Hallowed Ground

by Violent Femmes

Type: Album
Released: 14 May 1984
Label: Slash
Country: United States
Length: 38:45
Community rating: 4.11/5 from 6 ratings

Artists on this release: Victor DeLorenzo, Peter Balestrieri, Gordon Gano, John Zorn, Cynthia Gano Lewis, Tony Trischka, Christina Houghton

Album Notes & Community Reviews

Vastly expanding the frantic acoustic punk of their debut, the Violent Femmes embraced an incredibly dark, musically sophisticated brand of gothic country and folk-rock. Gordon Gano's highly anxious, manic vocals explore themes of extreme Christian faith, murder, and spiritual dread over eclectic instrumentation, including horns and banjos. 'Hallowed Ground' is a deeply unnerving, energetic, and highly ambitious masterpiece of American cowpunk.

Genres

Descriptors: christian, death, acoustic, rain, dark-humor, DIY, stripped-down, storytelling, melodic

Tracklist

Country Death Song (5:02)
I Hear The Rain (1:31)
Never Tell (7:09)
Jesus Walking On The Water (3:05)
I Know It's True But I'm Sorry To Say (5:03)
Hallowed Ground (4:15)
Sweet Misery Blues (2:46)
Black Girls (5:40)
It's Gonna Rain (4:11)

Credits

Violent Femmes - primary artist
John Zorn - alto saxophone, woodwind [game calls]
Jeff Price - art direction
Christina Houghton - autoharp
Tony Trischka - banjo
Brian Ritchie - bass [mariachi], electric bass, bass [slide], celesta, marimba, jew's harp, vocals
John Tanner - clarinet, engineer
Drake Scott - cornett [cornetto], sackbut
Victor DeLorenzo - drums, electronic drums, percussion [tranceaphone, stompatron], percussion, vocals
Warren Bruleigh - engineer
The Horns Of Dilemma - ensemble [peter balestrieri, drake scott, john zorn, john tanner]
Gordon Gano - lead vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, fiddle, songwriter
John C. Nate - photography by [band photo]
Mark Trilling - photography by [front cover photo]
Mark Van Hecke - piano, organ, producer, alto saxophone
Peter Balestrieri - tenor saxophone, harmonica, vocals
Cynthia Gano Lewis - vocals