Snakebite

1. Come On

2. Bloody Mary

3. Ain't No Love in the Heart of the City

4. Steal Away

5. Keep on Giving Me Love

6. Queen of Hearts

7. Only My Soul

8. Breakdown

Snakebite,Whitesnake,Geffen Special Prod.,Blues-Rock,British Metal,Hair Metal,Hard Rock,Heavy Metal,Pop,Pop-Metal,Rock

Average customer rating: Dylan, Jim White, Beck , Cracker, Johnny Dowd all wrapped into one McCABES #9 - STAN RIDGWAY Sun May 6th, 2007 Stan's got a lot of great ideas.. A quirky masterpiece Grade: Incomplete -- needs work

Snakebite:Blacktop Ballads and Fugitive Songs Stan Ridgway Manufacturer: redFLY ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music General | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music Rock | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Barbeque Babylon The Big Heat Holiday in Dirt Anatomy Black Diamond ASIN: B00022AEES Release Date: 2004-04-09

Tracks:

1. Into The Sun
2. Wake Up Sally (the cops are here)
3. Afghan/Forklift
4. King For A Day
5. Your Rockin' Chair
6. Monsters Of The Id
7. Running With The Carnival
8. Crow Hollow Blues
9. Our Manhattan Moment
10. That Big 5-0
11. God Sleeps In A Caboose
12. Throw It Away
13. My Own Universe
14. Classic Hollywood Ending
15. Talkin' Wall OF Voodoo Blues Pt.1
16. My Rose Marie (a soldier's tale)

Amazon.com

Like that of many artists who came of age in the '80s, Stan Ridgway's career has often been unfairly haunted by an endless groove of MTV overexposure that's turned perceptions of his music into something akin to a skipping record. Indeed, the veteran L.A. singer-songwriter once groused he'd likely spend his twilight years onstage in a newly liberated Havana casino lounge, crooning "Mexican Radio" to blue-haired former new wavettes. But this savory trove of songs ranks with Black Diamond as one of the best albums Ridgway has recorded since his muscular reemergence as an indie artist in the mid-'90s. Mining the same electro-acoustic vein as Anatomy, Ridgway has refined his nervous balance of traditional folk-blues and ironic-modernist instincts even further here, shrewdly casting the material in a three-act dramatic structure that sharpens its dramatic focus. The usual suspects of Stan's compelling musique noir herein feature seedy, if oddly sympathetic miscreants (the wry toe-tapper "Wake Up Sally [The Cops Are Here]," "Running with the Carnival"), a familiar musician all too wise to both his past and future ("That Big 5-O," "Talkin' Wall of Voodoo Blues"), and a blue-collar warehouse worker moving mysterious cargo Middle Eastward (the dour "Afghan Forklift"). His balladeer instincts may draw him to personal interludes both bittersweet ("Our Manhattan Moment") and elegiac ("Into the Sun," "My Rose Marie"), but it's when Ridgway fuses his Johnny Cash/Ernie Ford/Mose Allison fetishes with his own compelling personal ethos (the haunting, harmonica-seasoned "God Sleeps in a Caboose," a headline-timely, appropriately creeped-out cover of Allison's "Monsters of the Id") that Ridgway again confirms his status as one of America's most consistently original songwriters and performers. --Jerry McCulley

Album Description

Echoing southern swamps and talking beercans. Lonely soldiers and voodoo chain gang ghosts. Midnight mystery trains and singing tumbleweeds. Sixteen new two fisted tales from the Wall Of Voodoo mastermind. Produced by Stan Ridgway Engineered by Baboo God

Customer Reviews:

Dylan, Jim White, Beck , Cracker, Johnny Dowd all wrapped into one.......2007-08-05

At times, Ridgway's vocal delivery recalls the wicked southern snarl that Johnny Dowd patented. At others, as he paints beautiful post psychedelic Woody Guthrie inspired soundscapes, he reminds of the laid back style of Jim White and Beck.

Like White and Beck, Ridgway offers up a heavy dose of appalachian foot stomping, banjo strumming, hand clapping, fiddle, and harmonicas all while adding counter harmonies sung eerily through a can or small megaphone.

Like Dylan before them, these musicians like to chronicle the misadventures of shady characters you might encounter while staying at a seedy roadside motels in the south.

All in all, a great album, some great jamming going on. I know the title has "ballads" in it, but for my money, I could do with the "fugitive songs" part, as the ballads don't seem to quite fit in.

