Victory Gardens

For other uses, see Victory Garden (disambiguation).
Victory Gardens
Studio album by
John & Mary
Released1991
RecordedJune 18 – July 22, 1990
GenreFolk rock[1]
Length38:40
LabelRykodisc
ProducerJohn Lombardo
John & Mary chronology
Victory Gardens
(1991) 		The Weedkiller's Daughter
(1993)

Victory Gardens is the debut album by the American musical duo John & Mary, released in 1991 by Rykodisc.[2][3] John Lombardo, former member of 10,000 Maniacs and responsible for much of their early music, brought elements of the early Maniacs sound; Mary Ramsey added a blend of folk and classical influences.

Victory Gardens was produced by Lombardo and recorded at Mitch Easter's Chapel Hill Drive-In Studio in Winston-Salem, NC. The album features 10,000 Maniacs members Robert Buck and Jerome Augustyniak as well as special guests Ronnie Lane (Small Faces), Joey Molland (Badfinger)[1] and Augie Meyers (Sir Douglas Quintet, Texas Tornados).

The song "Red Wooden Beads" was included on Steal This Disc Vol. 3, part of a series of compact discs released by Rykodisc in 1991. "Rags of Flowers" was included on Troubadours of Folk Vol. 5: Singer-Songwriters of the '80s, part of a five volume series of compact discs released by Rhino Records in 1992.

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[4]

Trouser Press called the album "a seductive, low-key delight".[5] The Vancouver Sun opined that "Ramsey's voice is a little thin to be carrying the weight that these songs demand."[6]

Track listing

All tracks composed by John Lombardo and Mary Ramsey except where indicated

  1. "Red Wooden Beads" – 2:53
  2. "The Azalea Festival" – 4:28
  3. "Piles of Dead Leaves" – 4:14
  4. "We Have Nothing" (John Lombardo) - 3:47
  5. "Rags of Flowers" – 3:20
  6. "I Became Alone" – 3:33
  7. "The Open Window" – 3:45
  8. "July 6th" (John Lombardo) – 4:39
  9. "Pram" (John Lombardo) – 3:21
  10. "Un Canadien Errant" (Public Domain, arranged by Mary Ramsey) – 4:40

Personnel

John & Mary
Additional musicians
Technical staff
  • Stuart Sullivan – engineer
  • Joe Barbaria – mixing
  • Mitch Easter – engineer
  • Toby Mountain – mastering
  • Shannon Carr – mixing
  • Dan Griffin – production

Singles

In 1991 Rykodisc released a 7-inch vinyl promotional-only single

  1. "Red Wooden Beads" – 2:53
  2. "The Azalea Festival" (live version) – 3:10

References

  1. ^ a b Bream, Jon (June 7, 1991). "Nightlife". Star Tribune. p. 11E.
  2. ^ Okamoto, David (Mar 15, 1991). "'Victory Gardens'". Colorado Springs Gazette-Telegraph. p. D9.
  3. ^ Puterbaugh, Parke (Jun 1991). "Victory Gardens by John Lombardo and Mary Ramsey". Stereo Review. Vol. 56, no. 6. p. 82.
  4. ^ "Victory Gardens John & Mary". AllMusic. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
  5. ^ "10,000 Maniacs". Trouser Press. Retrieved 20 July 2024.
  6. ^ Barrett, Tom (Apr 18, 1991). "Rock/Pop". The Vancouver Sun. p. F20.