Villains (The Verve Pipe album)

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Villains
Studio album by
ReleasedMarch 26, 1996
Recorded1995–1996
StudioStudio D and The Plant, Sausalito, CA, Ocean Way Recording, Hollywood, CA
GenreAlternative rock, post-grunge
Length53:40, 54:23 (Original)
LabelRCA
ProducerJerry Harrison
The Verve Pipe chronology
Pop Smear
(1993)
Villains
(1996)
The Verve Pipe
(1999)
Singles from Villains
  1. "Photograph"
    Released: February 1996
  2. "Cup Of Tea"
    Released: July 16, 1996[1]
  3. "The Freshmen"
    Released: January 21, 1997[1]
  4. "Villains"
    Released: 1997
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
Allmusic[2]
Robert Christgau(C)[3]

Villains is the third studio album and first major label release by American rock band the Verve Pipe. It was released in March 1996. The band received its first hit in "Photograph", which peaked in the top 10 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks. A year after the release of the album, a reformatted version of "The Freshmen" peaked at number 1 on the Modern Rock Tracks chart. The single was also the band's sole appearance on the Billboard Hot 100, where it peaked at number 5. The success of the song helped this album go platinum. To date, it is the Verve Pipe's best selling album. The album was originally pressed in a blue case to match the color of the artwork, which included the slower recording of "The Freshmen," before it was later re-recorded and added to subsequent pressings.

Artwork[edit]

The artwork includes a toy duck in a darkened background and inverted-like coloring.

Track listing[edit]

All tracks are written by Brian Vander Ark, except where noted

Tracks
No.TitleLength
1."Barely (If at All)"3:45
2."Drive You Mild"3:02
3."Villains"4:42
4."Reverend Girl"4:27
5."Cup of Tea"4:26
6."Myself"4:47
7."The Freshmen (Original pressings included the slower version which is 5:08)"4:29
8."Photograph"4:55
9."Ominous Man"4:20
10."Real"1:51
11."Penny Is Poison" (A.J. Dunning, Brian Vander Ark)3:30
12."Cattle"3:42
13."Veneer"5:32
Total length:53:40

Personnel[edit]

Adapted from the Villains booklet and liner notes.[4]

Charts[edit]

Certifications[edit]

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[8] Platinum 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

References[edit]

  1. ^ a b RCA's Verve Pipe Earns Freshman Standing – Billboard Magazine Google Books
  2. ^ https://www.allmusic.com/album/r233041
  3. ^ "Robert Christgau: CG: Verve pipe".
  4. ^ Villains (booklet; inlay cover). The Verve Pipe. RCA. 1996. 07863 66809-2.{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)
  5. ^ "The Verve Pipe, TLP". Billboard. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  6. ^ "The Verve Pipe, TLN". Billboard. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  7. ^ "Top Billboard 200 Albums – Year-End 1997". Billboard. Retrieved June 16, 2021.
  8. ^ "American album certifications – The Verve Pipe – Villains". Recording Industry Association of America.