McCABES #9 - STAN RIDGWAY Sun May 6th, 2007.......2007-05-07

Ex-Wall of Voodoo leadman turned Singer-Songwriter extraordinare Stan Ridgway ROCKED McCabe's Guitar Shop with his blend of alt. roots-rock music and more on Sunday, May 6th, 2007. It was by far to me the most 'electric' performance at McCabe's and his 'band' was simply electrifying as well. His guitarist was wired, so was his pianist-organist and violinist.. well, let's add the drummer as well (Five folks on the small McCabes' stage was a sight to see) Being my first time to a Ridgway concert, I was pleasantly surprised at his twisted humor in between sets (then again, many of his songs are that way as well) It made me at times go to the point of laughing so loud I would had to leave. His music from 'Snakebite' was as wild as the music and wicked bantor on stage - He played "Wake Up Sally (The Cops are here)" and I was laughing to the point of tears (he made strange facial movements on stage while performing) "King For A Day" Was his tribute to the non-sense we call the local modern-day televised car chase (a wild wide in a stolen car that ends up on local TV with the car smashing into the side of a house (Sounds familiar??) and "Running With The Carnival" (Those sound effects are still ringing in my ears) - I have to say the 90 minutes went VERY quick and before we knew, he was back for the encore...He did "Beneath The Green Tree" to make some 'stiff point' - The hightlight for me was when he did that song from 25 years ago that we all know all too well from his 'Wall of Voodoo' days "Mexican Radio" - The house went down at the end of the song with Stan raising his guitar screaming "25 years - I'm branded - damn this song --- I'm branded" (A clue here, folks??) Most folks out there know Stan just for that song, I can see why he feels a bit differently - For true music lovers we love Stan for his quality SOLO stuff that stand out. For those who just have 'Wall of Voodoo's greatest hits' and are reading this, please get this album and do yourself a favor. Overall, one of the best concerts I've EVER experienced at McCabe's and I got very lucky & met Stan after the concert (with Sharpie in hand) and..he was just as funny after the show (I guess that's his personality - that's cool..he's kinda like me) I also spoke to his guitarist Mike as well for a bit before Stan came down. I will most certainly see him when he comes back - you should too. It's a concert you won't forget =.) Peace - Joe "Bear"

Stan's got a lot of great ideas.........2006-04-21

and this collection shows just what an inventive, brilliant, writer he is.

That said, a lot of the songs on this album bump into his limitations as a vocalist. While his lyrics and musical puns make me laugh, some of his vocalizations make me wince.

A quirky masterpiece.......2005-10-07

Stan Ridway's music almost defies description. Using a variety of instruments (including a glockenspiel, mellotron and a 2-string jawbone!)Ridgway and his group of players has created a wonderful bit of Americana. Tales of escaping criminals bedeviled by cops and a noisy dog, a crack smoking daddy on a rampage, and life in a carnival are given inventive musical settings that really have no equivalent. If you want to know what happened to Wall of Voodoo from Ridgway's perspective, "Talkin' Wall of Voodoo Blues Part I" gives you an interesting take on the situation and you follow that with "My Rose Marie" that sounds so authentic you'd swear it was Civil War balled as opposed to a Ridgway original. I've always liked Ridgway's solo stuff, but I feel this one is where all his strengths as an artist come together.

Grade: Incomplete -- needs work.......2005-08-07

Listening to this record is a bit frustrating for me. Some of it calls to mind the best of Stan's past work, namely his albums Partyball and Anatomy. Yes, there are some fugitive songs here. Stan gravitates toward the dark underbelly of society for his subject matter. Yet, somehow this batch of miscreants seems a little more conventional, a little more sane than his usual cast of characters. Sadly, that makes them less interesting.

Into The Sun is a fine start -- about new beginnings. The music, the soaring synths and yearning in Stan's voice, delivers the goods. Other examples of atmospheric production that does justice to the songs: Monsters Of The Id, Our Manhattan Moment, maybe even Hollywood Ending.

But the carnival atmosphere of Running With The Carnival is a bit too predictable.

Talkin Wall Of Voodoo Blues is a chance for Stan to get some things off his chest about the old band, and how they all got screwed by the record business. The song itself is a bit monotonous, and lyrically not clever at all. "We made a lot of noise/For all the girls and boys/It was 1977/Now two are gone to heaven." Ahhhh, you get the picture. A lot of the rhymes on this record are a little forced, and often the words don't quite flow smoothly with the melody.

Wake Up Sally -- too sing song-y.

My Rose Marie is unusually sentimental for Stan Ridgway -- about a veteran who still pines for the gal he left behind when he went to war many years past. I thought the vocals on this song sounded a little too strained. A lighter touch was needed -- something like Stan's vocals on Partyball's Right Through You. And the synthesized orchestrations gave only a suggestion of the grandeur this song could have with acoustic instruments.

With tweaking of the lyrics, a bit of restraint on some of the cheap-sounding keyboards, more work on vocal phrasing and tone, sophisticated programming on the rhythm tracks, and you'd have a record that's a more complete artistic statement and less a glorified demo tape. That is how most of these songs strike me -- just shy of what's needed.

