Tuesday, January 18, 2005

STAN SWINGS!

Stan Ridgeway led one of the great bands back in the punk days, Wall of Voodoo, and his solo career has veered from alt-rock story-telling to occassional returns to the techno-punk of his Voodoo days. But I never would have expected this: "The Way I Feel Today! (crooning the classics)." The first half of the album features '50s finger-snappers like "I Got You (Under My Skin)", with big-band arrangements hewing close to the Sinatra originals. The second covers classic showtunes. Stan's always been such a smart-ass, I keep waiting for the punchline. But there isn't any - it's presented in such a straightfoward fashion that your mom (or grandmother) would probably like it. But still...Stan doesn't reveal any new vocal tricks - he sings everything like "Mexican Radio," old Voodoo-mate Bill Noland adds odd synth sounds, and, for "Witchcraft," spooky theremin, and those aliens on the front cover all make me think there's something a tad off here. "Oh What a Beautiful Morning" is the one song that really does go off the deep end, with it's endless animal sound effects and strange synths. An album as thoroughly entertaining as it is inexplicable.

It's ONLY available through CDBaby.com in very limited (like less than 150 copies left) quanities so get it now. The aliens thank you.

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