HALLOWED GROUND

The Violent Femmes: Gordon Gano (vocals, acoustic & electric guitars, fiddle); Brian Ritchie (jew's harp, celeste, acoustic & electric basses, background vocals); Victor De Lorenzo (drums, electronic drums, percussion, background vocals). Additional personnel: Tony Trischka (banjo); Christina Haughton (autoharp); John Tanner (clarinet); Peter Balestrieri (harmonica, tenor saxophone, background vocals); John Zorn (alto saxophone, whistles); Drake Scott (cornetto, sackbut); Mark Van Hecke (piano, organ); Cynthia Gano Lewis, (background vocals). Recorded at Secret Sound Studios, New York, New York in January 1984. This follow-up to the Violent Femmes' classic debut boasts a taut, idiosyncratic, and innovative musical vision. On HALLOWED GROUND, the Femmes' minimal, acoustic guitar/bass/drums sound is fleshed out here by such unlikely instruments as celeste, marimba, Jew's harp, and banjo. The group's focused, frenetic energy is in the foreground, but singer/guitarist Gordon Gano's songwriting draws inspiration here from early-20th-century American folk, especially on the murder tale "Country Death Song" and the gospel-blues of "It's Gonna Rain." Only "Sweet Misery Blues" and "Black Girls" (complete with "game calls" from saxophonist John Zorn) recall the teen angst and alienation of the first album. Instead, the lyrics deal more with Gano's religious preoccupations, which are especially evident on "Jesus Walking on Water" and the dark title track. While the band would forever have difficulty living up to the glory of their first outing, Gano's flair with a catchy melody remains unassailable on HALLOWED GROUND.