking on
then scroll down until you see the same banner. click on it.... I think you will like it. YOU KNOW YOU WANT TO GO.
Date:
12/20/99 21:58:27 PST
Comments:
Ned - good to hear you're still alive and kicking. I'll catch you on your Oslo website sometime soon. Aussie Dave - ta for the info...I'll bear it in mind if my bank robbery is successful. I accidentally tuned into to Triple J the other day and they played Mexican Radio. Apparently it is on some Aussie compilation album chosen by JJJ deejays.
I might now go offline for the rest of this century. Jiguana XXX
Date:
12/19/99 23:26:58 PST
Comments:
Does anyone know the whereabouts of Joe Nanini?I am an old friend. Thanks Dane S.F.V.
Date:
12/19/99 02:20:14 PST
Comments:
Hey there Jiguana. I'm not certain,but if I remember correctly Anatomy cost around $32.00 Aussie dollars including delivery.
AussieDave.
Date:
12/17/99 09:25:29 PST
Comments:
Date:
12/17/99 09:21:15 PST
Comments:
SOMEBODY HAD TO DO IT !
Go take a look @ WHITE TRASH WINS LOTTO: or a W.T.W.L.-like site as not to cause legal problems....
what do you think of it?
Date:
12/16/99 19:46:21 PST
Comments:
Date:
12/16/99 16:24:15 PST
Comments:
I just stumbled by here randomly...happy to see WOV is still being talked about. I was fortunate to see them throughout most of the Stan days, probably ten times or so in the LA area. Besides Stan's visual antics, it was always fun to watch Marc Moreland grimace. I actually heard Bruce Moreland's band after he split (War something I think the band was called; sure you folks know). I just remember telling Bruce after the show that it sounded good; I don't remember the show though. Think that gig was at the Club Lingerie. As far as WOV, I found their shows uneven. Some nights they cooked; some nights they were kind of crummy (unlike say "X" who I also saw about ten times but who I personally never saw have an "off" night - and I'm a much bigger WOV fan). I remember at a WOV show at UC Irvine I made the mistake of asking "Hey, when's your next album coming out?" While the band was futzing with it's equipment between songs. The response I got was "Fuck you! Do we ask you when you're going to work next?" from Joe Nanini (by the way, anyone hear the "Joe is a hero" story? Apparently he caught some crooks once, helping the police IIRC but who knows). I also remember running into Stan at, of all places, the Rose Bowl during a Rose Bowl game (US college football game on January 1). I was sort of shocked to see him there, in the daylight and all.
Date:
12/15/99 17:02:12 PST
Comments:
Aussie Dave...I was offline for months with pneumonia, which is no way to spend an Aussie winter, I don't recommend it. How much is/was Anatomy in Aussie dollars? Catch ya next time, Jiguana
Date:
12/12/99 15:35:03 PST
Comments:
Bruce was in a band called war diary after dark
continent, joe nanini went to a band called
lonesome strangers.
Avg. Joe.
Date:
12/11/99 20:02:52 PST
Comments:
Wall of Voodo "Call of the West" LP and first Stan Ridgeway LP for sale. Both LP's released on IRS Records in the US. $12.00 each includes postage and handling in the US. Lyric included for both releases. Please email for more information. heim4@prodigy.net
Date:
12/10/99 21:26:02 PST
Comments:
HEY PEPE!...do you think Wall of Voodoo was popular in South America because of Mexican Radio? It was kinda of an "anthem" for
things "south of the US border" huh? Just a thought for all of us to chew on...
CP
Date:
12/09/99 19:14:04 PST
Comments:
Where did Bruce go after "Dark Continent"? I asked Marc Moreland this same question at the time(1983). He told me Bruce had been institutionalized because of drug dependency and depression.
Date:
12/07/99 17:23:13 PST
Comments:
WELL....I REALLY MISS STAN RIDGWAY,BUT.....ANYWAY,I'M VERY HAPPY TO
FIND A WALL OF VOODOO SITE,I'M FROM SOUTH AMERICA!!!!!
BELIEVE IT OR NOT,WALL OF VOODOO WAS VERY POPULAR IN THE MID-EIGHTIES
IN CERTAIN COUNTRIES, LIKE PERU,BRASIL AND ARGENTINA.I"M FROM PERU BUT
CURRENTLY LIVING IN ARGENTINA.........................PEPE
Date:
12/06/99 16:22:10 PST
Comments:
can some one answer me this, i am sure ms. vieuxdo can tell me... where bruce went to, between dark continent and call of the west? and please be specific. any info would be greatly appreciated.
Date:
12/04/99 17:45:53 PST
Comments:
Hey,
If anyone can tell me where I could get a copy of Seven
Days in Sammytown or Happy planet on CD it would be
greatly appreciated. I have Happy Planet on Vinyl but I
would love to have it on CD. I just need that CD quality.
My email address is chester@iweb.net.au
cheers,
Jamie
Date:
12/03/99 19:26:32 PST
Comments:
'WHITE TRASH WINS LOTTO,' THE HOT TICKET OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL BASED ON THE STORY OF AXL ROSE, COMES TO THE ROXY IN LOS ANGELES
Summary: UNIVERSAL CITY, Calif., Oct 5, 1999 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- Andy Prieboy's "White Trash Wins Lotto," a musical which has been playing to sold out crowds at L.A.'s Cafe Largo, is set to perform at the Roxy Theatre on October 21, 22 and 23rd. The musical is a send-up of the music industry and pop culture, drawing on the rise and fall of Guns 'n' Roses lead singer Axl Rose as its central metaphor.
Date:
12/03/99 19:12:45 PST
Comments:
Date:
12/03/99 07:39:12 PST
Comments:
If you want all the latest info on Andy and his White Trash Wins Lotto, I suggest joining his mailing list at www.onelist.com. The list is called JazzCrowd and, once you join, you'll have access to the archives so you can read up on what you've missed. Also at www.onelist.com are Stan Ridgway and Wall of Voodoo mailing lists. Have fun!!
Ms. Vieuxdo
Date:
12/03/99 03:34:25 PST
Comments:
KIDS IN THE HALL have reformed to play several dates for the new year.
the Y2KIDS tour might be coming near you.
Anyone catch the CONAN O'BRIAN show the other night with DAVE FOLEY talking about WHITE TRASH WINS LOTTO?
Date:
12/03/99 00:43:07 PST
Comments:
i heard that andy has a play at the roxy called " white trash wins lotto".Dave Foley of the now defunct kids in the hall stars in it. has anyone seen this?, heard about this, offer any information on it? the kids were by far the most original and hillarious sketch comedy troupe i have ever seen...and quite possibly of all time, and i am tyring to imagine what the play must be like... i have no way of getting to this show and i hope i am not the only one that has heard this..thoughts.. words of encouragement?
decay
Date:
12/02/99 19:34:37 PST
Comments:
Date:
12/02/99 09:56:31 PST
Comments:
I'm looking for complete lyrics to "Can't Make Love" - would love to
do a ukelalie-guitar-bongo (yes, its much better than it sounds) version
of it...... Thanks
email: mizzbelle@hotmail.com
Date:
11/30/99 14:29:23 PST
Comments:
If you're into Morricone stuff check out Rhino Record's 2CD best of
package - it's really good.
Date:
11/30/99 03:44:12 PST
Comments:
Hey baby,yes I'm still here.Probably been as infrequent a visitor here lately as has the King,changed job/moved house etc etc.Haven't looked in for quite a while but the urge was rekindled when my copy of Anatomy arrived last week.Yes,you can get a copy in Australia, if you try.(Good old CDNOW).As for the Liquid Tracks,hey,don't look a gift horse as they say.Stan is Stan after all.Pity none of the other guys can't get their shit together. OH well, must get back to my current obsession,Morricone spaghetti western soundtracks from the Leone Trilogy.Just can't get enough of the stuff.
Keep it in ya pantz people,
AussieDave.
Date:
11/25/99 18:37:47 PST
Comments:
IT STANDS FOR IGUANA TATTOO. IT'S ON MY LEFT ARM.
I THINK IT LOOKS COOL.
I. TATTOO
Date:
11/25/99 07:33:57 PST
Comments:
howdy !!!! KING RICHARD HERE.....
for those of you in the states, HAPPY TURKEY DAY.
to I TATTOO: yes that is a real poster. By the way, what does the "I." stand for?
Date:
11/22/99 18:57:49 PST
Comments:
Why are people paying 100 bucks for dark continent?
Yes it is their best cd, but $100?
Date:
11/22/99 11:07:41 PST
Comments:
HOWDY !!!! KING RICHARD HERE....
Well, I am waiting to get my copy of STAN RIDGWAY-ANATOMY in the mail. WHY??? Had to get it online,because no music stores around here have any copies... Thats right, ATHENS, home of R.E.M., B52's & more, a place where you can't swing a stick and not hit a college student. And believe me, I swing sticks pretty hard at college students, Has no copies to be found. Today, I have to go to ATLANTA, while I am there I will look around but I am wondering if this is an uphill battle for him. Hard to sell the thing if it isn't out there....
I was going to suggest that he travel to ATLANTA to play a show, but I'm wondering if that would be a good thing....
K.R.
Date:
11/21/99 15:39:27 PST
Comments:
I've got a mint condition 'Ugly Americans in Australia' CD (on IRS ILP 460848 2), which deserves a good home. Only problem: I'm in the UK. Still, if anyone is interested, you can email me at
'wolfie.smith@btinternet.com'. Any reasonable offer considered - I'm basically just a guy with a spare CD.
Date:
11/21/99 11:41:26 PST
Comments:
Toby here-
Andy is quite fond of recanting tales of living with a herion junkie in concert, so I would say that your observation of the content of Sins Of Our Fathers would ring true. It is no secret and he openly talks about it all the time. Sometimes in graphic detail. I guess it's a cleansing experience. Purge the soul of any demons.
Date:
11/21/99 05:14:30 PST
Comments:
Q: What happens when you go off line for several months and then cruise the WOV chatboard again?
A: You realise you haven't really missed much. But now, with King Richard back.....
And to Aussie Dave - if you're still there - it wasn't honey, it was jam.
Date:
11/21/99 00:01:14 PST
Comments:
Hello dog-ears,
I agree with you. Roadblock is better that the albim track on Partyball,
More liquid audio i say...
Betty in MN
Date:
11/20/99 23:58:16 PST
Comments:
Hello fellow voodoo-ites...a review of Stan's
Anatomy LIQUID AUDIO TRACKS....my review?
***** five stars....and here's why...
As far as the liquid audio tracks on Stan;s new CD go...HEY! I was there! And it's sounding
pretty cool to me!..In Fact..SLAMMIN"!..I wamma be a boss, drive she said, And the ROADBLOCK
is worth the price of admission...maybe you got a bad connection or something but TO ME it sounds
STELLER BABY!...someone call the audio experts cause this liquid audio thang sound
GREAT TO MY EARS....lots 'o bass and stuff..sounds just like a CD TO ME...!!??
Dog-ears in west covina, CA.
