Dark Continent

Wall Of Voodoo | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (July 14, 1992)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: A&M
• ASIN: B000008M3P
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  Vinyl
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #324,890 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This modern world deserves a modern attitude., September 6, 2004

By 

Maine Writer "David" (Maine, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Dark Continent (Audio CD)

Bent. Off-kilter. Twisted. But no words can nail Voodoo's odd, dissonance--or its catchy tunes and sinister, cynical view of the world in which every person is a time-clock punching, end of the road loser about to be hammered. This album captures the sick conventionality of modern life--as apropos now as in 1981--and the odd, empty shells that masquerade as living, thinking beings. Every song is great, but I especially like Back In Flesh, Call Box, and Good Times.

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Have Wall Of Voodoo Album!!!, February 27, 2004

By 

Jacobb T. Sackett (Boise, ID United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dark Continent (Audio CD)

If you ever watch a Stan Ridgway-era Wall Of Voodoo gig from the early 80's, you will notice them playing lots of songs not on Call Of The West, but from Dark Continent. Almost every live gig in 1981-1983, including the US Festival, had at least a few of these songs. Songs like "Red Light", "Animal Day", "Call Box", "Me & My Dad", and of course, a huge fan favorite, "Back In Flesh". The early Wall Of Voodoo had something the 1985 Voodoo didn't, and that was a recognizable, distinct, unique sound.

The album opens with an ode to cops and robbers, "Red Light". Marc Moreland's gritty guitar combined with the simple drum machine beat and the creepy synth make for a very enjoyable listening experience. Stan makes the dark statement, "If it's the rough stuff you want/You can point your finger at me", all the while keeping the whole mood of the song intact. Then there's "Two Minutes 'Til Lunch", a song about a day at work gone wrong. Followed by the zany, humorous "Animal Day", which a lot of people think Ridgway wasn't too excited about, but the song was played a lot at live shows. "Full Of Tension" shows us a paranoid Ridgway, with a new wave beat and western guitar riff backing him. "Me & My Dad" is interesting because in the studio version, there is a fast paced drum machine beat followed by a deep voiced, almost depressed Ridgway on the vocals. The synth effect midway through the song is also the same effect used on "Back In Flesh" and the opening to "Mexican Radio". When they played this song live, however, there was a fantastic real drum beat used and a much faster tempo, with Ridgway sounding much more excited and punkish. "Back In Flesh" is next, which is a true gem. The bass line, the amazing guitar, the back and forth banter between Ridgway and keyboardist Chas T. Gray. It is an amazing song. "Tse Tse Fly" was also a huge fan favorite, but the band played probably only a few times live. "Call Box" was at heart a post-punk new wave song, but it's upbeat tempo and fast paced vocals keep the song alive. "This Way Out" is one of my personal favorites. A very dark song, this starts out with a clicking beat followed with a dark synth, strange sounds, and a baby crying. Then a catchy punky bass line begins, and what follows after is classic. "Good Times" is not a favorite of mine. I would say it is the weakest song on the album, because it really doesn't fit. The album ends with "Crack The Bell", which towards the end turns into a loud, intense punk song, which closes the record nicely.

Currently, fans and record people are trying to release this amazing album on CD. I can't wait to see it at the local music store.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I press the buttons down..., January 8, 2005

By 

Dingle berry (Hell, MI) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Dark Continent (Audio CD)

Just recently I have discovered that there is more to Wall Of Voodoo than their lone hit "Mexican Radio".

I found this out from seeing their "Call Box" video on VH1 Classic and hearing their remarkable cover of Johnny Cash's "Ring Of Fire". Since this particular album "Dark Continent" has been long put of print and sells for big bucks on ebay, the only choice I had were to download some of the songs I could find from this album. It's definately some of the most original music I have ever heard, way ahead of it's time. My favorite songs off here have to be Call Box (1-2-3), Red Light, and Back In Flesh.

This is one album that's long overdue in the re-release department. It would be great to see it in stores and be available for purchase at a reasonable price.