Other fans have obviously been wowed by the performaces on Snakebite. Perhaps they focused on some quality that I missed. I hear a lot of potential, but I can't quite give this record a passing grade. Songs: Need editing. Arrangements: Too simple. Sound: Production a bit primitive -- expand and enhance. I won't beat this to death. Amazon.com is offering a free download of Talkin Wall Of Voodo Blues. Get it. Compare it to with anything on Partyball, and you'll see what I'm complaining about.

Average customer rating: Great! Underestimated classic way too cool and really hip!!! Lethal Snakebite Great songs, but they're not enough

Snakebite Whitesnake Manufacturer: Geffen Gold Line Sp. ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Blues Rock | Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music British Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Pop Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Glam | Classic Rock | Styles | Music CDs Under $7 | Pop Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Pop Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music CDs Under $7 | Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music All Bargain Titles | Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Today's Deals in Music | Formats | Music 4-for-3 Classic Rock | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Hard Rock & Metal | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Pop | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 Rock | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music 4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Saints & Sinners Come an' Get It Slide It In Restless Heart Slip of the Tongue ASIN: B000000OYO Release Date: 1996-03-19

Tracks:

1. Come On
2. Bloody Mary
3. Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City
4. Steal Away
5. Keep On Giving Me Love
6. Queen Of Hearts
7. Only My Soul
8. Breakdown

Customer Reviews:

Great!.......2007-06-25

Ain't no love in the heart of the city......ain't no love in the heart of town, the first ep of the band Whitesnake, i love this cd, you can listen some songs of the fist 2 albums of Coverdale.

Underestimated classic.......2007-01-24

To answer some reviews below, actually Snakebite DID come out (at least in Europe) in the late seventies/early eighties as a full album, exactly as it is presented here on CD. It contained the original four-song Snakebite EP plus four of the best songs from Coverdale's solo album Northwinds.

Snakebite is markedly different from Whitesnake's other work, because it is mostly a mixture of Southern Rock and early Metal, while later Whitesnake is more blues rock/boogie influenced and even later Whitesnake is more pop metal/hair metal oriented.

So this is really an unique effort. It is true that Northwinds is also worthwhile buying and that half of the tracks featured here you already get on Northwinds. But between them the full Snakebite album is better than Northwinds, and Snakebite is a superb album in its own right, not just a loose amalgamation of songs.

The heart of this album is formed by three fantastic mid-tempo steamrollers of early metal ("Come On", "Keep On Giving Me Love", and "Steal Away") that gracefully avoid the hard rock cliches (because they weren't invented yet!), and three equally fantastic heartfelt ballads (the awesome power ballad "Queen of Hearts", and the classics "Only My Soul" and "Ain't No Love (In the Heart of the City)").

If they had added a few more songs of this high standard instead of the less convincing "Bloody Mary" and "Breakdown", then Snakebite would have been one of the all-time masterpieces of metal, on a par with, let's say, Sad Wings of Destiny (Judas Priest) or Iron Maiden's debut album. As it is now, it's in the same league as classic-but-not-perfect hard rock albums like Toys in the Attic (Aerosmith) or Fly to the Rainbow (Scorpions). Don't get me wrong, that's extremely good company to be in. Also, in my opinion, Snakebite is even better (and certainly more original) than Whitesnake's later top albums, Ready an' Willing, Saints & Sinners and Slide it in. So this IS highly recommended indeed!

way too cool and really hip!!!.......2006-03-11

A really good CD by Whitesnake, and is really great as it was
one of their early works. Almost every song is good and you
wouldn't think that they played this stuff before they became
more well known in the late '80's. Still, this is a gem to have
in anyone's collection where a lot of groups in the late '70's
had started to emerge, and where most of the band members were
from Deep Purple and Trapeze. Give it A+++++.

Lethal Snakebite.......2006-01-15

You gotta give David Coverdale some kind of credit for name-dropping two of his old Deep Purple classics right there in the first song on this album, "Come On".

"I'm just a SOLDIER OF FORTUNE,
Must be the GYPSY in me..."

Maybe David just wanted to remind people who he was, that this was not some "new" band, but in fact featured the talents of Deep Purple's old lead singer. Either way, it's a very solid outing despite the fact that it was patched together from various players and recording sessions.

Songs 1-4 (or "side one" if you remember the days of vinyl) featured his new band which he dubbed Whitesnake, named after a post-Purple solo album that he had done. Purple producer Martin Birch ensured a solid sound, and Coverdale & Co. provided four solid tunes. The aformentioned "Come On" sounds like latter Purple and features three players who would stay through most of Whitesnake's history: Neil Murray (bass), Bernie Marsden (guitar) and Mickey Moody (guitar). Track two, "Bloody Mary" is driven by a boogie piano, one of the best songs on the album. Then Coverdale gets bluesy. "Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City", previously a hit for Bobby "Blue" Bland, ended becoming Whitesnake's live centerpiece. "Steal Away" ends this side with some slide guitar courtesy of Moody, and some very very bad synth tom drums by Dave Dowle.