Date:
11/20/99 11:40:39 PST
Comments:
Hi,
Well, to the guy looking for a copy of "Dark Continent" on CD.....Good luck, dude, but try e-bay....that's the only suggestion I can make. I just (Finally!) won an auction for that but I paid much more than I wanted to but I think it was worth it. I tried every imaginable alternative to that before finally giving in and doing it. Also, I just got the new Stan Ridgway CD, "Anatomy". I like it, for the most part. It will take a couple more listenings, I'm sure, but a lot of things are like that with me. It also comes with this (allegedly) nifty multi-media liquid audio thing, which allows one to install 3 live songs and play them using the "Liquid Audio Player". Don't waste your time installing it. Unless you're into lackluster live recordings. Plus, it also appears to be some kind of connection to hearing (and most importantly, BUYING) other things. I dragged it into the trash after a brief listen!
Sam from San Jose (TheatreX@aol.com)
Date:
11/20/99 07:19:09 PST
Comments:
I remember seeing a while back on here someone wanting the video to "mexican radio". On ebay, someone is selling the video of "the beast from IRS" That video is on there. Right now the video is only five bucks. Thought it might help who was looking. Just go to ebay and do a search for WALL OF VOODOO
I. TATTOO
Date:
11/18/99 15:18:37 PST
Comments:
decay
Date:
11/18/99 15:17:57 PST
Comments:
i had heard somewhere that andy's last album "sins.." was inspired by his keeping company with several substance abusers. their habits and day to day existence was his inspiration in the music on the album. anyone know for sure?.. cuz, those songs tend to deal on that somewhat seedy side of life. ( no offense to any heroin addicts)
Date:
11/18/99 15:13:32 PST
Comments:
rejuvinate the neighborhood...
Date:
11/18/99 05:14:32 PST
Comments:
Bem, eu gostaria de saber o que eu estou fazendo quando eu faço, e eu faço quando eu estou fazendo, ' a causa que eu não sei o que fazer, quando eu não o estou fazendo.
... or something.
Graeme.
Date:
11/12/99 11:30:40 PST
Comments:
If anyone knows where I can get a copy of "Dark Continent"on CD, new or used,please e-mail Tom at tz56@webtv.net. Thanks,WOV fans.
Date:
11/11/99 15:27:35 PST
Comments:
HEY KING. WAS WONDERING WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU. NICE POSTER, IS THAT REAL?
I. TATTOO
Date:
11/11/99 11:47:42 PST
Comments:
HOWDY !!!! KING RICHARD HERE...
sorry I have been away for so long. My father has been quite sick so I have been doing a lot of traveling between GA & TN... Also have been without a computer until lately. Yeah, JTL, finally I got one. I would have loved to see that STAN concert. I guess I will just have to wait and see if it shows up on a bootleg. Oh, JTL check out this poster. This is from the CATALYST show in '81.
see y'all later.....
K.R.
Date:
11/11/99 07:29:27 PST
Comments:
Hello decay (and everyone else):
There's a Prieboy mailing list available to anyone who's interested in joining at www.onelist.com. The list is called JazzCrowd. It will keep you up-to-date on everything Andy is doing right now. Once you become a member of the mailing list you will have access to a year's worth of back issues, so you can catch up on everything you've missed. All the news of Andy's latest record deal, live perfomances, etc. can be found there. So head on over and become a member!!
I remember the t-shirts quite well, but I don't have them. And yes, that is Elvis on the one you mentioned. The picture is a take-off of Mt. Rushmore with Jerry Lewis, Sammy Davis Jr., Elvis, and Bob Hope carved in the mountain instead of dead presidents.
Have a good one!
Ms. Vieuxdo
Date:
11/10/99 16:35:08 PST
Comments:
does anyone have any word and/or knowledge of a possible andy album coming out soon? i am sure ms. vieuxdo must know of something that is in the works. and also, does anyone remember on the sleeves of both happy planet and ugly americans the t-shirts that could be ordered for both? did anyone ever happen to get one?
also i know that the ugly americans shirt had sammy d, jerry lewis and bob hope on it, but is that fat elvis with them?
decay
Date:
11/09/99 20:01:03 PST
Comments:
A review of the STAN "THE MAN" RIDGWAY LIVE@THE ROXY
at the STANFAN site. written by PHIL DRENTH
Date:
11/09/99 00:44:12 PST
Comments:
Toby here -
Anyone see Stan "the man"'s set at the Roxy? Two hours plus... he rock the old school joints too... did a bunch of Voodoo songs including Long Arm, Factory, Lost Weekend, Ring Of Fire (of course) and a snippet of Mexican Radio. The was the bomb!!!
Date:
11/06/99 03:27:54 PST
Comments:
I've been living in Oslo for the last 10 years and recently found all this blab still going on about WOV. It's great to see that though we are gone we are not forgotten.
Ned the other drummer
Date:
10/30/99 19:12:20 PDT
Comments:
Longtime WOV fan here. I remember waiting eagerly for "Dark Continent"
to hit the record stores. Discovered the band via a friend from LA
(I live in San Diego) who told me, "You know, you'd probably like
Wall of Voodoo, you're into that weird stuff." And she was absolutely
right, still one of my favorite bands. Only had the pleasure of
seeing them in the clubs once, when they opened for Iggy Pop, must've
been either '81 or '82. They blew Iggy off the stage, no doubt about
it, I went home talking about the Wall of Voodoo performance. As I
recall, they opened with Tse Tse Fly. I think they played one of the
US Fests in either '83 or '84, but my memory of those shows and who
played when is hazy. In the ensuing confusion of the mid-80's I lost
track of both the band and Stan's solo career for a while once the
two parted ways. Sure wish they'd collect the rest of the rarities
and odds n ends in some kind of a spaghetti western styled box.
Hey, does anybody know if the Wall of Voodoo "BBC College Concerts"
performance has ever been issued as a legit CD? This was a show
which I think might have been recorded at Magic Mountain (I could be
wrong there) on the "Call of the West" tour.
Phil
http://www.users.cts.com/crash/p/phil/bowielps.html
Date:
10/28/99 02:27:51 PDT
Comments:
Stan Ridgway - "ANATOMY" - from AMAZON.COM
One of the most unique, if misunderstood, talents to emerge from the
vaunted 1980s Los Angeles punk/new-wave era, Stan Ridgway arguably owes
more than most to the art-rock and modern jazz which crucially informed
that scene. He's shrugged off MTV's stereotyping of his former band Wall of
Voodoo to forge a rich, if stubbornly independent, body of solo work,
freely retooling his sound and viewpoint along the way. Black Diamond, his
1995 outing (and one of the best, if sorely underappreciated,
singer-songwriter albums of the '90s) placed Ridgway in a spare acoustic
setting far removed the propulsive synth-sense of The Big Heat, his
expressive baritone taking on a new warmth and range. Anatomy is an attempt
to move both forward and reconcile the various aspects of his previous
work. The stirring, elegiac opener "Mission Bell" adds depth and dimension
to Black Diamond's tack, while "Train of Thought," "Susie Before Sunrise,"
and "Valerie is Sleeping" supplant Ridgway's trademark seamy-side-of-life
storytelling with more personal--if oblique--observations, set with
confidence against music that freely mixes electronics, acoustic guitar,
and his plaintive harmonica. Three surprisingly varied instrumentals cue
listeners that Ridgway now splits his time between songwriting and film
scoring. Ridgway is a true musical rebel, but one with a rich sense of
history and no time for the cheap encumbrances of fashion.
reviewed for amazon.com by Jerry McCulley
http://www.stanridgway.com/
Date:
10/27/99 13:53:16 PDT
Comments:
Date:
10/27/99 11:32:55 PDT
Comments:
where can i get "the ugly americans in australia"????
(please write to fr-og@animail.net
Date:
10/26/99 14:37:04 PDT
Comments:
In a perfect universe T.S. Eliot backwards would be toilets.
Date:
10/25/99 20:02:57 PDT
Comments:
Many years and many brain cells ago.....
I had forgotten all about this...I saw WOV play in San Francisco, probably in 1980! They were one of the opening bands for, if I remember right, XTC, of all people. I think the other opening act was Hazel O'Connor (talk about a strange bill!). I had read about WOV and guessed that they were playing by the weird set-up of instruments on stage...and I was right! (the opening acts were probably billed as "TBA"). Does anyone in the San Francisco Bay area remember this show? It was at some big funky old hall...I think the same place I saw the Screamers, Tuxedomoon, and the Units in probably the same year..! Sam from San Jose (TheatreX@aol.com)
Date:
10/25/99 19:30:34 PDT
Comments:
Does anyone have any WOV MP3 files I can check out? I hear it's good music, but I havn't heard of them before.
Thanks,
PFF
Date:
10/24/99 05:15:58 PDT
Comments:
anyone going to buy the new stan ridgway cd?
Date:
10/20/99 06:42:03 PDT
Comments:
HELLO PEOPLE!!
Any Wall of Voodoo fans out there want to contact me?? I had the pleasure of seeing WOV twice when I was but a lad and have some good photos of the event...etc !VIVA LAS VOODOO! my address is
necroromancer@hotmail.com
Date:
10/20/99 06:41:16 PDT
Comments:
HELLO PEOPLE!!
Any Wall of Voodoo fans out there want to contact me?? I had the pleasure of seeing WOV twice when I was but a lad and have some good photos of the event...etc !VIVA LAS VOODOO!
Date:
10/19/99 05:01:18 PDT
Comments:
I LIKE DANCE TALK IF YOU DO
Date:
10/17/99 23:14:33 PDT
Comments:
Toby Here:
Night Dreams preceded Cafe Flesh by a few years. Rinse Dream aka Steve Saydian directed Cafe Flesh after producing the Mexican Radio video. He also did the cover photography for Call Of The West.
Date:
10/16/99 08:14:59 PDT
Comments:
Claude Bessey- He died of Lung Cancer. The last project of his that i'm aware of was a reading on the Wir alblum (which is the band Wire, without a drummer and an E). As for why he left L.A. when he did, it was because he marked the Reagan Administrations election as a dramatic shift in the social climate in the U.S....so he thought he'd better leave.
Date:
10/15/99 18:04:01 PDT
Comments:
Date:
10/14/99 10:22:03 PDT
Comments:
I thought Café Flesh was the first porno directed by Rinse Dream.
Date:
10/12/99 20:28:10 PDT
Comments:
Well someone was kind enough to tell me that there was a copy of Dark Continent - on ebay. So, I bid on it, and I was high bidder for a few days....then some f***er outbid me right before the end of the auction (when I was still at work). Dammit! I have this copy of "Happy Planet" on CD that I really don't like but damned if I can get Dark Continent. If anybody wants this copy of Happy Planet, let me know - I would be glad to sell it. Or trade it. (for.....Dark Continent??)
Sam From San Jose, AKA TheatreX@aol.com
Date:
10/11/99 21:19:53 PDT
Comments:
no B-B-Q IGUANA on there...
Date:
10/11/99 21:12:25 PDT
Comments:
ATHENS, GA ? who are you?
