lambchops's Full Review: Villains by The Verve Pipe
The Verve Pipe formed during 1992 in East Lansing, Michigan. As a result of the burgeoning college club scene, the band was able to gain notoriety from fans, critics, and eventually major labels.
Before signing to RCA, the band released two indie albums on their own LMNO Pop! label. Combined sales of these two albums (1992’s I’ve Suffered a Head Injury and 1993’s Pop Smear!) topped out at about 50,000 copies. That level of sales led to major label attention and the band’s eventual signing to RCA. In 1996, The Verve Pipe made their major label debut.
The five local boys had finally made a name for themselves in the music business. Donny Brown (drums), Doug Corella (keyboards), A.J. Dunning (guitar), Brian Vander Ark (vocals, guitar), and Brad Vander Ark (bass) released Villians to a welcoming post-grunge audience in 1996. Initially, the band got some airplay with Photograph and the album was named a Billboard Heatseeker. What eventually pushed the band to platinum was the toned down rerecording of their own The Freshman. From that moment on, the band was well on their way to mainstream rock success.
Villians is a simple album. It’s not particularly abrasive and even less challenging. But, for fans of melodious pop/rock The Verve Pipe recorded a well received gem. The album is very cleanly produced by Jerry Harrison (he also has worked with Talking Heads, Crash Test Dummies, Rusted Root, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd). I can’t say that I’m overly impressed by the songs as a whole…The Verve Pipe sounds very much like other bands from the mid-1990’s. What distinguishes them from others are Vander Ark’s vocals and Corella’s unobtrusive keyboards.
That aforementioned first single, Photograph is a driving and at times entertaining rock/pop track. The bass line and keyboards are relatively unique while Vander Ark’s vocals are strong. Once the song breaks into its final vision, the guitars are overwhelming. I like the track when the instrumental parts are understated while the guitars are sparse. The chorus is a bit, um, under-whelming.
The Freshman was the band’s sole top ten single. So far as appeal, I enjoyed the louder original, but this one will have to do for those people who have never heard The Verve Pipe’s initial recording. This track is quiet and understated and overall less appealing than it could be. Vander Ark’s voice is the focus of the track and the thing that really ends up making it seem worthwhile in the least. He has a unique way of phrasing the lyrics and of singing. If it weren’t for him in this track, I’d be completely unimpressed.
A song I do enjoy is the lesser known single Cup of Tea. My appreciation for this song stems directly from its rock and roll construction. Overall, the track is much more exciting and musically more interesting than the others I have already mentioned. I like the electric guitars in contrast to Vander Ark’s delicate vocals. I like the fact that the track builds as it progresses. The chorus is even pretty darned nifty.
Villains is a decent track. In contrast to those tracks like Drive You Mild and Barely (if at all) the band tries some newer and more musically experimental things. The track is soft at times and powerful at others. Of the thirteen offerings, I would say that this track is in the top five. One this of note is the fact that even though I enjoy the track, it’s also awkwardly mid-tempo (a personal pet-peeve).
Honestly, this is a run of the mill album from 1996 along the same lines of one hit wonder bands like Dishwalla, The New Radicals and Marcy Playground. Unless you like those bands I just mentioned, there’s really no good reason to purchase Villains. I’d also suggest the album to fans of the songs that made them a hit a few years ago.
It kills me to say that The Verve Pipe is a big ol’ cliché. But, that fact remains. The East Lansing-formed bar band is no more important or profound than, for an extreme example, 98°. On the strength of Photograph and Cup of Tea I can safely give this album 3/5 stars. I will also recommend it, but only on the conditions I’ve mentioned above.
Track Listing:
1. Barely (if at all)
2. Drive You Mild
3. Villains
4. Reverend Girl
5. Cup of Tea
6. Myself
7. The Freshman
8. Photograph
9. Ominous Man
10. Real
11. Penny is Poison
12. Cattle
13. Veneer
**If you like this album, I also suggest other (and in my opinion moderately more talented) artists like Semisonic, Better Than Ezra, and Toad The Wet Sprocket.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2009 Shopping.com, Inc.