Tracks 5-8, or "side two", featured some miscellaneous Coverdale solo material produced by ex-Purple bassist Roger Glover. Although Mickey Moody plays on these songs, all the other players are just studio musicians. Unfortunately, these songs show a distinct lack of direction. "Keep On Giving Me Love" was funky, like the kind of stuff Glenn Hughes was always trying to push on Deep Purple, but with a sub-par riff. Although it boasted a killer pre-chorus, the rest of the song is pretty stock. In fact the only standout song on this side would be "Only My Soul". Coverdale has often done these incredible soul-searching pieces, such as Purple's "Soldier Of Fortune", and Whitesnake's later "Sailing Ships". This time out we're treated to some very appropriate violin, and Glover on synth.

The CD itself includes lyrics, liner notes, and photos. Coverdale himself provided a brief blurb about the material at the start of the booklet.

Although David Coverdale was still searching for direction after leaving Purple, the Snakebite album is an enjoyable (albeit brief) listen from front to back. Some material really showed what David was capable of, and he certainly would deliver in full in the future. Whitesnake diehards should not do without Snakebite, as it provides in interesting set of snapshots of what Coverdale was up to in between his bouts of fame and glory.

Great songs, but they're not enough.......2005-08-08

Snakebite (1978.) Whitesnake's first album.

INTRODUCTION:
When Deep Purple disbanded, David Coverdale's future wasn't looking very bright. At only twenty-one years of age, Coverdale became Ian Gillan's replacement singer in the legendary classic rock band... and then everything went horribly wrong. After only three albums with the rock powerhouse, they disbanded in 1976. With the exception of Burn, the first album he recorded with the group first, none of the work got any major publicity or credit. His two solo releases from 1977 didn't fare any better. While excellent, they too never got the proper publicity. Likewise, some people were not satisfied with this shift in sound from the Deep Purple albums he played on. What Coverdale needed was a new beginning... a new band. And that's just what he did - formed a new band. In 1978 David Coverdale released the four-track EP, Snakebite. Read on and see how Whitesnake's first album measures up!

OVERVIEW/REVIEW:
The songs on the first Whitesnake release are nothing short of excellent. Unfortunately, this album is only EP-length. The songs are good songs, but there are only four of them on here! That said, let's have a look at the songs this release serves up. Come On, a straight-up hard rocker, kicks things off. Even way back in the mid-late seventies, long before Whitesnake got any real popularity, they could rock hard with the best of them. The song is Bad Company-styled rock at its very best. It's almost a shame Whitesnake didn't follow this direction more. It's followed up by the piano-heavy bluesy rocker, Bloody Mary. This is a song that sounds like it would have been at home on one of the solo albums Coverdale releases prior to this EP. You've gotta love the piano in this song, and the classic bluesy feel the song conveys. And next up is the slow and soulful tune, Ain't No Love In The Heart Of The City. Slow, melodic, and soulful, this song features Coverdale in one of his most unique sounds of all. You'll find many fans of his praise this song, and really, it isn't hard at all to see why. Closing out this four-song release is the guitar-heavy, classic-style rock of the fourth and final track. Of all the songs on the album, this one probably has the best guitar playing, and that backing piano track only adds to the song's overall charm. There are only four songs here and I would have liked to see more, but what little this package does offer is nothing short of excellent!

EDITION NOTES:
When this album was released on CD, in an effort to make the album worth the full price places usually charge for albums, the record company put on four bonus tracks - all of which were previously available on Northwinds, David Coverdale's second solo album. In my opinion this was a stupid move. Why do that when they could have combined these four tracks with Trouble, the full-length Whitesnake album that followed this one up? Not to mention the fact that this forced many fans to buy those Coverdale solo tracks twice. Here's my advice - buy Coverdale's Northwinds solo album to get those tracks. But rather than buy this version of the album, download the four unique tracks on iTunes. And then burn a copy of Northwinds with the four songs unique to this EP on it as bonus tracks. That way you'll save yourself some real money, and not be screwed over by the record company.

OVERALL:
Overall Snakebite is a very good first release for Whitesnake, I just wish there had been more songs unique to the EP. As I previously stated, this is good music but I DO NOT RECOMMEND BUYING THIS EP. Instead buy Northwinds and get the four tracks unique to Snakebite on iTunes. You'll save yourself some money this way, and get a listening experience that isn't redundant. Whitesnake in the seventies was radically different from their eighties power rock incarnation - and in a GOOD way. Check out this album and other early Whitesnake albums, and you'll see what they were REALLY about.

