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Stan's first solo album after leaving Wall of Voodoo sounds half like his former band, half like the solo artist he became. As a result it is the only distinct 80s sounding production in his back catalog, and some of the songs have a dated sound, but the quality of the songs themselves is unquestionable. Stan has always been a great observer of characters, of situations, and of "lost America". He usually writes about the underbelly of society, the non-glamouros people and the shady goings-on. The lyrics are usually very cinematic, almost mini-soundtracks in their own right. Everybody knows the mini-epic "Camouflage", but there are several songs of at least just as good quality waiting to be discovered. This album is very good. The fact that Stan got even better on later albums does not detract from this, which is a true time capsule.Read full review
This belongs in everyone's collection of classic records from the 80's. The title track's opening notes are enough to convince us that Ridgway immediately has found his niche on this, his 1986 debut solo release. Far richer and more focused than the Voodoo releases, The Big Heat teems with low-lifes, and misfits and lives in crisis, but all are drawn with a crime novelist's sense of tension and mystery and a keen eye for compassion. All the trademarks are here and finally crystallized; (the pregnant atmosphere, a sense of impending dread, deeply spooky electronics, and an alchemist's approach to genre and instrumentation) while anchoring them firmly in a rich tradition of American literature, film, myth and popular culture. Ridgway's flair for concise character portraits was first noted by uber critic Greil Marcus, who called The Big Heat “probably the most compelling portrait of American social life to appear on a rock 'n' roll record since Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska." Author Mikal Gilmore said it was “the best L.A.-founded record of that year.” A stark portrait of a haunted country. The album blasted off with an unlikely top 5 international hit in Europe, with the ironic, 7-minute long, Vietnam ghost saga, "Camouflage". Simply a classic. Read full review