Date:
10/11/99 14:44:36 PDT
Comments:
I looked through umpteen record stores during a visit to Athens ,GA. this weekend in hopes of finding a "Dark Continent " CD. No luck . But I did find a sealed vinyl copy for $5.00. So i guess I ought to be happy ,huh?
Date:
10/11/99 06:28:53 PDT
Comments:
So, what's your point?
Date:
10/10/99 23:16:58 PDT
Comments:
Stan Ridgway is a strange man.
the stranger
Date:
10/09/99 10:32:18 PDT
Comments:
I posted this once before -- try www.gemm.com, an aggregator for independent record stores that can be used to find rare albums (like the Happy Planet cassette I got from one of their clients. Under "Wall of Voodoo" they even had the Eye Protection single listed, a few months back (although, strangely, it wasn't listed under "Eye Protection").
-Dirk
Date:
10/08/99 20:04:17 PDT
Comments:
RIP Kickboy...you wrote about it when no one else did...or cared.
And then you left L.A. when it just started to take off..
strange how things go...
some old punk rocker
Date:
10/07/99 23:17:43 PDT
Comments:
I was introduced to WOV my junior year of high school by Mr. Bessa, my Journalism teacher. Thanks BIG BOSS! All I have to say is that my senior year rocked, because we got to listen to WOV while working on deadline...Some good times. WOV por vida!
Jules:)
Date:
10/07/99 12:40:23 PDT
Comments:
There is a Dark Continent CD on ebay now, you just have to keep
checking or use their personal shopper which can automatically
watch for you.
Date:
10/06/99 17:47:08 PDT
Comments:
For those interested in the LA punk rock scene of 20 years ago: Claude Bessy aka "Kickboy" of Slash magazine ill fame (where I first read about Wall of Voodoo) has died . I hear it was cancer. Bobby
Date:
10/05/99 21:49:10 PDT
Comments:
RE: Dark Continent - I looked at e-bay a few days ago. Nothing. I also had a lead that someone had ordered an import copy (Dutch) from CD Europe earlier this year.....it's not available anymore! This really sucks. I found a copy of "Happy Planet" which I wasn't really looking for but bought anyway, at the local Rasputin Music....only $5.95! Too bad I can't find Dark Continent someplace like Wherehouse where the people are too stupid to know what they have...I've found so many cool things there for $6.99 or less. I will keep trying e-bay but there has to be copies available somewhere for a much more reasonable price. Of course if I buy it for $50 it will suddenly be released the next week....grrrr. Sam from San Jose
Date:
10/04/99 12:24:49 PDT
Comments:
I just got the Department of Crooks alblum (from Borders, you can listen to sound clips on the Borders site as well) , I read here that someone
thought that the singer's voice ruined the alblum....i disagree with that, I think he's got a nice voice.
The alblum was pretty good overall, especially when they stuck to pop songs like: Seven Weeks, X-ray vision, One night in June, Falling on down. I think that Seven Weeks or X-ray vision would even make it on pop radio if given a chance... The only song I didn't like was New York City, which seemed like Born in the U.S.A. in that I think both seem preachy, yet false.
Oh-Oui-Anne was interesting, but is monotonous and seems like wasted potential.
Anyway, definetly worth buying, I hope they make another alblum.
countchocula_the_1st@yahoo.com
Date:
10/03/99 13:02:00 PDT
Comments:
That's easy. EBAY will always have a copy for sale.
If you dont mind paying 50.00 for it.
I. TATTOO
Date:
10/02/99 22:01:51 PDT
Comments:
Hi. I've been a fan of WOV since the first EP came out way back when, in 1980. I was very disappointed that Stan left the band when he did, but I still enjoy his solo work. I liked Andy Prieboy in Eye Protection, when they did 'Elroy Jetson' (a great single) but I wasn't wild about him in WOV. I have a question: I have the CD 'Call of the West" and the Index Masters, which is the first EP + extra live tracks. I have the LP of 'Dark Continent', and I used to have the CD, which I foolishly sold. I know Dark Continent is out of print on CD now.....does anyone have a clue where I might buy a copy of that? It's just one of those things that I'm obsessed with finding but can't!!! Can anyone help? Thanks - Sam in San Jose
Date:
09/30/99 13:07:41 PDT
Comments:
That segment is probably a year old by now. Marc is supposed to be in France working on some new tunes. I hope something come of it soon.
Date:
09/21/99 15:14:30 PDT
Comments:
I just saw Marc Moreland on a short "where are they now?" segment on
VH1. When asked what kind of music Wall of Voodoo was, he was like
"Uh, *chuckle*, I dunno, what were we on back then". One of his
recent efforts was a soundtrack for a porno and his dayjob
is a salesman in a leather/fetish store. They mentioned a couple
bands he was involved with, but I forget the names.
Date:
09/20/99 06:20:30 PDT
Comments:
I met the boys on the uk tour of seven days , The voodoo was Andy
as the bassist said to me he only rejoined the band after they had got rid of Donald duck ( stan ) . Does the band ever look at the site
Greaband great songs saw you in Newcastle and London
Love mark
Date:
09/14/99 21:27:12 PDT
Comments:
the coolest shows i saw were back in the early
80's during the dark continent days. They had
a couple tiki statues up on stage (Roxy, Whisky)
anyone remember those?
Avg. Joe.
Date:
09/14/99 16:07:23 PDT
Comments:
Mexican Radio is constantly being played on the "ALL 80's STATION" in Toronto, Ontario. What a cool song!
Donny.
Date:
09/14/99 10:06:58 PDT
Comments:
It's amazing how some or all of the Stan-era WOV stuff holds up. Call of the West has to be one of the coolest unsung records of the 80's. All of the songs can be easily retranslated into other branches of music. The song Call of the West can easily become a rap song, Factory as a hard-core industrial, Mexican radio as a techno, and so fotrh. RZYM.
Date:
09/13/99 13:28:55 PDT
Comments:
Does anyone known when Wall of Voodoo played (lip
synched?) Mexican
Radio on American Bandstand with Dick Clark? I remember
this was the
very first time I saw/heard them and have been hooked since.
Not really
a Prieboy fan, Dark Continent is my favorite album.
Anyone remember the band Rubber Rodeo? they had a great
western sound
too.
Date:
09/10/99 09:16:00 PDT
Comments:
Does anyone known when Wall of Voodoo played (lip synched?) Mexican
Radio on American Bandstand with Dick Clark? I remember this was the
very first time I saw/heard them and have been hooked since. Not really
a Prieboy fan, Dark Continent is my favorite album.
Anyone remember the band Rubber Rodeo? they had a great western sound
too.
Date:
09/10/99 07:56:30 PDT
Comments:
>How can i get a copy of the Mexican Radio video (and any other WOV
music videos)?
>I've tried Prayer, but no luck so far.
Well, the first step is to put your name and an email up. I am sure you will get a answer.
I. TATTOO
Date:
09/09/99 20:43:07 PDT
Comments:
Well, I don't mind people posting announcements about the Department of Crooks site, but that's not the correct URL anymore. It was moved a long time ago. The correct url is:
http://members.xoom.com/wallofvoodoo/crooks.htm
Drop by for a spell :)
Ms. Vieuxdo
Date:
09/09/99 19:40:21 PDT
Comments:
**ANNOUNCEMENT**ANNOUNCEMENT**ANNOUNCEMENT**ANNOUNCEMENT**
The Department of Crooks web page is up and running for your
viewing
pleasure. Please feel free to drop in and visit Marc, Sheldon and
Fred. Then sit a spell...take your shoes off. We'll meet you over by
the cement pond :)
Department of Crooks: http://www4.linknet.net/Vieuxdo/crooks.htm
Date:
09/09/99 17:06:26 PDT
Comments:
How can i get a copy of the Mexican Radio video (and any other WOV
music videos)?
I've tried Prayer, but no luck so far.
Date:
09/09/99 16:51:53 PDT
Comments:
I just bought my first wall of voodoo cd, Index Masters, and with the
exception of struggle and animal day i really liked it!
My favorite has to be Longarm...maybe Callbox.
Do any of the ex-members of Wall of Voodoo tour with their respective
bands? I'm in Tampa, FL and would really like to see some (even any!)
of them play.
Date:
09/09/99 04:20:40 PDT
Comments:
Hi all,
Wanted to let everyone know that the Big Ciy/Room With A View 7" single is up for auction by someone at eBay. The URL is:
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&tc=ps&item=159705657
Both the songs on this single are different versions than what appear on the Sammystown LP. So anyone who doesn't have it may want to bid on it. Have a good day!
Ms. Vieuxdo
Date:
09/08/99 15:21:24 PDT
Comments:
LOVE IT!!!
need mp3 links at least...........
Date:
09/07/99 17:23:31 PDT
Comments:
That's a Wall of Voodoo page, not a whole site.
correction noted - ed.
Date:
09/06/99 22:27:45 PDT
Comments:
When I first heard the song "Far Side OF Crazy" I did not know the
nane of the song or the band who sang it. I went to record store after
record store reciting the song to the best of my knoweledge; but had
no luck. I searched for six months and still nothing, then when one of
my friends came back into town I i mentioned it in passing and the
bastard knew who the Wall of Voodoo were and he figured out who I
was talking about just by my bad singing. Ever since then I have been
a big fan. Thanks Emanon.
Date:
09/06/99 22:24:44 PDT
Comments:
Hello,
I'm in a band who is doing a cover of "Wrong Way to Hollywood" but
I have no idea what the lyrics are. If you know the lyrics please
E-mail them to me at Replica 79@aol.com and I will be eternally
grateful.
Thanks,
Garrett
Date:
09/06/99 22:19:44 PDT
Comments:
Hello. I just watched an old IRS records video, and saw the
''Mexican Radio'' vid. I've seen this about 13 years ago when my dad
dubbed the copy off video. I was only about 8 or 9 when I first heard it,
and I really only remembered some basic words "i'm on a mexican
radio". My father pulled it out two days ago, and I really got into it,
especially the drumming in the song, and the intro. I'm only 21, and do
not remember WOV, or even remember seeing any of their vids on
MTV, but that song really got to me. I ordered the CD ''Call Of The
West''. I'm a musician, and I like this song so much, that I'm going to
record a version. I have a 4-track studio in my basement, and really
love recording songs that I've grown up with, or songs that are really
''out there''. I HATE mainstream music, it's so damn fake. If anyone
would be interested in a free copy when I finish it, I'll be more than
happy to send you one. I'll probably have about 10 or so to give away.
When I finish the track, probably within the next month, I'll post
again. If you would be interested, please post here, and I'll take down
your e-mail addresses. I'll send out to the first 10 people. cheers.
Bryan Los
bryan@echoroom.com
Date:
09/06/99 22:17:29 PDT
Comments:
A song called Boys like Girls, is on the soundtrack to the Brad Pitt
movie
"Cutting Class" That is the only song on the film that was Written By
All
of Wall of Voodoo. All the rest were Andy. (they are all on the album,
"My Wicked Son") The Song "Boys Like Girls" was never released.
As for
The Porno stuff, Is Marc doing them now?
Date:
09/06/99 22:15:08 PDT
Comments:
I GOT DARK CONTINENT ON CD!!!!!!!!
