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Music > Albums > Stan Ridgway - The Big Heat (1986) Retail CD
added on May 3, 2007, at 18:09 by allcdcovers

Well, I first owned this album back in 1987 as a teenager, after the UK success of the ‘Camouflage’ single. Like a lot of people, I subsequently sold it on or lost it (whichever, I can’t remember). I think I sold it to be honest, when I thought I was becoming “serious” about music, having discovered - amongst other heavyweights - The Who, Led Zeppelin, Black Flag, Miles Davis etc. I never gave this album or Stan a second thought for nigh on 15 years, but browsing thru Amazon, it caught my eye (if not my ears) again, and I began to remember the spring of ’87 and how this LP dominated my listening back then.On a whim I ordered it, with nothing other than a quickly disposed of nostalgic blast in mind.Imagine my surprise when I was actually seriously riveted by the opener title track, and what ensued. And this wasn’t just nostalgia either.True, this album has dated fairly badly, with it’s over reliance on very “80’s” synthesiser sounds, but in truth this stuff should have sounded anachronistic, or amateurish even back in ’87. So, what gives? Why is this still a cracking good album in 2002?Well, you can’t match song writing of this calibre in any time. Each track bleeds a wonderfully cynical, observational humour, and it doesn’t matter what instruments they are played on, or when, because Stan really knows how to ‘tell’ a song, much like the great Tom Waits or even Randy Newman.True, ‘Camouflage’ sounds a bit dumb now, but then it was always a bit of a novelty track (a good one, mind – but the CD doesn’t contain the William Orbit remix – how far ahead of his time was Stan with that one?! Think Madonna’s recent Orbit inspired renaissance? ) and, anyway, it’s far from the standout track here. The really good stuff, is the awesomely atmospheric “film noir” title track, the splendidly cynical “Pick It Up And Put It In Your Pocket”, the understated jazz of “Walkin’ Home Alone”, the superbly tight rock posturing (with great Chandleresque storytelling) of “Just Drive She Said”, the still timely sequencer charged “Salesman”, and the suitably twisted er, “Twisted”.Lots to enjoy here really. Even the tracks that sounded daft 15 years ago (“Pile Driver”) sound like there’s a fairly telling truth in there when you strip away the melodrama.Here’s a seemingly forgotten album that truly deserves a second go, and to think this isn’t anywhere near Stan’s best work either.But that’s another few reviews worth.

back 1017 x 800 px

front 800 x 800 px

inside 805 x 800 px