Customer Reviews

Seven Days in Sammystown

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(0)
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I remember being skeptical about this album. Wall of Voodoo without Stan Ridgway!?! I already had Voodoo's debut EP, Dark Continent, and Call of the West and they were among my favorite and most played albums. Certainly a new singer would change the band's sound. I ran across the Ugly Americans live LP with Andy Prieboy on vocals, and it sounded great so I thought I'd give Sammystown a chance.

Well, I was right, the new singer did change the band's sound...but for the better! This album takes Voodoo from the mechanical factory-like synth sound of the Ridgway era to whole new areas. "(Don't Spill My) Courage" is a type of song I never expected Voodoo to play. "Big City" (about the dangers of LA) simply rocks (I played this song to death back in high school)! "Far Side of Crazy" and "Blackboard Sky" (both on the Ugly American's album) are amazing as is "Tragic Vaudeville" which really rocks and has awesome vocals! "Mona" and "Museums" have a wonderful eerie beauty to them. Harkening back to their earlier songs about the working class stiff is a unique cover of the old miner's union anthem "Dark As A Dungeon." "Business of Love" shows signs of that great Voodoo humor. The unique Voodoo guitar sound is still there but the music has so much more meat to it and is a lot more accessible than the earlier albums. In sum, Wall of Voodoo matured!

Why is this wonderful, wonderful, wonderful album still out of print in today's consumerist utopia of freedom and choice? When almost every other album by any cheapskate charlatan who ever stood in front of a mic is available in such unwanted, environment-destroying abundance in every flipping shop in town? Why are people buying U2's Greatest Hits again again again, when a twisted, romantic, sinister and beautiful masterpiece like this gets losts in the mists of time? I just wasn't made for these times.

Ridgeway or no Ridgeway, this is one of the best rock album's ever created. This is Sgt. Pepper. It's a shame that this group is almost exclusively known for "Mexican Radio."

Nobody was angrier than me when Stan left the band, I was pissed. I was sure that WOV would suck without him. Wow, was I shocked when I heard this CD for the first time, it was GREAT! Different direction for sure, but the constant was Marc Moreland's guitar playing and songwriting ability. Coupled with that is the energy and charisma of Andy Prieboy. I know that Stan fans feel it is disrespectful to Call of the West and Stan to say this album is WOV's best, but it certainly ties any other album WOV did for best. Big City, Dark as a Dungeon, Museums, Tragic Vaudeville and (Don't Spill My)Courage, are all great songs. Heck, come to think of it, every song on this album is great.

In the eighteen or so years since this was released (and deserves rerelease) the music has not date at all.This is the post Stan Ridgway WOV but the music is excellent..Standout tracks are Tragic Vaudeville, Don't spill my courage away, Blackboard Sky and Johnny Cash tune Dark as a dungeon..If you get chance to hear, or even own it, go for it.. Excellent, and currently unavailable, a crime in itself considering so much rubbish around today... Hippie Dave.. England

"Museums" is a beautiful song. "Tragic Vaudeville" is energetic while the lyrics are true-to-life. "Faded Love" is brief, seemingly bland, but poignant. Every song has a different mood, and with the possible exception of "Room With a View" is solid. I own at least 1,000 CDs and LPs in a wide variety of genres and this is definitely a Top 10 pick. I had no idea it is so rare. I'd like to thank the tortured souls who made this music for their (unappreciated) efforts.

"Seven Days in Sammystown" has to be one of the most historic albums in the history of rock music. Why? Because, here you had a band that had just lost their singer/songwriter/genius Stan Ridgway and what do they do? They make their greatest album ever. I still am not sure why this album never gained more radio play. Oh sure "Far Side of Crazy" got some playing time, but "Tragic Vaudvilled" and "Big City" and "Courage" are just as good. Heck, there are no bad songs on this truly great album.

I don't know how many times I walked past this sad/sinister clown face LP jacket on display at Records on Wheels before I took the plunge. This is by far my greatest accidental musical discovery. Sure I'd heard of WOV before from the Ridgway era but knowing that Stan was gone, I didn't know what to expect.

WOV is WOW! Like other reviewers, I've played this album over 1000 times I'm sure, first in LP and cassette format and now on CD converted to WMA.
To my ear, there isn't a weak cut on this one. My personal favourites are Mona, Far Side of Crazy, Room With A View, Blackboard Sky, Big City. Mona in particular is a song that demands maximum volume.

This is an album that, when you listen to it, gives you the impression that it's highly produced, but it never gives you the impression that it's over-produced. Everything is in perfect balance: the vocals, the patented guitar, the synth, the percussion...amazing! Such lush and dynamic sound for a recording that could have been released in 2004 but is instead closing in on 20 years.

The quality of the song writing is second to none. The instrumental performances are masterful. Andy Prieboy deserves special credit for maintaining the essential spirit of WOV without compromise and yet contemporizing their sound. Although the following Happy Planet release was a rather uneven effort, Prieboy went on to release 2 more exceptional solo records that I enjoy immensely: "Upon My Wicked Son" and "Sins of Our Fathers"...but don't expect the true Wall of Voodoo sound on those.

I'm really not a huge Wall of Voodoo fan. I've never really felt compelled to purchase the albums. Not so with this release. Even though the group's resident genius, Stan Ridgway, had left the fold, this album is great. When I saw it available as a download, even I was amazed how quickly I moved to purchase it.

This album has intrigued me since I first heard it over twenty years ago with its Southwestern/mechanical sound. My best friend had a vinyl copy. Ten years ago, I happened upon a wobbly used cassette. Now, I have it downloaded. I love the cover of "Dark as a Dungeon." As for the originals, my favorites are the John Hinckley-inspired "Far Side of Crazy" and the flat-out brilliant "(Don't Spill My) Courage." I also find "Tragic Vaudeville" and "This Business of Love" (the most Ridgway-esque tune on the album) most enjoyable.

I sure would like to see Seven Days in Sammystown get what is deserves -- a remastering, a re-release, and some damned fine liner notes. Download this: you won't be sorry.

It contained a very fine version of Woody Guthrie's "Pretty Boy Floyd" which is unfortunately not included on recent pressings.

If you didn't know that when you bought a later version, it may not matter to you that the song is missing because the CD is worth having either way; but if you are replacing an original release (especially for 495 bucks!!!), you should be aware of this omission.