I had a few people mail me previously saying they would want CD
copies of it, so please email me again:
handle@adnc.com
Date:
09/06/99 22:13:28 PDT
Comments:
Hey folks! I went to CD Europe on the web the other day, and
look what I found:
B237945
Dark Continent
Wall Of Voodoo
Compact Disc Album
$20.95
Label: irs
Release Date: 9/30/91
Country of Import: Holland
You may recall I tried to order this thing last summer, and then
it disappeared from the site. Well, I snagged it this time. $20 is
too good to pass up. I can never find that thing used anymore!
So go order it before it disappears again!!! It's at
http://www.cdeurope.com if you're interested!
Longarm,
Redlands/Moreno Valley, CA.
Date:
09/05/99 17:04:51 PDT
Comments:
What has Stan Ridgway been up to? How about his successor to WALL OF VOODOO Andy Prieboy?
Date:
09/03/99 20:28:15 PDT
Comments:
Toby here-
I really like the DOC album..... All of it. I think it really sounds Voodooesque. My favorites are Seven Weeks, Falling on Down and Beggar Blue Sky. Beggar sound really chaotic and kind of like one of the insturmental song Fast that you guys sent me for Elegant's Angels #2. ALl of those songs, of which there are five, are all instrumentals and equally amazing. Tell us a little bit about recording those. I'd be interested to know what that was like. I know there wasn't a hell of a lot of money for those, but they came out amazing. If you were o.k. with it, I would willing to burn cd's of it for Voodoo fans. Let us know.
BTW: Andy has just officially signed a deal with MCA for the musical AND a seperate and indepndant deal for his solo stuff. So he has two full albums to work on right about now.... Congrads to him!
Date:
09/03/99 14:55:32 PDT
Comments:
Sheldon -
First, let me clarify that "weak" bit (yeah, that was harsh, wasn't it?). It was primarily the vocals I was referring to, so let me point out (by way of belated apology for the scorched earth) that "Walking with Darla" is a beautiful instrumental, and many of the other songs credited to you would be considered good, solid songwriting in any discussion that isn't taking place on a Wall of Voodoo message board. I was referring to its relative "Voodooness", if that makes any sense; unfortunately everyone on this board is waiting for the second coming of Call of the West except for me, apparently, being far too busy waiting for the second coming of Happy Planet. In any event, it was dissing far in excess of the subject at hand -- after all, although I'm annoyed (arbitrarilly and unfairly, I'll grant you) that it doesn't sound "like a WoV record," the fact remains that I'd recommend it in a heartbeat. My apologies.
-Dirk
Date:
09/03/99 12:03:46 PDT
Comments:
Ouch....Weak?
Dirk didn't hold back on naming me as a reason the DOC album feel short of being a really good album.
I wish I would have video taped that whole attempt at making a DOC record. Maybe every one would know
that it was a miracle that it even got out.
I would be the first to agree that my voice isn't anything to cherish.
I can take all the flack for that. I've read reviews that called me a nobody with a voice that
should've stayed that way. LOL. And people have walked up to me and flat out said, YOU SUCK.
That type of stuff never really bothers me.
But I must admit that a comment regaurding me as weak. That caused me to hum and ha and think.
Was I a reason that Wall of Voodoo fans didn't get any "new" WOV stuff.
Nope. That Album was pushed to have a WOV sound by me. I think thats what brought it down.
I was out of my leauge for the vocals. I did have Andy for a few days helping me out but those tracks were
tossed when Marc gave them a listen. (Andy was very patient with me and may have been the producer we "should've" used)
Marc wanted to do something new. Our battles on what direction the DOC album should take caused
alot of great songs to become ok. I pushed for a more WOV sound and marc wanted something more fresh.
The whole album could have been an instrumental one. We wrote tons of music that was WOV without question. But who would sing?
We submitted alot of the instumentals and most were tossed. A song called "lucky 2 dollor bill" was removed at the last minute.
That song is mixed and burned on CD somewhere. It was included on a "prerelease" CD.
I have no idea if anyone has it. I only have a tape of it.
The DOC album was a gift horse. Its weak spots are due to the whole band. Some of the mixes didn't have the bands final say.
Early mixes include a tom waites type vocal on new york city.
If you think I was a weak spot in the band. Then name the system (oops wait, thats star wars)
Then name the places or the things you think are weak or should've been done different.
Someday I will post the diary of the DOC recordings.
Marc and I have tons of things that we wrote about the whole thing.
The whole story from start to finish.
So, now that I've bitched and moaned about the past. I will go and play my DOC album here at my day job really loud and see how long it takes before someone says
"turn that shit off"
--Sheldon
Date:
09/03/99 07:11:43 PDT
Comments:
Decay -
I'm as much in the dark as you are about the lyrics to "The Heart Never Can Tell" and "Living in the Red". Even though I've heard "Living in the Red" lots of times live, I still only have a half formed impression of the words. I know what the song is about, just not the exact words. If I have time this weekend, perhaps I'll sit down with headphones on and try again to decipher both songs.
Glad you like my site. I'm also going to try to get a few more articles typed up this weekend to add to the Press Room.
Well, that's all for me right now. Hope everyone has a nice weekend!
Ms. V
Date:
09/02/99 16:38:53 PDT
Comments:
ms. vieuxdo, any luck in coming up with those lyrics to "the heart never can tell" and "livin in the red" on ugly? i really tried to get a good idea of what andy is saying, but.. he'll say something and i have no clue what it is.. i'm looking forward to it so i can listen along. great site you got there by the way,
decay
Date:
09/02/99 14:13:16 PDT
Comments:
The Ugly American's CD has been out of print for quite a while. Your best bet in finding one is to keep an eye on the auctions at www.ebay.com
Ms. Vieuxdo
Date:
09/02/99 13:41:55 PDT
Comments:
Anybody know where to get the Ugly Americans CD? Been looking for awhile and can't find it. Is it still peing pressed? Pleas E-mail me when you got time - michaelcorbett@yahoo.com
Date:
08/25/99 14:14:46 PDT
Comments:
Duh!
the URL for the Press Room is:
http://members.xoom.com/wallofvoodoo/press.htm
Sorry, my brain went on vacation for a while there. Bye!!
Ms V
Date:
08/25/99 14:13:28 PDT
Comments:
Hi again,
Okay, the Press Room on my site is starting to take shape now. I've got press kit photos and info for Dark Continent, Sammystown, Happy Planet, Mosquitos and Partyball. There are also half a dozen articles typed up, most with accompanying photos. I'll definitely be adding more as time permits. The amount of typing involved with some of the articles is enormous, so bear with me. I'll be adding more soon.
That's it for now. Have a good one.
Ms Vieuxdo
Date:
08/25/99 10:56:55 PDT
Comments:
Also - I nominate "Back In Flesh" for the title.
-Dirk
Date:
08/25/99 10:55:24 PDT
Comments:
Toby -
Would the boys be interested in an "unofficial release" of the material for, say, a limited audience of diehard fans? Say, a single MP3 CD-ROM? Probably the only way they'll make any further money off WoV, judging from the glacial lack of interest. I'll do the burning/printing...
-Dirk
Date:
08/25/99 06:50:47 PDT
Comments:
Toby Here-
I think the box set should be called "Eatin' Bar-b-Qued Iguana with Wall of Voodoo"
Take Me To Your Leader are the Stan era demos. With a song of the same name and a unreleased istrumental and a different lyrical version of Long Arm. There are the Happy Planet Demos, the songs released only in films, which there are quite a few, and there are some of the boys's personal demos. Chas has In My Night (which is awsome BTW) and Marc has about three or four too. Andy has a slew of unreleased stuff.
Date:
08/24/99 07:16:09 PDT
Comments:
how about a WALL OF VOODOO box set? I mean, most of the stuff is out of print. Release it along with the flip side singles, alternate versions of ROOM WITH A VIEW & BIG CITIES & find a good copy of DANCE WITH DEATH. I saw on here that there are some demos too. Also on someones site I saw something called the HAPPY PLANET demos & TAKE ME TO YOUR LEADER. I have no idea what that last one is. This would work. It could be called BIG BAD VOODOO GRANDADDY.
I. TATTOO
Date:
08/20/99 21:18:19 PDT
Comments:
decay-
I got my Dept. of Crooks CD from Amazon.com, but
I don't know if they still carry it. It's a good
CD, it has a Wall of Voodoo meets the Poster Children
feel to it. It isn't WoV, but it's close enough to
be satifying. Songs like "Seven Weeks" are actually
more fun than a lot of Wall of Voodoo's stuff.
As for the 1984 pre-Seven Days in Sammystown version
of "Big City," I have a copy on 45 with a different
version of "Room With A View" on side B. It is
not easy to find, but it is worth having if you're
a big Wall of Voodoo fan.
Also, to make a recommendation, if you haven't already
heard it, Andy's most recent (I think) CD, "Sins
of Our Fathers" is also very good.
Date:
08/20/99 09:51:12 PDT
Comments:
RE: Dept. of Crooks -- It sounds more like Wall of Voodoo than anything Andy or Stan have come up with so far, but then it's Marc we're talking about so this should surprise no one. Although I think his collaborator in that band was weak, and the (sorry) insipid lyrics to "New York City" ruined a damned fine instrumental. By all means, hunt through used record shops until you find it. Your ears will thank you again and again.
-Dirk
Date:
Content-type: text/plain
Wed Aug 18 18:44:38 PDT 1999
Comments:
also, where is it possible to obtain a copy of the alternate version of big city that appeared on sammy's? if anyone has any info, i would appreciate it. i've never heard it and i liked the one on sammy, but from what i gathered from all of you, the other is much better.
decay
Date:
Content-type: text/plain
Wed Aug 18 17:13:42 PDT 1999
Comments:
dept of crooks cd is obviosuly no longer in circulation; anyone know where i can get a copy of it. what does it sound like?
decay
Date:
08/18/99 10:00:05 PDT
Comments:
There's a Happy Planet CD up for auction right now at www.ebay.com - that's about the only place you'll be able to find one easily. Good luck!
Ms. Vieuxdo
Date:
08/18/99 09:08:46 PDT
Comments:
HI, I am looking for the "Happy Planet" cd for a friend. I cannot find it anywhere, hence it is out of print. Does anyone have one
that they don't want anymore. My friend had the cd but it was stolen from him, he is very upset, and it was his favorite. Please let me know!!
My email address is eanorlander@yahoo.com Thank you!!!!!!
Date:
08/18/99 06:08:11 PDT
Comments:
The doubleDrive CD came out yesterday...that's right, with the "Mexican Radio" cover. I was rather happy to see it was a hidden track (87)...this tells me the band is just kinda playing with it. All in all, I like the cover they did...they maintin the original with a fair sprinkling of their own style to it. Check it out: it's MCA recording artists doubleDrive, and the album is called "1000 Yard Stare".
