Wikipedia

Benefactor (album)

Benefactor is the second studio album by American new wave band Romeo Void, released in 1982.[1][2] It was released on CD in 2006 by Wounded Bird Records, with their Never Say Never EP as four bonus tracks. The version of the song "Never Say Never" is a shorter, "clean" edit suitable for general radio broadcast.

Benefactor
Studio album by
Romeo Void
ReleasedAugust 6, 1982
Recorded1981–1982
GenreNew wave
Length38:04 (Benefactor)
20:23 (Never Say Never)
58:27 (total)
LabelColumbia
ProducerIan Taylor
Ric Ocasek on "Never Say Never"
Romeo Void chronology
Never Say Never EP
(1981) 		Benefactor
(1982) 		Instincts
(1984)

Critical reception

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Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic     [3]

The New York Times wrote that "too much of Benefactor suffers from Miss Iyall's artsy overwriting... And the feverishly clever arrangements can't quite disguise the band's lack of strong melodies."[4] The Boston Phoenix opined that "As scrambled as its material gets, Benefactor is saved by the struggle this band brings to their rock ‘n’ roll — their conviction that escape routes from lovelessness are worth fighting for, worth opening up for the audience."[5]

Track listing

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All songs written by Benjamin Bossi, Larry Carter, Debora Iyall, Peter Woods, and Frank Zincavage, except where noted.

  1. "Never Say Never" – 3:27
  2. "Wrap It Up" (Isaac Hayes, David Porter) – 3:15
  3. "Flashflood" – 4:55
  4. "Undercover Kept" – 6:05
  5. "Ventilation" – 3:55
  6. "Chinatown" – 3:18
  7. "Orange" – 4:15
  8. "Shake the Hands of Time" – 3:19
  9. "S.O.S." – 5:30

Bonus tracks (2006 reissue; taken from "Never Say Never EP")

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  1. "Never Say Never" – 6:06
  2. "In the Dark" – 4:33
  3. "Present Tense" – 5:47
  4. "Not Safe" – 3:57

Personnel

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Additional personnel

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Charts

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Album

Item Year Chart Position
Never Say Never (EP) 1982 Pop Albums 147
Benefactor 1982 Pop Albums 119

References

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  1. ^ Emerson, Ken (Oct 14, 1982). "Benefactor". Rolling Stone. No. 380. p. 74.
  2. ^ Righi, Len (6 Nov 1984). "A New Kind of Recognition for Romeo Void". The Morning Call. p. D7.
  3. ^ Benefactor at AllMusic
  4. ^ Palmer, Robert (25 Aug 1982). "The Pop Life". The New York Times. p. C19.
  5. ^ Hampton, Howard (14 Sep 1982). "Null and void: Debora lyall stays undercover". The Boston Phoenix. Retrieved 20 Sep 2024.
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