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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Must Have Wall Of Voodoo Album!!!, February 27, 2004
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.
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by Wall of Voodoo 
