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This product is a Pre Order and is scheduled to be released 22nd November 2024

This product is available on preorder with a limited discounted price.

Violent Femmes - Hallowed Ground [2024 Repress]

£26.99

This product is available on pre order with a limited discounted price.

Marking forty years of this famous patch of hallowed ground that's always worth a revisit.
Currently good stock Limited stock Currently unavailable

The 40th Anniversary reissue of this classic album. Once an overlooked gem, the album has become a cornerstone of Violent Femmes’ catalogue and live performances, and a pioneering work in the post-punk and alt-country genres. 

Hallowed Ground is the 1984 follow up to the Violent Femmes legendary self-titled debut album. Similar to the first album, all of the songs were written by lead singer Gordon Gano while still in high school. This the band's sophomore title, however, pushed the band in new directions and made sure they did not rest on their laurels – featuring fan favorites (and live staples) "Country Death Song," "Jesus Walking on the Water," "I Hear The Rain," "Black Girls" and "Never Tell." Mastered from the original stereo tapes (AAA). 

First released in May of 1984, Violent Femmes’ sophomore title, Hallowed Ground, is celebrated for its innovative exploration of American roots music, blending traditional folk influences with the band’s distinctive style. The set also includes contributions from banjo virtuoso Tony Trischka on “Country Death Song” and “It’s Gonna Rain,” and avant-garde saxophonist John Zorn on “Black Girls,” both of whom added distinctive layers to the record's experimental soundscape.

The album’s lyrics delve into themes of faith, redemption and existential contemplation. This marked a bold departure from the more straightforward pop sound of the band’s debut, which featured beloved teen angst anthems like “Blister in the Sun,” “Add It Up” and “Kiss Off.” The record’s unique lyrical approach and haunting melodies created a deeply introspective and immersive listening experience that intrigued—and initially divided—listeners, including the band members themselves.

On Hallowed Ground, Gano embraced his faith, something previously restrained in his songwriting at the request of atheist-leaning members Brian Ritchie (Femmes’ bassist) and Victor Delorenzo (Femmes’ original drummer). Gano explained the group’s hesitation in a 1989 interview with Phoenix New Times, saying, “At the time, Brian was very aggressively anti-anything Christian. He said he didn’t want to be playing in a band that was expressing something that he felt so vehemently against. I figured they’d find their expression sometime later.” What made Ritchie relent, however, was the quality of Gano’s songwriting. It was unimpeachable. “It’s funny,” Gano added in that interview, “Brian now says that my Christian songs are some of my best numbers.”

In a 2012 interview with the Houston Chronicle, Brian Ritchie offered insight into the album’s creation and its initial reception, reflecting, “To me, it’s more punk to defy your audience than to play what they want to hear. But we lost our audience that way.” Speaking to the fact that both the debut and Hallowed Ground were written while Gano was still in high school, he added, “Ironically, we had the material for both albums. We could’ve put out a double or released Hallowed Ground first and then the debut. We chose to make the first one a pop album and Hallowed Ground a sprawling exploration of American roots music. We’re not considered in the Americana category . . .”

The album’s adventurous spirit and artistic risk-taking have been both lauded and criticized over the years. AllMusic praised Hallowed Ground as “breathtaking and terrifying,” adding that “the Femmes are nothing if not true to themselves, and Hallowed Ground is a testament to their tenacity, courage, and sheer obliviousness to industry ogling.

Each track is as naked as it is bursting with ideas, and as the landscape changes, the band changes with it.” Vinyl District concurs that Hallowed Ground “is one of rock music’s core texts in how to successfully flout expectations. It still succeeds greatly as a document of nervy conceptual growth and as a major breakthrough in terms of individual musicianship.” Meanwhile, some critics were initially conflicted, with music scholar and New York Times writer Robert Palmer declaring it “a subterranean mother lode of apocalyptic religion, murder, and madness that has lurked just under the surface of hillbilly music and blues since the 19th century.”

But to fans today, Hallowed Ground stands as a testament to Violent Femmes’ innovative spirit and their enduring influence on independent music. The album highlights the band’s ability to evolve while preserving their unique voice, a quality they’ve maintained throughout their now four-decade career. As Violent Femmes embark on a nationwide tour to commemorate this milestone, fans can experience the band’s dynamic evolution firsthand.

Tracklisting

Side A:
Country Death Song
I Hear the Rain
Never Tell
Jesus Walking on the Water
I Know It's True but I'm Sorry to Say

Side B:
Hallowed Ground
Sweet Misery Blues
Black Girls
It’s Gonna Rain

Scheduled: 22 November 2024

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Pre Order FAQ

When is this released?

Violent Femmes - Hallowed Ground [2024 Repress] is available for Pre Order now and has a scheduled release date of 22nd November 2024.

In the event of any delays to this date, we will try to keep this page updated in the '⚠ Updates' tab.

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⚠ If you make a purchase from Drift that includes both Pre Order titles and in-stock titles, we will ship your entire order as one when all items are released. Read More.

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Every Pre Order product has a discount of between 10% and 15%. This is already factored into the price and will revert to full RRP during the week of release.