Date:
08/17/99 17:30:50 PDT
Comments:
Hello all,
I've added a new section to my Wall of Voodoo web site called The Press Room. There are photos, record company press releases and such not only for Wall of Voodoo, but also for some Ridgway solo stuff. More will be added soon, but you can drop by now and check it out if you like. The URL is:
http://members.xoom.com/wallofvoodoo/press.htm
Happy surfing!!
Ms. Vieuxdo
Date:
08/16/99 22:41:23 PDT
Comments:
WOV is great! When I was 18 I thought Stan's voice was so sexy!
jenny
Date:
08/16/99 16:02:10 PDT
Comments:
My suggestion for a Wall of Voodoo tribute album:"Ugly American Bandstand"......(Yes ,I stole it from "Jeopardy")
Date:
08/10/99 16:34:54 PDT
Comments:
I really enjoyed the concert photos.
Are they all from the Austin, Texas area? Those from the "Call of the West" tour appear to feature the infamous "Club Foot" - a great place to see a band. The stage was chest high (or thereabouts) and so you didn't end up with bunches of people crushed in front of the stage by people behind them just trying to see the band.
Did I garble?
Date:
08/10/99 14:53:20 PDT
Comments:
THE NEW PHOTOS ARE GREAT!!!
Date:
08/10/99 07:25:49 PDT
Comments:
Well ,I will shut up when you can post something on this message board someone might be interested in reading. Until then, you Nazi swine, go back to memorizing your autographed copy of "Mein Kampf". Bob
Date:
08/09/99 23:33:44 PDT
Comments:
Joe Nanini! make some music for all of us from the old days! A Joe SOLO CD?
The stories you could tell. Please. we are waiting.
signed,
the old people in sante fe who remeber
you from Texas and all the shows with wov.
You were the greatest!
p.s. do you still hit the frying pans? And the trinidad bowls?
Date:
08/09/99 22:15:27 PDT
Comments:
The new pics are great JTL Voodoo! Very abstract and arty. Voodoo like and
history. we dig
the voods in sante fe
Date:
08/09/99 22:12:56 PDT
Comments:
RE: memphis
"birds always pick at the best fruit"
-Bette Davis
Date:
08/09/99 19:21:39 PDT
Comments:
Wall of Voodoo was a great band!..
The guy from Memphis sounds like a backstage hanger-on to me.
Stan Ridgway seems to have never suffered fools gladly, so no wonder
he ignored THIS guy. I guess if Stan had talked to him way back in
'82, he now would be saying what a great guy he was. Who knows? maybe the
other Voodoos wanted to get rid of him too. Or maybe he was just a "skeek".
The groupie talk of "i was there and i saw the shit" thing is pretty lame.
Take it to VH-1. Wall Of Voodoo - Behind the Music.
Date:
08/09/99 12:01:23 PDT
Comments:
Just a note to inform that the images site has been updated. New thumbnail pics load faster and link to the full size pictures just by clicking on them. Eddie Walker sent his concert photos from the Sammystown and the Call Of The West tours. You're gonna love em. Be forwarned that the actual pictures are pretty big and may take a while to load. But I guarantee you that it is worth the effort these pics are great.
Out here,
JtL
Date:
08/09/99 05:08:42 PDT
Comments:
To Bobby from Memphis ( without quotation marks ):
I wonder if somebody already told you in your Life that sometimes it
is better to keep your mouth shut .... rather than telling so called
private things which at the end turn out to be pure crap on the lowest
intellectual level. Your recent remarks (I knew that they were coming)
about Stan Ridgways supposed behaviour towards a groupie and his supposed
relationship to Bill Noland are ridiculous and psychopathic.
UA
Date:
08/08/99 23:25:04 PDT
Comments:
Joe is so great! Thanks for the info.
Graeme Q.
Date:
08/08/99 16:09:54 PDT
Comments:
Joe Nanini -an appreciation: In 1983,just before he quit WOV, Joe Nanini invited me to his house in Silverlake. He kept his skillets with his drums from the Call of the West tour and album there . I was amazed to see burnt eggs and and gravy on the inside! (You only see the bottoms in the "Mex. Radio" video.I wonder if this scorched food affected the tone? Italian -American / Japanese (in case you were wondering)Joe Nanini is a very funny man and I miss him a lot. I always thought he was the most interesting visually during Wall of Voodoo's stage show.He always eemed to be bored out of his mind or in hysterics about something. At a show in Nashville ,someone yelled out "PUNK ROCK!!" Joe grabbed the microphone and said "Ya know what a punk is don'tcha? A punk is a guy in jail who gets it up the butt for candy bars. So don't call me a punk ,punk!" After he quit Wall of Voodoo , Joe was well aware of the irony of the alst line in "Call of the West"--"I used to be Somebody!"
Date:
Content-type: text/plain
Sun Aug 8 01:18:21 PDT 1999
Comments:
Toby here-
Talk Hard is the song from Pump Up The Volume... don't know how it got in the film, but it is on a Australia E.P. called Film Songs. It's on TWA records and it also has a Bing Can't Walk from Slam Dance.
WOV on Arsenio... they were actually on a show called The Late Show, which was hosted by Joan RIvers... Arsenio was just guest hosting for here. They were on twice and each time they talked to Arsenio a little bit. They played four song total which where Do It Again, Country Of Man, Grass Is Greener and Wrong Way To Hollywood. The second time Arsenio came over and talked with Andy for a couple minutes. And explained the tapestries that were hanging off of the keyboards. One of which was messed up in a van fire on the Concrete Blonde Seattle tour, which he gave me. He explained that they were doorways to the spirit world and that each one was for a different god. One point of interest: in the chorus one fo the time was a tall blonde woman... that was Psycho Ex.
Date:
Content-type: text/plain
Sat Aug 7 23:49:06 PDT 1999
Comments:
You know that really annoying guy that stars in that Dial-A-Date program? Come on, you all have seen him. He tells stupid jokes that my grandfather wouldn't even laugh at, and tries to make it look like the chicks love him. Do you know who I'm talking about now? Well, I think Ridgway should be the new host of that program. I could picture him doing it.
Crispy
Date:
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Sat Aug 7 23:40:34 PDT 1999
Comments:
To anyone who has seen WOV's appearance on Arsinio Hall, What was that one show like? How did Arsinio introduce them? What did they sing? Did Arsinio speak with them? I'd like to hear all about it.
Steve-O
Date:
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Sat Aug 7 23:33:28 PDT 1999
Comments:
HEY! About the Ridgway song that appeared in Pump Up The Volume,
Why didn't it go on the soundtrack?????? That would have been great!
And, how exactly did it get in that movie?
Herculese
Date:
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Sat Aug 7 23:29:13 PDT 1999
Comments:
My good friend, Todd, looks just like Stan Ridgway! He's just a
little bit shorter, but I swear, He's the spitting image of him.
And I think Todd likes porn too!
Shuster.
P.S Why don't I see posts from "KING RICHARD" anymore?
Date:
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Sat Aug 7 20:50:33 PDT 1999
Comments:
Hey everybody -
Dirk here. I just picked up a cassette copy of Happy Planet off a used record retailer I found at www.gemm.com. They're apparently some sort of aggregator of indy record stores, taking some percentage off the top of everything they sell. It's actually not too bad, and I saw just about everything WoV-related imaginable in their listing. Two words: Eye Protection. Check it out.
Date:
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Sat Aug 7 16:04:30 PDT 1999
Comments:
re: the Wall of Voodoo dog: I always loved that piggy bank dog that was a signature in a couple of videos( "Mex. Radio" and"Far Side of Crazy" )and the cover of the EP. He appeared both sad and scary at the same time. I looked for one of those pottery dogs on several trips to Tijuana but never found one. When Stan quit ,Chas told me that the dog went with him. Possession is 9/10ths of the law, I guess.They evidently got the dog back for the "Far Side " video .....or a replacement. Somewhere I have a couple of buttons with the dog on them but can't find 'em . Bobby aka Ten Gallon Hat on a Twenty Gallon Head
Date:
08/06/99 23:53:54 PDT
Comments:
Toby here-
Bobby - You are the fucking MAN. I applaude you for speaking your mind. You are definatly entitled to your opinion and it seem like you have the experiences to back that opinion up with. While none of us were there to validate or denie your observations.... it is very interesting, at least to me, to see a side of people that we feel we know, when in reality we don't know anything about them. Keep speaking your mind.... This board had been too quiet. And since there isn't much music to keep talking aobut.... let's at least talk about something!
Date:
08/06/99 22:40:37 PDT
Comments:
where now is marc the geetar player?
Date:
08/06/99 07:57:16 PDT
Comments:
TO UA (Under Achiever): I wasn't trying to reform anyone's opinion of their hero ,Stan Ridgway. When I encountered him , I found him to be a arrogant pretentious jerk....just like UA ,you pompous twat. Stan was cynical to the ninth power.Why don't you really listen to the friggin ' records. Have you not noticed that his songs look snidely down on the people who inhabit his songs ? Stan in actuality was no better than any of his characters like the guy in "Factory" ,even though he was ridiculing them. Yet he went blithely along indulging his hobby of "peeping". Who is he to make fun of the skeeks and zipper heads of this world? Stan is a big a perv as anybody in those songs.Jesus Palomino ! The song that Wall of Voodoo used to encore with ,"Fun Zone" is about the Peeps ! There is a line about "something stuck to my shoe" in there. My point is: although I really enjoy the Stan era of Wall of Voodoo's music,he is basically a asshole and his lack of real success is deserved.However lot s of people you meet in this life are assholes and I don't obsess about particular ones like him. His megalomania wrecked Wall of Voodoo and yet he still cashes in on those songs which he only partly wrote.( His idiot wife even tried to claim part credit on "Mexican Radio"!!!!)Even if he had stayed in the band a while longer ,it would have fallen apart because the other guys basically could not stand Stan. In an earlier post some one quoted Stan as saying that he quit WOV because they were unaccepting of his ideas. Well the others told me that he had some great ideas ...... but he had a lot of terrible ones too. "Bad taste" ,they said. A lot of his proposals were really for the greater glory of Stanard Q. Ridgway. In layman's terms , dude was on a star trip. My opinion is that Stan was never more than mediocre as a solo artist. UA ,I will respond no more to you because you know obviously know nothing about the music of Wall of Voodoo or as people. I remain, Bobby .(no need for quotation marks) P.S. for the guy who wanted more dirt on Stan : He once tried to get a rather ill -informed groupie to believe that he was a member of Duran Duran in order to make an impression on her. As I do not enjoy message board wars ,these are the last of my comments on Stan Funsten as a individual. If you don't like them ,fine with me. Go ahead and flame me because I know some fu*ker will insist on having the last word. I will say that there's worse things to be than a fan of Stan Ridgway. All I have to say is I knew these people as friends and I have a good memory----- of people's faults as well as their virtues.PPS : I was wrong about one thing in my first post :Stan DID socialize with ONE WOV guy on the last tour- Bill Noland has his nose stuck way up Stan's ass.
Date:
08/06/99 00:29:08 PDT
Comments:
I don't know what the silly 'Bobby from Memphis' who wrote that Stan
Ridgway had a secret passion for porn peep shows wants to express.
