- Hallowed Ground (Violent Femmes album)
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Hallowed Ground Studio album by Violent Femmes Released June 1984 Recorded Secret Sound Studio, NYC, January, 1984 Genre Folk punk
Alternative rockLength 38:57 Label Slash Records/Rhino Producer Mark Van Hecke Violent Femmes chronology Violent Femmes
(1983)Hallowed Ground
(1984)The Blind Leading the Naked
(1986)Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating Allmusic link
Hallowed Ground is the second album by the Violent Femmes, released in June 1984. Like the band's first album, the songs on Hallowed Ground were mostly written by singer/guitarist/lyricist Gordon Gano when he was in high school. "Country Death Song," for example, was based on a true story from an 1862 news article about a man who intentionally threw his daughter into a well and then hanged himself in his barn. It was written by Gano during his 10th grade study hall. The Christian-related lyrics on Hallowed Ground were thought by many to be sarcastic, but Gano is a devout Christian. The other two Femmes were atheists, and initially refused to perform those songs, but after their debut had been recorded, they relented and several of Gano's religion-themed songs were recorded for Hallowed Ground.[citation needed]
Track listing
All songs written and composed by Gordon Gano.
No. Title Length 1. "Country Death Song" 5:02 2. "I Hear the Rain" 1:32 3. "Never Tell" 7:10 4. "Jesus Walking on the Water" 3:07 5. "I Know It’s True but I’m Sorry to Say" 5:05 6. "Hallowed Ground" 4:18 7. "Sweet Misery Blues" 2:51 8. "Black Girls" 5:41 9. "It’s Gonna Rain" 4:11 Personnel
- Gordon Gano – vocals, acoustic guitar, fiddle
- Brian Ritchie – acoustic and electric bass guitar, celesta, marimba, jew's harp, vocals
- Victor DeLorenzo – drums, percussion vocals
- Mark Van Hecke - piano, organ
- Tony Trischka - banjo
- Christina Houghton - autoharp
- Peter Balestrieri - vocals
- Cynthia Gano Lewis - vocals
- Drake Scott - cornett, sackbut
- John Zorn - alto saxophone, game calls
- John Tanner - clarinet
- Producer - Mark Van Hecke
- Engineers - John Tanner, Warren Bruleigh
Violent Femmes Gordon Gano · Brian Ritchie · Victor DeLorenzo · Guy Hoffman
DiscographyStudio albums Violent Femmes · Hallowed Ground · The Blind Leading the Naked · 3 · Why Do Birds Sing? · New Times · Rock!!!!! · Freak MagnetCompilations Debacle: The First Decade · Add It Up (1981–1993) · Something's Wrong · Permanent Record: The Very Best of Violent FemmesLive albums Viva Wisconsin · BBC Live · Archive Series No. 1: Live in Iceland · Archive Series No. 2: Live in Chicago Q101DVDs Categories:- Violent Femmes albums
- 1984 albums
- Slash Records albums
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