Music

V.O.L. Year: 1996 | Run Time: 1:10:57

Track List

Struggleville [4:19]
Double Cure [5:09]
Real Down Town [3:51]
And You Drown [3:47]
Tempest [2:16]
Skin [5:00]
Who Knows When the Sunrise Will Be [4:48]
When I'm Broken (See What Happens) [3:59]
Glory and the Dream [3:46]
Hopeless Is as Hopeless Does [4:08]
Earth Has No Sorrow Heaven Can't Heal [4:28]
Undertow [3:04]
America [5:55]
Blister Soul [3:52]
Losin' It [4:41]
River of Love [3:00]
Double Cure (Reprise) [3:42]

About V.O.L.

From the beginning Bill Mallonee has used his songwriting as a form of therapy, as a cathartic means of expressing himself, so it's no surprise that issues and struggles with his Christian faith have surfaced on the Vigilantes of Love albums over and over again. This caught the attention of some Christians, and in 1995 a small, adventerous label tried to rerelease Jugular to the Christian music market in the US. It didn't work. The label's Christian distributor deemed "Love Cocoon" and two or three other songs inappropriate. In 1996, another label, Warner Resound, which was owned by the Warner giant but had distribution deals into Christian book and music stores, put together this compilation of tamer VOL songs. Though perhaps not truly representative of the Vigilantes' body of work nor as cohesive as a regular album, the compilation introduced the band to many new fans. VOL recorded several new songs for the album, including the hymn-like "Double Cure", and most of these new songs reflect the simpler arrangements that the band had been using on the road where they were performing as a trio with Bill playing all of the guitars. Some listeners will easily spot the Neil Young influences in the new material. Though intended for the Christian market, the album was distributed to mainstream music stores where it's stocked in the usual rock section. It was released on September 10, 1996.

Did you know?

The new songs for this compilation were recorded at John Keane's studio in just two days. Songs were selected from all major releases with the exception of Driving the Nails. The four new tracks are "Double Cure," "And You Drown," "When I'm Broken (See What Happens)" and "Hopeless Is As Hopeless Does." The tentative title for this compilation was Double Cure. Resplendent, Dead Weight and Unclaimed Freight were possibilities as well. Within the CD insert, the symbols indicating which songs came from which albums are reversed for Jugular and Killing Floor.

Quotes from Bill Mallonee

Aug 1996: I made a list of the songs I wanted on there and sent that to our manager, Dan Russell at Fingerprint. Dan also made his own list and got together with Barry Landis at Warner Resound to kind of flesh out the final song order.

Aug 1996: There's all these multiple snapshots being thrown out there and you have to look at them real quick or you'll miss something.

Aug 1996: The four tracks we did for this record, I wanted on there for two reasons: One, I think they're great songs and they compliment the record. And, two, they're sort of a flare or an opening salvo for where the band is going.

Aug 1996: A lot of the lyrics on the record have to do with coming to grips, sooner or later, with the fact that you're not ever going to be perfect, and you're going to have to struggle through.

Quotes from Other Folks

Nick Purdy / Jun 5, 1997: The VOL record was a one-shot deal with Warner with an option for more. While Warner was figuring out whether to pick up the option, Mercury finished buying Capricorn and re-upped Vigilantes and so Capricorn basically got there first...

A Review by markbairrington / May 12, 2004

V.O.L. continues to rip me up and put me back together - emotionally speaking of course. Song for song I believe there have been few better recordings ever made. Both versions of "Double Cure", "Earth Has No Sorrow", "Skin", "Hopeless is as Hopeless Does"...all the way through the album the lyrics are intelligent & beautiful, yet full of the stuff from which real life is made. Bill Mallonee's dad may have "tried to save the world with Chemistry", but V.O.L. has saved a part of my world with music.

A Review by BillBeaton / May 16, 2002

V.O.L. was my primer to the Vigilantes of Love. I bought it after hearing "Hopeless is as Hopeless Does" on the strations of Love compilation CD benefiting Prism magazine. I liked V.O.L. so much (loved it, really), that I have purchased four other V.O.L. CD's since. If I had to take a handful of CD's onto a desert island (must be an island with power!), V.O.L. would be one of them.

Credits

Previously Unreleased Tracks:

Bill Mallonee: lead vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, harmonica

Tom Crea: drums

Chris Bland: bass and backing vocals

John Keane: electric guitar on "Double Cure"

Previously Released Tracks:

Bill Mallonee: guitar, harmonica, percussion, drums, vocals

Chris Bland: bass, vocals

Andy Carlson: violin

Newton Carter: guitar, vocals

Tom Crea: drums

Matt Donaldson: drums

Chris Donohue: piano, guitar, vocals, bass

Billy Holmes: keyboards, bass, mandolin, trumpet, guitar, sitar, vocals

Joey Huffman: keyboards

John Keane: percussion, pedal steel guitar, guitar, vocals

David LaBruyere: bass

Phil Madeira: keyboards, accordion

Travis Aaron McNabb: drums, percussion

Produced by Bill Mallonee and John Keane. Compilation Produced by Dan Russell. Compilation Executive Producer: Barry Landis. Engineered and Mixed by John Keane. Mastered by Ken Love.