What's the sense or the objective of such a stupid and immature
comment / report ? Does 'Bobby' really think people change their
attitude towards Stan Ridgway only because he went to peep shows ?
UA
Date:
08/04/99 13:11:46 PDT
Comments:
Isn't Marc's album supposed to be released this summer?
Date:
08/03/99 23:09:27 PDT
Comments:
Hey bobby! - more stan dirt, more stan dirt!!!! Please!!
Date:
08/03/99 14:04:20 PDT
Comments:
My first visit to this site(2 years ago there was nothing but the Drywall site).........I used to know WOV(especially Joe & Marc) around the early & mid eighties.Stan was not the warmest guy in the world though.His real name is Funsten not Ridgway.I will reveal for all to see that Stan's secret passion was to go to porn peep shows. His battle cry was "Let's go peeping".On the last WOV tour ,he didn't even socialize with the others. I figure he was planning to quit for quite a while. I lost touch with them after 1986. These posts have brought back many memories. If anyone is in contact with Joe ,Marc ,Chas or Bruce ,tell'em Bobby from Memphis said hello.
Date:
08/03/99 09:02:24 PDT
Comments:
Go to Stans New Web Site Apparently a new disc is due any day now.
Has anyone heard any of the tunes on it yet?
JtL
Date:
08/02/99 19:34:55 PDT
Comments:
Does Stan have a new CD coming out. Or is it out now? Or ? Anybody know?
And does this page sell cd's?
stuck in lodi
Date:
07/27/99 15:34:08 PDT
Comments:
I've got a CD single by the Stickmen where they cover "Mexican Radio". Even though that's one of my least favorite Voodoo tunes, it's still cool hearing someone else do it. The Stickmen did a pretty good job. I don't think I'd buy a full-length CD from a band I'd never heard before just for a Mexican Radio cover though. But that's mainly because I'm broke and CDs are too damn expensive. If anybody buys the DoubleDrive CD, let us all know what you think of it.
That's it for now. B'bye!
Ms. Vieuxdo
Date:
07/27/99 12:07:36 PDT
Comments:
Brace yourselves, WOV fans. A cover of "Mexican Radio" will be released on MCA recording artists "doubleDrive" debut CD August 17th. Love it, hate, hear it.
Date:
07/26/99 02:02:23 PDT
Comments:
Dear Iguana.............iana.
Don't remember being married previously but my long term memory is not what it used to be.Did I get you to roll in honey ?? or was that ...no that was someone else.Great band,eh!!!!!!!!!
AussieDave.
Date:
07/25/99 22:46:14 PDT
Comments:
Ever tried playing a CD backwards????
Date:
07/25/99 12:04:41 PDT
Comments:
Wow -ain't it just amazing what you find while cruising through cyberspace. Hadn't seen nor heard of WOV since the late '80s. (UK/USA) Thought they'd be dead by now. Thought I'd be dead by now. There has certainly been nothing like WOV before or since. Great to see so many fans out there too. This is like a trip down memory lane.
Iguanaramaaustraliana
PS Aussie Dave - you're not my ex husband are you????
Date:
07/24/99 16:24:39 PDT
Comments:
Wall of Voodoo ist die beste Band der Welt!
Ich Liebe diese Band !
-Michael
Berlin,Germany
Date:
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Fri Jul 23 15:28:44 PDT 1999
Comments:
WOV is the only band I know of to mix western music themes with sythesizers and not sound like some tacky gimmick. "Mexican Radio" has influenced even Techno. Look at the basic layout of the song, mainly the intro and outro. The pattern, subbing samples for vocals, is WOV all over again.
-Robert
Smithfield, NC, USA
Date:
Content-type: text/plain
Fri Jul 23 15:02:36 PDT 1999
Comments:
While I'm glad to see another WoV site pop into existence, somehow
"pretty neat" falls somewhat short...
Date:
07/23/99 02:25:03 PDT
Comments:
ATTENTION!!!!!!!!!! NEW WALL OF VOODOO SITE AT:
http://www.angelfire.com/vt/Voo
It's pretty neat!
Date:
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Thu Jul 22 23:59:11 PDT 1999
Comments:
Stan is dead???????? I want my money back .Whoever does the vocal on Black Diamond etc is a bloody good impersonator then.Maybe Stan's with Luther(on guitar)!
Just kiddin'.
AussieDave.
Date:
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Thu Jul 22 23:03:34 PDT 1999
Comments:
I doubt it. That's just the old Beatles way of selling albums.
Shuster.
Date:
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Thu Jul 22 23:02:34 PDT 1999
Comments:
I heard that if you play Stan's new album backwards, you can hear "STAN IS DEAD"
Anyone else know anything about this?
Date:
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Thu Jul 22 13:51:57 PDT 1999
Comments:
Hey, I really like this page - it's great to see that there are still so many WoV fans around.
And I don't think it's necessary to get at each other's throats. Everybody should be able to write whatever he/she wants.
If somebody else doesn't like it or doesn't consider it interesting enough - just skip these message or zry to find a better place to keep in touch with other WoV maniacs.
Stephanie.
Date:
07/22/99 07:11:57 PDT
Comments:
Toby's first mistake was in believing everyone thinks he's interesting.
Date:
07/22/99 04:37:47 PDT
Comments:
Toby here-
If someone else would say something interesting, we'd stop writing novels.
Date:
07/21/99 23:55:53 PDT
Comments:
replace all parts with long arm
Date:
07/21/99 21:36:22 PDT
Comments:
I meant Where the hell DID Bruce go?!?!?
Lefty Mussolini
Date:
07/21/99 21:35:09 PDT
Comments:
Toby and Dirk need to stop witing novels on this message
board. Where the hell do Bruce go???
Lefty Mussolini
Date:
07/20/99 07:04:03 PDT
Comments:
I wonder if Stan's aware that he's dead?
Date:
07/20/99 03:21:31 PDT
Comments:
Well, THAT was interesting....
Date:
07/20/99 01:26:31 PDT
Comments:
I believe the world ended when Stan Ridgway died.
He was the guiding light of Wall Of Voodoo, and if
he was still here today, he would still be putting
out great tunes like "Mexican radio" It's a shame he
wasn't around longer to top its success.
Even though Stan was replaced by Andy, the band's best work
was with Stan.
Twikel dip
paul_man62@hotmail.com
Date:
07/18/99 23:25:52 PDT
Comments:
And furtermore from the Mexican Radio "prop dudes",
Director Francis Delia photographed and shot the WOV Call oF the West covers, Stan's "Goin' Southbound" and "Callin' Out To Carol" videos
The Ramones's "Psycho", and even Jefferson Starship's biggest hit videos.
Plus episodes of TV's "Friday the 13th". His newest movie is a Norman Mailer scripted pic called,
"The Time of Her Time".
Date:
07/18/99 23:13:35 PDT
Comments:
On the video "MEXICAN RADIO" -
The WOV video, "Mexican Radio" was in fact directed by musician and New York native, Francis Delia. Steve Saydian was indeed a partner in their "the Wolfe Co.", but he didn't
direct it. Francis Delia did. Delia also directed "NightDreams" a movie
that upon viewing, now record producer and former "Wolfe Co. music pal", Mithchell Froom, was heard to say, "I never
wanna have sex again..." Such was the art of this grand masterpiece
of anti-porno. Just thought we'd set the record straight.
Proud prop dudes on "Mexican Radio" and "Nightdreams"
Date:
07/18/99 10:42:46 PDT
Comments:
Toby here-
As you might have read from the recent posts.... Wrong Way to Hollywood is not on Mexican Radio it's on Far Side Of Crazy along with Dance You Fuckers there is a live version of it on the Ugly Americans In Australia too.
Date:
07/18/99 05:11:17 PDT
Comments:
hello,
i have a big problem. I`m searching for the song "Wrong way to hollywood" (on the Maxi "Mexican Radio" - b-side version)for a long long time ! Can you help me to find this song !
Please recall me on : syntheticangel@tpp24.net
Yours Goetz ( from Germany )
Date:
07/18/99 03:16:39 PDT
Comments:
Toby Here-
regarding porn and Voodoo: They have a very checkered past that is laced with porno. They do love it and I have given my share of it to them... or the ones I've been in contact with. So much so that I sometimes feel like a dealer passing out joints to little kids. I know it's wrong, but I just can't help it when I see the smiles on their faces!
Night Dreams was the first porno directed by Rinse Dream, actually it was produced by Rinse Dream and was directed by someone else. RInse Dream was the porno name that Steve Saydian used. If you know your Voodoo trivia you would of course know that Steve shot the covers to Call Of The West and Happy Planet. he halso direct the Mexican Radio and Do It Again videos. Night Dreams has Voodoo's Ring of Fire in a girl girl campfire scene. Rinse was very friendly with the boys and Marc and Bruce both worked on his last legit film Dr. Caligari. I met Bruce at the premiere.
Then there is Arobisex Girls, the porno that Bruce worked on and wormed his way into, singing a acousticv version of Ring Of Fire while strumming a very beat up acoustic guitar, while getting a..... um.... well see...
Then of course there is the Elegant Angels saga. Which starts off with Andy doing the theme song and all the incidentals for Number one. He also appeared in it in a non sex role. Then Department of Crooks did the music for Number 2 which neither appeared in. But #2 does have a killer gun fight scene. And Toby Dammit gets rescued.... which is all that really matters anyway. I directed those two.
Andy has also done music for Ernest Greene. But in my opinion that stuff is too prissy for my tastes.
So regardless of what you thing... Voodoo and porn go together like white on rice!
Another groupie story: There was a chick that the band named Chicken Woman who used to follow them around in Europe. I think she might have slept with a couple of them. Andy was really into women with hairy armpits for a while and he would get chicken woman to scope out the girls in the audience for hairy armpits. So she would stand by the side of the stage in the front and if she saw one would give Andy the signal which was for her to lift her arm and place her other hand under her arm and wiggle it in the direction the girl with the Hairy armpits was. And she took her job really seriously. Another stoy had a beautiful German chick handing Andy condoms all night from the audience. But Andy was trying to salvage a relationship with Psycho Ex in l.a. and didn't go for it.
Date:
07/17/99 21:08:07 PDT
Comments:
Cruising around cyberspace and I ran into this wall. Made me remember the early 80's. We loved this band! That's all.
Date:
07/17/99 17:26:58 PDT
Comments:
can anyone help with this? In the background on "spy world" there's someone speaking what sounds like a full sentence but it's too faint to make out . does anyone have any clue to what it is. I'm sure there's lots of stuff on WOV early records that are laced with that sort of stuff. RZYM
Date:
07/17/99 11:47:05 PDT
Comments:
No, do it! Blame Wall of Voodoo for your "perverted porno site". The boys would love you for it, I'm sure.
Date:
07/16/99 21:58:42 PDT
Comments:
OH SURE TOBY, WE ARE ALL FUCKING IMPRESSED WITH YOU.
DON'T BLAME WALL OF VOODOO FOR YOUR PERVERTED PORNO SITE.
