Wall Of Voodoo - The Index Masters

Wall of Voodoo's 1980 self-titled EP was praised for establishing the band's signature, cinematic sound, with standout tracks being a sinister cover of Johnny Cash's "Ring of Fire" and the claustrophobic "The Passenger". Reviewers noted the EP was inconsistent but a promising debut, showcasing their unique blend of post-punk, new wave, and spaghetti western and film noir influences, though the songwriting was still developing. The EP, later reissued as The Index Masters, was also noted for its excellent vinyl mastering, which created a powerful sound.

A death valley Devo or The B-52’s rusting in an aircraft boneyard. That’s what the music of Wall of Voodoo reminds me of. Stanard Ridgway has one of the more unique voices in rock and roll, a kind of postmodern Johnny Cash. Add the angular guitar work of Marc Moreland and the buzzing, droning synthesizers of Chas Gray, and you’ve got a recipe for some serious strangeness.

The difference between Wall of Voodoo and bands like Devo and The B-52’s is a sense of humor. Wall of Voodoo doesn’t have one. Their music is moody, unsettling, troubled. Longarm is about a displaced factory worker. Can’t Make Love comes to the conclusion that love is a waste of time. And I don’t even want to know what Struggle is about. Ridgway’s dark narratives create a palpable gloom peopled by strange and disconnected sounds.

All of which would make you think that the band’s initial extended play release, Wall of Voodoo, isn’t a whole lot of fun. But it really is an interesting record that could be regarded as a thinking man’s punk music. My disappointment with the music of the 80s stems largely from the fact that the decade started out so promising. We began with Wall of Voodoo and somehow ended up with Milli Vanilli.

While it doesn’t contain a hit single, the band’s cover of Johnny Cash’s Ring of Fire will serve as one in a pinch. Much like Devo’s “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction,” it’s a refutation of the establishment done with a revisionist’s eye. The rest of the record follows the same style and closes with the strange Granma’s House: a minute of weird synthesizer sounds against a ringing phone. Say what you will, you can’t charge Wall of Voodoo with not answering the call of the wild.

Ripped to MP3

A1. Longarm (3:44)

A2. The Passenger (4:07)

B1. Can’t Make Love (3:47)

B2. Struggle (2:14)

B3. Ring of Fire (4:59)

B4. Granma’s House (0:55)