Average customer rating: Lots of fun Blues Like It Should Be Played! SnakeBite Awesome, no holding back here Brilliant uptempo Blues from the master

Snakebite Magic Slim and the Teardrops Manufacturer: Blind Pig ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD Chicago Blues | Blues | Styles | Music General | Blues | Styles | Music Electric Blues Guitar | Blues | Styles | Music Modern Blues | Blues | Styles | Music General | Blues | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Black Tornado Raw Magic Blue Magic Anything Can Happen Grand Slam ASIN: B00004NKAT Release Date: 2000-03-21

Tracks:

1. What's Wrong
2. Snakebite
3. Please Don't Dog Me
4. Key To Your Door
5. Shake It
6. I Ain't Lookin' For No Love
7. Country Boy
8. Lump On Your Stump
9. Lonesome Trouble
10. The Man You Need
11. Mind Your Own Business

Customer Reviews:

Lots of fun.......2004-03-10

Magic Slim and the Teardrops' key strength is authenticity. These aren't a bunch of young white guys pretending to be blues masters (however entertaining that may be). These guys are the real thing. They don't do anything terribly original, here on any of the other CDs I've heard, but they cover familiar ground very well. All of the tracks here are highly listenable. The guitar work is raw and edgy and full of life, instead of being polished and honed into a frozen, lifeless perfection. If you don't like hearing the occasional goof, you may not like Slim's playing. I think it's the blemishes that makes him distinctive. About the only criticism I'd make is that several of the songs start to sound the same after repeated listenings. The Teardrops are very good at what they do, but their range is a bit limited. I haven't seen them live, but I suspect that they're even more enjoyable on stage than in a recording. Still, I pull this and my other Teardrops CDs out regularly.

And if you play guitar like I do, you will probably also find that this is an excellent CD to jam along with.

Blues Like It Should Be Played!.......2003-05-13

When Dick Shurman produces a CD you know it's going to be a good one. "Snakebite" is no exception. From the opening call from Slim to "roll it" it is a blues-rock free for all with hard edged, raw tones emanating from Slim's guitar. There are some real gems here from Slim's slow burning "Please Don't Dog Me" to the Chuck Berry like "Shake It" down to Muddy Water's delta number "Country Boy." This is definitely Slim at his finest. If you haven't heard Slim before, this is the place to start.

SnakeBite.......2003-02-22

CRANK IT UP AND LET THE FLOKS NEXT DOOR COMPLANE THIS ROCKS

Awesome, no holding back here.......2001-06-10

The problem with a lot of blues acts is that when they get to the studio, they become quite tentative and lose a lot of the power and energy they produce on stage. A fair amount of blues guitarists water down their music with horns sections, shortened and polite (rather than aggressive and expressive) solos and somewhat derivative classic blues sound. For instance I bought a recent Otish Rush cd and it sounded like a lukewarm attempt to recreate the restrained sound of a lackluster early 1950's BB King or Muddy Waters B-side, rather than a quality collection of music from a classic Chicago bluesman.

No such worries on Snakebite. This cd bites and just won't let go. This is hard driving blues - like adding an extra bottle of habanero sauce to the average Chicago blues band - not just bluesy rock. I have only listened to the cd twice since buying it this evening and I love it already. The albums I have really fallen for on the first spin or two have been pretty few and far between for me, but, as I anticipate will happen with this disk, those albums have become classics for me.

Every song on this disk is strong, definitely no fillers. It's original stuff too (except for a cover of Muddy Water's Country Boy). What's Wrong is a great opening song and the title song is an excellent instrumental featuring slide works by Michael Dolton, the rhythm guitarist, although it wasn't as reminescent of Hound Dog Taylor as the liner notes indicated. I especially liked Mind Your Own Business, as well.

I bought this disk tonight after seeing the band for the first time live playing at a mid-sized community festival. Unfortunately, the show was a bit of a debacle. None of the festival's organizers had bothered to list in any local media or the web the lineup of bands and I stumbled into this show by accident, about halfway through it, speculating for the first couple of songs that it might have been any old local blues band rather than one of the strongest blues bands playing anywhere. Additionally, the sound equipment was very poor, with too much bass, and the sounds of the crowds socializing in the beer garden where the stage was located were too high and it was a weird combination of being too loud and being a bit hard to hear the music at the same time. To add insult to injury, Slim was either feeling poorly or his amp cut out entirely for at least half the half show I saw - it was mostly a threesome with Michael Dotson playing excellent lead on his Telecaster for about six songs. In spite of all this, it was still a great show. I bought my disk from the band and went back to the van to have Slim autograph it. He set down a classic blues player's dinner of fried chicken wings and after searching five minutes for a pen, signed my liner notes, leaving large greasy fingerprints all over the plastic and the paper. Now that's real blues.

