The Stiff Sheet: March 1996

Stan Ridgway
Black Diamond
Birdcage Records 

Attention, attention. Will someone please alert the media that Stan Ridgway has recorded another fine record. The only reason I say this is because Stan Ridgway hasn’t recorded a fine record in quite sometime. This one, however, is probably one of his better ones. According to Ridgway, he says, “This is a record where I deliberately force the songs to stand on their own. The music is as simple and unadorned as we could make it. The musicians and I tried to let the songs flow out of our heads and onto the tape without a lot of fussiness and second guessing in between. My true interest has always been in the surreal dream states we encounter when we’re asleep or wide awake with caffeine buzzing in our heads and in fact I wrote most of this music from dreams I’d had. I’ve really moved myself into fresh territory with these songs, I think.” He couldn’t be more correct in that statement. “Big Dumb Town,” “Pink Parakeet,” “Knife and Fork,” “Crystal Palace,” all fantastic tunes. He also covers “As I Went Out One Morning,”’ which is a Bob Dylan song off the John Wesley Harding record. It’s a great song. He does a really good version of the song on this record. All the songs are thinky, well-produced, through-eye kind of songs. They make you listen to the record as more than just background music. This record is obviously different from anything Ridgway has ever done. Its leaner, more intimate and kind of old fashioned. And I think it’s probably where Ridgway’s true heart as a songwriter lies. Because you can really tell that the songs are written for an exacting point, and he hits that point right on the head and that’s it –– he does a great job. This is an outstanding record, you should buy it. —Maxx

Ammonia
Mint 400
Murmur Records

God what a cool band. It s a three-piece band featuring Dave Johnstone on guitar and vocals and there’s 12 songs on the record and they’re all really fucking good songs. All a little different than the other. They’re hard-edged, good guitar playing and some of it goes in and out of drug-induced, kind of funky guitar playing to a hard wall of sound three piece bashing stuff. Track seven is called “Little Death” and features an intro of a woman performing fellatio complete with gurgling, slurping sounds. Class act all the way. Don’t miss this little jam. It will be one of my picks of the year for 1996. —Mr. Pink

Lou Reed
Set The Twilight Reeling
Warner Records

It is pretty obvious that Lou Reed does not care about record company sales. Reed cares about writing songs that mean something to him or writing songs about things that have pissed him off and rockin’ out in Lou Reed’s way. So goes Set The Twilight Reeling, which is an album full of good songs that are written about everything from egg cream to sex with your parents, which is probably one of the stronger political songs Reed has ever written. “I was thinking of things that I hate to do/ Things you do to me or I do to you/ Something fatter and uglier than Rush Rambo more disgusting than Robert Dole and there it was sex with your parents/ In the name of family values we must ask whose family?/ Senator it’s been reported that you had illegal congress with your mother/ Senator you polish a turd here in the big city/ We got a word for those who would bet their beloved big bird without even using a condom.” So its pretty obvious that Reed is still pissed off about some things. Namely, Republicans, and can you blame him? He doesn’t even step foot in the realm of Pat Buchanan and the Christian coalition but he has in the past. Anyway, for Reed fans this is an album you definitely need to own because it’s Reed. For those of you who want New York part 2, this is not it. This is a new, different side of Lou Reed that we haven’t heard before really. The other side is equally important as his previous albums. Best songs here besides “Sex With your Parents”, are “Trade In”, “The Proposition and “Set the Twilight Reeling.” —Mr. Pink

The Customers
Green Bottle Thursday
Vapor Records

Vapor Records is Neil Young’s “independent” label. Even though Neil Young is richer than anybody I know. The customers are a four piece rock band from Minneapolis with hair.  Sound familiar? I don’t know about the hair but the explanation sounds and so does the band like the Replacements. But I guess if you’re going to have to sound like somebody that’s not too bad of a way to go. I should say influenced by the Replacements. The band is really good and the songs are feeling and full of emotion. They have a good live feel to it. The records are not too overproduced which I like. Mostly the lead vocals and guitar are by Ryan Saxton are done so well that I think he’s got a voice of his own without sounding too much like Westerberg. Definitely a record to check out. Could possibly be a great band coming soon to a theater near you. —Mr. Pink

The Cowboy Junkies
Lay it Down
Geffen Records

The fact that The Cowboy Junkies now have six records out and have been around for over ten years just makes me feel old. However, The Cowboy Junkies first record made me think “wow, This is a cool record nobody knows about it but me. And now their new record highly anticipated everywhere is released on Geffen Records. Oh, well, life goes on.” The band, however, is probably better than they’ve ever been. This time as in every other Cowboy Junkies record someone steps to the front stage. This time it is Michael Timmons on guitar. Showing that he is more than just a silky smooth guitar player but he compliments Margo’s voice incredibly well and shows that he’s got something underneath his skin. The songs are classic Junkies, “A Common Disaster,” Just Want To See,” “Angel Mine” and “Speaking Confidentially.” So forget alternative country and this new wave of bands that are trying to sound like Cowboy Junkies. This is the real thing and it cannot be replaced or duplicated. As proven by the lyrics in Angel Mind. “I searched all the time on the ground for our shadows cast side by side. Just to remind me that I haven’t gone crazy, that you exist and you are mine. And I know that your skin is as warm and as real as that smile in your eyes, but I have to keep touching and smelling and tasting for fear it’s all lies.” —Maxx

MK Ultra
Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Artichoke Records

Not so much a band, but three poets and a drummer. All the songs on this record are better poems than they are songs, but with some nifty little melodies and some good guitar lines, the band turns these poems into singable songs. They do stay on the story telling side of things though, which I like. There’s some gems like “True Crime”, “Billy Dale Hunts” / “Salesmen” and a song called “Out With the Stars,” which has the incredibly cool quotable line, “Hello Lilac do you remember me? I was your hummingbird and I crossed your swollen sea. When you get that swallow out of your mouth, give me a call.” Like I said it’s a four piece band, three guitars and a drummer. Most acoustic and singing. Some hard guitar and good melodies but not that hard. Cool record. Definitely a keeper. —Mr. Pink

Read more from the SLUG archives:
The Afghan Whigs
A Few Words from Spacehog