Date:
07/16/99 21:05:35 PDT
Comments:
Actually, I loved "Wrong Way", though I must confess I liked the 12" single version better than the live version. What I'm really jonesing for, though, is a copy of "Back in the Laundromat" Am I the only one here who thought John Waters should've directed a video for that one?
-Dirk again
Date:
07/16/99 21:02:32 PDT
Comments:
"Short, middle-aged guy with a receding hair-line and a ..."
That's right. Crush my dreams. (sniff!)
-Dirk
Date:
07/16/99 19:47:49 PDT
Comments:
Toby here-
We all have our awakening stories, regardless of them being gay or straight or whatever. And for a lot of us Wall Of Voodoo was there when we were becoming menor women. They were popular without being popular, they were cool without being too cool... Let the stories flow whatever they may be.
O.k. here's mine. I was at boy scout camp when a friend of mine loaned me Call Of The West and I was hooked. But it wasn't until I got the 12 inch for Far Side of Crazy that I was totally devoted. I was a teen growing up on an Army base in West Germany where I was surrounded by jar heads and idiots. All I wanted to do was get out of there and get to Hollywood. And Wrong Way To Hollywood was MY song. I fucking loved that song. It took everything I loved and longed for in Hollywood all packed up in one little song. The hope, the pitifulness, the shattered dreams. I wanted to make movies that were that song to a T. About runaways coming to Hollywood and having to make porno movies to survive. And when I met Andy and the boys after a gig in Frankfurt to interview them for my fanzine WHAT!?!, I was really hooked. They all were the nicest guys I had ever met. The month before I had interviewed Anthony from the Chili Peppers and he was just a snide fucking asshole. So it was that much better that Andy was so cool. He truely listened to my questions and gave me detailed answers. While I didn't have any sexual awakenings while listening to Wall of Voodoo, they did shape my drive to go to Hollywood and fulfill my dream of making sleaze quasi-porno flicks. They showed me the beautiful and sleazy and totally fucked up side of Tinsletown.
I think it is relevant to talk about a musicians sexual preference if he is not trying to hide that fact. And Chas was not hiding it. He was open about it... no one ever asked him about it.
It is interesting to note what type of guys Chas was into. His ideal guy was short, middle aged guy, with a receding hairline and a beer belly. There is a really great story of all four guys sitting on a couch in a hotel in Europe waiting for the elevator and a little old man comes out of his room wrapped in a towel to get some ice and all the guys look at this guy and he just happens to fit Chas's ideal guy. They all start nudging Chas going "Hey chas, look.... look over there." Kind of like if your friend liked redheaeds and you saw gorgeous redhead, you would point her out to him. Chas just sat there stroking his chin checking the guy out as the guy looked around and got kind of spooked that these guys were leering at him, and he just backed up into his room.
Ensenada Joyride did have a demo tape that Andy has a copy of but can not find... he says that it was really good though.
Date:
07/16/99 05:51:10 PDT
Comments:
Aww, don't worry about it. I don't think I've ever seen a queer post something to a public message board without someone objecting. Likewise, everyone wants to know about their favorite musicians -- why do you think so many gay musicians are closeted?
Trust me, I'm used to it.
Dirk
Date:
07/16/99 01:30:50 PDT
Comments:
Aussie Dave, this wall has been silent for quite a bit...no one has been talking about anything, not even music. Now that there are conversations going on, you want them to stop? I guess I disagree. So far, these conversations have been basically WOV related, although I guess it would be better to leave band member's personal lives out of the discussions....
Date:
07/16/99 00:31:18 PDT
Comments:
The submissions to "the Wall" of late are just providing a bit more info than I need to know.Lets stick to the music eh fella's and gals and leave the in-depth/personal awakenings stuff aside.
AussieDave.
Date:
07/15/99 21:14:19 PDT
Comments:
Dirk again.
I'll freely cop to misunderstanding the song, if that's the case; it flies by at hardcore punk velocity, and a random 1/3 of the lyrics are only marginally intelligable (who is Peter Jay Font? I have to be mangling that name...). I wasn't even able to suss out that there were two rooms involved!
Furthermore, let me clarify just how slippery the ice in this discussion: the very notion that such a thing as a "gay sensibility" exists in anything resembling an easily identifiable group of standard cliches is dubious at best; we don't grow up in "gay families", but rather all-too-frequently the families of, well, our enemies, basically. (Unintentionally, much of the time; after all, if you don't know your kid is gay, can you really be held responsible for poisoning them with warped visions of the life they can expect in adulthood? I used to be much more vindicitive about such things, but as I get older I begin to wonder.) Anyway, I would expect my experiences were much different from those of, say, a gay black teen in Watts, or the child of Manhattan sophisticates. You think Log Cabin Republicans are contradictory? I once met a gay Nazi skinhead who'd warped himself horribly to stay true to his parents twisted teachings. You are where you came from -- no wonder we're so schizophrenic, or that our "culture" depends so heavily on media imagery and cliches; it's frequently all we have in common with one another.
Oh yeah, Wall of Voodoo. For the reasons stated above, I'm not sure if I could even explain how WoV affected my development into adulthood to another queer, let alone indifferent straight bystanders. Here's the capsule version (I'll use dotted lines to mark the following part, if bullshit teen horror stories aren't you're thing -- just skip ahead).
----------------------------------------------------
With as few squeemish details as I can manage -- as a kid I was the only outright fundamentalist in a conservative Baptist family of poor Arizona rednecks (the Seventh Day Adventists next door "recruited" me when my parents became too overworked to continue churchin'). Anti-evolution hymns, Adam-and-Eve-not-Adam-and-Steve, the whole nine yards, which (it should go without saying) left me primed and ready for trouble come puberty. Values clashed with desire, a couple furtive adolescent encounters gone awry, and the result was, in descending order: a hideous attempt to become straight, followed by a nervous breakdown that seemed to last forever, followed by a total abandonment of deeply-held faith and ten years of self-reconstruction from scratch. There, heavily edited and without dragging violence and the rest of the family into it. End of icky confessional bullshit.
-----------------------------------------------
Back to Wall of Voodoo. I loved the Stan stuff as a teen, of course, if for no other reason than that it was the only stuff on the radio I didn't have to sing in someone else's accent, but it had its problematic side as well; some of the more twisted stuff hit way too close to home ("Factory" could well described my Dad before he finally worked himself to death), the atmosphere of the music was almost unbearably claustrophobic, and I was going nuts at the time. In the end, Call of the West was probably not the most therapeutic thing I could've listened to, especially over-and-over-obsessively like I did. I began to get my shit together about the time Andy joined, and it couldn't have been more fortuitous -- While Stan-era songs left the characters just sort of twitching there on the floor, Andy-era songs left our heroes and heroines bloodied-but-unbowed and still on the road to redemption. It was just like the early stuff, but it didn't leave me wanting to slash my wrists after finishing an album! I'll gleefully admit that I spare no opportunity to be an Andy partisan for this very reason.
More to the point I could easily read my own life into both versions, not only as white trash but as an cultural outsider as well ("Hands of Love", "Blackboard Skies", insert your own list here). I twisted names and pronouns to suit me ("Mona" becoming "Jonah", the he-and-she's in "Big Cities" turning to He-and-I's), and revelling in the personal redemption found in songs like "(Don't Spill My) Courage". When I air-guitared in front of mirrors, it was to Wall of Voodoo. Other bands similarly gained my identification (Husker Du, NoMeansNo)for much the same reasons, but WoV is my band in a way no one else will ever be able to duplicate; Stan led me into madness, while Andy and Co. led me back out and showed me the door.
What I'm harping on here is personal identification; I've never even seen them play live, let alone met any of them, but I was for a long time convinced that they were the only band singing for "my kind", whatever that means. In "(Don't Spill My) Courage" the hero, however far he's been beaten down, however deep into the bottle he crawls, is still more than a match for the televangelist telling him how damned he is; I can almost picture the advancing wheelchair slowly pushing the Hair-Helmet towards the lip of the stage, the angry defiance and righteous rage on the poor loser's face, the determination, however low he sinks, to never allow himself to sink this low. I suppose I could make a case for this song to have queer connotations, but first I have to convice you that by "queer connotations" I'm not necessarily referring to love or sex, but a willful struggle to maintain one's own identity in the face of an almost overwhelming onslaught of intentionally cruel moralisms and harshly-inflicted "special rights" (until a few years ago, Phoenix police still kept lists of known homosexuals on their dashboard computers -- lucky, lucky us!). There are no gays of any kind in the song, but it's still "queer" for the same reason that Wizard of Oz is queer -- it's a ready vessel for queer hopes and desires. Was Chas's dawning sexual identity a factor in the songwriting? I can't say. Never met the man, never asked him. But that's how the song hit me.
Anyway, that's as close as I can come to explaining it. Sorry for the length, and we now return you to your regularly scheduled message board.
Date:
07/15/99 19:41:20 PDT
Comments:
Toby here-
Alright we're actually discussing things here.... I want to make a few points.
Room With A View: While you are entitled to your opinion and you can read whatever you want into that song... it is actually about the apartment that Marc lived in. It had one window and it looked out onto another apartment about ten feet away. Andy wrote "Room" and it was about how, even though Marc did not have a roommate, it felt like he was living with this other guy because of the close proximity of both their living room windows. The only sky that you could see was about three stories high and you could only see a small patch of it... hence the lyric.
I'm not sure about the origin of Loving the Highway Man, although it is the first track on the new Emmylou Harris and Linda Rondstat album.
That Was The Voice is about Andy being Gay bashed as he was walking to the store to get cigarettes. So that one is right on target. He was beat up even though he wasn't/isn't gay.
Any other queer overtones? I'm very interested because I never found them.
Date:
07/15/99 13:32:06 PDT
Comments:
terry cuthbert says:I'm sorry now my five-legged spider climbed inside your pants, hope we can still be friends. ps was that a REAL dodo-bird i saw you with?
Date:
07/15/99 13:02:19 PDT
Comments:
"The gay thing" increased my appreciation of WoV -- but then, I'm gay, too. So of course it would.
I've always viewed Wall of Voodoo as pop music for white-trash ousiders; given how good they were at it, it frankly would have surprised me to find out they were all straight. Especially given the queer overtones that (I hate to break it to you) pop up in WoV's music from time to time -- I'm not talking about sex here, but queer life (Earth to breeders -- our lives don't entirely revolve around sex any more than yours do). I would point to "Room with a View", with it's narrator's helpless dependence on his roommate and top/bottom social dynamic, as an example. Does it mention sex? No. Does it offer situations and emotional palettes that seem to speak especially to us? Oh, my, yes it does.
Ironically, the most explicitly "queer" record released by any of the boys to date has been Andy Prieboy's ...Upon My Wicked Son, for its two obvious examples: "Loving the Highwayman" and "That Was the Voice". I'd like to single out "Loving the Highwayman" in particular for special praise; unlike Holly Near, Pet Shop Boys and any number of other "actual" queer bands, Andy avoids treacly ego-stroking and provides a startlingly accurate portrait of gay life in the boondocks. As the gay son of deeply Christian, redneck Arizona parents, this song hit me where I live pretty hard. I still can't think or Matthew Shepard without hearing those three stark guitar notes. It was this song that caused me to post previously that I thought Andy had an empathy for his characters that Stan utterly lacked (Note: seeing as how he's got a lady in his life, I'm assuming Andy is straight; besides, unlike most gay artists, Andy's not afraid to actually Speak Its Name in his music).