Anyway, if you are into hard-edged, guitar-based blues, don't skip this disk. It's a winner.

Brilliant uptempo Blues from the master.......2001-03-20

This album is fantastic! It has great uptempo blues jams to boogie to, as well as the classic heart breaking stories that blues master Magic Slim tells.

"Key To Your Door" is a great track in the classic blues genre, and "Shake It" has that great blues shuffle made so popular by SRV's "Pride And Joy." Slim's "Please Don't Dog Me" and the instrumental (almost) title track "Snakebite" are classic jams as well.

But the stand out track is "Lump On Your Stump" which is a fun play on lyrical rhyming, guitar rhythms, and funky drums. You gotta listen to this song! Just great stuff that will get your feet tappin' and your lips movin'.

This album is a great record to drive to or have playing at your backyard BBQ. Magic Slim is a master and doesn't get the recognition he deserves (outside Chicago that is). He's brilliant. As he says on this album: "And you know that, man."

Average customer rating:

Snakebite Eleni Mandell Manufacturer: Zedtone ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Pop | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Similar Items: Wishbone Afternoon Country for True Lovers Thrill Miracle of Five ASIN: B0001HAHXC Release Date: 2004-02-24

Tracks:

1. Dreamboat
2. Pirate Song
3. Don't Lose My Trail
4. I Believe In Spring
5. Alien Eye
6. Man The Paper Hat
7. Snakebite
8. Christine
9. Dutch Harbor
10. Close The Door
11. Digging A Hole
12. Silverlake Babies
13. Madhouse

Average customer rating: Snakebitten, No Longer Shy wow close the door, forget the others... Never heard her music until...

Snakebite Eleni Mandell Manufacturer: Space Baby ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music Singer-Songwriters | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music Singer Songwriters | Alternative Rock | Indie Music | Stores | Music Similar Items: Thrill Afternoon Wishbone Country for True Lovers Miracle of Five ASIN: B000066403 Release Date: 2002-04-16

Tracks:

1. Dreamboat
2. Pirate Song
3. Don't Lose My Trail
4. I Believe In Spring
5. Alien Eye
6. Man In The Paper Hat
7. Snakebite
8. Christine
9. Dutch Harbor
10. Close The Door
11. Digging A Hole
12. Silverlake Babies
13. Madhouse

Customer Reviews:

Snakebitten, No Longer Shy.......2003-11-29

Of the many labels critics have attempted to place on Eleni Mandell, the one that fits the most is "original." Her music is evocative of film noir; you feel as if there's a trenchcoated man lurking behind the darkness of every pluck of the upright bass. The musical narrative she follows on Snakebite's journey is that of lost love. Her imagistic songwriting detailing the man who left you, the woman he left you for, the void the loss has caused, and the many ways you'll exact your revenge. Mandell's voice is also the perfect instrument to carry all four of these plot twists at the same time as her sultry alto is equally mournful and sensual, defiant yet fragile. Mandell returns with the primary cast from her previous release, Thrill, as Brian Kehew (of the Moog Cookbook) handles production and sound, while Melora Creager of Rasputina cameos her cello.

Disc opener "Dreamboat" is as slow and languorous as one would expect based on the title, but listeners beware, "there's trouble below" as the disc segues into the frenetic claustrophobic "Pirate Song" with the narrator, one of the "Dreamboat" lovers, sounding as if she's singing from her watery grave. A couple tracks later we get one of the brightest songs, sonically at least, that Mandell has written with "I Believe In Spring" with the lap steel and tambourine providing the correct amount of light contrasting with the dark and dreary lyrics to maintain the proper chiaroscuro. The title track with its images of absence and suffocation is as frenetic as "Pirate Song" with tambourine shakes to simulate a snake's rattle before flowing into the lazy and lilting "Christine," perhaps sung for "Dreamboat"'s deceased woman. "Digging A Hole" sounds like a modern sea shanty while "Silverlake Babies," with its seemingly positive tone, brings some ambiguity to the disc's story with the reference to postmodernist apocalyptic author "Lullaby Phillip K. Dick." Eleni Mandell creates music that is truly unique as her lyrics paint a dark and dreary story throughout the course of the album while her vocal wraps perfectly around each syllable executing each murder in the most calculated fashion.

wow.......2002-06-25

Why haven't more people heard of Eleni? I heard the song "Christine" on the radio and i loved it and tried for so long to figure out who sang it. After looking around to find a Eleni cd, i finally happened to be in LA and found it there. I only expected a couple of good songs but this album is a pleasant surprise, a gorgeous solid album. When I play it in my car, people always ask who the great music is by. you won't be dissappointed by this album. her voice is like a cross between fiona apple and rufus wainwright but her attitude is borderline hysteria: almost meloncholy and self-destrictive, yet charming and pleasant. Fabulous.

