Search - Stan Ridgway :: Big Heat

An intriguingly good listen after all this time....

Mr. R. A. Wells | Stoke-On-Trent, Staffordshire United Kingdom | 04/05/2002

(4 out of 5 stars)

"...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..."

Great stuff here

dornok | Lancaster, CA United States | 04/13/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Short and simple, Stan's "The Big Heat" is great music."The Big Heat" is a no brainer obvious reflection on those boring days in Mojave Desert's Barstow when Stan read crime novels. The haunting keyboards and background vocals of the title track are as much a stand out feature of this CD as is the whimsical and calypso-esk "Rio Greyhound." "Camouflage" has a distinct CW McCall ring to it. Dated to be sure, "Camouflage" is a bit out there even for this Vietnam Era troop but it's worth a spin. Listen to the bonus track, "Foggy River," to see the effect listening to Johnny Cash had on Stan.A true piece of art, "The Big Heat" is a most worthy addition to your new wave era collection."

Stan's best work

dornok | 04/25/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"You can't buy this album anywhere in Canada any more. I ownedit, loved it and played it until it was eaten by a rogue tape deck inthe late '80s. Stan is an amazing story teller. His "road block" on the "Party Ball" album is a wonderful tale about a town that bands together to build a roadblock to be proud of in order to end the cross country reign of terror caused by the "death car". The story ends in shame when they shoot up the wrong car. I began looking for "the big heat" a year ago when a beer commercial featuring a woman changing clothes in the back of a cab reminded me of the wonderful story telling in Stan's "Just drive she said"."