Black Diamond is the fourth studio album by the American singer-songwriter Stan Ridgway, released in 1996.[5][6]
| Black Diamond | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | January 20, 1996 | |||
| Recorded | Impala Studios and Living Presence Studios, CA | |||
| Genre | Folk rock, alternative rock | |||
| Length | 50:52 | |||
| Label | Birdcage[1] | |||
| Producer | Stan Ridgway | |||
| Stan Ridgway chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| Calgary Herald |  [3] |
| Uncut | [4] |
Production
edit"As I Went Out One Morning" is a cover of the Bob Dylan song.[3] "Luther Played Guitar" is about the guitar player Luther Perkins.[7] "Gone the Distance" addresses the death of Kurt Cobain.[8]
Critical reception
editThe Washington Post determined that "the Dylan tune is one indication that Ridgway wants to be taken seriously, and he does tone down his arch vocal style on some of these songs."[9] The Boston Globe wrote that the album, "though quieter and more spare than much of Ridgway's work, continues his pattern of writing moody story-songs, restless character studies imbued with dark, spooky undertones."[10]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Stan Ridgway, except "As I Went Out One Morning", by Bob Dylan
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Big Dumb Town" | 4:20 |
| 2. | "Gone the Distance" | 3:03 |
| 3. | "Knife and Fork" | 4:52 |
| 4. | "Down the Coast Hwy" | 4:23 |
| 5. | "Luther Played Guitar" | 4:20 |
| 6. | "Stranded" | 4:51 |
| 7. | "Wild Bill Donovan" | 2:54 |
| 8. | "Man of Stone" | 3:47 |
| 9. | "Pink Parakeet" | 4:58 |
| 10. | "Underneath the Big Green Tree" | 3:21 |
| 11. | "As I Went Out One Morning" | 3:13 |
| 12. | "Crystal Palace" | 6:50 |
Personnel
editAdapted from the Black Diamond liner notes.[11]
- Musicians
- Stan Ridgway – lead vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, harmonica, recorder, Hammond organ, production
- Ted Andersen – drums, percussion
- Harlan Boddicker – bass guitar
- Larry Grennan – recording, mixing, percussion, backing vocals
- Bob Elmo – cello, violin, bass guitar
- Todd Sharp – saxophone, woodwind
- Pietra Wexstun – keyboards, backing vocals
- Production and additional personnel
- Ed Colver – photography
- Fred Davis – design
- Doug Schwartz – mastering
Release history
edit| Region | Date | Label | Format | Catalog |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 1996 | Birdcage | CD | 11007 |
| 2012 | LP |
References
edit- ^ Morris, Chris (Feb 3, 1996). "Flag Waving". Billboard. Vol. 108, no. 5. p. 63.
- ^ Adams, Greg. "Black Diamond". AllMusic. Retrieved June 30, 2015.
- ^ a b Muretich, James (24 Mar 1996). "Stan Ridgway: Black Diamond". Calgary Herald. p. C2.
- ^ "Stan Ridgway – Black Diamond". Uncut. August 31, 2003.
- ^ "Stan Ridgway Biography, Songs, & Albums". AllMusic.
- ^ Stolder, Steven (Apr 1996). "Rock-pop recordings — Black Diamond by Stan Ridgway". Audio. 80 (4): 84.
- ^ Rinaldi, Ray Mark (7 Mar 1996). "Black Diamond Stan Ridgway". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Get Out. p. 9.
- ^ Shuster, Fred (17 Feb 1996). "REINVENTING ROCKER RIDGWAY". Los Angeles Daily News. p. L7.
- ^ "RIDGWAY ISO STYLE". The Washington Post. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
- ^ Sullivan, Jim (14 June 1996). "The novelty of Stan Ridgway". The Boston Globe. ARTS & FILM. p. 65.
- ^ Black Diamond (booklet). Stan Ridgway. Sierra Madre, California: Birdcage Records. 1996.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
External links
edit- Black Diamond at Discogs (list of releases)