close the door, forget the others..........2002-06-22

with each release, singer/songwriter Eleni Mandell proves more worthy of recognition...Wishbone, her debut, made an impact with its standout exotic tracks, and Thrills was more focused and cool... Snakebite evolves to surpass both... there doesnt seem to be a weak track on the album - or if there is, it flows so well, you dont notice... taking the very best of the tender, the menacing, the exotic, and the dramatic from her first two releases she has created her most cohesive and consistent record to date... and she has managed improve her craft without sounding contrived, canned or studio-polished... some songs sound as if theyve been lost for 70 years and have only now been rediscovered and released...

It may be, as most reviewers suggest, that Eleni embodies a spiritual/musical offspring of the likes of PJ Harvey and Tom Waits... thats not an invalid comparison (and certainly a duet i wouldnt mind witnessing!)... but hers is a talent that exists on its own, regardless of her influences, which incidentally also include classic showtunes and the band X...

if youre just now discovering Eleni Mandell, Snakebite may be the best introduction to her wonderful range of jazz-folk-cabaret rock and film-noir atmosphere...

afterwards, you should also pick up Wishbone and Thrills... artists like her can always use the support, and in this case she certainly deserves it...

be seeing you...

Never heard her music until..........2002-06-08

...I read some very positive reviews for not only Snakebite, but her previous CDs. I subsequently picked it up at the local large-chain music store. Desperate to listen to something new, offbeat and non-radio friendly, I kept an open mind while listening to it. What an album! An almost omnipresent upright bass in the background accompanies Eleni's voice throughout: smoky and smooth in one song, mercurial the next. All songs are great. 'Don't Lose My Trail' and 'Silverlake Babies' among others sound positively dreamy, while 'Close The Door' is this close to outright goofiness. And she really lets loose on the title track. Eleni's fans will of course snap it up, and if there's any justice, all that's left is the signing up with a major label.

Average customer rating: The acceptable face of contemporary music

Montague: Snakebite/At The White Edge Of Phrygia/Varshavian Autumn/Behold A Pale Horse Manufacturer: Asv Living Era ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music General | Classical | Styles | Music General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music Similar Items: Stephen Montague: Southern Lament ASIN: B0000030X9 Release Date: 1997-03-18

Tracks:

1. Snakebite
2. At The White Edge Of Phrygia
3. Varshavian Autumn - The Chor Of The Orch Of St. John's, Smith Square
4. Behold A Pale Horse - Christopher Bowers-Broadbent

Customer Reviews:

The acceptable face of contemporary music.......2002-02-25

Whether it be works for tape, tape and instrument, instrument and electronics or instruments alone, the music of American born composer Stephen Montague is never anything other than highly listenable. In many ways, this man redefines the term ‘accessible’, whilst at the same time maintaining a high level of musical intensity, having written some of the most expressive works of modern music that you're likely to find. Whilst remaining adventurous, there is certainly nothing on this particular release to frighten even the most conservative music lover. Indeed, much of what is here ought to delight most who hear it (whether conservative in their taste or not!)

The disc contains four medium-scale works for chamber forces, all taking their inspiration from other musical works or styles, yet maintaining something distinctly original. The first, "Snakebite", for chamber orchestra, dates from 1995. It was inspired by memories of time spent in Austin, Texas and begins as an engaging yet complex work for the concert hall based on the traditional Texas fiddle tune, "Dusty Miller". The work’s title refers to a story that the composer was told by an old cowboy about the way that Plains Indians dealt with rattlesnake bites: by immediately lying down, closing their eyes, and willing their heartbeat to slow — and then staying like that for 18 hours until the poison had dispersed! This story element is worked into the piece through the introduction of a ‘poison tune’, in a different key to the rodeo tune, which gradually 'infects' each player in turn, slowing their playing until eventually poor Dusty is put entirely on hold, replaced by an alien, lyrical element. After a time, though, the 'poison' is gradually dispersed, and the rodeo tune bounces back, as healthy as ever.

"At the White Edge of Phrygia" which follows, is the earliest work on this disc, dating from 1983. Also scored for chamber orchestra, it is written as a deliberate imitation of the music of American minimalist composers such as LaMonte Young, Terry Riley, Steve Reich and Philip Glass, but combined with the European symphonic tradition. The work opens with quiet rhythmic tappings on untuned percussion and strings, from which the fragments of a tune slowly emerge. Gradually, the rest of the orchestra picks up the basic rhythmic and contrapuntal motives, creating some delightful instrumental textures over some 8 minutes or so, throughout which the tension builds by degrees to culminate in a massive brass and percussion climax. From here, the music descends into a moodier phase, in the quiet and contemplative depths, from which the re-emergence of the main theme slowly draws it back, finally erupting from its dark broodings to an exuberant conclusion.

