"Rift's music both challenges and irritates, insults and amuses. His songs are musical mud pies lobbed at the mainstream market, fragmentation ear-bombs set in often bizarre meters with arrangements that both soothe and sear."
--Los Angeles Times
"Like Zappa and Beefheart, his music is filled with complex time changes and textures, set to lyrics ranging from the dream-like to the scatological."
--BAM
"His stuff definitely tends to grow on you. Eminations of Dada from a true original."
--Option
"Rift's music is a hilariously vulgar, surreal, and self-consciously brainy package which enriches my life. Rift has never suffered fools gladly. Acidly humorous and guitar crazed, Zoogz Rift is a man with a vision."
--Spin
"If there was any justice, his records would be widely distributed and readily available, but in this era of the bottom line, they're hard to find. That fact is what makes his live shows all the more valuable. It may not be to everyone's taste, but it's worth everyone's while."
--Music Connection
"Unique and enjoyable."
--John Cage, composer
"Rift has obviously stumbled over the thin line between genius and insanity."
--Boston Rock
"When the bastard's on, his frantic, skanking tune-bag buggers description; and when he's off, he still cracks my ass with laughter."
--L.A. Reader
"Brilliant!"
--Billboard
"He has an almost infuriatingly stubborn sense of musical and artistic integrity."
--Unsound
"Effortlessly immaculate and superbly deafening."
--L.A. Weekly
"A show-off demonstration of nefarious instrumental virtuosity."
--Matt Groening, creator of The Simpsons
"His wild, crazy, jazzy, experimental music is refreshing, immediately likeable, and will infect without warning."
--Flipside
"Zoogz Rift combines intriguing, inspired music with uncompromising misanthropic (and hilarious) poetry. It's pungent stuff, for those not afraid to laugh at the grotesque in life. All others should stick with Toto or Madonna."
--BAM
"The world depicted in Rift's recordings is a slightly more humorous version of the one exposed in David Lynch's 'Eraserhead.'"
--The Other
"You're good--you're real good!"
--Don Van Vliet (Captain Beefheart) to Zoogz Rift, 1979
"His music takes the form of short, intense compositions. Rift doesn't need encouragement; he knows he's right. But if by some perverse piece of luck his smart and disturbing music ever becomes popular, he'll get angry about that, too, and no doubt take drastic action."
--L.A. Herald Examiner
"Most wrestling managers aren't good enough to wipe Zoogz's ass!"
--John Tolos "The Golden Greek", pro wrestler
"Zoogz Rift is crazy, daddy! My kind of guy!"
--"Dr. Death" Steve Williams, wrestler
"We're looking at one of the future greats in professional wrestling." --Captain Lou Albano, wrestling manager
"(laughing) Would you buy a used car from this guy?"
--Hulk Hogan, wrestler (1994)
"I like Zoogz's music very much." --Jimmy "Mouth Of The South" Hart, wrestling manager and musician (1994)
"Hysterically funny."
--B. Brian Blair, wrestler
"Zoogz Rift is the man, baby! He's the man!"
--"Luscious" Johnny Valiant, wrestler and manager
"The guy's a hoot!"
--"Cowboy" Bob Orton, wrestler
"Sadistic and vicious. Which is why I hired him to manage me!"
--The Warlord, wrestler (Powers of Pain) (1993)
"Zoogz is one of the most amazing workers in the Universal Wrestling Federation. He cuts the best promos I've ever seen." --Herb Abrams, promoter
"WARNING: Due to the unusual amount of recent controversy surrounding this performer, all persons of questionable mental health will be banned from this particular performance."
--concert ad, 1982
