Neon Mirage

So this morning I have the pleasure of listening to the new Stan Ridgway album. I'm lucky to be hearing it, since I didn't really have the cash to purchase it yet. The person who introduced me to the music of Stan works with me and this morning he brough in the CD so that I could burn it into my Itunes. I promise I'll buy it when I'm a bit more flush, but until then I'll put into it in love what I can't put in with money.

The first two tracks set the mood nicely.

1. Big Green Tree - A soft start to the album, I'm catching up to my listening as I type, so I won't have good notes on the first three.

2. This Town Called Fate - This is a re-record of an old Stan standard, I believe it was certainly worth the revisis.

3. Desert of Dreams - this is what the original album was called. A fine bit of saxaphone here.

4. Halfway There - A beautiful song. Nice fiddle work! Lyrically I love this song too.

5. Turn a Blind Eye - The first dramatic change in tone of the album, we've turned a bit darker. Is this a bossa nova? I have no idea. The character singing here seems to have a dark side, but he seems to be on some sort of a journey. I dig it.

"out in the fields the fire is up and the water is runnin' dry
folk of the earth see the storm clouds coming
while the rest just turn a blind eye"


6. Wandering Star - First time I've noticed his signature harmonica this record. Seems to be a song about a broken relationship. One person seems to down to earth, the other in the heavens.

"infinity in your eyes, incadescent and bright you are"

7. Flag Up On a Pole - Harmonica in full effect on this track. Strong low down grooe from the bass here too.

"Battle lines drawn there in the dirt, no one wins and everyone gets hurt, up ahead, drive the highway, pay the toll, for a flag up on a pole"

Yes, I like this one a lot.

8. Lenny Bruce (bob dylan cover) - I don't know the Dylan version. Very nice tune.

9. Scavenger Hunt - Nice lead guitar line. A nice narrative song about coming home, presumably after fight and then searching for the partner who left, possibly for the last time.

10. Behind the Mask - This one winds out sweet and slow, but stunning in it's beatury. So much landscape and space. I hope that I'm still recording music when I can just lay back and let it wind out like this.

"And when the parties over, and confettie's on the floor, will I be grateful? or will I just ask for more?"

11. Neon Mirage - Instrumental. This is thicker than spaghetti western, it's lasganga western.

12. Day up in the Sun - Very nice organ happening here.


Wow, the album is over so fast. It's a beautiful piece of work. Not as many immediate stand out songs as his last album. Lyrically it's a very well donw album, and it sounds stunning, spacious and beautiful. There is much more listening to be done.


From Stan Himself:
"It's like a Rubik's Cube, you view it from every angle and make decisions. The choices define what people hear or see, and it's hard to say where they come from. They're choices that made the creator comfortable, which doesn't mean they're right. It breaks down to about 50-50 - half work, half don't. All you can do is sweat it and try to find the right way. It's like 'career strategies,' a notion that is somewhat laughable. It's all gonna just roll over ya anyway."

Listening to this makes me want to keep on recording.

I've been working on mixing a couple more songs from Devin's album. Trying to put a bow on sleepy town, but it's a massive song and it's become a bear. I'll make it happen though, I'm close.