MUSIC

McGonigel's Mucky Duck presents Stan Ridgway.

"Music is more than just chords and notes to me, it has the ability to make pictures in the mind. My records are designed to be seen as well as heard." -- Stan Ridgway

One of the most unique singer/songwriters in American music, Stan Ridgway is a true original. From his early days with L.A. art-punkers Wall Of Voodoo, to his even more intriguing solo career, Ridgway has created an impressive body of work.

"You never really have a choice about the tone and subject matter of the records you make," confides veteran L.A. singer-songwriter Stan Ridgway about his new album, Neon Mirage. "At least I don't. They're obsessions, really. Things happen, good and bad. And for most people, the passing of a parent or a close friend has an impact. It's really about the music, and how it heals the mind. The records I grew up with still inform me, and the best were like an inner journey -- mixing up blues, jazz, pop and country to make something fresh and, in the end, positive. But you can't ignore the darker side of things, either."

Stan is quick to note where his often-mischievous musical curiosity came from: "Your parents' record collection can be a big influence growing up. Something you thought was corny has a way of hangin' on if it's good to begin with. My dad was a big fan of country & western music, comedy records, hi-fi playboy stereo lounge stuff. Hank Williams, Dean Martin, Ernest Tubb, Sinatra, Johnny Cash of course, Allan Sherman, Charlie Rich, Patsy Cline, and Marty Robbins -- all of the great originals. I learned to love the singing, the stories, and even when my tastes in music grew far too weird for my dad, we could still come together on those old records we loved and listened to together. The old western myths of heroes and villains and storytelling of Marty Robbins' Gunfighter Ballads and Trail Songs was an important one. And I never would have thought of covering 'Ring of Fire' with Wall of Voodoo without my dad's influence in the beginning."

Ridgway also credits his father with informing much of the wry personal/musical viewpoint that's always been central to his songwriting. "A sense of humor is important in handling the disappointments in life," Stan notes. "My father taught me that, too. Along with a strong work ethic. A certain type of 'black humor' helps put a light on the darker realities of living and let's you get above them by making a joke about it. But it wasn't a cynic's view, more of a frustrated romantic's perspective over a developed sarcasm about the way things really are and not how they seem to appear."

"At the end of the day I really consider myself just an inventor, or like a link in a chain to a tradition of song and art," the artist says. Music and songs and recording are an obsession for me -- sound and art. It's all in there, the ideas and things that influenced me. To see it and tell it your own way is the challenge. That's the last true, honest place to be. It might even be the new frontier right now."