Probably more than y'all wanted to hear on the subject, but at least its The Word from someone willing to cop to actually knowing the topic personally. I await your hatemail.
Dirk Deppey
deppey@yahoo.com
Date:
07/14/99 10:17:40 PDT
Comments:
Mexican Radio was far ahead of it's time!!! It soundedc like no other 80's song. So original, so creative.
That's why when I play it for friends, they have a hard time believing that it came from the 80's.
Stew Chicken.
[Nice name, eh?]
Date:
07/14/99 09:48:55 PDT
Comments:
Toby Here-
I wanted to touch upon a subject here..... cuz I'm not sure how people took it. And that is the revelation that Chas is gay. I think that it might have shocks some people. I mean when I hear this I was suprised. Not becasue I think that anythings wrong with it, it was just that I thought I knew alot about Voodoo and for some reason didn't know that and it just suprised me. It didn't change anything for me. The music was still the same. It didn't make it better either. It was just interesting that it was never talked about. I guess that it's because Voodoo's music is not at all sexual. With the exception of Can't Make Love, they really don't write about sex. So I guess it just never came up. Any thoughts?
Also groupies... anyone have any intersting groupie stories. We know the boys had a few? Anyone hear any juicy ones? I got a couple... but I'm gonna wait a day or so.
Great new Stan site.... really great use of animation.
Date:
07/12/99 18:40:20 PDT
Comments:
MEMO FROM LAZAR...
a correction.
http://www.stanridgway.com/
Date:
07/12/99 18:37:25 PDT
Comments:
http:www/stanridgway.com/
from,
Jackie "Teak" Lazar...talent scout and "big wheel"
Date:
07/10/99 12:10:25 PDT
Comments:
translation please?
Date:
07/10/99 06:04:10 PDT
Comments:
words are a challenge for dried up vegetation. Lets not disect the truth.....Then there is no point to our self discovery if others are the reason for your knowledge..........
Date:
07/09/99 07:25:29 PDT
Comments:
check out www.cdeurope.com
Date:
07/08/99 18:57:51 PDT
Comments:
If anyone knows where I can find a copy of Dark Continent, please
post it here. I've scoured the net to no avail.
Date:
07/08/99 15:05:41 PDT
Comments:
Chas is gay? No wonder I identified so strongly with this band!
Date:
07/08/99 04:14:28 PDT
Comments:
marc claimed in an interview once that he wrote mexican radio, music & lyrics. That stan added only a few lyrics here & there..
Date:
07/08/99 02:21:07 PDT
Comments:
Hi Toby -
I had the impression that Roger Mason joined the WOV tour only when they were in Australia. I did not know of his existence before I saw him on the "Ugly Americans" album (Sorry, Roger).
He was never part of the band at any of the many concerts I attended (WOV with AND without Bruce) - I guess I just kept missing him....
Date:
07/08/99 00:45:17 PDT
Comments:
Toby Here -
I talked to Andy about Roger Mason and turns out my memory was correct... everything I recalled was right. Heres the whole scoop: Roger was a member of the Models an Australian based band, whom Chas knew from touring and socially. Chas also once went out with Rogers wife. When Chas was going out with women. So he would come to shows when they were playing Australia, and they all became friendly. So when Bruce was no longer a member of the band, then needed someone to take some of the brunt of the keyboard duties and they elected Roger. As also as I stated before, Roger was a very well versed musician and was very quick to jump into improving stuff with Andy and Ned. Andy really like playing with him and wishes that they could have palyed together more.
Songs written by each member... I don't think any of us is going to really know who wrote what... I mean we might know a few... like Mexican Radio's music was written by Marc and lyrics by Stan. That's the only one I know. Anyone else?
Date:
07/06/99 23:25:00 PDT
Comments:
I'm sure this has been brought up before, but
on Wall of Voodoo, Dark Continent and Call of
the West, the songs are credited to Wall of
Voodoo. However, on Gramma's House, songs from
these albums are credited to different individual
songwriters. Can anyone tell me who wrote what
songs from those albums?
- Col B. in KC
Date:
07/06/99 22:29:22 PDT
Comments:
Toby Here -
Deep In The Jungle was the first song that Andy recorded with the boys. He speaks very fondly of that song and loves the fact that they used a typerwriter in it. He wishes that it would have been heard in the movie more. There is only about ten seconds of it as the leads are driving and turn on the radio. You barely even hear his voice. Andy said that they were paid a insane amount of money for that one song.
Date:
07/06/99 16:10:54 PDT
Comments:
Can anyone help with this? Who did the lyrics/singing on the WOV song "deep in the jungle" which appears on the Weird Science soundtrack? There's no credit listed for it on the cd/cassette other than the record company.--RZYM.
Date:
07/05/99 23:32:36 PDT
Comments:
Just in case anyone cares.....Roger Mason was the keyboard player for a pretty popular 80's Australian band called 'Models'.Some off you may have heard of them!!
Bart in Oz
Date:
07/05/99 18:39:57 PDT
Comments:
thanks for the tip on roger mason. i was racking me head thinking where he came from. to extend, he grooved quite smoothly with the boys in '89 in Melbourne, does he have any other work out that is worth aquisition?
vv18@vafb.com
Date:
07/05/99 06:52:45 PDT
Comments:
So, now that the Ensenada Joyride business has been more or less confirmed (thanks Toby!)... has anyone ever heard the band or know where to get their (probably out of print) records?
JT in Montreal
Date:
07/04/99 23:45:58 PDT
Comments:
Just to clarify - Bill Noland was not with WOV every time I saw them. He was only there in 1983....
Date:
07/04/99 20:57:24 PDT
Comments:
Toby Here -
You're right... I got the two of them confused... sorry!
Date:
07/04/99 20:00:10 PDT
Comments:
I attended a ridiculous number of WOV concerts in many random places between 1983 and 1988 in both North America and Europe, and I never saw Roger Mason play with them live. Bill Noland was the only regular addition to the touring band in all the times I was in attendance. Perhaps Roger Mason was part of the live band when they played in Australia or thereabouts....
Date:
07/04/99 16:11:22 PDT
Comments:
Toby Here -
Ensenada Joyride - Marc was in this band after Wall Of Voodoo "broke up" and he went to France. He talked about it when I interviewed him in Hollywood after he came back to the states. They only had a few records or maybe even only one.... When he got back to the states, he found out that there was another band with the same name and ironically they were on Dr. Dream Records, which we all know was Andy's label.
Roger Mason was part of the Wall of Voodoo live band. He was with Voodoo about a year or so before Stan left and then came back the last year or so of Andy era. When Bruce left, there was too much to play and not enough people to play it so they needed another person. Chas was playing bass and needed someone to fill in on Keyboards... And since Ugly Americans is a live album, he was on the tour, so he was on the record. Andy always like playing with Roger, because he was a really accomplished musician and he could improvise with Ned very well. That is what Crazy Crazy Melbourne is.
I think Shadow is another bootleg, so that wouldn't count as a discography item... Anyone have any other info on Shadow?
Date:
07/04/99 12:05:39 PDT
Comments:
That Red Tower LP is a bootleg recorded in Germany in '86. I think the reason the song names are so butchered is possibly because the person listing them at the time didn't speak English very well and didn't really know the correct names. I've seen the same thing happen before on bootleg tapes I've gotten from non-English speaking countries.
Ms. Vieuxdo
Date:
07/04/99 11:43:16 PDT
Comments:
http://cgi.ebay.com/aw-cgi/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=124631030
Never seen any mention of this LP before... it's called "The Red Tower" and has this butchered tracklist:
Ring of Fire
Mexican Reaction
Flying Nun
Speak it English
First Side of Crazy
Don't steal my Coach away
I admit that I'm not very knowledgeable on WoV, but this doesn't seem quite right.
Raul
Rbrav@aol.com
Date:
Sat Jul 3 16:47:28 PDT 1999
Comments:
"In a circle, we place ourselves its the human thing to do." b. moreland
Date:
07/03/99 03:43:11 PDT
Comments:
You're not the only one who noticed the atrocious spelling on the new Ridgway site. We all make mistakes, but the spelling errors there are so numerous it's annoying. I hope someone fixes it soon.
Date:
Sat Jul 3 00:30:16 PDT 1999
Comments:
Okay - I take it all back - that was supposed to say "Note _to_ stanridgway.com's webmaster...."
I have no business griping about people's language abilities.
I stand (humbly) corrected.
Date:
Sat Jul 3 00:14:50 PDT 1999
Comments:
http://www.stanridgway.com/index2.html
WELCOME TO THE OFFICIAL STAN RIDGWAY SITE. IF YOUR (sic) NOT SEEN (sic) VIBRATING TEXT, THEN YOU'LL NEED TO GET THE FLASH PLUG IN WITHOUT IT YOU'LL REALLY BE MISSING OUT. YOU'LL ALSO PROBABLY WANT THE LIQUID AUDIO PLAYER TO HEAR MOST OF THE MUSIC. -ENTER SITE-
Too bad they are not as proud of their spelling as they are of their bells and whistles....
Note the stanridgway.com's webmaster: YOU'LL NEED TO GET THE SPELLING PLUG IN WITHOUT IT YOU'LL REALLY BE MISSING OUT. YOU'LL ALSO PROBABLY WANT THE GRAMMAR PLAYER TO USE PUNCTUATION CORRECTLY.
Sorry about that - I'm just feelin' froggy....
Date:
Fri Jul 2 22:35:58 PDT 1999
Comments:
Hey! I really want to see the new Ridgway site, but I can't! There's something on the first page that my computer is unable to load. Can somebody please give me the URL for the second page, so that I can see the site?
Waiting anxiously,
Shuster
Shuster30@hotmail.com
Date:
07/02/99 09:41:52 PDT
Comments:
I was curious as to roger masons appearance on the Ugly American Cd. who knew him and why did they ask him to appear on the cd?
Date:
07/02/99 08:08:17 PDT
Comments:
this site is unbeliveable? i just recently was able to go on line, and this was one of the first sites i had in mind. not hard to believe that there are so many WOV fans out there as their music was so unique to the mainstream music that i was listening to in college. i worked as a dj for a college radio station at East Carolina U. in Greenville NC. we were promoting andy's new album at the time "Upon My Wicked Son" and he was playing at the CMJ Music Marathon at a club called Spiral in New York on 10/25/90. he gave us a radio sample "this is andy prieboy and your listening to 91.3 wzmb fm". i would then break into tunes like "nearer to morning" or "send in the drugs" and "where i'm calling you from". But also tunes from Sammy or the ever popular Happy Planet. an extremely nice guy. i promoted the shite out of the album as well as all the other WOV albums we had, in the hopes to turning on as many people on as i could to their music both with stan as well as andy. both genuine and accomplised artists that created the style and creativity that we have all come to know and love as Wall Of Voodoo.