"Varshavian Autumn" is a 1996 reworking of an earlier work by Stephen Montague, scored for chamber orchestra and choir. The work was inspired by the composer's first arrival in Warsaw on Halloween, 1972, his first impressions of that city being dominated by the sight of thousands of candles flickering throughout the city's cemeteries, beneath a leaden autumnal sky. This work is, not surprisingly therefore, funereally slow, with a wordless chorus providing the main focus throughout an entirely sombre — but powerfully atmospheric — affair.

The final work on the disc, "Behold a Pale Horse" (1990/5), is part of a series of ‘toccatas’ for various instruments: in this case, organ, accompanied by a brass ensemble, comprising two trumpets, two horns, two trombones and tuba. The work was commissioned by organist Christopher Bowers-Broadbent, the soloist on this recording. The 11-minute work draws its inspiration from the description of the last of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse in the vision of St. John (in Revelation 6: 7-8). It takes as its basis, melodic material drawn from Thomas Celano’s 13th Century dies irae sequence for the Mass for the Dead, together with the so-called Devil’s Interval (the tritone, F-B on the keyboard). Its powerful and imposing grandeur brings proceedings here to a suitably Apocalyptic close.

The Orchestra of St. John's, Smith Square, conducted by John Lubbock, are to be congratulated on quite faultless renditions of the works on this disc, which is highly recommended for anyone interested in the more accessible face of contemporary serious music.

Average customer rating:

Change in the Weather Manufacturer: Mambo Goddess ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Jazz | Styles | Music Cajun & Creole | Cajun & Zydeco | Regional Blues | Blues | Styles | Music ASIN: B000FCFRL0 Release Date: 2006-04-11

Tracks:

1. It's the Girl
2. Don't Sit Under the Apple Tree (With Anyone Else But Me)
3. Why Can't You Behave?
4. There'll Be Some Changes Made
5. L'Aissez Faire
6. It Don't Mean a Thing (If It Ain't Got That Swing)
7. Between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea
8. Bei Mir Bist du Schon
9. You Oughta Be in Pictures
10. Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy
11. Moonlight Serenade
12. Sing, Sing, Sing

Product Description

2003 release from the New Orleans collective that pays tribute to the legendary Boswell Sisters.

Average customer rating: Touch It (make more music!) Compilation with more hits than misses

Snakebite City V.6 Various Artists Manufacturer: Blfir ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music ASIN: B0000083TE Release Date: 1997-04-21

Customer Reviews:

Touch It (make more music!).......2000-04-04

Most of the songs on this compilation are a gig goers' dream, definately worth it! But the track that stands out is "TOUCH IT" (Brazen Hussies),it is relentless in its' anger and drives itself through my ears like a pick axe. I didn't know I wanted you until I heard you! Crush Me! MAKE MORE MUSIC.

Compilation with more hits than misses.......1999-09-08

Some good stuff from unknown bands. Check out the Brazen Hussies track brutal yet beautiful, dynamic yet chilling!

Average customer rating: Excellent teddyboy rock'n'roll

Gone in a Flash Snakebite Manufacturer: Raucous ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General | Rock | Styles | Music Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music ASIN: B0000664CT Release Date: 2007-03-26

Tracks:

1. Snakebite Teddys
2. Gone In A Flash
3. Cruisin'
4. Rockabilly Rock
5. Blues Moboat
6. Summertime
7. Tennessee
8. Ain't Gonna Take It No More
9. Hep Cat
10. Rockin' At The Barnyard
11. Christine
12. Rebel Rolf
13. 20 Year Boogie
14. Jackpot Boogie

Customer Reviews:

Excellent teddyboy rock'n'roll.......2006-03-02

This band from Sweden plays excellent rock'n'roll music in the "teddyboy" style. All songs are great uptempo rockers, some even have a little piano pounding thrown in.
If you need added credibility, legendary British rocker Wild Bob Burgos is featured on one of the songs, and is also "responsible" for the liner notes.
A really cool album - true fans of rock'n'roll (in the original sense of the word) should definitely not miss it.

Average customer rating:

Snakebite and Valentine Fred Moolten ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD ASIN: B000RODFWE

Rock Music:

1. Soak
2. Souls of Black
3. Sounds of the Animal Kingdom
4. Standing on the Sun
5. Stream of Consciousness
6. Successor [Import]
7. Take Out the Trash
8. The Atlantean War Dragon
9. The Best of Metal
10. The Complete Handbook of Songwriting [EP]

Rock Music

rock music

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